This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
As a regular Trader Joe's shopper, I'm happy to tell you that they now sell an all purpose gluten free flour! My unbiased review so far? It's complicated. See below for product details, the product in use and detailed ratings.
Table of Contents
Product Details
Price: $3.99 for 16 ounces (1 pound)
Ingredients: “whole grain brown rice flour, potato starch, rice flour, tapioca flour”
Manufacturing Practices: There are no warnings listed on the package about possible cross-contamination with other allergens. I have sent an email to the company through their website asking those questions. Stay tuned for an update.
*UPDATE*: This is the response I received from Trader Joe's when I contacted them through their website to ask if the product was made in a dedicated facility and/or on dedicated equipment, and whether it was nut-free:
Dear Nicole,
Thank you so much for contacting us. Our new Gluten-Free Flour is made in a peanut and tree nut-free facility and on dedicated gluten-free equipment. The facility does process wheat on other equipment, but the facility's allergen control program is so strict that the flour tests at well under 20 ppm of gluten. Please know that we would never actually label a product with the words “Gluten Free” unless it tests at under 20 ppm of gluten or is made in a dedicated facility.
Best regards,
Rachel
Customer Relations
Trader Joe's
My guess of the source of this gluten-free all purpose flour: King Arthur Multi Purpose Gluten Free Flour. Trader Joe's almost always purchases products like this from companies that specialize in the niche, and puts their label on the product (a totally legitimate practice called white labeling). Based upon the ingredient list, and the product performance so far, I believe that it is King Arthur's product. **UPDATE: King Arthur Flour has contacted me and indicated that the Trader Joe's gluten free flour is NOT their flour. I take them at their word, so I stand corrected!
What Gluten Free Recipe I Tested With Trader Joe's Flour
Since I knew you'd be anxious to hear the skinny on this flour blend, I jumped right into the deep end and made yeasted gluten free pizza dough. I used the Trader Joe's flour to make 4 batches with my gluten free pizza dough recipe.
I used it in gluten free calzones. Notice anything? Almost no matter what I did, they simply wouldn't brown. This blend has waaaaaaay too much starch in it.
The Test Results
The dough was very, very easy to handle, though, but frankly that is mostly due to my crackerjack recipe (I know – so sorry I can't share it now!). And the rice flour does not seem superfine to me, but that doesn't matter very much when you're making yeasted dough since the proofing time softens and expands the grains. But when I tried baking the dough until it browned, it baked up like a pale cracker and I literally had to toss it in the trash. And there's olive oil in the dough! Not cool. My children complained about the texture, saying that it was chalky, and the pizza itself dried out very quickly and easily. I experience none of those things with my favorite gluten free flour blends.
A Comparison with My Blend
I then made the same super secret recipe for gluten free pizza crust with my Better Than Cup4Cup Flour Blend, changed absolutely nothing else, and it browned beautifully and tasted great. The pizza was also much, much more fragrant as it baked. It tasted … like great pizza.
What's Next
I will test this flour in other recipe categories (cookies, cake, pastry), and report back. I was really pulling for this flour. I am a regular Trader Joe's customer (in fact it's my first shop, every week), and although the price isn't as good as other blends are when you buy them in bulk, I love seeing basic, important gluten free products in mainstream markets. Especially markets with the vast reach of Trader Joe's. I think the flour will do just fine in muffins, cakes and cookies (although it will likely be gritty – I so wish they used superfine flour), but I think it will make dry pastry that is difficult to work with. All that being said, I'm thrilled to have something there for when you're in a pinch and need something to work with.
Hi Nicole,
On my weekly trek to town today .I stopped at Tradert Joe’s and noticed the flour but put it back because it had 0 grams fiber . But, I also noticed a pound bag of almond meal for $3.99. How, and how difficult would that be to make into almond flour .It looked pretty much like whole wheat flour. How fine does it need to be ??? It would sure be more reasonable if not to much work or better yet if it was ok as is ?????
I’m afraid that Trader Joe’s almond meal is not at all the same as the blanched almond flour that is used in almond flour baking. It won’t work at all, Carole. Sorry!
Nicole
I’m with Tiffany. I can’t digest Bob’s Red Mill GF flour. Tried the pizza dough mix and gave me wicked stomach cramps. But I do like the GF hot cereal, it’s yummy with no side effects. Reminds me of cream of wheat when I was a kid.
Thank you so much for your review. When I began my GF journey, I kept buying all kinds of flour and wasted so much money. This review helps me avoid spending money for yet another. I would also comment that I tried TJ’s GF Ryeless Rye Bread and the taste was OK but it seemed that they bagged it before it was cool and it was all stuck together. I quit buying it.
I’m newly GF as well as my 15 year old daughter, so I am still a little timid in baking with GF flours and such. This is great information and I have purchased both your books and can’t wait to try some of the recipes. Thanks for paving the way.
thanks for looking out for us. love your posts
Hi Nicole,
As I have to avoid dairy as well as gluten, I cannot use your Better that Cup4Cup. What do you consider the next best all purpose blend that I should be using? Would it be another of your homemade blends, or Better Batter?
FYI, I was diagnosed as gluten intolerant a year ago, and as a passionate baker and am still grieving over the difference in gluten free baking verses regular. I just can’t get used to the chalky taste and texture. I have been using Carol Kicinski’s/Simply Gluten-Free all purpose pastry flour. Have you ever tested this flour?
Will try whatever you suggest…
Many thanks,
Kris Angelo
You must be using the wrong flour . Am 68 and a constant baker and most everything tastes terrific. Stick with Nicole and you can’t go wrong. My husband has celiac disease and I totally eliminated gluten and am perfectly happy being gluten free by choice. The only thing I really miss is a decent hot dog bun and just bought the new england bun pan and hope to resolve that within the week. My husband found out he had celiac at 72.
My grandkids still eat everything I bake with gusto. Don’t give up.
I agree with Carole, Kris (thanks, Carole – oh, and there will be a recipe for soft hot dog buns in Gluten-Free on a Shoestring Bakes Bread). There should be nothing to grieve when it comes to taste and texture. I have not tried Carol’s flour, but I just took a quick look at the ingredients and it is likely quite high in starch, which would likely account for any chalky taste and texture (which is what I found with the Trader Joe’s flour). That bland, chalky taste is generally the result of too much starch, although I must stress that I have not tried her flour – and I also don’t know what recipes you are using. I have done extensive research on flour blends that I believe work relatively well (just click on the flour button in the righthand sidebar for a summary with links). If you would like to blend your own flour, I’d use one of my “mock” mixes. If you are looking for readymade, I’d start with Better Batter or Cup4Cup.
xoxo Nicole
There ARE good flours out there, both using rice and those that use no rice at all. Keep reading reviews and the posts that follow for a wide variety of individual responses. Like the post here that likes some Bob’s Red Mill products but not all (and I’ve got to say that the shortbread I made from Bob’s GF mix was not only chosen as better than the 4 wheat shortbreads we had at a party earlier this year, when I made it for a small wedding, I had the judge and others clamoring for my recipe).
Sources, like Nicole’ recipe(s) and the local flour mix I use, can be made/found! Real pierogi (not the starch bombs sold in freezer sections) graced our table for the first time in 30 years just this past fall. Success and wonderful tastes are possible!
Is it KOSHER???
Thanks for the review and for saving us some money. :) Shawn
Pleasure, Shawn. For you? Anything.
xoxo Nicole
Thank you again for being my hero in making my GF world a better and easier place to live!
So good to know. I use your blends and have found the most success with them. So, I’ll stick with those and pass on the TJs. Thanks for the great recipes in both of your books!!