The Only Cayenne Pepper Substitute You'll Ever Need

Ground cayenne pepper is on the shortlist for spices that bring the heat. Cayenne peppers clock in between 30,000 and 50,000 heat units on the Scoville scale. Some can be milder, but generally speaking, these peppers are categorized as a medium-hot chili that brings the peppery, Achtung-bite to your taste buds. But what if you like the bright red color and peppery taste it adds to dishes but want to sidestep the spiciness? Cayenne pepper has few understudies, but if there's one that can step in as a substitute and bring a mild sweetness in the process, it's sweet paprika.

Where cayenne pepper brings diva vibes to foods like a shrimp po'boy with remoulade, sweet paprika's taste is subtle and nuanced. In addition to sweet notes, it can have some smoky undertones, depending on the kind you choose. Our ultimate guide to choosing paprika can help you make the decision. 

Sweet paprika is made by grinding dried, sweet bell peppers into a powder-like texture.  Sometimes, the peppers used for paprika are smoked before they are ground to add those deep, savory, campfire flavors to sweet paprika, but what you won't find are spicy, "I need a glass of milk" peppers.

Before you hand over cayenne pepper's role to paprika, it's important to remember that because paprika is milder in taste, you may need to use a little more to get the peppery flavor you are hoping for. Start with a 1-to-2 ratio where for every half teaspoon of cayenne pepper, you use a full teaspoon of paprika. This swap is a perfect alternative if you are making a homemade Creole seasoning mix and want to make it kid-friendly, or when making a hearty taco soup. You will still get a peppery taste but with a little sweetness instead of fire.

However, if you need a cayenne pepper substitute with a little heat, you can use Spanish paprika which tends to have a fiery bite — this is because it's made with chili peppers or a mix of chili and bell peppers. Because Spanish paprika brings the fireworks to your mouth, you should do a 1-to-1 substitution for cayenne pepper. Remember, you can always add more if it isn't spicy enough, but taking away the heat is a more difficult task.