Tapioca/starch adds structure to gluten-free baking. It also helps to make things chewy or crispy, especially in foods such as biscuits and cakes. When used in a formula, tapioca powder can make the food thick, so tapioca flour can also be used as a thickener in sauces and gravy. Tapioca flour is a blend of many pre-made and homemade gluten-free flours.
Tapioca starch derivatives are used in many recipes such as noodles, wine chewing gum, cocktail nuts, potato chips, hot dog sausages, bread creams and instant soups and sauces, gluten-free recipes. In pastries, such as sponge cakes, used to keep the cake moist and soft. It is also occasionally used to prepare pre-packaged ground cheese. Tapioca powder can be used to thicken muffins, cakes, pancakes, soups, sauces, gravy and puddings. It can also be added as a sweetener to bread made from rice and millet flour, or as a substitute for other thickeners such as corn starch.