Potato flakes are a very versatile ingredient. They’re good enough as instant food and can go along just fine with countless recipes. You could get instant mashed potatoes by simply adding water to potato flakes! So, if you use an ingredient as versatile as this, what ingredients could work as acceptable potato flakes substitutes?
The flakes have several different uses and barely any ingredients have the same range. So, a substitution will often depend on the recipe and its specific requirements.
So, let’s see what the best substitutes and alternatives are.
Top Potato Flake Substitutes To Use For Your Recipe
1. Potatoes
Can’t get hold of flakes? Using the good old potatoes will do. Cooked potatoes can be used for baked goods, mashed potatoes, or even as a thickener. For these recipes, mash the cooked potatoes and they become an ideal substitute. They bring the same flavor and profile as potato flakes.
The important point here is that these potatoes already contain water, so it’s necessary to adjust the water content of the recipe. The substitution ratio requires that you use slightly more mashed potatoes. So, for ⅓ cup of potato flakes, use half a cup of mashed potatoes.
2. Potato Starch
Starches find great use as thickeners. Potato starch has white color and a neutral flavor, so it doesn’t affect the flavor and taste of a recipe. The starch is versatile and has several applications.
Use it as a thickener for your recipes like sauces, stews, and soups, or use it to coat meats and fish. When using potato starch to replace potato flakes, you can use a 1:1 ratio.
3. Cornstarch
Cornstarch is perhaps the most popular thickener available. It works with pretty much all recipes and is a decent replacement for potato flakes. Cornstarch has a neutral flavor, so it won’t affect your recipe’s taste. This can be a negative in our present scenario, because the substitute won’t have the potato flavor and taste that the flakes bring.
It works with several recipes like soups, stews, sauces, desserts, and more. You can substitute cornstarch for the flakes in a 1:1 ratio.
4. Potato Flour
Potato flour is another solid choice and a versatile ingredient. This one’s made by finely grinding dried, pre-cooked potatoes. Much like flakes, the flour is predisposed to absorb water – a property that is very useful for some recipes.
This flour is a good choice for use as a thickener and enhances the flavor of potato-based recipes. Potato flour can also work with baked goods, but it’s usually advised to mix it with other flours. This is because the potato flour absorbs a lot of water and can make the food feel overly chewy.
For substitution, use one spoon of potato flour to replace 2 spoons of potato flakes.
Learn more: Best Potato Flour Substitutes To Power Up Your Recipe
5. Coconut Flour
Want the sweet touch of coconut flavor in your recipe? Coconut flour is an excellent choice in this case. It can work as a thickener and because of its flavor, it’s usually a big hit with desserts and baked goods. That’s also something to watch out for. Coconut flour will add its distinct coconut flavor, not the potato flavor you’d expect with flakes.
Another thing to watch out for is that coconut flour is big on water absorption – even more than potato flakes. You’ll have to watch for the recipe’s water content. When using it as a substitute, use less of this flour and add a bit of water.
For every cup of potato flakes, use ½ cup of coconut flour and add ½ cup of water.
6. Tapioca Flour
Despite its name, tapioca flour is a starch. As such, it works best as a thickener and can also be used for baking. The flour has a very fine texture, so you can expect baked goods to be fluffier and light.
For conventional substitution use equal amounts of tapioca flour as potato flakes for a recipe.
7. Quinoa Flour
Quinoa flour is increasingly popular as a health food. So there might be good reason to substitute them in place of flakes for the health conscious. Keep in mind, quinoa tends to have bitter undertones. Roasting the quinoa for about 10 minutes (ideally before it’s ground, but using flour is okay too) should significantly reduce its bitterness.
It’s good as a thickener too and adds a healthy touch to the recipes. When using quinoa flour as a substitute, use a 1:1 ratio.
8. Wheat Flour
The ubiquitous wheat flour is an excellent alternative to potato flakes. It works for baking, as a thickener, and for coating foods. Wheat flour won’t absorb as much water as potato flakes, so some adjustments to the recipe could be necessary.
When using it as a substitute, use 2 spoons of wheat flour for every spoon of potato flakes.
9. Rice Flour
Rice flour veers towards having a neutral flavor. It’s excellent as a thickening agent and can be used as a coating for foods. As with wheat flour, rice flour isn’t nearly as absorbent as potato flakes. So, consider adjusting the water content of the recipe and the quantity used.
When using rice flour as a substitute, follow a 2:1 ratio. This means using two spoons of rice flour to replace every spoon of potato flakes in a recipe.
10. Arrowroot Powder
Arrowroot powder is another starchy option that’s great as a thickener. Use it for soups, gravies, sauces, baking, and more. It’s versatile, so it will happily go along with most recipes.
You can use an equal amount of arrowroot powder as the amount of flakes required for a recipe. Keep in mind, the unit of measurement here would be spoons, cups, or similar. This is not a replacement by weight.
11. Xanthan Gum
Xanthan gum is a very useful ingredient for gluten-free baking. It’s also an excellent substitute for potato flakes. It’s fairly useful as a thickener and finds use in soups, sauces, baking, and more.
For substitution, use one teaspoon of Xanthan gum to replace a tablespoon of potato flakes.
12. Cornmeal
Using cornmeal has limited applications as a potato flakes replacement. To be fair, its only decent use is as a fry coating.
Employing cornmeal for your fry coating won’t offer maximum crunch as potato flakes, it’s still a decent substitute to use. It lends itself well to being combined with other spices and flavorings. It might not be as crunchy, but the beautiful golden color that cornmeal provides might as well be a reward in itself.
FAQs And More On Potato Flakes
Can You Make Potato Flakes At Home?
Yes, you can make your own potato flakes at home. It’s a long process that needs a lot of effort, which is why most of us buy commercial potato flakes. In case you want to make them at home, try this recipe.
Wash and peel the potatoes, then put them in a pot. Fill this pot with water until it’s enough to cover the potatoes. Bring this to a boil and cook until the potatoes are done – you’d want them to be mushy.
Transfer the potatoes and the water to a mixing bowl and whip until you have a nice paste. You can use a whip, hand mixer, masher, or any similar product for this step.
As the next step, place this mix in a dehydrator and let it dry out. At a setting of 140 degrees, it should take 24-36 hours. You can turn them half-way through to speed up the process. Once they’re dried, put them through a blender, and you have potato flakes ready!
Are Potato Flakes Made From Real Potatoes?
Yes, potato flakes are made from real potatoes. They have the same origins and flavor as potatoes. Essentially, flakes are pre-cooked, dried, and mashed potatoes.
Can I Use Potato Flakes In Place Of Breadcrumbs?
Yes, potato flakes will replace breadcrumbs in several recipes. They bring the enjoyable potato flavor, are gluten-free, and are pretty convenient to use. Since potatoes are gluten-free and replace breadcrumbs, your recipe should be gluten-free unless you add another source of gluten.
Also, they’re awesome in meatloaf and meatball recipes!
Final Words
There are several easily available potato flakes substitutes that you can employ in a pinch. Using potato-based substitutions will keep the flavor intact. However, you can also go with neutral flavors like cornstarch. If you’re feeling adventurous and want to try out something new, give a shot to coconut flour in baked goods!