Potato starch is your reliable kitchen buddy if you are into baking and looking for a gluten-free ingredient. Are you planning to prepare cookies for your loved ones but don’t have potato starch? Then, you are at the right place, my friend! This blog post is here to serve you with the best reliable alternatives.
Potato starch is widely used for baking and frying purposes. It is an ideal thickening agent used in soups, stews, and sauces. Do you know the best part? It is neutral in taste, which does not alter the taste of an original recipe. Isn’t it great?
Some of the best potato starch substitutes are cornstarch, arrowroot powder, tapioca starch, rice flour, mochiko flour, coconut flour, and quinoa flour.
This blog post provides you with the whole lineup of the best potato starch substitutes. You will get to know other gluten-free alternatives and also the ones that share a similar flavor.
14 Best Potato Starch Substitutes
1. Cornstarch
Looking for a perfect replacement for potato starch? Then you must try cornstarch. We all know cornstarch as a thickening agent and gluten-free baking staple.
You can substitute potato starch with cornstarch in a 1:1 ratio. Cornstarch is a great alternative for thickening soups, gravies, and sauces.
Make a slurry by adding water, whisk it well, and it is ready for use. Add cornstarch to the bakery items such as biscuits and cakes.
It gives a perfect crisp to the biscuits. Moreover, the addition of cornstarch gives a shiny appearance to the dish.
Cornstarch has a neutral flavor, which indicates that it won’t alter the recipe’s flavors.
2. Arrowroot Powder
The second one on the list is arrowroot powder. This can be used in any recipe as a perfect replacement for potato starch.
You can use it in stews, soups, sauces, and jellies. Do you know the best part? It is also a gluten-free product. So if you are gluten conscious, you can use it as a substitute ingredient without any second thought.
Regarding substitution ratio, you can use ½ tablespoon of arrowroot powder for every 1 tablespoon of potato starch.
Arrowroot powder is much drier, which is why it is needed in less quantity. Adding arrowroot powder in place of potato starch can alter the flavors of the final recipe.
3. Tapioca Starch
Another alternative on this list is tapioca starch or tapioca flour. This is quite similar to arrowroot starch as they both come from the plant’s roots.
If you have ever tried your hands on cassava, then you might know about this substitute. When it comes to the flavor, it does not have a similar flavor as potato starch.
It is somewhere that has a hint of sweetness. Thus, if you are looking for a perfect fruit pie filling, then you can try this alternative.
Tapioca starch is the best replacement for those who are gluten intolerant. You can easily incorporate it into making gluten-free food items such as bread, pizza crust, and pancakes.
Not only this, but you can also use it to increase the thickness of the soups and puddings. For dishes like soups and stew, you can use the 1:1 ratio.
For baking goods such as bread and cakes, you must add 25 to 50% more tapioca starch and adjust the recipe’s dry ingredients accordingly.
4. Rice Flour
Your search for another gluten-free alternative ends here. Rice flour, a gluten-free alternative, can easily be used as a thickening agent in soups and stews.
Moreover, it is much heavier than arrowroot and tapioca starch. Rice flour gives a nice crunchy and crispy texture to the recipe. You can use 2 tablespoons of rice flour with a cup of liquid.
Although this flavor has a grainy texture, it might not be suitable for all recipes. When it comes to flavors, this flour has mild and neutral flavors, which makes it a great option for substitution.
5. Mochiko flour
Mochiko flour is a kind of rice flour widely used in preparing pastries and sweets. It can be a good replacement for potato starch, although it has a hint of sweetness.
You can use mochiko flour to replace potato starch in waffles, cakes, muffins, and brownies. It has a sticky texture and can be used in many recipes.
Mochiko flour is made from short grains and can be used to thicken the recipes. Try using a similar amount as the potato starch.
6. All-purpose Flour or wheat flour
If you do not care much about having gluten in food, you can also go for this alternative. Wheat flour is not such a great alternative, but it can still be used for thickening.
You can easily find this in your pantry or available in your nearby grocery store. It can be widely used for baking purposes, and you can also make batter for frying food items.
It can also be used for thickening sauces to avoid lumps. Use an extra amount of wheat flour while substituting the potato starch.
7. Coconut flour
What else is better than adding the richness of coconut? This flour is a great substitute for potato starch. It has a little sweet and coconut flavor.
Moreover, coconut flour is a great option for the keto diet. With baked goods and desserts, it works wonders and adds flavors. Do not forget to reduce the amount of flour by 15 to 20% when adding to the recipe.
Other than this, it enriches your body with the goodness of vitamins and minerals. Moreover, it is also a great alternative to infuse healthy fats and fiber.
8. Quinoa flour
You get this flour from ground quinoa flour. This can easily be used for cooking purposes. But I suggest using it as a substitute when you are not left with no other substitute.
You might feel a bitter taste in your mouth. Quinoa flour has bold flavors and a grass-like taste. However, when it comes to its nutritional profile, it serves your body the best.
9. Water chestnut flour
As the name suggests, it is prepared from water chestnuts. Basically, it is more like starch and can easily be used to replace potato starch.
Water chestnut flour adds a little sweetness and smokiness to the recipe. So I would rather suggest using it as a thickening agent.
Add this to your recipe to prepare a slurry by mixing water and water chestnut flour. Moreover, feel free to add on if you need to add more.
10. Ground Matzo
Some of you might not be aware of matzo. It is basically a hard flatbread that just seems similar to crackers.
Matzo can be used as an alternative but in a grounded form. You can ground it by yourself or grab a pack from the market.
Matzo can be used as a thickening agent, as bread crumbs, especially for fried dishes. Ground matzo has its own flavor and may result in an alteration in the flavors of the final dish.
In addition to this, it absorbs more liquid and makes the dish much heavier. That is why it is the least suggested substitute for potato starch.
11. Instant mashed potatoes
What else is better than the potatoes themselves? Just use the old-fashioned mashed potatoes in place of the potato starch.
You can use a 1:1 ratio to replace potato starch with instant mashed potatoes. Addition of instant mashed potatoes can thicken the soups, gravies, and sauces.
Remember to give it a nice pulse in the food processor to make a finer consistency. You can easily switch potato starch with it.
12. Almond flour
What else is better than adding the richness of the almond to your recipe? Almond flour can be used as a substitute for potato starch.
It is nutty with a bit of a sweet flavor. Just like all-purpose flour and wheat flour, you can replace it with a 1:1 ratio. The nutty taste of this alternative is suitable for bakery purposes.
Well, if you are wondering whether it is gluten-free or not? Let me tell you that this alternative is ideal for the gluten-conscious crowd. This is gluten-free, and you can use it as a grain flour replacement too.
13. Potato flour
If you still do not have any of these ingredients, then go for the most basic substitute for potato starch – potato flour.
Potato flour is quite distinct from potato starch as it is made by peeling, trimming, drying the potatoes, and then grounding them into flour.
On the other hand, potato starch is prepared by extracting the starch from the potatoes. Potato flour adds earthy and potato flavors.
Thus the final dish might have an addition of these flavors. This is the best substitute for potato starch when added to savory dishes.
But on the contrary, it is not an ideal option for bakery goods such as sweets and pastries. Regarding the substitution ratio, you can use a 1:1 ratio.
14. Glucomannan
Are you on a low-carb diet? Then glucomannan serves as the best alternative to potato starch. This substitute is derived from the root of the konjac plant, which shows it does not have calories or carbs and can be used as a perfect alternative.
You must know that when it comes to thickness, it serves the purpose much better than potato starch. When it comes to taste, it has a neutral flavor and is an ideal ingredient to be added to smoothies and other food items.
You can use ¼ teaspoon of glucomannan for 2 teaspoons of potato starch. Here is a pro tip: mix it with cold water first, as it can create lumps quickly when poured into hot water.
Short Recap Of The Potato Starch Substitutes
Well, I know it was a whole parade of substitutes, and it is hard to remember the qualities of each of them. Let me help you to recall them with this recap section. Let’s dive right in.
Best Potato Starch Substitutes In Terms Of Flavors
- Cornstarch
- Glucomannan
- Rice Flour
Best Potato Starch Substitutes In Terms Of Texture –
- Cornstarch
- Wheat Flour
- Arrowroot Powder
- Glucomannan
Best Gluten-Free Potato Starch Substitutes –
- Cornstarch
- Arrowroot Powder
- Tapioca Starch
- Rice Flour
- Almond Flour
Best Potato Starch Substitutes In Terms Of Availability
- Cornstarch
- Arrowroot Powder
- Rice Flour
- Potato Flour
- All-Purpose Flour
- Almond Flour
How To Substitute Potato Starch In A Recipe?
14 Potato Starch Substitutes You Can Try!
Ingredients
- Cornstarch
- Arrowroot Powder
- Tapioca Starch
- Rice Flour
- Mochiko Flour
- All-Purpose Flour/ Wheat Flour
- Coconut Flour
- Quinoa Flour
- Water Chestnut Flour
- Ground Matzo
- Instant Mashed Potatoes
- Almond Flour
- Potato Flour
- Glucomannan
Instructions
- Go through all the alternatives and choose the one which seems fit for the recipe.
- Gather your ingredients and use your preferred substitute.
- Use the substitute in the required amount and make the dish according to the recipe.
Conclusion
Potato starch is quite a versatile ingredient and is a pantry staple. It is widely used in soups, sauces, baking, and frying purposes.
Knowing some of the best potato starch substitutes is better so that whenever you run out of this wonder ingredient, you know what else you can go for.
I have also mentioned some of the gluten-free substitutes for diet-conscious ones. So, start preparing your favorite dessert and use these alternatives, whatever suits you the most!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What are the best potato starch substitutes?
Some of the best potato starch substitutes are cornstarch, arrowroot powder, tapioca starch, rice flour, mochiko flour, coconut flour, quinoa flour, water chestnut flour, almond flour, all-purpose flour, ground matzo, potato flour, instant mashed potatoes and glucomannan.
What are the easily available substitutes for potato starch?
Cornstarch, arrowroot powder, rice flour, potato flour, all-purpose flour, and almond flour are quite easily available substitutes for potato starch.
What are the gluten-free alternatives for potato starch?
Cornstarch, arrowroot powder, tapioca starch, rice flour, and almond flour are the best gluten-free substitutes.
Can you use all-purpose flour as a substitute for potato starch?
Yes, you can use wheat flour or all-purpose flour as a substitute for potato starch. Use an extra amount of wheat flour while substituting the potato starch.
