Potato starch substitutes commonly include cornstarch or arrowroot starch, although there are ratio differences how to use them in cooking, frying, and baking. Simplify moments when you need to find a potato starch alternative with these tips on the best replacement starches!
This guide is part of my substitutions series, alongside almond flour substitution, oat flour substitute and the full list of gluten-free flour and starch alternatives.
Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 1 minute
- 🌡️ Cook Time: None, measure and swap
- ⏳ Total Time: 1 minute
- 🍽️ Yield: Replaces 1 tablespoon of potato starch
- ⚡ Calories: 30kcal per tablespoon of cornstarch
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Neutral, potato starch has no flavor and neither do the best swaps
- ✋ Difficulty: Cornstarch is 1 to 1; arrowroot and tapioca need a little math (see teaspoons in a tablespoon)
Quick Answer
Cornstarch is the best potato starch substitute and can be swapped in a 1 to 1 ratio for cooking, frying and baking. Arrowroot starch comes in second: use 1 teaspoon less, so 2 teaspoons of arrowroot for 1 tablespoon of potato starch, and add it at the end of cooking. Tapioca starch and rice flour also work, starting with 1 teaspoon in soups and sauces and working up.
Jump to:
- Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why These Substitutes Work
- Why You'll Love This Guide
- What Is Potato Starch
- 4 Easy Potato Starch Substitutes
- Potato Starch vs. Potato Flour
- How to Substitute Potato Starch
- Expert Tips
- Potato Starch Substitute FAQs
- More Cooking Substitutes and Recipes
- Potato Starch Substitute Using Cornstarch
Ever had that moment when you are baking, ran out of potato starch, and are desperate for an alternative to finish the recipe? Get all the best potato starch substitutes and tips on how to use them in cooking, frying and baking!
Why These Substitutes Work
Click to see the starch science
- Cornstarch has the same job. It is a carbohydrate-heavy starch with a similar consistency, so potato starch and cornstarch are interchangeable and can be substituted in a 1 to 1 ratio.
- Arrowroot thickens, then quits. It works best added at the end of your cooking just before boiling, as continued heating will cause it to lose its thickening ability.
- Tapioca binds and fluffs. It comes from the cassava plant, which has a potato-like consistency, naturally binds foods and adds fluff and moistness to baked goods, but too much clumps and turns chewy and elastic.
- Rice flour absorbs as it cooks. Used at the beginning of a recipe it thickens soups and sauces, so it may need a little more liquid in baking.
- Potato starch never works alone. It works best when mixed with other gluten-free flours, as it cannot hold its own in baked goods, which is exactly why the swaps blend in easily.
- Starch is washed, flour is whole. Potato starch is washed out of crushed potatoes and dried to a flavorless powder; potato flour is the whole cooked potato ground up, with a slight potato flavor.
Why You'll Love This Guide
- Four swaps with ratios for cooking, frying and baking.
- Explains potato starch vs. potato flour, the mix-up that ruins recipes.
- Gluten-free baking tested. These are the starches behind my homemade gluten-free bread, gluten-free pizza crust and gluten-free chocolate chip cookies.
- Make your own. Rice flour takes minutes with how to make rice flour.
What Is Potato Starch
Wondering what is potato starch or how to use it? Potato starch, also known as potato powder, is on the list of gluten-free starches. It is made from dehydrated potatoes and is a light and very fine powder. Potato starch substitutes commonly include cornstarch or arrowroot starch, although there are ratio variations how to use them in cooking and baking.
The beautiful white powder, potato starch, adds structure to baking like these baking recipes to do with kids, lending a soft, chewy consistency to homemade gluten-free bread, gluten-free pizza crust, and gluten-free chocolate chip cookies. Potato starch works best when mixed with other gluten-free flours, as it cannot hold its own in baked goods.
4 Easy Potato Starch Substitutes
Potato starch can be substituted with these other starches and flours:
- Cornstarch - my favorite, interchangeable 1 to 1.
- Arrowroot powder - second best, use 1 teaspoon less per tablespoon.
- Tapioca starch - start with 1 teaspoon and work up.
- Rice flour - see how to make rice flour easily with just rice!
The printable cornstarch swap is in the recipe card below.
Potato Starch vs. Potato Flour
Is potato starch the same as potato flour? They are both derived from the root vegetable, a potato, but they are made in different ways and taste and look different as well. What is the difference?
- Potato starch is made of root tubers of the potato plant, which are packed with starch grains, known as leucoplasts. The potatoes are crushed to release the grains from the cells. They are then dried and ground down to a fine white powder, or starch. Since this form of starch is 'washed' out first before being crushed, dried, and ground, little to no nutritional value exists and it has no flavor.
- Potato flour is made by cooking, drying, and then grinding the whole potato. Once the potato is dehydrated, it is ground into a fine powder. Potato flour has a slight potato flavor and yellowish color, and is better for frying foods rather than baking. Since the whole potato is used it has more nutritional value such as fiber, protein, and potassium.
How to Substitute Potato Starch
1Cornstarch. This one is my favorite substitute for potato starch and seems to work great in baking and frying as it is a carbohydrate-heavy starch with a similar consistency. Potato starch and cornstarch are interchangeable and can be substituted in a 1 to 1 ratio. It is the thickener in my sweet and sour chicken.
2Arrowroot flour or starch. Arrowroot is great to use as a substitute for potato starch and comes in second to cornstarch. It adds lightness to baked goods and acts as a thickener for cooking. It works best to add it at the end of your cooking just before boiling, as continued heating will cause it to lose its thickening ability. It also makes a great substitute for grains in paleo baking powder. To replace arrowroot for potato starch use 1 teaspoon less. Given 3 teaspoons equals 1 tablespoon, substitute 1 tablespoon of potato starch with 2 teaspoons of arrowroot starch.
3Tapioca starch. Tapioca starch adds beautiful fluff and moistness to baked goods. I love to combine it with potato starch, white rice, and arrowroot starch for the fluffiest gluten-free homemade bread. It comes from the cassava plant, also known as yuca root, which has a potato-like consistency. It naturally binds foods, is slightly sweet and great for thickening soups and sauces. If using as a potato starch substitute, be sure not to use too much as it can clump and make foods chewy and elastic. Start with 1 teaspoon and work your way up from there in soups and sauces.
4Rice flour. Rice flour is a common gluten-free flour made of various types of rice grain such as brown, white, and sweet rice. More water may be required when using it in baking. It mixes best with other gluten-free flours and light starches and works well to thicken soups when used in the beginning of cooking. It absorbs moisture, so as it cooks it will thicken soups and sauces. Rice flour is also great for frying with an egg base, just make sure to add a slight bit more liquid as needed or cook on lower heat to avoid drying out food. Check out how to make rice powder at home instantly here!
See the recipe card below for the printable cornstarch swap.
Expert Tips
- Frying: cornstarch and rice flour give the crispest coating; potato flour is better for frying foods rather than baking. My air fryer chicken tenders uses that trick.
- Thickening soups and sauces: add rice flour at the beginning of cooking and arrowroot at the very end. See the dairy-free gravy for a creamy example.
- Baking: potato starch cannot hold its own in baked goods, so blend it (or its substitute) with other gluten-free flours from my flour and starch guide.
- Do not confuse starch with flour. Potato flour is the whole potato and tastes like it; potato starch is flavorless.
- Measure it right. A tablespoon is 3 teaspoons and a cup is 16 tablespoons, my teaspoons in a tablespoon and ounces in a cup guides have the rest.
- More swaps in the series: maple syrup substitute, tomato paste substitute and tarragon substitute.
Potato Starch Substitute FAQs
Yes. Potato starch and cornstarch are interchangeable and can be substituted in a 1 to 1 ratio for cooking, frying and baking.
No. Potato starch is washed out of crushed potatoes and dried into a flavorless white powder. Potato flour is made by cooking, drying, and grinding the whole potato, so it has a slight potato flavor, a yellowish color and more fiber, protein and potassium.
Use 1 teaspoon less. Since 3 teaspoons equals 1 tablespoon, substitute 1 tablespoon of potato starch with 2 teaspoons of arrowroot starch, and add it at the end of cooking just before boiling.
Yes. Potato starch is on the list of gluten-free starches and is a common ingredient in gluten-free bread, pizza crust and cookies, where it works best mixed with other gluten-free flours.
Yes, but be sure not to use too much as it can clump and make foods chewy and elastic. Start with 1 teaspoon and work your way up from there in soups and sauces.
Cornstarch works great in frying with a similar consistency to potato starch. Rice flour is also great for frying with an egg base, just add a slight bit more liquid as needed or cook on lower heat to avoid drying out food.
Potato Starch Substitute Using Cornstarch
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Plus get latest recipes and emails.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- For every 4 teaspoons of potato starch, substitute it for 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. See this article on converting tsp to tbsp.
Jenny says
Thanks for walking us through this. Your directions are confusing though and probably should be corrected for clarity? Unless I’m losing my mind… (a definite possibility). You seem to be saying both use 1 tsp less cornstarch/arrowroot per 4 tsp potato starch and use the same amount as 4 tsp, 1 tbl + 1 tsp.
Danielle Fahrenkrug says
Hi Jenny! Thank you so much. I clarified as I did make that too detailed and seemed confusing:-) For cornstarch use in a 1:1 ratio. To replace arrowroot for potato starch use 1 teaspoon less. Three teaspoons equals 1 tablespoon, so substitute 1 tablespoon of potato starch with 2 teaspoons of arrowroot starch. I hope that helps and let me know if that makes sense.