8 Best Yukon Gold Potatoes Substitutes For Your Recipes

Potatoes are the best thing mankind has ever cultivated, but Yukon Gold potatoes are probably the best potatoes in the whole world.

This variety of potatoes is incredibly versatile, and it is perfect for frying, baking, roasting, grilling, and pan-frying too.

The sad news is, they are not easy to find according to where you are in the world. Luckily for you, this is not an issue!

We have compiled a comprehensive list of the best Yukon Gold potato substitutes to appease your cravings.

The best substitutes for Yukon Gold potatoes

Yukon Gold potatoes are a relatively new variety of potatoes. They have their origins in Canada around the 1960s but their diffusion started in the 1980s.

In this forty-year window, Yukon Gold potatoes managed to become one of the most loved varieties of potatoes, as they are perfect no matter how you cook them!

They come in many shapes and sizes: there are large, small but more often than not there are medium Yukon Gold potatoes.

The only downside to this fantastic variety of potatoes is that they can be hard to find in some countries.

Luckily, there are some fantastic alternatives to Yukon Gold potatoes that are quite easy to retrieve and taste as good, if not better, as the real deal.

Yukon Gold potatoes have achieved the perfect balance to be both waxy and starchy, and that allows them to be very versatile.

For this reason, it is quite easy to find different substitutes for different recipes.

Pay attention to this list, as you may already have the perfect Yukon Gold potatoes substitute at home!

1. Russet potatoes

Also known as Idaho gold potatoes, the Russet variety is a pretty close alternative to Yukon Gold potatoes.

They come as pretty large potatoes, bigger than your average Yukon Gold potato, and have white and dry flesh.

The outside has a signature dark brown, which makes them quite easy to recognize.

As a Yukon gold potato substitute, the golden Russet potato works wonders if your recipe calls for baked potatoes.

Russet potatoes are also fantastic if you are planning on making French fries or if you want to make a delicious side dish of mashed potatoes.

2. Red Bliss potatoes

You might already know Red Bliss potatoes as they have a characteristic red skin.

Their outside look is radically different from our beloved Yukon Gold potatoes but doesn’t let that fool you.

The inside of a Red Bliss potato is dense and not dry at all, it is actually quite creamy. These specifics make this variety of potatoes the perfect Yukon Gold potato substitute.

It works as an unexpectedly more effective alternative if you want to try them as an alternative in soups, stews, potato salads or if you simply want to use them for boiling.

Red Bliss potatoes are, in addition, a fantastic Yukon Gold potatoes substitute if you are planning on making roasted potatoes as a side to your dinner.

3. Carola potatoes

Probably one of the closest substitutes for Yukon Gold potatoes, Carola potatoes are a fantastic option suitable for almost any kind of recipe.

On the outside, they are very much like Yukon Gold potatoes. They have yellowish, sometimes light brown, skin and are both waxy and creamy. Just like Yukon gold potatoes!

Carola potatoes are the perfect substitute for Yukon Gold potatoes if your recipe calls for potato salads, casseroles, steak fries, and gratins. They are also fantastic for grilling, boiling, and roasting too!

Therefore, as you might have noticed, Carola potatoes share plenty of similarities with Yukon Gold potatoes. There is only one thing that makes them different, though.

Unlike the Yukon Gold variety, Carola potatoes do not work as well in soups and stews. It is okay, though, they are fantastic, but we cannot ask for perfection. 

4. Inca Gold potatoes

Similar to Carola potatoes, Inca Gold potatoes are an incredibly close alternative to Yukon Gold potatoes.

They have yellow flesh that brings their signature creaminess and buttery tang to every recipe they are in.

Inca Gold potatoes are usually not too big in size, actually, they often come in small, round-ish shapes.

Similar to Yukon Gold and Carola potatoes, Inca Gold can equally be employed for boiling, roasting, casseroles, and potato salads.

On top of that, they can also be used as a fantastic alternative if you want to use them in a deliciously creamy mashed potato side.

The only downside is that, just like Carola potatoes, they do not work too well in soups and stews.

5. Fingerling potatoes

Fingerling potatoes are a very unique variety of potatoes. They are incredibly undersized compared to other types of potatoes, and their shape is relatively uncommon too.

In fact, they are relatively thin compared to an ordinary potato, and they have an elongated form as well.

As for their color, it is pretty similar to a Yukon Gold potato. Their skin is yellowish, sometimes it looks more like a light brown, and their flesh inside is yellow too.

Fingerling potatoes are a fantastic Yukon Gold potato substitute thanks to their rich and gentle tang, made impossible to resist due to a sweet tang as well.

If used as a Yukon Gold potato alternative, Fingerling potatoes are sensational in the oven, both roasted or baked, they are superb for boiling and taste amazing in potato salads too.

Just like the previous alternatives, Fingerling potatoes do not work well if used in soups or stews, so if you are planning on cooking those, it’s better to turn to other alternatives.

6. Katahdin potatoes

On the outside, Katahdin potatoes look just like Yukon Gold potatoes. If cut open, they also look exactly the same, characterized by a similar yellow color.

Taste-wise, they are pretty similar too, making Katahdin potatoes a fantastic substitute for Yukon Gold potatoes.

It’s better to use Katahdin potatoes for baking or boiling, but they taste heavenly if turned into French fries. There is nothing better than fresh, homemade French fries!

7. Maris Piper potatoes

Maris Piper potatoes are a British variety of potatoes, and it works amazingly as a Yukon Gold alternative for those who are not able to find them in the United Kingdom.

Just like the Yukon Gold variety, Maris Piper potatoes are very creamy and fluffy. On top of that, they are quite starchy too.

Although they might look similar to Yukon Gold on the outside, their colors differ a little on the inside. As we already know, Yukon Gold potatoes have a yellow-ish color while Maris Pipers are white.

Maris Piper potatoes are extremely versatile, and they achieve a first-rate taste when cut into chips, when cooked for a delicious Sunday roast, or even in a top-rated mash.

8. Dutch Cream potatoes 

These potatoes are another fantastic Yukon Gold potatoes alternative if you are planning on making baked, roasted, boiled, or mashed potatoes.

Dutch Cream potatoes, as their own name gives away, are a very creamy, fluffy, and waxy variety of potatoes.

Their buttery and intense flavor makes their taste incredibly similar to our beloved Yukon Gold, and that is why they work wonders as a substitute for Yukon Gold potatoes.

Their skin is quite thin, and they don’t tend to maintain their shape too well. As a result, that makes them difficult to cook in stews and soup. 

How to choose a Yukon Gold potatoes substitute 

There are countless options for you to choose from in order to obtain the perfect Yukon Gold potatoes substitute.

It all depends on what your needs are and what your recipes call for. There are varieties of potatoes that work incredibly well when baked, others when boiled or fried.

As a result, how do you choose a Yukon Gold potato substitute? Keep in mind some of their essential traits, that make each and every one of these varieties so extraordinary:

1. Boiled and mashed potatoes: if you are planning on making boiled or mashed potatoes, consider using potatoes that are creamy and fluffy such as Russet potatoes, Red Bliss, Inca Gold, Dutch Cream, Carola, or Fingerling potatoes. They are quite starchy and rich, so they will turn your boiled or mashed potatoes into a soft, heavenly side dish.
2. Roasted, grilled, or baked potatoes: who does not love deliciously crispy potatoes? If you don’t have Yukon Gold potatoes, Carola potatoes, Inca Gold, Katahdin, and Maris Piper potatoes are the perfect substitutes! You just need to prep your oven, take your dried herbs, spices, your oil of choice and be ready to make the best roasted potatoes of your life.
3. Fried potatoes: fries are on a whole other level. And to make a delightful and yummy portion of French fries you need to find the perfect potato. You might want to use Russet, Carola, and Katahdin potatoes, or Maris Piper potatoes if you are in the United Kingdom.
4. Soups and stews: Last but not least, if you fancy a delicious bowl of soup, the potatoes you choose will totally make the difference between a good soup and a great one. There are not many options available, but Red Bliss potatoes are an excellent choice if you want to find a Yukon Gold potato substitute for your recipes.