12 Best Potato Flakes Substitutes

Potato Flakes

Potato flakes are a versatile ingredient used in many different dishes.

You can use them as instant food, a thickener in soups and sauces, in baked goods, meatloaf, meatballs, or as a coating for fish, chicken, and pork meat.

Great substitutes for potato flakes include regular potatoes, potato flour, potato starch, tapioca flour, cornstarch, or some of the following ingredients.

Let’s learn more about each substitute below!

What Are Potato Flakes?

Potato flakes are dehydrated potatoes and are usually grounded to different sizes. They are a fast and easy way to make mashed potatoes because they can be prepared just by adding hot milk or water.

Best Potato Flakes Substitutes

Potato flakes have many different uses; therefore, you will have to use the right substitute to get the best results. Depending on your recipe you can use some of these substitutes.

1. Potatoes

Red roasted potatoes

Cooked potatoes are the best substitute for potato flakes if you want to make mashed potatoes, baked goods or you need a thickener for your recipe.

Just mash the cooked potatoes and use them in your recipe.

Keep in mind that they contain water, so you will have to reduce the amount of the liquids in the recipe. To substitute 1/3 of a cup of potato flakes use ½ cup of mashed potatoes.

2. Potato flour

Potato Flour

This flour is made from pre-cooked, dried, and finely grounded potatoes.

Potato flour is usually used as a thickener in soups, sauces, stews, and gravies, in potato-based recipes to improve their flavor, and in baked goods.

In the making of baked goods, potato flour is used in a combination with other flours because it absorbs more liquid if used on its own and that can lead to dense and gummy final products.

You can use 1 tablespoon of potato flour as a substitute for 2 tablespoons of potato flakes or in a 1:1 ratio if measured by weight.

3. Potato starch

Potato Starch

Potato starch is another good potato flakes substitute because it is also made of potatoes. You can use it as a thickening agent in different sauces, soups, stews, and gravies, or as a coating for meats and fish.

It has white color and neutral flavor. Therefore, it will not change the flavor of your recipe. Substitute 1 tablespoon of potato flakes with 1 tablespoon of potato starch.

4. Cornstarch

Cornstarch

Cornstarch is used as a thickener in many different recipes like soups, sauces, marinades, glazes, pies, and desserts.

You can use it as a substitute for potato flakes in a 1:1 ratio in your recipes. Keep in mind that it will lack the potato flavor.

5. Tapioca flour

Tapioca Flour

Tapioca flour is also one of the ingredients that can be used as a substitute for potato flakes. It has a finer texture and a different flavor than potato flakes so your final product will have a light and fluffy texture.

You can use tapioca flour as a substitute for potato flakes in sauces, soups, stews, gravies, pie fillings, baked goods, and other recipes in a 1:1 ratio.

6. Rice flour

rice flour

Rice flour is made from milled rice grains and is used in baked goods and as a thickening agent in soups, sauces, gravies, and stews.

Use a double amount of rice flour as a substitute for potato flakes.

7. Coconut flour

Coconut Flour

Coconut flour is a good alternative for potato flakes if you like coconut flavor. It has a sweet and mild flavor and works great in desserts and baked goods.

Coconut flour is very absorbent, thus you will need less as a substitute for potato flakes, and use more liquid if needed. If you use ½ cup of coconut flour add ½ cup of liquid.

Substitute potato flakes with coconut flour in a 2:1 ratio.

8. Wheat flour

Wheat flour makes a great substitute for potato flakes.

You can use it as a thickener in baked goods or as a coating for meat and fish. Keep in mind that your baked goods will be less moist and will lack the potato flavor you get from the flakes.

Use 2 tablespoons of wheat flour as a substitute for 1 tablespoon potato flakes.

9. Quinoa flour

Quinoa flour

Quinoa flour consists of finely ground quinoa seeds. This flour will give a lovely, moist, and fluffy texture to your baked goods.

You can also use quinoa flour as a thickener in different sauces and soups. And because it has a slightly bitter flavor you can toast it for 5-10 minutes before use to make it sweeter.

Substitute potato flakes with quinoa flour in a 1:1 ratio.

10. Arrowroot powder

Arrowroot Flour

Arrowroot powder is flavorless white powder usually used as a thickener in many soups, gravies, sauces, stews, baked goods, pie fillings, and as a coating for fried foods.

You can use it in a 1:1 ratio as a substitute for potato flakes in your recipes.

11. Xanthan gum

xanthan gum

Xanthan gum is a food additive. You can use it to thicken and stabilize foods like soups, sauces, salad dressings, baked goods, ice creams, and puddings.

Use 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum as a substitute for 1 tablespoon of potato flakes.

12. Panko

You can use panko as a substitute for potato flakes in your recipe.

Panko is made from a specific type of white bread. Its flakes are crispier, lighter, and airier than ordinary bread crumbs. They absorb less oil and will provide a nice texture and color to your fried food.

You can also use them as a thickener in soups and sauces, add them in meatballs, or use them as a topping for casseroles, mac and cheese, and roasted vegetables.

Substitute potato flakes with panko in a 1:1 ratio.

You can find instant mashed potatoes in flaked or granulated form. It is easy to prepare instant mashed potatoes by adding hot liquid like water or milk.

Potato Flakes vs Instant Mashed Potatoes: What’s The Difference?

Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes come in many different flavors including baked bacon, roasted garlic, sour cream, cheddar, butter, parmesan, and herbs.

Potato flakes are the key ingredient in instant mashed potatoes, but you can also find them on their own. They are made from cooked, mashed, and dehydrated potatoes and are usually used in sauces, stews, soups, and baked goods.

Related Questions

Are potato flakes and instant mashed potatoes the same thing?

Potato flakes and instant mashed potatoes are the same things.

They have a different texture and some instant mashed potatoes also have added flavorings and preservatives. However, they are both made with dehydrated potatoes and have potato flavor.

What do potato flakes do in baking?

Potato flakes will give your baked goods a soft and fluffy texture, and they will stay fresh longer because potato flakes absorb more liquids than ordinary flour and make the dough rise faster.

Are potato flakes the same as potato flour?

Potato flakes are not the same as potato flour.

The flour has a finer texture than the potato flakes. It is made from pre-cooked, dried, and finely grounded potatoes. Flakes, on the other hand, are made from cooked potatoes, which are then mashed, dried, and ground into flakes.

What do potato flakes do to bread?

Potato flakes make the texture of the bread fluffier, softer, and moister keeping it fresh longer.

How much potato flakes equals one potato?

It depends on the size of the potato. Usually, 2/3 of cup flakes equals 1 medium-size potato.

Wrap Up

Potato flakes are a super versatile ingredient. Therefore, they’re a common ingredient in many different recipes.

However, if you don’t have them at hand, you can use some of the ingredients above as their substitute. Some of them will give a similar flavor and texture to your final products. However, some of the substitutes will lack the potato flavor.

Depending on your recipe choose the one that will work best to get a nice and delicious dish.

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