Is cornstarch vegan? Yes, it is! However, it’s almost always GMO, unless otherwise indicated on the packaging. Read on for more!
What is cornstarch?
Cornstarch is the starch derived from corn and is made from the white endosperms found in the center of a corn kernel. Those endosperms are ground into a fine, white powder that is often used as a thickening agent.
How is cornstarch used?
Cornstarch is most often used to thicken liquid-based foods such as stews, soups, sauces, and even desserts likes custards (like my Vegan Custard!). When used correctly and in appropriate amounts, cornstarch is translucent and tasteless.
Because cornstarch consists of nothing but corn endosperm, cornstarch is indeed vegan. I’ve looked at tons of packages and looked online for non-vegan cornstarch brands, but can’t find any.
It might exist somewhere, but I can’t find any evidence of it. So are there any issues for vegans?
It kind of depends. Are you cool with GMOs? Most corn, and therefore cornstarch, in the US, is GMO.
If you’re worried about it, buy organic cornstarch. If something is certified organic, it can’t be GMO.
Or try a different type of starch! The only issue is that they’re not perfectly interchangeable with cornstarch, even if some sources say so.
If I use the same amount of cornstarch and arrowroot starch in something like pudding, you’ll get two different results.
I had this issue with my Vegan Coconut Pudding, which calls for cornstarch. I tried making it paleo by using arrowroot starch, but the result was weird. And it didn’t even work at all with some brands.
You can certainly experiment, but just know that the results might not be exactly as you had hoped.
Vegan cornstarch brands
The following information is accurate as of 4/18/2022 in the US. I checked out every product myself (unlike other articles which copied and pasted the same list with a misspelled a brand name 😂).
Those lists mention Argo as being vegan. But the product isn’t labeled as vegan, and I don’t see it in the product description anywhere. Their FAQs do say, “Argo Corn Starch is free of gluten, soy, milk, egg, peanut and tree nuts.” But cross-contamination could be an issue.
- Anthony’s – this one is the only product I could find that’s actually labeled as vegan on the bag. Non-organic and non-GMO.
- Pure – not labeled on the bag, but the product page says it’s vegan. Not labeled as non-GMO, but they say that they are.
- Bob’s Red Mill – on the product page, it says, “All Bob’s Red Mill products are vegetarian; this product is also vegan.” It doesn’t say non-GMO on the bag, but in the questions section on the Bob’s Red Mill product page, they say, “This product is not organic, however it is non GMO. At Bob’s Red Mill, we have made a commitment to purchase only non-GMO grains. All of our products are made from ingredients that were grown from identity-preserved, non-GMO seed.”
- Clabber Girl – on their website, they write, “All baking ingredients manufactured by Clabber Girl Corporation contain no animal products. Additionally, all of the ingredients used in our products are free of animal products and are not derived from material of animal origins.” Their most popular product isn’t labeled as non-GMO, but the one I linked to say non-GMO right on the front!
- Earthborn Elements – listed as vegan and non-GMO on the product page.
- Rumford – listed as vegan on their product page and labeled non-GMO on the package.
If you’ve read this far, you might be in need of a treat like this Paleo Vegan Raspberry Coconut Tart! (Psst – it has cornstarch.) 😉
I hope I’ve answered your question! Feel free to leave any other questions you may have below.
