Ingredient Substitutes
It happens to everyone, you’re following the recipe and suddenly realize someone’s been using the honey and you don’t have as much as you though. No problem. Below is a list of common substitutes which you can use to get out of such situations.
Find ingredient substitutes beginning with:
A – C | D – F | G – I | J – L | M – O | P – R | S – U | V – Z
| Ingredient | Amount | Substitutes |
|---|---|---|
| Almond Paste | 1 cup | 1 cup fruit preserves or cream cheese |
| Baking Mix | 1 cup | 1 cup pancake or biscuit mix |
| Baking powder, double-acting | 1 teaspoon | 1/4 teaspoon baking soda (plus) 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar (plus) 1/4 teaspoon cornstarch |
| Baking powder, single-acting | 1 teaspoon | 2/3 teaspoon double-acting baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (plus) 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar (plus) 1/4 teaspoon cornstarch |
| Brandy | 1/4 cup | 1 teaspoon imitation brandy extract (plus) enough water to make 1/4 cup |
| Buttermilk | 1 cup | 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar (plus) enough milk to make a cup (let stand for 5-10 minutes before use); 1 cup plain yogurt or sour cream |
| Butter, salted | 1/2 cup | 1/2 cup unsalted butter (plus) 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/2 cup margarine or shortening |
| Butter, unsalted | 1/2 cup | 1/2 cup salted butter (decrease salt in recipe by 1/4 teaspoon) |
| Chocolate: bitter/semi-sweet | 1 oz. | 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate (plus) 4 teaspoons sugar; 1 ounce semisweet chips (plus) 1 teaspoon shortening |
| Chocolate: milk | 1 oz. | 1 ounce bittersweet or semi-sweet (plus) 1 tablespoon granulated sugar; 1 ounce white chocolate or other flavored chips |
| Chocolate: unsweetened | 1 oz. | 3 tablespoons cocoa powder (plus) 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, vegetable oil or shortening |
| Chocolate: white | 1 oz. | 1 ounce milk chocolate, peanut butter or butterscotch chips |
| Cocoa powder: dutch processed | 3 tablespoons | 3 tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa powder (plus) 1/8 teaspoon baking soda; 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate (plus) 1/8 teaspoon baking soda (reduce fat in recipe by 1 tablespoon) |
| Coffee, strong brewed | 1/4 cup | 2 tablespoons instant coffee/espresso powder dissolved in 3 tablespoons of hot water |
| Corn syrup: dark | 1 cup | 3/4 cup light corn syrup (plus) 1/4 cup light molasses |
| Corn syrup: light | 1 cup | 1 cup dark corn syrup or honey; 1 1/4 cup white sugar (plus) 1/3 cup water |
| Cornstarch (for thickening) | 1 tablespoon | 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour or quick-cooking/instant tapioca |
| Cream of tartar | 1/2 teaspoon | 1 teaspoon white vinegar or lemon juice (reduce recipe liquid by 1 teaspoon) |
| Cream: half and half | 1 cup | 1/2 cup light cream (plus) 1/2 cup whole milk; 7/8 cup milk (plus) 1 tablespoon butter |
| Cream: heavy (not for whipping) | 1 cup | 3/4 cup milk (plus) 3 tablespoons butter |
| Cream: light | 1 cup | 1 cup half & half |
| Ingredient | Amount | Substitutes |
|---|---|---|
| Flour: all-purpose | 1 cup | 1 cup (plus) 2 tablespoons sifted cake flour; 1 cup self-rising flour (omit salt and baking powder from recipe); 1/2 cup white cake flour (plus) 1/2 cup whole wheat flour |
| Flour: bread | 1 cup | 1 cup all-purpose flour |
| Flour: cake | 1 cup | 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (plus) 2 tablespoons cornstarch |
| Flour: pastry | 1 cup | 2/3 cup all-purpose flour (plus) 1/3 cup cake flour |
| Flour: self-rising | 1 cup | 1 cup all-purpose flour (plus) 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder (plus) 1/4 teaspoon salt |
| Flour: whole wheat | 1 cup | 7/8 cup all-purpose flour (plus) 2 tablespoons wheat germ; 1 cup graham flour |
| Ingredient | Amount | Substitutes |
|---|---|---|
| Gelatin: powdered, unflavored | 1 tablespoon | 2 teaspoons agar agar |
| Honey | 1 cup | 3/4 cup maple syrup (plus) 1/2 cup granulated sugar; 2/3 cup light molasses (plus) 1/2 cup granulated sugar; 1-1/4 cup granulated white sutar (plus) 1/3 cup water |
| Ingredient | Amount | Substitutes |
|---|---|---|
| Lard | 1/2 cup | 1/2 cup vegetable shortening or unsalted butter |
| Lemon Juice | 1 teaspoon | 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar; 1 teaspoon lime juice |
| Lemon Zest | 1 teaspoon | 2 tablespoons lemon juice; 1 teaspoon orange or lime zest; 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract |
| Ingredient | Amount | Substitutes |
|---|---|---|
| Maple syrup | 1 cup | 1 cup honey; 3/4 cup corn syrup (plus) 1/4 cup butter (plus) 1/2 teaspoon maple extract |
| Margarine | 1/2 cup | 1/2 cup butter or vegetable shortening |
| Milk: whole | 1 cup | 1 cup soy or rice milk; 1/4 cup dry milk (plus) 1 cup water |
| Molasses | 1 cup | 1 cup honey, dark corn syrup or maple syrup; 3/4 cup light or dark brown sugar dissolved in 1/4 cup hot water (plus) 1 teaspoon cream of tartar |
| Oats: old-fashioned | 1 cup | 1 cup quick-cooking oats |
| Oats: quick-cooking | 1 cup | 1 cup old-fashioned oats |
| Ingredient | Amount | Substitutes |
|---|---|---|
| Rum | 1 tablespoon | 1/2 teaspoon rum extract (plus) enough water to make 1 tablespoon |
| Ingredient | Amount | Substitutes |
|---|---|---|
| Salt: kosher | 1 teaspoon | 1 teaspoon sea or table salt |
| Salt: sea | 1 teaspoon | 1 teaspoon kosher or table salt |
| Salt: table | 1 teaspoon | 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt |
| Sour Cream | 1 cup | 1 cup plain yogurt; 3/4 cup buttermilk (plus) 1/3 cup melted unsalted butter; 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar (plus) enough milk to make 1 cup (let stand for 5-10 minutes before use) |
| Sour milk | 1 cup | 1 tablespoon or lemon juice mixed with enough milk to make 1 cup (let stand for 5-10 minutes before use) |
| Sugar: white granulated | 1 cup | 1 cup superfine sugar or packed brown sugar |
| Sugar: raw | 1 cup | 1 cup packed brown sugar or turbinado sugar |
| Sugar: superfine | 1 cup | 1 cup granulated sugar, blitzed in the food processor until fine |
| Tapioca: instant or quick-cooking | 1 tablespoon | 1-1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour |
| Ingredient | Amount | Substitutes |
|---|---|---|
| Vanilla: pure extract | 1 teaspoon | 1 teaspoon imitation vanilla; 1/2 whole scraped vanilla bean; 3/4 teaspoon other flavored extract |
| Vegetable oil (for baking) | 1 cup | 1 cup applesauce or fruit puree |
| Vegetable shortening | 1/2 cup | 1/2 cup butter, lard or margarine |
| Yogurt: plain | 1 cup | 1 cup sour cream, buttermilk or sour milk; 1 cup heavy cream (plus) 1 tablespoon lemon juice |
