Arrowroot flour, also known as arrowroot starch or arrowroot powder, is a popular ingredient for those who are gluten-free and can act as a substitute for wheat flour or as a thickener in recipes like sauces or soups.
It has dozens of uses and does make for a popular Southeast Asian drink called Kuzu-Yu or arrowroot tea, which can help to settle an upset stomach or be served as an herbal remedy for colds, sore throats, and even hangovers!
But arrowroot likely shouldn’t be added willy-nilly to any drink in front of you. Kuzu-Yu is specially prepared to maximize the benefits of the arrowroot powder. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be added to other drinks, you just have to go about it the right way! One of my favorite ways to get a dose of arrowroot flour is in my morning cup of coffee. How, you ask? Well, I’ll break it down for you!
What is arrowroot flour and why consume it?
First of all, let’s discuss what arrowroot flour is and why you would want to add arrowroot flour to your coffee, or to your daily diet for that matter.
Arrowroot flour is extracted from a plant called Maranta arundinacea, which is commonly grown in tropical climates like South America, Southeast Asia, South Africa, and Australia.
Specifically, the root of the plant is harvested, with the arrowroot flour extracted from there. It ultimately ends up as a white, powdery substance that looks similar to cornstarch, and serves a lot of the same purposes as well.
As for the why, arrowroot powder has a number of health benefits.
- It feeds healthy gut bacteria due to the process of fermentation it undergoes while in the large intestine since the small intestine can’t break it down
- It can help keep your digestive system regular, settle stomach pain and treat diarrhea
- It slows digestion, which helps you feel fuller longer and can aid in weight loss
- It is high in Vitamin B9, also known as folate or folic acid, which is especially important during pregnancy
- It’s rich in other vitamins and minerals like potassium, iron, and B vitamins, which have cardiovascular benefits and can assist your body’s immunity
Seeing as how arrowroot flour has a lot of digestive benefits, it’s worth adding to your diet. One of the easiest ways to add this flavorless starch to your daily diet is by adding it to something you drink every morning: your coffee!
But as I mentioned above, we’re not going to just sprinkle some arrowroot flour into our bean juice; that would just give us a slurry if mixed with iced coffee or a clumpy mug of hot coffee. So the secret here is adding arrowroot flour to your coffee through your coffee creamer! Homemade coffee creamer, in fact.
How to make homemade coffee creamer
Making your own coffee creamer is incredibly easy. All it takes is some mixing, simmering, storing, and pouring. The best part? There are so many variations to choose from, so depending on your mood, the season, or whatever ingredients you have on hand, you can have delicious coffee creamer made to your liking all year long.
In its most basic form, homemade coffee creamer can be made with three simple ingredients:
- Milk (any variety)
- Condensed milk
- Arrowroot flour
This variety wouldn’t give you any flavor, but it’s a good base recipe for making your own creamer. Additions such as vanilla or other extracts, maple syrup, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and even ice cream can turn your creamer into a delicious and aromatic treat to take your coffee to new levels.
Experiment with making your own homemade coffee creamer with these five tasty recipes:
- French Vanilla Coffee Creamer
- Chocolate Coffee Creamer
- Cinnamon Coffee Creamer
- Hazlenut Coffee Creamer
- Salted Caramel Coffee Creamer
Once you get the hang of it, you can decide which flavor you like best, or try your own add-ons to make your own unique coffee creamer recipe.
Other uses for arrowroot flour
For those who are gluten-free, it can be difficult to find recipes that produce a tasty result that still resembles the type of food you’re attempting to make.
One of the biggest benefits of cooking or baking with arrowroot flour is that it does a phenomenal job of holding the recipe together to prevent it from crumbling. It is also flavorless, so it won’t add any unwanted flavor to your recipe that will give it away as gluten-free.
Arrowroot flour is also a great thickener for any recipe, whether it’s gluten-free or not. You can use it to create a slurry, just like you would with cornstarch, by adding a bit of arrowroot flour to cold water, stirring, and pouring it into your sauce or soup to thicken it up.
Arrowroot flour does break down at high temperatures, however, so it is recommended that this step is completed last, right before serving the dish.
This thickening also translates to baking. Arrowroot will thicken batters, which helps to keep them light and fluffy once they’ve been baked up. It’s definitely worth a try next time you’re planning to make muffins or bread.
Where to buy arrowroot flour
Arrowroot powder is a popular enough ingredient that you shouldn’t have too hard of a time finding it if you’re ready to try it in your coffee creamer or another recipe you’ve been dying to try. If you’re at a local grocery store, first check the baking aisle. If you can’t locate it there, see if the store has a gluten-free section.
And if you’re having a hard time finding it locally, many online retailers carry arrowroot flour, so one way or another, you should be able to get your hands on it. It may just take some persistence or patience!
Whether homemade coffee creamer is something you’d like to try or you’re more curious about cooking or baking with arrowroot flour, it’s definitely worth a try.
It has so many uses and is quite versatile, so if one recipe doesn’t work out, give another one a whirl. You never know, you may just find your next favorite recipe by experimenting with arrowroot flour!
