✔ Updated · 12 swaps for thickening, frying + baking, with ratios
Recipe calls for potato starch and the box is empty? No stress: cornstarch is probably in your cupboard already, and here are 11 more swaps with the exact ratios.
The best substitute for potato starch is cornstarch: use it 1:1 to thicken sauces, coat food for frying and in most baking. Arrowroot and tapioca starch also swap about 1:1 and are great gluten-free options. In a pinch, use all-purpose flour or rice flour, but you'll need about twice as much, and the result is less glossy.
- Best overall: cornstarch, 1:1.
- Grain-free: arrowroot or tapioca, about 1:1.
- Crispy frying: cornstarch, rice flour or water chestnut starch.
- Last resort: all-purpose flour, 2x the amount.
What Is Potato Starch Used For?
Potato starch is the pure, flavorless starch washed out of potatoes. It thickens sauces, soups and gravies at a lower temperature than cornstarch, gives fried food a light, shatteringly crisp coating, and keeps gluten-free and Passover cakes tender.
So the right swap depends on the job. For thickening and frying, other pure starches work almost perfectly. For baking, you want a starch that keeps things light, not a heavy flour.
Best Starch Substitutes (Swap 1:1)
1. Cornstarch
The easiest, most common swap. Use 1:1 for thickening, frying and baking. Unlike potato starch, it needs to come to a simmer to thicken fully.
2. Arrowroot Powder
Grain-free and glossy. Use 1:1 in fruit sauces, glazes and gluten-free baking. Avoid it in dairy sauces, where it can turn slimy.
3. Tapioca Starch
Use 1 to 1 1/2 times as much. Great in pie fillings, gluten-free bread and chewy baked goods, with a slightly stretchy texture.
4. Kuzu (Kudzu) Root Starch
A Japanese root starch that thickens smoothly and clear. Crush the lumps, dissolve in cold water and use 1:1.
5. Water Chestnut Starch
Popular in Chinese cooking for an extra-crispy coating. Use 1:1 for frying, dredging and velveting meat.
Flour Substitutes for Potato Starch
6. Sweet Rice Flour
Made from glutinous rice, it thickens well and stays smooth after freezing. Use about 1 1/2 times as much. Gluten-free.
7. Rice Flour
Gives a lovely crisp coating for frying. For thickening, use about twice as much; it's a little less smooth than pure starch.
8. All-Purpose Flour
Use twice as much and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes to cook out the raw taste. Sauces will be cloudy, not glossy. Contains gluten.
9. Matzo Cake Meal
For Passover cakes and cookies that call for potato starch alongside matzo meal. Swap 1:1 by weight; the crumb will be a little denser.
10. Potato Flour
Not the same as potato starch: it's heavier and tastes of potato. Use only in soups, stews and bread, at about the same amount.
Pantry Fixes in a Pinch
11. Instant Mashed Potato Flakes
Whisk into soups, stews and chowders a tablespoon at a time until thick. Blitz them fine first for a smoother result.
12. Xanthan Gum
A tiny amount goes a long way: about 1/8 teaspoon per cup of liquid. Best in gluten-free baking and dressings, not for frying.
Potato Starch Substitute Ratios
| Substitute | Replaces 1 Tbsp potato starch | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Cornstarch | 1 Tbsp | Thickening, frying, baking |
| Arrowroot powder | 1 Tbsp | Fruit sauces, glazes, GF baking |
| Tapioca starch | 1 to 1 1/2 Tbsp | Pie fillings, GF bread |
| Kuzu root starch | 1 Tbsp | Clear sauces, soups |
| Water chestnut starch | 1 Tbsp | Frying, coating |
| Sweet rice flour | About 1 1/2 Tbsp | Sauces, freezer meals |
| Rice flour | 2 Tbsp | Frying, thickening |
| All-purpose flour | 2 Tbsp | Gravy, stews |
| Potato flour | About 1 Tbsp | Soups, bread |
| Instant potato flakes | 1–2 Tbsp, to taste | Soups, chowders |
| Xanthan gum | About 1/8 tsp per cup of liquid | GF baking, dressings |
Potato Starch vs Potato Flour
They sound alike but behave very differently. Potato starch is just the starch: pure white, flavorless and silky. Potato flour is whole dried potatoes ground up, so it is heavier, tastes of potato and soaks up lots of liquid.
Looking for an alternative to potato flour? In bread and rolls, use instant potato flakes (about the same amount, blitzed fine) or skip it and add a tablespoon more liquid. In soups, any starch above thickens just as well.
Best Substitute by Use
- Thickening sauces and gravy: cornstarch or arrowroot, mixed into a cold-water slurry first so it doesn't lump.
- Frying and crispy coatings: cornstarch, rice flour or water chestnut starch. A 50/50 mix of cornstarch and flour is a great all-rounder.
- Gluten-free baking: tapioca, arrowroot or cornstarch, 1:1 in your flour blend.
- Passover baking: matzo cake meal. Note that many people who keep Passover avoid cornstarch and rice products.
- Freezer meals: sweet rice flour or tapioca; cornstarch sauces can turn spongy after freezing.
Tips for Swapping Potato Starch
- Always make a slurry. Stir the starch into a little cold water before adding it to anything hot. Here's the trick that saves lumpy gravy every time.
- Don't over-boil. Starch-thickened sauces can thin out again if you boil them hard for too long. Simmer just until glossy.
- Add less, then more. Start with three-quarters of the amount; you can always whisk in a bit more slurry.
- Check gluten labels. Pure starches are naturally gluten-free, but buy certified gluten-free if you cook for someone with celiac disease.
More Kitchen Swaps
Thickening something specific? See how to thicken chili and how to thicken Alfredo sauce, or check whether cornstarch goes bad. More swaps: coconut flour substitutes, agave syrup substitutes and tarragon substitutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best alternative to potato starch?
Cornstarch is the best alternative to potato starch. Use it 1:1 to thicken sauces, coat food for frying and in most baking. The main difference is that cornstarch needs to reach a simmer to thicken fully, while potato starch thickens at a lower temperature.
Can I use cornstarch instead of potato starch?
Yes. Cornstarch swaps 1:1 for potato starch in almost every recipe. Mix it with cold water before adding it to hot liquids, and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer. Fried coatings will be crisp but a little less light than with potato starch.
Can I use flour instead of potato starch?
Yes, in a pinch. Use about twice as much all-purpose flour as potato starch and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste. Sauces will be cloudier and less glossy, and flour contains gluten.
What is a good alternative to potato flour?
Instant mashed potato flakes are the closest alternative to potato flour in bread and rolls; blitz them fine and use about the same amount. For thickening soups or sauces, any starch, such as cornstarch or arrowroot, works. Potato starch is not a direct swap for potato flour.
Is potato starch the same as cornstarch?
No, but they are close. Both are pure, flavorless starches that thicken and crisp. Potato starch thickens at a lower temperature and gives a lighter, crisper fried coating; cornstarch needs a simmer and is a bit sturdier. They can replace each other 1:1.
