Glutinous Rice Flour
Glutinous rice flour is milled from waxy short-grain rice (100% amylopectin starch) with a density of 0.59 g/mL. Despite its name, it contains no gluten — 'glutinous' refers to its sticky, stretchy texture when hydrated. A 5g measurement error in mochi or tang yuan dough creates completely different textures. This is one of the few flours where gram precision is genuinely life-or-death for the recipe.
Essential for mochi, tang yuan, dango, tteok (Korean rice cakes), Filipino kakanin, and Japanese wagashi. Also used as a thickener in sauces.
What is Glutinous Rice Flour?
Glutinous rice flour is milled from waxy short-grain rice (100% amylopectin starch) with a density of 0.59 g/mL. Despite its name, it contains no gluten — 'glutinous' refers to its sticky, stretchy texture when hydrated. A 5g measurement error in mochi or tang yuan dough creates completely different textures. This is one of the few flours where gram precision is genuinely life-or-death for the recipe.
Quick convert
- US cup = 236.588 mL
- 1 tbsp = 14.787 mL
- 1 tsp = 4.929 mL
Glutinous Rice Flour — Cup → g
| Cups | g |
|---|---|
| 1/8 cup | 15 |
| 1/4 cup | 30 |
| 1/3 cup | 40 |
| 1/2 cup | 60 |
| 2/3 cup | 80 |
| 3/4 cup | 90 |
| 1 cup | 120 |
| 1 1/2 cups | 180 |
| 2 cups | 240 |
Glutinous Rice Flour — g → Cups
| g | Cups |
|---|---|
| 50 | 0.4 |
| 100 | 0.8 |
| 150 | 1.3 |
| 200 | 1.7 |
| 250 | 2.1 |
| 300 | 2.5 |
| 350 | 2.9 |
| 400 | 3.3 |
| 450 | 3.8 |
| 500 | 4.2 |
| 600 | 5.0 |
| 700 | 5.8 |
| 800 | 6.7 |
| 900 | 7.5 |
| 1000 | 8.3 |
Glutinous Rice Flour — Tbsp → g
| Tbsp | g |
|---|---|
| 1 | 8 |
| 2 | 15 |
| 3 | 23 |
| 4 | 30 |
| 5 | 38 |
| 6 | 45 |
| 7 | 53 |
| 8 | 60 |
| 9 | 68 |
| 10 | 75 |
| 11 | 83 |
| 12 | 90 |
| 13 | 98 |
| 14 | 105 |
| 15 | 113 |
| 20 | 150 |
| 25 | 188 |
| 30 | 225 |
Glutinous Rice Flour — mL → g
| mL | g |
|---|---|
| 10 | 5 |
| 25 | 13 |
| 50 | 25 |
| 75 | 38 |
| 100 | 51 |
| 125 | 63 |
| 150 | 76 |
| 200 | 101 |
| 250 | 127 |
| 500 | 254 |
| 750 | 380 |
| 1000 | 507 |
Glutinous Rice Flour — Tsp → g
| Tsp | g |
|---|---|
| 1 | 3 |
| 2 | 5 |
| 3 | 8 |
| 4 | 10 |
| 5 | 13 |
| 6 | 15 |
| 7 | 18 |
| 8 | 20 |
| 9 | 23 |
| 10 | 25 |
| 11 | 28 |
| 12 | 30 |
| 13 | 33 |
| 14 | 35 |
| 15 | 38 |
| 20 | 50 |
| 25 | 63 |
| 30 | 75 |
Glutinous Rice Flour — oz → g
| oz | g |
|---|---|
| 1 | 28 |
| 2 | 57 |
| 3 | 85 |
| 4 | 113 |
| 5 | 142 |
| 8 | 227 |
| 10 | 283 |
| 12 | 340 |
| 15 | 425 |
| 20 | 567 |
| 25 | 709 |
| 30 | 850 |
| 40 | 1134 |
| 50 | 1417 |
Baking Conversion Chart
Exact cup-to-gram weights for flour, sugar, cocoa, and every baking ingredient. Print it, stick it up, bake with precision.
Substitutes for Glutinous Rice Flour
Out of this ingredient? Swap it with the options below and follow the exact ratio.
- Rice Flourdry
Do not substitute glutinous rice flour with regular rice flour — the texture results are completely different. There is no 1:1 substitute for glutinous rice flour in mochi and similar recipes.
Scale:by weight
Use Glutinous Rice Flour as a substitute for
Have this ingredient on hand? These are the situations where it can stand in for others.
- Rice Flourdry
Do not substitute white rice flour with glutinous rice flour in non-Asian recipes — glutinous rice flour produces a chewy, sticky texture completely different from regular rice flour.
Scale:by weight
How to measure flours
Flours swing wildly in weight by volume (a cup can jump from 120g to 150g). Protein and gluten strength also change from brand to brand. Weighing is the only way to keep hydration and texture consistent for bread, pizza, cakes, and pasta.
- Spoon and level for loose; packed cups weigh more—use the packed toggle when available.
- For bread and pizza doughs, aim for consistency: measure by weight when possible.
Protein & gluten in flour
Glutinous Rice Flour sits around 5% protein.
Storage & tools
- Store in a cool, dry pantry (under 21 °C / 70 °F) away from direct sunlight.
- Use airtight containers to keep humidity out — dry ingredients gain 1–2 % mass in humid air.
- Rotate stock: first in, first out, even when the product looks unchanged.
- Check best-by dates; potency can fade before the product looks old.
Store in a sealed container in a cool, dry place for up to 1 year. In humid climates, refrigerate to prevent clumping.
FAQ
- Can I substitute glutinous rice flour for regular rice flour?
- No. They produce completely different textures. Glutinous rice flour creates a chewy, stretchy, mochi-like texture due to its amylopectin-dominant starch. Regular rice flour creates a crumbly, tender texture. They are not interchangeable.
- Is glutinous rice flour gluten-free?
- Yes. Despite the name, glutinous rice contains no gluten proteins whatsoever. 'Glutinous' refers to the sticky (glue-like) texture of the cooked starch. It is safe for people with celiac disease.