Does glutinous rice contain gluten?

Glutinous rice is entirely gluten free. This can confuse people, because the word ‘gluten’ is literally in the name. ‘Glutinous’ refers to the rice’s sticky, gluey texture, which can somewhat resemble gluten.

Sweet rice, sticky rice, and mochi rice are other names for glutinous rice. Sometimes shortgrain rice refers to glutinous rice as well, but not all shortgrain rice is glutinous rice, and vice versa. All types of rice are gluten free and safe for celiacs to consume.

Glutinous rice is used in many traditional desserts like Filipino kakanin, Hakka steamed rice snacks, and Thai mango sticky rice. Sticky rice is especially popular in Laos, where it’s the main variety of rice served. Laotians consider sticky rice to be the glue that holds worldwide Lao communities together, because it’s such a fundamental part of Lao culture.

When used in gluten free baked goods, glutinous rice flour will add a chewy, sticky texture, and might make the finished result more dense. Most gluten free blends will use regular rice flour instead, because it’s much more similar to wheat flour, but using just a small amount of glutinous rice flour in blends can help mimic the texture of gluten in baked goods. Our rice flour article outlines more of the differences between the various types of rice flours.

Gluten Free Glutinous Rice Recipes

If you’re a fan of chewy textures, glutinous rice is where it’s at. You can steam some up as a side to savory items like soondubu jjigae, pound it into mochi, wrap it in a banana leaf to make a dumpling, or even cook it down into a caramelly sweet like dodol. There are so many options! We even have an entire article dedicated to Filipino desserts made with sticky rice.

• The best way to cook sticky rice from Hot Thai Kitchen

• A foolproof way to make sticky rice from The Woks of Life

• Tang yuan from Red House Spice

• Mango sticky rice from Hot Thai Kitchen

• Chinese pearl meatballs from The Woks of Life (use gf white pepper and Shaoxing wine)

• Lember sticky rice snack from Pisang Susu

• Dodol from Loka Taste

• Pandan sticky rice from Hungry Huy

• Mochi from Just One Cookbook

• Pork zongzi from Omnivore’s Cookbook (use gf subs for soy, oyster sauce, and Shaoxing wine)

• Lao khao tom (coconut banana parcels) from Saeng’s Kitchen

• Sweet pumpkin rice from Maangchi

• Chinese sticky rice from Chew Out Loud (use gf oyster sauce, white pepper, and lap cheong)

• Champorado (chocolate rice pudding) from Kawaling Pinoy

• Eight treasure rice from Omnivore’s Cookbook

• Japanese sticky rice okowa from Just One Cookbook