Sweet Potato Substitutes

Out of sweet potato? These are the swaps that actually work, with conversion ratios for any recipe size and notes on how each one changes the result.

Need to convert sweet potato between cups, grams, or ounces first? Open the sweet potato converter.

What to use instead of sweet potato

  • Potato

    Produce swap

    1 cup cubed sweet potato = 1 cup cubed potato (1:1 by volume)

    The everyday swap for roasts, mash, and fries. Potato (156 g/cup vs 139 g/cup) is starchier and not sweet, so the dish turns out firmer and more savoury. Best when you want the texture without the sweetness.

    See potato substitutes →

  • Pumpkin

    Produce swap

    1 cup cubed sweet potato = 1 cup cubed pumpkin (1:1 by volume)

    A close match for purées, soups, and pies. Pumpkin (120 g/cup) is lighter and wetter, so cook it down a little further and expect a softer, less starchy result with similar colour and gentle sweetness.

    See pumpkin substitutes →

  • Butternut Squash

    Produce swap

    1 cup cubed sweet potato = 1 cup cubed butternut squash (1:1 by volume)

    The nearest swap for sweetness and colour. Butternut (146 g/cup) roasts and mashes much the same way, slightly less sweet and a touch firmer. Use it in soups, traybakes, and casseroles with no recipe changes.

    See butternut squash substitutes →

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I substitute for sweet potato?
There are 3 workable substitutes for sweet potato, depending on what you have on hand and which property of sweet potato matters most for your recipe. The closest swap is usually 1 cup cubed sweet potato = 1 cup cubed potato (1:1 by volume). Each option below lists the conversion ratio for any recipe size, plus notes on how the swap changes the texture, flavour, rise, or browning.
Will substituting sweet potato change how my recipe turns out?
Yes, every swap trades one property for another: fat content, moisture, acidity, or protein. The notes on each substitute describe what changes in texture, flavour, rise, or browning, so you can choose the swap that matters least for your recipe. Open the sweet potato converter
How do I measure sweet potato accurately?
Weighing in grams is more reliable than scooping cups, especially when a substitute has a different density from what the recipe expects. The sweet potato converter on this site converts between whole items, cups, US cups, grams, ounces, and pounds, so you can scale a recipe up or down without losing the ratio. Open the sweet potato converter

Other ingredient and produce substitutes

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