Even the baker with the most well stocked pantry may find themselves scrambling for an ingredient at the last minute. And there are just those times where it isn’t feasible to make a quick run to the store. For optimal recipe results, you should use the exact ingredient called for, but here are some substitutions that can save you in a pinch:
Allspice- ½ teaspoon cinnamon plus ½ teaspoon ground cloves equals 1 teaspoon Allspice.
Baking powder- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar plus ¼ teaspoon baking soda can be substituted for 1 teaspoon baking powder.
Bread crumbs- 3 slices of bread or toast ground equals 1 cup of dry bread crumbs. OR rolled oats as needed, mixed with all bran cereal as needed.
Butter:
- Salted butter- ½ cup unsalted butter plus ¼ teaspoon salt can be substituted for ½ cup salted butter. You can also use ½ cup margarine or ½ cup solid vegetable oil for ½ cup salted butter.
- Unsalted butter- ½ cup salted butter can be substituted for ½ cup unsalted butter. You must also decrease the salt in the recipe by ¼ teaspoon. You can also use ½ cup margarine or ½ cup solid vegetable shortening for ½ cup unsalted butter.
Buttermilk- 1 cup milk plus 1 TBSP. vinegar. OR 1 cup milk plus 1 TBSP. lemon juice. OR 1 cup plain yogurt.
Cinnamon- ½ teaspoon allspice can be substituted for 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
Chocolate:
- Chocolate chips- Replace one cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips with 6 ounces chopped semi-sweet chocolate squares.
- Milk chocolate- 1 ounce semi-sweet chocolate plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar equals 1 ounce of milk chocolate.
- Sweet German chocolate- 1 ounce semi-sweet chocolate plus ½ tablespoon granulated sugar equals 1 ounce sweet German chocolate.
- Semi-sweet chocolate- ½ ounce unsweetened chocolate plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar equals 1 ounce of semi-sweet chocolate.
- Unsweetened- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder (not Dutch processed) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter equals 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate.
Cocoa powder (Dutch processed)- 3 tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa powder plus 1/8 teaspoon baking soda equals 3 tablespoons Dutch processed cocoa powder.
Cocoa powder (Natural, unsweetened)- 3 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa plus 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar, lemon juice or white vinegar equals 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder.
Cocoa- One ounce (square) chocolate grated equals ¼ cup cocoa. You should also decrease the butter/ oil in the recipe by ½ a tablespoon.
Coffee- 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder dissolved in 3 tablespoons hot water can be substituted for ¼ cup strong brewed coffee.
Condensed milk- For 1 cup of condensed milk, mix together and heat 1/3 cup of evaporated milk, ¾ cup of sugar and 2 tablespoons of butter until combined.
Corn Syrup:
- Light corn syrup- 1 cup dark corn syrup or 1 cup honey can be substituted for 1 cup light corn syrup. You can also use 1 cup granulated sugar and decrease the recipe liquid by ¼ cup to equal 1 cup light corn syrup.
- Dark corn syrup- ¾ cup light corn syrup plus ¼ cup molasses can be used for 1 cup dark corn syrup.
Cornstarch- For one tablespoons cornstarch, you can use 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour or 2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca.
Cream:
- Cream (Crème Fraiche)- 1 cup sour cream, or 1 cup whipping cream plus 1 tablespoon buttermilk or ½ cup whipping cream plus ½ cup sour cream can all be substituted for 1 cup cream.
- Cream/ Half and Half- 7 ounces of whole milk plus ½ tablespoon butter or 1 cup evaporate milk equals 1 cup of cream or half and half.
- Cream (Heavy)- 2/3 cup whole milk plus 1/3 cup melted unsalted butter can be substituted for 1 cup heavy cream. This can be used In recipes, but not whipped.
- Cream (Light)- 1 cup half and half can be used for 1 cup light cream.
- Cream/ Sour Cream- 1 cup plain yogurt or ¾ cup sour milk, buttermilk or plain yogurt plus1/3 cup melted butter equals 1 cup sour cream.
- Cream of tartar- ½ teaspoon white vinegar or lemon juice can be used in place of ½ teaspoon cream of tartar.
Eggs:
- Egg whites- 1 tablespoon powdered egg whites plus 2 tablespoons water equals 1 large egg white.
- Egg yolks- 1 large whole egg can be used in place of 2 large egg yolks.
- Whole egg- For baking, use 2 large egg yolks plus 1 tablespoon water for every whole egg. For custards and sauces, use 2 large egg yolks for every large whole egg. You can also use 3½ tablespoons of egg substitute for each whole egg called for in the recipe. OR 1/4 cup mashed potatoes. OR 1/4 cup canned pumpkin. OR 1/4 cup canned squash. OR 1/4 cup pureed prunes. OR 2 TBSP. potato starch.
Fats:
- Lard- ½ cup solid vegetable shortening or ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter can be substituted for ½ cup lard.
- Margarine- ½ cup salted or unsalted butter or ½ cup solid vegetable shortening can be substituted for ½ cup margarine.
- Solid vegetable shortening- ½ cup salted or unsalted butter or ½ cup lard or ½ cup margarine can be substituted for ½ cup solid vegetable shortening.
Flours:
- All-purpose flour- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sifted cake flour can be used for 1 cup all- purpose flour. You can also use 1 cup self-rising flour if you omit the baking powder and salt from the recipe.
- Bread flour- 1 cup all-purpose flour can be substituted for 1 cup bread flour.
- Cake flour- ¾ cup all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons cornstarch can be substituted for 1 cup cake flour.
- Pastry flour- 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour plus 2/3 cup cake flour is equal to 2 cups pastry flour.
- Self-rising flour- 1 cup all-purpose flour plus 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder and ¼ teaspoon salt can be substituted for 1 cup self-rising flour.
- Whole wheat flour- 7 ounces all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons wheat germ can be substituted for 1 cup whole wheat flour.
Gelatin (powdered)- 2 teaspoons agar can be substituted for 1 envelope or ¼ ounce unflavored gelatin powder.
Ghee- 1 tablespoon clarified butter is equivalent to 1 tablespoon Ghee
Glucose (liquid)- ½ cup light corn syrup can be used in place of ½ cup liquid glucose.
Honey- For 1 cup honey, you can substitute ¾ cup maple syrup or ¾ cup corn syrup or ¾ cup light molasses PLUS ½ cup granulated white sugar.
Lemon juice (fresh)- 1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice can replace 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice.
Lemon zest- ½ teaspoon lemon extract can be used in place of 1 teaspoon lemon zest. Depending on the product, you could also use orange or lime zest in place of the lemon zest.
Lime juice (fresh)- 1 tablespoon lemon or orange juice can be substituted for 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice.
Lime zest- 1 teaspoon lemon or orange zest can be used in place of 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Maple sugar (grated)- for ½ cup maple sugar, you can use 1 cup maple syrup and reduce the amount of liquid in the recipe by ¼ cup.
Maple syrup- 1 cup honey can be substituted for 1 cup maple syrup. You can also substitute ¾ cup corn syrup plus ¼ cup butter plus ½ teaspoon maple extract for 1 cup maple syrup.
Marshmallows- 8 regular marshmallows can be substituted with 1 cup miniature marshmallows or 2.5 ounces of marshmallow cream.
Mascarpone cheese- 1 cup crème fraiche or ¾ cup cream cheese beaten with ¼ cup heavy cream can be substituted for 1 cup Mascarpone cheese.
Milks:
- Buttermilk (sour milk)- 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar plus enough milk to make 1 cup (let stand 5 minutes) can be substituted for 1 cup buttermilk. You can also use ¼ cup buttermilk powder plus 1 cup water or 1 cup plain yogurt or 1 cup sour cream in place of 1 cup of buttermilk.
- Evaporated milk- 1 cup half and half or 1 cup light cream can be substituted for 1 cup evaporated milk.
- Sweetened condensed milk- 1 cup nonfat dry milk plus 2/3 cup granulated white sugar plus ½ cup boiling water plus 3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter (process in blender) can be substituted for a 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk.
- Skim milk (non-fat)- ¼ cup powdered skim milk plus 7 ounces water or ½ cup evaporate skim milk plus ½ cup water can be used for 1 cup skim milk.
- Whole milk- ½ cup evaporated whole milk plus ½ cup water or ½ cup condensed milk plus ½ cup water can be used in place of 1 cup whole milk. You can also use 1 cup skim milk plus 2 tablespoons melted butter for 1 cup whole milk.
Molasses- 1 cup honey or 1 cup dark corn syrup or 1 cup maple syrup can be used in place of 1 cup molasses. You can also dissolve ¾ cup brown sugar in ¼ cup liquid to equal 1 cup molasses.
Oats:
- Quick Cooking rolled- 1 cup regular (old fashioned) rolled oats can be substituted for 1 cup quick cooking rolled oats.
- Regular (old fashioned)- 1 cup quick cooking rolled oats can be substituted for 1 cup regular (old fashioned) cooking oats.
Orange juice (fresh)- 1 cup frozen orange juice concentrate mixed with water (as directed on container) can be substituted for 1 cup fresh orange juice.
Orange zest- 1 teaspoon lemon or lime zest can be used for 1 teaspoon orange zest.
Ricotta cheese- 1 cup strained cottage cheese can be substituted for 1 cup ricotta cheese.
Salts:
- Kosher salt- 1 teaspoon sea salt or table salt can be used for 1 teaspoon kosher salt.
- Sea salt- 1 teaspoon kosher salt or table salt can be used for 1 teaspoon sea salt.
- Table Salt- 1 teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt can be used for 1 teaspoon table salt.
Sugars:
- Brown sugar- 1 cup raw sugar or 1 cup granulated sugar, or 1 cup granulated sugar plus ¼ cup molasses can be substituted for 1 cup brown sugar. For light brown sugar, you can substitute ½ cup dark brown sugar plus ½ cup granulated white sugar for equal 1 cup light brown sugar.
- Granulated sugar- 1 cup powdered sugar or 1 cup tightly packed light brown sugar can be used in place of 1 cup granulated white sugar.
- Powdered sugar- 1 cup granulated sugar processed in a food processor can be substituted for 1 cup powdered sugar.
- Raw sugar- 1 cup light or dark brown sugar can be used in place of 1 cup raw sugar.
Tapioca (quick cooking)- 2 tablespoons soaked pearl tapioca or 1 ½ tablespoons flour can be substituted for 1 tablespoon quick cooking tapioca.
Vinegars:
- Apple cider vinegar- ¼ cup white vinegar can be used in place of ¼ cup apple cider vinegar.
- White vinegar- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar or 1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice can be used in place of ¼ cup white vinegar.
Yeasts:
- Active dry yeast- 1 tablespoon fast-rising active yeast or 1 compressed yeast cake can be substituted for 1 envelope active dry yeast.
- Compressed yeast- 1 envelope (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast or 1 tablespoon active dry yeast can be substituted for 1 compressed yeast cake.
Yogurt (plain)- 1 cup sour cream or 1 cup buttermilk can be substituted for 1 cup plain yogurt. You can also use 1 cup heavy whipping cream plus 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice as a substitution for 1 cup plain yogurt.
Vanilla extract (pure)- ½ of a vanilla bean ground can be substituted for 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
Copyright SugarEd Productions 2012
