TIL you can use instant potato flakes to thicken pie filling without changing the taste

I was making a blueberry pie last week and my filling was way too runny. My neighbor told me to try instant potato flakes instead of cornstarch and it worked perfectly! Has anyone else tried this trick for fruit pies?

2 comments

2 Comments

robinwalker26d ago

Heard this from my buddy Dave who was making apple pie for his wife's birthday. His filling was basically soup, he was so stressed. He grabbed some instant potato flakes from the back of his pantry, threw a couple tablespoons in, and it thickened right up on the stove. His wife said it was the best crust she ever had, no weird potato taste at all. Now he swears by it for any fruit pie.

evan_harris1426d agoTop Commenter

3 tablespoons of cornstarch per cup of juice would set that filling way better without the risk of turning it into mashed potato pie. @robinwalker I gotta call this one out, instant potato flakes release starch way faster than cornstarch, so you end up with a gluey mess if you're not careful. Dave's wife probably just said it was good to be nice, lol. I've tried it once with a cherry pie and the texture was off, kind of grainy, not that smooth set you get from tapioca or flour. I'd rather toss in some quick-cooking tapioca than gamble on potato flakes again.