Have you ever started a recipe only to find you’re missing an ingredient? Ever borrowed a cup of sugar or a few eggs from a neighbor? We’ve all been there. It’s great to have good neighbors, but it’s also great to have a handy list of substitutions in case your neighbor isn’t home. For best results, we know to always use the ingredients specified in the recipe, but there are a lot of available substitutions that will do the trick. Keep in mind that some substitutions perform better than others and that is expected. As I compiled this list, I too learned of a few substitutions. I hope you keep it as a handy reference guide.
Note: Abbreviations used below Tablespoon = Tbsp and teaspoon = tsp
| Most Common Ingredients | Substitute Option(s) |
|---|---|
| Active Dry Yeast, 1 envelope 1/4 oz, 7 grams | 1 scant Tbsp active dry yeast; or 1 Tbsp fast-rising active yeast; or 1 cake fresh compressed yeast |
| Almond Paste, 1 1/3 cup | 1 3/4 cups blanched ground almonds plus 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1 egg white, 1 tsp almond extract, 1/4 tsp salt |
| Arrowroot, 1 Tbsp | 1 Tbsp cornstarch, potato starch or rice starch; or 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour or quick cooking instant tapioca |
| Baking Powder – Double Acting, 1 tsp (rule of thumb: 1 tsp per cup of flour) | 1/2 tsp cream of tartar plus 1/4 tsp baking soda and 1/4 tsp corn starch; or 1 1/2 of single acting baking powder |
| Baking Powder – Single Acting, 1 tsp (rule of thumb: 1 tsp per cup of flour) | 1/2 tsp cream of tartar plus 1/4 tsp baking soda and 1/4 tsp corn starch; or 2/3 tsp double acting baking powder |
| Baking Soda, 1/2 tsp (rule of thumb: 1/4 tsp per cup of flour) | 2 tsps double-acting baking powder, but must replace acidic liquid in recipe with non-acidic liquid |
| Broth (Chicken or Beef) 1 cup | 1 bouillon cube dissolved in 1 cup of water; or 1 packet powdered broth base dissolved in 1 cup of water; or 1 1/2 tsp powdered broth base dissolved in 1 cup of water |
| Butter | there are many substitutes for butter including Ghee, clarified butter, shortening, coconut oil, olive oil, applesauce, avocado and Greek yogurt and depending on their application, some substitutions will work better than others. Example: as when creaming butter and sugar, you need a solid fat, shortening would work better than olive oil |
| Buttermilk, 1 cup | 1 Tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar plus enough whole milk to make 1 cup (let stand 5 minutes); or 1 cup whole milk plus 1 3/4 tsp cream of tartar; or 1 cup whole milk yogurt; or 1 cup sour cream |
| Chocolate, unsweetened, 1 ounce | 3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder plus 1 Tbsp shortening/cooking oil |
| Cornstarch, 1 Tbsp | 1 Tbsp arrowroot, potato starch or rice starch ; or 2 Tbsps all-purpose flour or quick cooking instant tapioca |
| Corn Syrup, 1 cup | 1 cup sugar plus 1/4 cup water |
| Cream (Light), 1 cup | 1 Tbsp melted butter plus enough whole milk to make 1 cup |
| Cream of Tartar, 1/2 tsp | 1/2 tsp of lemon juice or white distilled vinegar |
| Cream (Sour), 1 cup | 1 cup plain yogurt; or 1 cup creme fraiche |
| Cream (Whipping), 1 cup | 2/3 cup whole milk plus 1/3 cup melted unsalted butter |
| Dry Bread Crumbs, 1 cup | 1 cup soft bread crumbs, cracker crumbs, oat crumbs, cornflake crumbs or potato chip crumbs |
| Flour (Cake), 1 cup | 3/4 cup all-purpose flour plus 2 Tbsp cornstarch |
| Flour (Pastry), 2 cups | 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour plus 2/3 cup cake flour |
| Flour (Self-Rising), 1 cup | 1 cup all-purpose flour plus 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt |
| Honey, 1 cup | 3/4 cup maple syrup plus 1/2 cup granulated white sugar |
| Milk, 1 cup | 1/2 cup evaporated milk plus 1/2 cup water; or 1 cup water plus 1/3 cup dry milk powder |
| Mustard (Dry), 1 tsp | 1 Tbsp prepared mustard (Yellow Mustard, Dijon, Country Mustard, etc.) |
| Onion (Small), 1/3 cup | 1 tsp onion powder; or 1 Tbsp dry minced onion |
| Sugar (Caster, superfine), 1 cup | 1 cup granulated sugar processed in a food processor until superfine (don’t over process or you will end up with powdered/confectioners sugar) |
| Sugar (Granulated), 1 cup | 1 cup brown sugar; or 2 cups sifted powdered/confectioners sugar |
| Tomato Juice, 1 cup | 1/2 cup tomato sauce plus 1/2 cup water |
| Tomato Sauce, 2 cups | 3/4 cup tomato paste plus 1 cup water |
| Treacle, 1 cup | 1 cup light molasses; or 1 cup light/dark corn syrup |
| Vanilla Bean, 1 bean | 2-3 tsps vanilla extract or paste |
