Nov 5, 2025

Our Favourite Playdough Recipes (Gluten and Gluten Free)

If you are looking to make some playdough at home for your little ones, try one of these recipes!

Our Favourite Playdough Recipes (Gluten and Gluten Free)

Angela Paletta-Haslam

ECE, B. Ed, B.A.

Lead Educator and Manager
Gonzales Cooperative Preschool

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Basic Plan

OUR FAVOURITE PLAYDOUGH RECIPE

Materials

  • 2 Cups of Flour
  • 2 Tbsp of Oil (vegetable oil best)
  • 1/2 Cup of Salt
  • 2 Tbsp Cream of Tartar
  • 1 1/2 Cup Boiling Water
  • Food Coloring or dry tempura paint powder(Optional)

Instructions

  1. Pour 2 cups of  flour into a bowl.
  2. Add 1/2 cup of salt.
  3. Mix in 2 tbsp Cream of Tartar. (You can find this in the spice section of just about any grocery store.)
  4. Add 2 tbsp of oil. 
  5. Pour in the boiling water. Be VERY careful because this makes the dough HOT!
  6. Mix all the ingredients together until they form the dough. At this point, if you don't want to add any food dye to your playdough, you're finished!
  7. After it's cooled, you can make several different colours of playdough, separate the dough into equal parts and roll it up into balls.
  8. Mix dye colour in. 
  9. Knead the dough until the dye is thoroughly mixed. This is VERY messy! If you don't want to stain your hands, use gloves, and make sure to put something down so you don't stain your counter (like I did).

GLUTEN FREE PLAYDOUGH

Materials

  • ¾ cups (95g) white rice flour
  • ½ cup (70g) cornstarch
  • ¼ cup (60g) table salt
  • 1/2 tbsp cream of tartar
  • 1.5 tsp oil (vegetable, coconut, avocado, canola, etc.)
  • 1 cup + 2 tbsp water
  • few drops of food colouring

Instructions

  1. In a medium pot, mix together the white rice flour, cornstarch, salt, and cream of tartar. Add the oil and mix again.
  2. Gradually add in the water and mix until it becomes a smooth slurry.
  3. Add food colouring to get desired colour.
  4. Put the pot onto the stove at medium heat. Stir with a wooden spoon constantly. The mixture will thicken and get clumpy until it all becomes like playdough. Keep mixing for a few minutes longer to make sure there are no wet patches at all. The dough should not be sticky (or just barely sticky) when lightly touched with your finger. (Make sure you are scraping the bottom of the pot so it doesn’t get stuck or burn.)
  5. Tip the dough out onto a heatproof surface and once it cools enough to handle, knead it until smooth. 
  6. Leave uncovered and allow to completely cool. Any last bit of stickiness should go away once cooled. 

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