Persimmon substitutes
Persimmon substitutes — 6 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use Canned pumpkin puree (for Hachiya pulp)
1 cup puree for 1 cup persimmon pulp
First work out which type your recipe wants, because the answer is completely different. For crisp sliced Fuyu in a salad or on a cheese board, a firm ripe mango or a crisp Asian pear tossed with a squeeze of lemon is the closest swap at 1:1. For soft Hachiya pulp in persimmon pudding, cookies or bread, canned pumpkin puree or well-mashed very ripe banana replaces it cup for cup, with pumpkin the better choice in savoury-leaning bakes and banana the better one where you want sweetness. Persimmon's job is sweetness plus body: Fuyu supplies crunch and honeyed sweetness, Hachiya supplies a thick, silky, almost custardy puree that carries moisture and structure in a batter.
- Verdict —
- Tweak it
- What changes —
- different taste, similar texture
- Best for —
- persimmon pudding
Updated 19 Aug 2026 · no sponsored swaps
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of persimmon | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canned pumpkin puree (for Hachiya pulp)persimmon pudding | 1 cup puree for 1 cup persimmon pulpTweak it | Tweak it |
| 2 | Very ripe mashed banana (for Hachiya pulp)persimmon bread | 1 cup mashed banana for 1 cup persimmon pulpTweak it | Tweak it |
| 3 | Firm ripe mango (for crisp Fuyu)autumn salads | Same amount by volumePlus a squeeze of lemonTweak it | Tweak it |
| 4 | Crisp Asian pear or a sweet crisp apple such as Honeycrisp (for crisp Fuyu)salads | Same amountTweak it | Tweak it |
| 5 | Cooked and pureed sweet potato or butternut squash (for Hachiya pulp)persimmon pudding | 1 cup puree for 1 cup pulp, thinned with a tablespoon of water or milk if stiffTweak it | Tweak it |
| 6 | Dried persimmon, soaked and pureedpersimmon pudding | 4 oz dried persimmon soaked in ½ cup hot water, blended, yields roughly 1 cup pulpTweak it | Tweak it |
Canned pumpkin puree (for Hachiya pulp)
different taste, similar texture
The most reliable stand-in for soft persimmon pulp in baking, because it matches the thickness and moisture almost exactly, which is what keeps a persimmon pudding dense and spoonable rather than watery.
- Best for
- persimmon pudding, persimmon bread and loaf cakes, persimmon cookies, muffins
Pumpkin is markedly less sweet and tastes vegetal rather than honeyed, so add 2 to 3 tablespoons of extra sugar or a tablespoon of honey per cup, and lean harder on the cinnamon and nutmeg. The colour and crumb come out very close.
Very ripe mashed banana (for Hachiya pulp)
different taste, similar texture
The best answer if what you want back is the sweetness and the slippery, custardy texture rather than a neutral base.
- Best for
- persimmon bread, cookies, muffins, pancakes, smoothies
It tastes clearly of banana, and there is no hiding it, so this works when you are happy for the bake to become a spiced banana bread by another name. Use fruit with blackened skin, and cut the recipe's sugar by about 2 tablespoons per cup since banana is sweeter than persimmon.
Firm ripe mango (for crisp Fuyu)
similar taste, different texture
Matches the honeyed, faintly floral sweetness of a Fuyu better than anything else, and holds its shape in slices if you pick fruit that is ripe but still firm to the thumb.
- Best for
- autumn salads, fruit plates, cheese boards, salsas, tarts
Softer and juicier than a Fuyu, so it will not give you that apple-like snap, and it can look wet on a plate. The lemon is not optional: persimmon has a low, gentle acidity and mango has almost none, so without it a salad tastes flabby.
Crisp Asian pear or a sweet crisp apple such as Honeycrisp (for crisp Fuyu)
different taste, similar texture
The right answer when the point of the Fuyu was texture: thin crisp slices that stay crisp next to a dressing.
- Best for
- salads, slaws, cheese boards, grain bowls
Both are more watery and more simply sweet, without the warm honey-apricot note of a persimmon. Apple browns, so slice it last or toss it in lemon juice. Asian pear does not brown as fast and is the closer of the two.
Cooked and pureed sweet potato or butternut squash (for Hachiya pulp)
different taste, similar texture
A good pantry-free option when there is no canned pumpkin: roast until completely soft, then blend smooth.
- Best for
- persimmon pudding, steamed puddings, loaf cakes, muffins
Sweet potato is naturally sweeter than pumpkin and therefore closer to persimmon, but it is also starchier, so a pudding sets firmer and can turn slightly gluey. Blend properly smooth and do not overmix the batter afterwards.
Dried persimmon, soaked and pureed
enhanced taste, different texture
The only substitute that actually tastes like persimmon, and worth hunting for in a Korean or Japanese grocer if the flavour is the whole point of the dish.
- Best for
- persimmon pudding, persimmon cookies, sauces and compotes, tea and sujeonggwa
Deeper and more caramelised than fresh pulp, closer to a date, and the puree is never quite as silky because of the skins. Remove any hard calyx and the seeds before soaking, and blend for longer than you think you need to.
Questions
5 questionsCan I just leave the persimmon out?
Not in persimmon pudding, bread or cookies, where the pulp is a large share of the batter and is providing most of the moisture and structure. Leaving it out gives you a dry, crumbly failure, so you have to put something of similar consistency in, and pumpkin puree is the safest. In a salad or on a cheese board, yes, leave it out or use any firm sweet fruit you like.
What is the difference between Fuyu and Hachiya, and does it really matter?
It matters more than any other distinction on this page. Fuyu is non-astringent and is eaten crisp, sliced into salads or eaten out of hand like an apple. Hachiya is astringent until fully soft and is used almost exclusively as pulp. Substituting a firm Fuyu into a recipe calling for Hachiya pulp gives you a chunky, watery batter, and eating a firm Hachiya is genuinely unpleasant.
Is sharon fruit the same as persimmon?
Sharon fruit is a trade name for a non-astringent persimmon variety, so treat it exactly like a Fuyu: eat it firm, slice it for salads, and do not expect it to give you soft pulp. It is often sold slightly firmer and blander than a good Fuyu, and the skin is thin enough to leave on.
Can I use persimmon jam or dried persimmon instead of fresh?
Dried persimmon, soaked and blended, is a genuinely good substitute for pulp and is the only option that still tastes of persimmon. Jam is trickier because it is mostly sugar, so if you use it you need to cut the recipe's sugar substantially and accept a stickier result. Neither will give you crisp slices.
Do I peel persimmons?
Fuyu skin is thin and edible, so slice and go. For Hachiya you do not really peel it at all: cut off the top and scoop or squeeze the jelly-like flesh out of the skin, then pass it through a sieve if you want a completely smooth pulp.
Tips for substituting persimmon
5 tips- The single mistake to avoid: never bite into an underripe Hachiya. Astringent persimmons are loaded with tannins that dry your whole mouth out in a way that feels like something has gone wrong with you rather than the fruit. A Hachiya is only ready when the skin is translucent and it feels like a water balloon, which is well past the point most people would call spoiled.
- Fuyu is the opposite: it is meant to be eaten firm. If you are unsure which one you are holding, squat and tomato-shaped means Fuyu and safe to slice; tall and pointed at the base means Hachiya and it must be jelly-soft first.
- To ripen a Hachiya fast, put it in a paper bag with a banana or an apple for a few days, or freeze it solid overnight and thaw it. Freezing breaks down the tannins and is the standard shortcut when you need pulp tonight.
- Persimmon pulp reacts with baking soda and thickens dramatically, sometimes almost setting in the bowl. This is normal and is why traditional persimmon pudding recipes are so dense, but it means you should mix and get the batter into the oven promptly rather than letting it sit.
- Persimmon has very little acidity of its own. Any time you substitute another sweet fruit for it, add a squeeze of lemon, because both the original and the swap need a small lift to stop the dish tasting flat and one-note.