Peppadew peppers substitutes
Peppadew peppers substitutes — 6 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Also called sweet piquanté peppers, piquanté peppers, sweet piquante peppers, Peppadew piquanté peppers
Use Sweet cherry peppers (jarred)
1 cup for every 1 cup peppadew peppers
Use jarred sweet cherry peppers in the same amount, 1 cup for each cup of Peppadews. They are the same size and shape and can be stuffed, but they are tangier and less sweet, so stir ½ teaspoon of sugar into each cup of chopped peppers or into the filling. Jars labeled sweet piquanté peppers from other brands are the same pepper and swap exactly. For chopping only, jarred roasted red peppers with a little sugar and vinegar work.
- Verdict —
- Tweak it
- The tweak —
- Drain, pull out the stem and seeds if they are still in, and add about ½ teaspoon sugar per cup of chopped peppers, or to the filling, to replace the sweetness.
- Best for —
- stuffing with cream cheese or goat cheese
Updated 8 Oct 2026 · no sponsored swaps
But first: what are the peppadew peppers doing?
Pick your caseAre you stuffing the peppers whole, or chopping them into a dish?
You need a small, firm, hollow pepper. Jarred sweet cherry peppers are the same size; add a little sugar to the filling. Piquillos work as a larger, softer version.
Notes on sweet cherry peppers (jarred), sweet piquanté peppers (other brands) or piquillo peppers
1 cup per cup
Any sweet pickled red pepper works. Chopped cherry peppers with ½ teaspoon sugar per cup are closest. Sweety Drops need no chopping.
Notes on sweet cherry peppers (jarred), sweety drop peppers or pepperoncini
1 cup per cup
Texture does not matter here, so use jarred roasted red peppers, seasoned with 1 teaspoon each of vinegar and sugar per cup and a pinch of red pepper flakes.
Notes on jarred roasted red peppers or piquillo peppers
Same amount
Replace each tablespoon of brine with 2 teaspoons vinegar and 1 teaspoon sugar as a starting point, and taste. The brine from sweet cherry peppers is sharper, so sweeten it the same way.
A Peppadew brings three things in one bite: sweetness from the brine, tang from the vinegar and a mild warmth, about 1,100 to 1,200 Scoville units, well below a jalapeño. Whole, it is a firm, hollow, bite-size cup that holds soft cheese. Chopped, it gives bright red color and a sweet-sour lift to rich food such as cheese, cured meat and mayonnaise-based salads. A swap needs to be pickled or seasoned to taste pickled, and sweet.
Every option, one card
Ranked · per 1 cup peppadew peppers| # | Substitute | Instead of 1 cup peppadew peppers | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sweet cherry peppers (jarred)stuffing with cream cheese or goat cheese | 1 cupTweak it | Tweak it |
| 2 | Sweet piquanté peppers (other brands)any recipe that names Peppadews | Same amountWorks | Works |
| 3 | Sweety drop pepperssalads and grain bowls | Same amountTweak it | Tweak it |
| 4 | Jarred roasted red pepperspimento-style cheese spreads and dips | Same amountYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| 5 | Piquillo peppersstuffed pepper appetizers | Same amountYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| 6 | Pepperoncinisandwiches and subs | Same amountYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| Not a swap | Fresh bell pepper | not a swapNot for this | Not for this |
| Not a swap | Pickled jalapeños | not a swapNot for this | Not for this |
Sweet cherry peppers (jarred)
tangier, less sweet
Small, round, red pickled peppers sold next to the olives, the closest match in size, shape and firmness.
- Best for
- stuffing with cream cheese or goat cheese, antipasto and cheese boards, pizza, sandwiches and salads
- Texture
- slightly thicker walls
- Prep
- Drain, pull out the stem and seeds if they are still in, and add about ½ teaspoon sugar per cup of chopped peppers, or to the filling, to replace the sweetness.
- Suits
- vegan, gluten-free
Cherry peppers are pickled in a sharper, less sweet brine and have thicker walls. Jars are sold as sweet or hot; hot cherry peppers are several times hotter than a Peppadew, so read the label.
Sweet piquanté peppers (other brands)
the same
The same pepper in the same kind of sweet brine, sold under store labels and other brand names.
- Best for
- any recipe that names Peppadews
- Pantry
- Special trip
- Suits
- vegan, gluten-free
Peppadew is a trademark, so other packers label the jar sweet piquanté peppers, sweet and spicy red peppers or similar. Check the olive bar and the jarred pepper shelf. Sweetness varies a little between brands.
Sweety drop peppers
similar, milder
Tiny teardrop-shaped pickled peppers from Peru with a very similar sweet and tangy taste.
- Best for
- salads and grain bowls, pizza and flatbreads, cheese boards
- Texture
- tiny, pops when bitten
- Prep
- Use them whole, measured by volume against chopped Peppadews.
- Pantry
- Special trip
- Suits
- vegan, gluten-free
They are about the size of a fingernail, so they cannot be stuffed. Heat is lower than a Peppadew, close to none.
Jarred roasted red peppers
sweet, smoky, no heat
Roasted, peeled sweet red peppers in a jar, seasoned to copy the sweet and sour brine. Jarred pimientos work the same way.
- Best for
- pimento-style cheese spreads and dips, sandwiches and wraps, pasta and pizza
- Texture
- soft, not crisp
- Prep
- Drain, chop, and toss each cup with 1 teaspoon vinegar, 1 teaspoon sugar and a pinch of red pepper flakes; taste and adjust.
- Pantry
- Likely in your cupboard
- Suits
- vegan, gluten-free
The amounts are a starting point. Roasted peppers are soft and silky with no crunch, they have no heat of their own, and they are flat strips, so they cannot be stuffed.
Piquillo peppers
sweet, smoky, not tangy
Small Spanish roasted red peppers sold whole in jars, sweet and lightly smoky, with a pocket for filling.
- Best for
- stuffed pepper appetizers, tapas and cheese boards, sauces
- Texture
- soft, larger
- Prep
- Add a few drops of vinegar and a pinch of sugar to the filling or the dish to bring back the pickled taste.
- Pantry
- Special trip
- Suits
- vegan, gluten-free
Piquillos are roasted, not pickled, so they are soft and have no tang. Each is about 3 inches long, several times the size of a Peppadew, so one stuffed piquillo replaces three or four.
Pepperoncini
sour, salty, not sweet
Pale green pickled peppers with a mild heat close to a Peppadew's and a much sharper vinegar bite.
- Best for
- sandwiches and subs, salads and antipasto, pizza
- Texture
- thin, soft
- Prep
- Slice into rings and add about ½ teaspoon sugar or honey per cup if the dish needs the sweetness.
- Pantry
- Likely in your cupboard
- Suits
- vegan, gluten-free
Sour and salty where Peppadews are sweet, and yellow-green where they are red, so the dish looks and tastes different. Thin-walled and wrinkled, so not good for stuffing.
Fresh bell pepper
grassy, no tang
Raw sweet pepper with no brine behind it.
- Best for
- fresh crunch only
- Texture
- raw, watery crunch
- Pantry
- Likely in your cupboard
A Peppadew's flavor comes from the sweet vinegar brine as much as from the pepper. Raw bell pepper is watery and grassy, with no tang, no concentrated sweetness and no heat.
Pickled jalapeños
much hotter, sour · similar texture
Pickled, but hot and not sweet.
- Best for
- adding heat, not replacing Peppadews
- Pantry
- Likely in your cupboard
Jalapeños run 2,500 to 8,000 Scoville units against roughly 1,100 to 1,200 for a Peppadew, and the brine is sour and salty. Used in the same amount they make the dish hot and take out the sweetness that was the point.
Don’t swap it here
2 cases- Stuffed Peppadews as a passed appetizer, using roasted red pepper strips, pepperoncini or Sweety Drops.Use jarred sweet cherry peppers or another brand of sweet piquanté peppers, or spoon the filling onto crackers and top with the chopped swap.
- Any recipe, using hot cherry peppers or pickled jalapeños in the same amount.Buy the jar labeled sweet or mild, or use a quarter of the amount of the hot peppers mixed with roasted red peppers.
Questions
5 questionsWhat is a good substitute for Peppadew peppers?
Jarred sweet cherry peppers, in the same amount. They match the size and shape and can be stuffed. They are tangier and less sweet, so add about ½ teaspoon sugar per cup. Any jar labeled sweet piquanté peppers is the same pepper under a different brand.
What are Peppadew peppers?
Peppadew is a brand name for sweet piquanté peppers, a small round red pepper grown in South Africa, seeded and pickled in a sweet vinegar brine. They are sweet and tangy with mild heat, about 1,100 to 1,200 Scoville units.
Are Peppadew peppers the same as cherry peppers?
No. They look alike, but they are different peppers in different brines. Cherry peppers have thicker walls and a sharper, less sweet pickle, and the hot kind is much hotter. Sweet cherry peppers are still the closest common swap.
Can I use roasted red peppers instead of Peppadews?
Yes, when the peppers are chopped or blended. Season each cup with about 1 teaspoon vinegar, 1 teaspoon sugar and a pinch of red pepper flakes. They are soft and flat, so they will not work for stuffing.
Are Peppadew peppers spicy?
Only mildly. The mild jar is about 1,100 to 1,200 Scoville units, well under a jalapeño at 2,500 to 8,000, and the sweetness of the brine softens it further. A hot version is also sold.
Tips for substituting peppadew peppers
5 tips- Drain the peppers and pat them dry before stuffing or putting them on pizza; the brine makes fillings loose and crusts wet.
- When a swap is less sweet, add the sugar to the filling or dressing, about ½ teaspoon per cup of peppers, not onto the peppers themselves.
- Peppadew jars are sold as mild and hot. Recipes that do not say mean mild.
- A pastry bag or a zip-top bag with the corner cut off fills 20 small peppers in a few minutes.
- Keep an opened jar refrigerated with the peppers under the brine.