I don’t know about you, but sometimes when I’m cooking or baking, I realize that I’m out of something the recipe calls for. (This is why you should always check and make sure you have all the ingredients first!).
For times like these, cooking and baking substitutions come in very handy. Below are the most common food substitutions you will need for your favorite recipes.
Ingredient Substitutions:
Allspice: 1 tsp. = 1/2 ts cinnamon + 1/4 ts ginger + 1/4 ts cloves
Baking Mix: 1 c = 1 c flour + 1 1/2 ts baking powder + 1/2 ts salt + 3 TB unsalted butter
Baking Powder: 1ts = 1/2 ts cream of tarter + 1/4 ts baking soda
Bread Crumbs: 1 c = 1 c cracker crumbs or 1 c matzo meal or 1 c ground oats
Broth, Chicken or Beef: 1 c = 1 bouillon cube + 1 c boiling water or 1 TB soy sauce + enough water to make 1 cup
Buttermilk: 1 c = 1 ts lemon juice (or vinegar) + enough milk to make 1 c or 1 c yogurt
Chocolate, Unsweetened: 1 oz = 1 TB unsweetened cocoa powder + 1 TB butter
Corn Syrup: 1 c = 1 1/4 c white sugar + 1/3 c water or 1 c honey
Corn Syrup, dark: 1 c = 3/4 c light corn syrup + 1/4 c molasses
Cornstarch: 1 TB = 2 TB flour
Cottage Cheese= 1 c = 1 c ricotta cheese
Cracker Crumbs= 1 c bread crumbs or 1 c matzo meal or 1 c ground oats
Cream Cheese: 1 c = 1 c pureed cottage cheese
Cream of Tarter: 1 ts = 2 ts lemon juice or vinegar
Egg: 1 whole = 1/2 banana mashed + 1/2 ts baking powder or 1 TB powdered flax seed soaked in 3 TB water
Flour, Cake: 1 c = 3/4 c + 2 TB flour + 2 TB cornstarch, sifted together
Flour, Self-rising: 2 c = 2 c flour + 1 ts baking soda + 2 ts baking powder + 1 ts salt
Garlic: 1 clove fresh = 1/8 ts garlic powder
Garlic Salt: 1 ts = 1/8 garlic powder + enough salt to make 1 ts
Ginger: 1 ts fresh = 1/4 ts powdered ginger
Half-and-Half: 1 c = 1 TB melted butter + enough milk to make 1 c
Herbs: 1 TB fresh = 1 ts dried herbs
Honey: 1 c = 1 1/4 c white sugar + 1/3 c water or 1 c corn syrup or 3/4 c maple syrup + 1/2 c white sugar
Hot Pepper Sauce: 1 ts = 3/4 ts cayenne pepper + 1 ts vinegar
Italian Seasoning: 3 ts = 1 ts oregano + 1 ts basil + 1 ts sage
Ketchup: 1 c = 1 c tomato sauce + 1 ts vinegar + 1 TB sugar
Lemon Juice: 1 ts = 1/4 ts cider vinegar
Maple Syrup: 1 c = 1 c honey or 3/4 c corn syrup + 1/4 c butter + 1/2 ts maple extract (optional)
Milk: 1 c = 1/2 c evaporated milk + 1/2 c water or 1/4 c dry milk powder + 1 c water
Molasses: 1 c = 3/4 c brown sugar + 1 ts cream of tartar, mix together
Mustard, Prepared= 1/2 ts ground mustard + 2 ts vinegar, mix together
Onion: 1 small, chopped = 1 ts onion powder or 1 TB dried minced onion
Pumpkin Pie Spice: 1 ts = 1/4 ts nutmeg + 1/4 ts ginger + 1/2 ts cinnamon
Ricotta: 1 c = 1 c dry cottage cheese
Saffron: 1/4 ts = 1/4 ts turmeric
Sour Cream: 1 c = 1 c plain yogurt
Soy Sauce: 1/2 c = 4 TB Worcestershire sauce + 1 TB water, mix together
Sugar, Brown: 1 c = 1 c white sugar + 2 TB molasses
Sugar, Confectioners’ (Powdered): 1 c = 1 c white sugar + 1 TB cornstarch, process in blender until powdery
Sugar, White: 1 c = 1 c brown sugar or 1 1/4 c confectioners’ sugar or 3/4 c honey or 3/4 c corn syrup
Sweetened Condensed Milk: 1 c = 3/4 c white sugar + 1/2 c water + 1 1/8 c dry powdered milk, bring to a boil and cook (stirring frequently) until thickened, about 20 minutes
Tapioca: 2 ts = 1 TB flour
Tarter Sauce: 1/2 c = 6 TB mayonnaise + 2 TB pickle relish
Tomato Sauce: 1 c = 1 can (3 oz) tomato paste + 1/2 c water
Vanilla Bean: 1 bean = 2 – 3 ts pure vanilla extract
Vegetable Oil (for baking): 1 c = 1 c applesauce
Vinegar: 1 tsp. = 1 ts lemon or lime juice or 2 ts white wine
Wine: 1 c = 1 c chicken or beef broth or 1 c fruit juice mixed with 2 ts vinegar or 1 c water or 1 c grape juice
Yogurt: 1 c = 1 c sour cream or 1 c buttermilk
For easy reference, I created a chart to print out and post in the kitchen. I keep mine taped to the inside a kitchen cabinet door. Click here to download your own free printable.
What is your favorite substitution? Share in a comment below!
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I am not a cook. So if I don’t have the ingredients, my substitute is send hubby to the store of stop baking! 🙂
I’m pinning this list though…maybe I can improve!
I have done that often in the past, Mary Beth!
Great list, thanks!!
Thanks – a great list – can i post it on my blog? my favorite substitute is applesauce for oil or butter, as well as a cup of coffee for water in chocolate cake. YUM!
Sue, Glad you found this to be helpful. You are welcomed to share the link to this post on your blog, but cannot post not the entire list as it will mess up SEO for both blogs. Thanks! 🙂
This is an all inclusive list! I have used several in the past but one I use more than any is the “buttermilk” substitute! And I learned today I can use THAT for a yogurt substitute! Thanks.
Awesome! I substitute applesauce for eggs when baking. It cuts fat and keeps things moist (though I know it doesn’t always work – I just don’t know when it would and wouldn’t!). I will be posting this list in my kitchen!
What a thorough list! I use the egg and buttermilk substitute the most. And my grandmother’s recipes call for sour milk all the time. Which I learned I just need to add a bit of vinegar to the milk…
Thanks!! I always use unsweetened apple sauce for oil, butter, margarine…. In my baking, It keeps things fat free, and I double the amount to make it moist. I also use apple sauce for eggs, or even bananas. I bake three things– Chocolate cake (with chocolate frosting, of course), banana bread, and banana chocolate chip cookies. All are vegan and all are fat free. The banana bread (and chocolate chip cookies) is sugar free as the bananas (and semi-sweet chocolate chips) sweeten them. I use half the amount of sugar for chocolate cake and the frosting. (The frosting recipe calls for soy milk and I use the Silk light chocolate soy milk.)
Thanks for sharing, Laura!