Toothpicks substitutes
Toothpicks substitutes — 6 options, ranked
Also called cocktail sticks, wooden picks
Use Uncooked spaghetti
A strand of uncooked spaghetti does both toothpick jobs. Push it into the center of a cake to test for doneness, or snap it into 2-inch pieces and use them to pin bacon wraps and rolled meat. Its rough surface holds crumbs the way wood does, and the pieces soften as the food cooks. For a thick roast or anything going on a grill, tie it with cotton kitchen twine or use a wooden skewer instead, because spaghetti snaps under load.
- Verdict —
- Works
- The tweak —
- To test a cake, push one whole strand straight down into the center and pull it out: wet batter means more time, a few moist crumbs or a clean strand means done. To pin food, snap the strand into 2-inch pieces and push them through at an angle, the same way as a toothpick.
- Best for —
- testing cakes, muffins and quick breads
- Pantry —
- Likely in your cupboard
Updated 8 Oct 2026 · no sponsored swaps
But first: what are the toothpicks doing?
Pick your caseAre you testing a cake or holding food shut?
Push a dry strand of spaghetti or a wooden skewer into the center. Wet batter means more time. A few moist crumbs or a clean strand means done. A skewer is the better pick for a Bundt or loaf cake, because it reaches the bottom.
Notes on uncooked spaghetti, wooden skewer or thin paring knife
Snap spaghetti into 2-inch pieces, or cut a skewer to length, and push it through at an angle. Pierce cold or dense meat with a knife tip first so the spaghetti does not snap.
Notes on uncooked spaghetti or wooden skewer
Tie it. A loop of cotton kitchen twine every 1 to 1 ½ inches holds a heavy roll through searing and a long roast, which no pick does.
Notes on kitchen twine or wooden skewer
A pick is the wrong test here, because these are done while still wet in the middle. Use a thermometer: cheesecake is done at about 150°F in the center.
Notes on instant-read thermometer
A toothpick does two unrelated jobs. As a tester, it is a thin, rough stick that picks up wet batter from the center of a cake, which is the last part to bake. As a fastener, it is a small pin that holds a flap of meat, a strip of bacon or a stuffed pocket closed until the heat sets the food in that shape. The right stand-in depends on which job you need, and on how heavy the food is.
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of toothpicks | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Uncooked spaghettitesting cakes, muffins and quick breads | See notesWorks | Works |
| 2 | Wooden skewertesting deep cakes such as Bundt and loaf cakes | See notesWorks | Works |
| 3 | Kitchen twinerolled roasts and roulades | See notesTweak it | Tweak it |
| 4 | Thin paring knifetesting brownies and dense cakes | See notesTweak it | Tweak it |
| 5 | Instant-read thermometertesting cakes and quick breads | See notesTweak it | Tweak it |
| 6 | Forktesting muffins and cupcakes | See notesYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| Not a swap | Plastic cocktail picks | not a swapNot for this | Not for this |
| Not a swap | Sewing pins or paper clips | not a swapNot for this | Not for this |
Uncooked spaghetti
similar taste and texture
A dry strand of spaghetti is about the same thickness as a toothpick, has a rough surface that batter and crumbs cling to, and is edible if a piece is left behind.
- Best for
- testing cakes, muffins and quick breads, pinning bacon-wrapped appetizers, holding rolled cutlets and stuffed chicken shut
- Prep
- To test a cake, push one whole strand straight down into the center and pull it out: wet batter means more time, a few moist crumbs or a clean strand means done. To pin food, snap the strand into 2-inch pieces and push them through at an angle, the same way as a toothpick.
- Pantry
- Likely in your cupboard
It snaps if you force it through thick or cold meat, so pierce a hole with the tip of a knife first. It softens as it absorbs moisture and will not hold a heavy roll for a long braise. Exposed ends brown and turn brittle in a hot oven. Thicker spaghetti holds better than thin spaghetti or angel hair.
Wooden skewer
similar taste and texture
A bamboo skewer is a longer, stronger toothpick. It reaches the bottom of a deep cake and holds heavy rolls of meat that a toothpick or spaghetti cannot.
- Best for
- testing deep cakes such as Bundt and loaf cakes, pinning stuffed chicken breasts and roulades, holding stacked sandwiches
- Prep
- For testing, use it as is. For pinning, cut it to length with kitchen shears and trim any splinters. For the grill or broiler, soak the skewers in water for 30 minutes first so they char more slowly.
It is thicker than a toothpick, so it leaves a visible hole in the top of a cake and can split small pieces of food. Count the pieces you put in and take the same number out before serving.
Kitchen twine
similar taste and texture
Plain cotton butcher's twine ties food shut instead of pinning it, and holds better than any pick on a large roll.
- Best for
- rolled roasts and roulades, stuffed chicken breasts and pork chops, bacon-wrapped filets
- Prep
- Tie a loop around the food every 1 to 1 ½ inches, snug but not cutting in, and knot each one. Snip the twine off before slicing.
It cannot test a cake and it cannot hold a small appetizer. Use only 100 percent cotton twine sold for cooking. Synthetic string can melt, and dyed or treated craft and hardware string is not made to touch food.
Thin paring knife
similar taste · leaves a small slit in the top of the cake
The tip of a thin knife slid into the center of a cake shows wet batter clearly, and is the usual test for brownies and dense cakes.
- Best for
- testing brownies and dense cakes, testing quick breads, testing baked custards near the edge
- Prep
- Slide the blade straight down into the center, pull it straight out, and look at both flat sides of the blade.
- Pantry
- Likely in your cupboard
A smooth metal blade holds fewer crumbs than wood, so it can come out looking clean a little before the cake is done. Confirm with a second sign: the top springs back when pressed lightly and the edges have pulled away from the pan. It leaves a slit in the surface and does not pin food.
Instant-read thermometer
similar taste and texture
A thermometer measures doneness instead of guessing at it, and its probe leaves a hole no bigger than a skewer's.
- Best for
- testing cakes and quick breads, testing cheesecake, testing enriched breads
- Prep
- Insert the probe into the center without touching the pan. Most butter cakes and quick breads are baked through at about 200°F to 210°F. Cheesecake is done at about 150°F, while the center still jiggles.
The target changes with the recipe, so use the recipe's number when it gives one. It does not pin food.
Fork
similar taste · leaves a visible mark in the top
A single tine of a dinner fork works as a tester when there is nothing thinner in the kitchen.
- Best for
- testing muffins and cupcakes, testing sheet cakes, testing cornbread
- Prep
- Push one outer tine into the center at an angle so only one tine enters, and check it for wet batter.
- Pantry
- Likely in your cupboard
The tine is short, so it only tests the top inch. It is no use for a deep cake or loaf, and it leaves a larger mark. It does not pin food.
Plastic cocktail picks
not for cooking
Plastic picks and picks with plastic frills are made for serving cold food, not for cooking.
- Best for
- serving food that is already cooked
Plastic softens and melts in an oven, a skillet or on a grill, and the melted plastic ends up in the food. Use them only to hold food together after it comes off the heat.
Sewing pins or paper clips
not for cooking
Small metal fasteners from a desk or sewing box are sometimes suggested for pinning meat shut.
- Best for
- nothing in the kitchen
- Pantry
- Likely in your cupboard
They are not made for food. Coatings and platings can come off with heat, and a pin is small enough to be lost inside the food and swallowed. Tie the food with cotton kitchen twine instead.
Don’t swap it here
2 cases- Fudgy brownies, molten cakes and other bakes meant to stay underdone in the center.Follow the recipe's time and cue: for fudgy brownies, pull them when a tester comes out with moist crumbs attached, not clean.
- SafetyPinned food served to young children, or to guests who have not been told.Count the pins as they go in and take the same number out before the food leaves the kitchen.
Questions
6 questionsWhat can I use instead of a toothpick to test a cake?
A strand of uncooked spaghetti, a wooden skewer or the tip of a thin paring knife. Push it into the center and pull it out. Wet batter means the cake needs more time. A few moist crumbs or a clean tester means it is done. Spaghetti and wood are better than a metal blade because crumbs cling to their rough surfaces.
What can I use instead of toothpicks to hold meat together?
For small items such as bacon wraps and rolled cutlets, use 2-inch pieces of uncooked spaghetti or a wooden skewer cut to length. For a stuffed roast or a large roulade, tie it with cotton kitchen twine every 1 to 1 ½ inches. Twine holds a heavy roll through a long cook, and picks do not.
Can you really cook with uncooked spaghetti as a toothpick?
Yes. It goes into the food dry, softens as it takes up moisture during cooking, and can be eaten with the dish. It is weaker than wood, so pierce dense meat with a knife tip before pushing it through, and do not rely on it for a heavy roll.
Is a cake tester better than a toothpick?
Not for most cakes. A metal cake tester is smooth, so fewer crumbs stick to it and it can look clean before the cake is baked through. Its advantage is length: it reaches the bottom of a deep cake. A wooden skewer gives you both the length and the rough surface.
Can I use dental floss or regular string to tie meat?
Use cotton kitchen twine. Many flosses are nylon, waxed or flavored, and craft or hardware string may be synthetic, dyed or treated. Synthetic fibers can melt and none of those products are made to be cooked with food.
At what temperature is a cake done?
Most butter cakes and quick breads are baked through when the center reads about 200°F to 210°F on an instant-read thermometer. Cheesecake is the exception at about 150°F. If the recipe gives its own temperature, use that.
Tips for substituting toothpicks
5 tips- Test in the center of the cake, not near the edge. The edge sets first, so a clean tester 1 inch from the side says nothing about the middle.
- Back up any tester with two other signs: the top springs back when pressed lightly with a fingertip, and the edges have started to pull away from the pan.
- Soak wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes before they go on a grill or under a broiler. Dry wood chars and can burn through before the food is done.
- Push pins through at a shallow angle and through at least two layers of the food, like a stitch. A pin pushed straight down holds much less.
- When you pin food with anything inedible, use the same number every time, such as 2 per roll, so you know how many to remove.