If you need a wheat-free flour blend that stirs together fast and works as a stand-in for white wheat flour, this pantry mix keeps things simple. It combines barley flour, potato starch flour, and fine-ground maize flour with a small amount of leavening already built in, so you can scoop and bake without dragging half the cupboard onto the counter.
One important catch before you start: barley is not gluten-free. If you’re avoiding wheat for a wheat allergy or another wheat-specific reason, this mix may fit the bill. If you’re avoiding gluten for celiac disease, barley still contains gluten proteins, which is why label checking matters so much according to FDA gluten-free labeling guidance.
Ingredients
You only need five ingredients for this flour mix:
- 1 pound barley flour
- 1 pound potato starch flour, not plain potato flour
- 1 pound fine-ground maize flour
- 6 teaspoons baking soda
- 3 teaspoons cream of tartar
The potato starch keeps the blend lighter, while the maize flour and barley flour add body so it behaves more like an all-purpose baking mix instead of a sad bowl of dust.
Instructions
- Measure the barley flour, potato starch flour, and fine-ground maize flour into a large bowl or food-safe container.
- Add the baking soda and cream of tartar.
- Whisk or stir thoroughly until the leavening is evenly distributed through the flour mixture.
- Transfer the mix to an airtight container or jar.
- Use it as a substitute for white wheat flour in recipes that suit this style of blend.
- Read every ingredient label carefully before mixing, especially if you’re avoiding hidden wheat or gluten ingredients.
How to Use This Mix
Use this blend as a wheat-free substitute for white wheat flour in everyday baking. It works best in simple muffins, quick breads, pancakes, biscuits, and coatings where a slightly heartier texture won’t cause trouble.
Because this mix already contains baking soda and cream of tartar, check your recipe before dumping in extra leavening like you’re trying to prove a point. In recipes with large amounts of yeast or very specific structure, you may get better results with a blend designed for that exact job, such as Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Mix or Gluten Free Flour Mix.
Helpful Tips
- Whisk longer than you think you need to. Small amounts of baking soda and cream of tartar can clump if they’re not mixed evenly.
- Label the container clearly. Write the name and date on the jar so nobody mistakes it for plain flour.
- Store it away from heat and steam. A cabinet is better than the shelf above the stove, unless you enjoy mystery lumps.
- Spoon and level when baking. Scooping straight into the flour can pack it down and throw off your measurements.
Variations and Substitutions
The one substitution you should not make here is swapping potato starch flour for potato flour. They are not the same ingredient, and potato flour absorbs more liquid and behaves very differently in baking.
If you need a strictly gluten-free baking mix, skip this formula and use a barley-free blend instead. For another make-ahead option, Wheat-Free Cornbread Mix in a Jar is a handy pantry backup when you want something quick alongside soup or chili.
Storage
Store the finished mix in an airtight container in a cool, dry cupboard. For best quality, use it within 6 months. That’s a conservative estimate based on the shortest-lived leavening ingredients in the blend and normal pantry storage conditions.
If your kitchen runs hot or humid, transfer the mix to a tightly sealed jar or food-safe bucket and keep it away from sunlight, the dishwasher, and the stove. If the mix develops a stale odor, hard clumps, or uneven color, toss it and start fresh.
💸 Budget101® Price Breakdown: Wheat-Free Flour Mix #2
Ingredient |
Walmart Item |
Pkg Price |
Amount Used |
Cost Used |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Barley flour |
$2.48 |
1 lb |
$1.65 |
|
Potato starch flour |
$2.97 |
1 lb |
$0.59 |
|
Fine-ground maize flour |
$2.96 |
1 lb |
$0.59 |
|
Baking soda |
$0.92 |
6 t. |
$0.06 |
|
Cream of tartar |
$2.68 |
3 t. |
$0.57 |
💸 |
Cost |
|---|---|
🧾 Total Batch Cost |
$3.46 |
👨👩👧👦 Cost Per Serving |
$0.08 |
📅 Walmart prices last verified August 26, 2026. Prices may vary by location and are subject to change. Learn how to calculate the cost of a recipe on your own!
🛒 Walmart Grocery List
- Barley Flour, 16 lb
- Potato Starch, 16 oz
- Corn Flour, 24 oz
- Baking Soda, 16 oz
- Cream of Tartar, 2.75 oz
Not sure exactly what this batch costs you per serving? Here’s how to break down the real cost of any recipe so you know before you shop.
Frequently Asked Questions about Wheat-Free Flour Mix #2
No, it isn’t. Barley contains gluten, so this mix is wheat-free but not suitable for a strict gluten-free diet. If you need a celiac-safe option, use a barley-free blend instead and read every label carefully for cross-contact.
Don’t swap them here. Potato flour is heavier, absorbs more liquid, and can make baked goods dense or gummy, while potato starch keeps the blend lighter and softer. If the bag says potato flour, put it back on the shelf for another recipe.
Together, they act like a built-in leavening system. Baking soda needs an acid to react properly, and cream of tartar supplies that acid, so the mix gives lift without needing commercial baking powder. It’s old-school pantry math, and it still works.
You’ll end up with about 3 pounds plus 9 teaspoons of mix, which is roughly 11 cups by volume as an estimate. That gives you about 44 quarter-cup servings, though your exact yield can shift a little depending on how heavily the flours are packed.
Start with quick breads, muffins, pancakes, biscuits, or simple coatings. Those recipes are more forgiving than chewy yeast breads or delicate layer cakes, so you’ll get a better feel for how this blend behaves before asking it to do cartwheels.
Usually, yes, but expect some texture differences. Barley and corn-based flours don’t build structure the same way wheat flour does, so batters may seem looser and baked goods may turn out a bit more tender or crumbly. Start with a 1:1 swap in simple recipes and adjust from there.
Whisk it very thoroughly before storing, then give the container a good shake before each use. Since the baking soda and cream of tartar are added in small amounts, they can settle if the jar gets bumped around a lot. A wide container makes remixing easier than a tall narrow one.
Absolutely. Keep the same ratios and measure carefully, especially the 2-to-1 balance of baking soda to cream of tartar. For a half batch, use 8 ounces each of the three flours, 3 teaspoons baking soda, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar.
Keep it in an airtight container in a cool, dry cupboard and use it within about 6 months for best quality. Heat, humidity, and steam are what ruin dry mixes fastest, so the cabinet over the stove is a terrible little liar of a storage spot.
Most trouble starts with assuming every white powder in the baking aisle is interchangeable. Using potato flour instead of potato starch, skipping the label check, or stirring too casually can all throw off the texture. Measure carefully and mix like you mean it.
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Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment and tell us how you used it, what you baked first, or whether you made any careful swaps that worked in your kitchen.
🖨️ Print-Friendly Wheat-Free Flour Mix #2
Wheat-Free Flour Mix #2
Ingredients
- 1 lb barley flour
- 1 lb potato starch flour
- 1 lb fine-ground maize flour
- 6 tsp baking soda
- 3 tsp cream of tartar
Equipment
Instructions
- Add the barley flour, potato starch flour, and fine-ground maize flour to a large mixing bowl or container.
- Stir in the baking soda and cream of tartar.
- Whisk thoroughly until the ingredients are evenly blended.
- Transfer the flour mix to an airtight container.
- Store in a cool, dry place and use as a substitute for white wheat flour.
- Read labels carefully to avoid hidden wheat or gluten ingredients.
Recipe Size Alteration
💡 If you altered the ingredients above by doubling or tripling the recipe, you may also need to change the pan/dish size and adjust the cook time.
Notes
Estimated serving size is 1/4 cup, for about 44 servings.
Prep time is estimated because the recipe does not list a clock time.
For best quality, store airtight in a cool, dry cupboard and use within 6 months.
This mix is wheat-free, but it is not gluten-free because barley contains gluten.
i am enjoying seeing all the gluten free recipes here, but why would you post a recipe that contains barley flour in this list? barley is in the wheat family.
Pure wheat grass and barley grass (just the grass, with absolutely no seeds) do not contain gluten.
In fact, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, in its finalized gluten-free label rules, has said that wheat grass and barley grass could be used to make foods labeled gluten-free, as long as the finished products contain less than 20 parts per million of gluten.
can you please re-label this as wf (wheat-free) flour? even the fda admits that someone with celiac can experience damage to their villi at levels of gluten as low as 0.4 mg per day. Twenty parts per million is about 6-10mg on a typical, strict GF diet.
We don’t need any “extra” damage! Thanks.
Um, The TITLE of the Recipe pretty Much says it all, How else would you have them change the label when it already clearly states WHEAT FREE FLOUR MIX ????
This recipe is, indeed labeled wheat-free, yet it is under the category of recipes that are gluten free. For anyone who is medically required to be on a gluten free diet in order to live, barley is downright dangerous. As the mother of a Celiac child, I understand the confusion.
I also understand the possible terrible effects of posting this recipe under the gluten free heading. I have seen food labeled gluten free in large print only to turn the package over and see that it was manufactured in a plant containing wheat. That type of misrepresentation can shut down the organs of a Celiac.
We learn to be avid readers of packages every time we shop, lest one company make a change that will harm us or a family member. That’s why anyone with any knowledge of that terrible disease would be alarmed at this seemingly minor mistake. Concern for others leads us to urge better understanding.
Gluten free must mean free of gluten. Barley, rye, and wheat contain gluten. Thus, they should never be found anywhere in a list of gluten free recipes.
Please consider a new category for this recipe.
I agree it should be labeled wheat free. It might be ok for someone with an “intolerance” , however someone with celiac would be very sick.
Please list this as wheat free and not gf. barley does contain gluten, and the amount of gluten that can fit on the head of a pin can cause serious digestive upset for up to 2 weeks in Celiacs, as well as long term intestinal damage. A waitress’ forgetting and setting a yeast roll on top of a meal and then snatching it back off contaminates the meal with enough gluten to affect most Celiacs.