Tapioca Starch Substitutes

Out of tapioca starch? 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 tapioca starch between cups, grams, or ounces first? Open the tapioca starch converter.

What to use instead of tapioca starch

  • Corn Flour

    Ingredient swap

    1 tbsp tapioca starch = 1 tbsp corn flour

    Corn flour (cornstarch) swaps 1:1 for tapioca starch as a thickener. Tapioca sets clearer and glossier and holds up through freezing, while corn flour is cheaper and clouds a sauce a little. Mix either into cold liquid before heating to keep it lump-free.

    See corn flour substitutes →

  • Arrowroot

    Ingredient swap

    1 tbsp tapioca starch = 1 tbsp arrowroot

    Arrowroot swaps 1:1 for tapioca starch and also sets clear, so it suits glossy fruit glazes. Arrowroot thickens at a slightly lower temperature and can thin under long cooking, so add it near the end rather than boiling hard.

    See arrowroot substitutes →

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I substitute for tapioca starch?
There are 2 workable substitutes for tapioca starch, depending on what you have on hand and which property of tapioca starch matters most for your recipe. The closest swap is usually 1 tbsp tapioca starch = 1 tbsp corn flour. 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 tapioca starch 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 tapioca starch converter
How do I measure tapioca starch accurately?
Weighing in grams is more reliable than scooping cups, especially when a substitute has a different density from what the recipe expects. The tapioca starch converter on this site converts between cups, grams, ounces, tablespoons, and teaspoons, so you can scale a recipe up or down without losing the ratio. Open the tapioca starch converter

Other ingredient and produce substitutes

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