I was super proud when the pie crust recipe I had worked for years to develop was published.
Then I got a DM on Instagram from someone who saw the recipe asking me if Cup4Cup’s new flour blend works with my Flaky Gluten-free Crust recipe. After a moment of confusion, reality hit me, and my stomach dropped. I used Cup4Cup’s flour for the pie crust recipe the reader was referring to.
So I started researching online. Sure enough, Cup4Cup had updated their flour blend and I hadn’t used the new blend yet.
Online forums and threads shared outcries from supposed Cup4Cup users asking the company to bring back the old blend. Fans had fears of ruined recipes, meals, and holidays. I was starting to panic, but I decided to message Cup4Cup, and they quickly responded. This told me that the brand was willing to discuss what was happening and probably had a solution. I was hopeful as we set up a time to talk a few days later about my concerns.
In the meantime, I bought some of the new Cup4Cup flour blend and got baking. I wanted to test my recipes made with the updated (NEW) blend, but I also wanted to make them with the original (OG) blend for a side-by-side comparison.
Test #1: Pie Crust
The first baking comparison I made was with my pie crust recipe. The dough came together very well for both versions of the crust- they were almost identical. They both rolled out beautifully without sticking to the rolling pin. The crusts transferred easily without tearing.
I made galettes instead of pies out of ease (and let’s be honest- laziness), and they both held the filling well. I glazed the edges with an egg wash to give it a glossy baked finish.
Out of the oven, they look a little different; the OG is slightly darker brown, but if they weren’t side by side, it would be hard to notice. When I sliced the original, the crust was baked through, flaky, and tender. The bottom was dry, it was not soggy, and it was nicely browned.
The crust with the NEW flour was more golden than browned. However, the crust cut just as easily as the original. It was baked through and flaky on top, tender below. The bottom was dry, not soggy, and it was toasted but not very browned.
If I were being super picky, the OG was a little more flaky and less chewy than the NEW version, and it tasted a little more buttery. It is such a minor difference that if they weren’t side by side, I don’t think anyone would notice that they were different.
Test #2: Chocolate Chip Cookies
For the second comparison, I used Cup4Cup’s chocolate chip cookie recipe, right off their bag. Admittedly, I had never made this recipe before, so I thought that was a good test to throw in the mix.
Both batters came together beautifully and looked nearly identical. They scooped and set up on baking trays nearly identical to each other as well.
When they came out of the oven, there was a notable difference in how they looked. The cookies with the original blend of Cup4Cup flour were flatter, almost deflated around the chips, and the cookies spread more. Some looked a little wet or underbaked.
The cookies made with the NEW flour blend had more lift and a drier, slightly domed top. Once it cooled, the dome settled, and the two versions looked more alike. Another batch of cookies made with the OG flour had a pronounced dark ring on the inside edge of each of the cookies.
Both cookies were very tender and soft, and fell apart easily while warm, just like all gluten-free cookies do. But once they cooled and even the following morning, they held their shape, and they were chewy, fudge-y, and delicious.
There was a mildly noticeable difference in the taste. I don’t know that most would notice it, but if you are keyed into browned butter you might. The cookie with the original flour blend was richer, nuttier, and more toffee-like. I would say it tasted sweeter, but that isn’t possible since they had the same amount of sugar.
Test #3: Homemade Pasta
The third recipe tested was for pasta. Anyone who eats gluten-free pasta and has ever tried to make it from scratch knows how hard it is. It is not just difficult to make pasta, but to make a really good homemade pasta is much more challenging. By nature, the lack of gluten makes the dough very finicky and reactive to even slight changes in flour.
The recipe I used was traditional- only 2 ingredients- so the flour stands out to say the least. Both Cup4Cup flour blends brought the pasta dough together seamlessly and as expected. There was little to no difference between the two in texture, stickiness, firmness, and pliability.
They both rolled out exceptionally well and as thin as needed. I was making a rustic hand-rolled pasta that is quite thick in comparison to what you buy in the store. I cut it with a pizza roller, but you can also use a sharp knife.
Both batches of cut pasta look identical. They cooked in less than 4 minutes in boiling water without sticking together. I topped them with parsley & olive oil. They were tender with a little bit of chew. The texture, pliability, and consistency were identical.
I thought I noticed a very slight difference in taste and preferred the new blend over the original. I wouldn’t bet money on that in a blind taste test, though.
After testing all three recipes and finding almost no difference in the quality of the results, I was both relieved and confused. Relieved that my recipes and Cup4Cup’s flour were still wonderful, and confused by why some fans were upset about the change.
Final Thoughts on Cup4Cup Changes
Once I spoke with representatives from Cup4Cup, they confirmed that the only ingredient change was removing powdered milk from their original flour blend. They even told me that I could recreate their original multipurpose flour by simply adding 9 grams of powdered milk per cup of the new multipurpose flour blend to any recipe. Or the original blend can still be ordered on the Cup4Cup website & on Amazon in 2-pound bags!
Fans were also concerned about the order of the ingredients listed on the package, but no need to worry! The reason for the change makes sense— by combining the brown and white rice into a blend as one ingredient, it became the highest quantity ingredient and moved to the first position ahead of cornstarch.
The presence of powdered milk in the original flour blend is what made the cookie taste rich and toffee-like, and the added fat and milk solids caused the cookie to spread more. But honestly- if the cookies weren’t side by side and I didn’t develop recipes on a regular basis, I might not recognize a difference.
The quality of the pie crust and pasta isn’t noticeably affected by the presence or absence of milk powder. If we assume that these results can be extrapolated to other recipes, then it seems to make sense to me why Cup4Cup made the change. This allows them to offer a fabulous flour blend that is also free of all top 9 allergens.
So for the fans who haven’t tried the new blend yet- fear not! And just spread the word- 9 grams of powdered milk per cup of flour, or you can still buy the original online- so there’s no reason for anyone to cry over spilled milk, so-to-speak.
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