Best Substitutes for Cherry Tomatoes

Grape tomatoes are cherry tomatoes' closest cousin. They average 15-20 grams each versus cherry tomatoes' 10-15 grams, so you get slightly more volume. The flesh density is nearly identical at 94% water content. They hold their shape during roasting just as well and burst at the same temperature (around 400F after 15-20 minutes). The oblong shape cooks evenly and the skin thickness matches cherry tomatoes perfectly.

Roma tomatoes have less water (about 91% versus 94% in cherry tomatoes) and denser flesh, so they won't make dishes as wet. Cut 1 Roma into 1/2-inch dice to get pieces roughly the same size as halved cherry tomatoes. The flavor is less sweet but more balanced with good acidity. They take 3-5 minutes longer to soften when cooking because the flesh is firmer. Seed them first if the recipe needs to stay relatively dry.

Sun-dried tomatoes pack 5-6 times the flavor intensity because removing the water concentrates everything else. Use half the amount by weight and rehydrate in warm water for 10 minutes before adding to cold dishes. For hot dishes, add them directly and they'll absorb moisture from other ingredients. The texture stays chewy rather than bursting like fresh cherry tomatoes. Oil-packed versions integrate better than dry-packed.

Standard slicing tomatoes contain 95% water, so they're slightly more watery than cherry tomatoes. Dice them into 1/2-inch pieces and salt them for 15 minutes, then drain to remove excess moisture for salads. They're less sweet and more acidic, with softer flesh that breaks down faster during cooking. Seed them for recipes where excess liquid is a problem. They work fine but the texture and flavor balance will be noticeably different.

Canned diced tomatoes are already cooked and salted, so they won't have the fresh pop of cherry tomatoes but they work in cooked dishes. Drain them well and pat dry with paper towels to remove the excess liquid, or your dish will be watery. The pieces are usually larger than cherry tomatoes, so chop them down if size matters. The flavor is more acidic and less sweet because canning tomatoes are picked less ripe than cherry varieties.

Heirloom tomatoes vary widely in water content (90-96%) and sweetness depending on the variety, so taste first. Purple and black varieties tend to be sweeter and work better as cherry tomato substitutes than green or striped ones. Dice them into 1/2-inch pieces and expect them to break down more during cooking because the flesh is typically softer. The complex flavor can overwhelm delicate dishes but shines in simple preparations where it's featured.

Crushed tomatoes are already broken down, so you lose the individual tomato pieces that cherry tomatoes provide. The consistency is sauce-like rather than chunky. Use this only in recipes where cherry tomatoes would be cooked until they burst and break down anyway. The flavor is less sweet and more uniform than fresh tomatoes. Reduce other liquids in the recipe by 2-3 tablespoons to compensate for the extra moisture.

Yellow and orange cherry tomatoes have the exact same size, water content (94%), and cooking behavior as red cherry tomatoes. They're typically 10-20% sweeter with less acidity, which changes the flavor balance of the finished dish. The color obviously changes too, which can be good or bad depending on the recipe. They burst at the same temperature and time as red varieties. Use them anywhere you'd use regular cherry tomatoes if the color change is acceptable.