How to Substitute Ingredients in Recipes
Have you ever started preparing a recipe only to realize halfway through that you’re missing a key ingredient? Learn how to substitute ingredients in recipes using common ingredient substitutions.
Check out this great list of common ingredient substitutions to help you when you’re stuck in a bind. I found some of them quite surprising!
Recipe Ingredient |
Amount |
Recipe Ingredient Substitution |
| Allspice substitute | 1 tsp | 1/2 tsp cinnamon plus 1/4 tsp ginger plus 1/4 tsp cloves |
| Baking mix substitute | 1 c | 1 c pancake mix |
| Baking powder substitute | 1 tsp | 1/4 tsp baking soda plus 1/2 tsp cream of tartar |
| Beer substitute | 1 c | 1 c chicken broth |
| Bread crumbs substitute | 1 c | 1 c cracker crumbs |
| Broth (chicken or beef) substitute | 1 c | 1 bouillon cube dissolved in 1 c boiling water |
| Butter (salted) substitute | 1 c | 1 c margarine OR 1 c shortening plus 1/2 tsp salt OR 7/8 c vegetable oil plus 1/2 tsp salt OR 7/8 c lard plus 1/2 tsp salt |
| Butter (unsalted) substitute | 1 c | 1 c shortening OR 7/8 c vegetable oil OR 7/8 c lard |
| Buttermilk substitute | 1 c | 1 c yogurt OR 1 T lemon juice or vinegar plus enough milk to make 1 c |
| Chervil substitute | 1 T | 1 T parsley |
| Chocolate (semisweet) substitute | 1 oz | 1 (1 oz) square of unsweetened chocolate plus 4 tsp sugar OR 1 oz semisweet chocolate chips plus 1 tsp shortening |
| Chocolate (unsweetened) substitute | 1 oz | 3 T unsweetened cocoa plus 1 T shortening or vegetable oil |
| Cocoa substitute | 1/4 c | 1 (1 oz) square unsweetened chocolate |
| Condensed cream of mushroom soup substitute | 1 can | 1 can condensed cream of celery, cream of chicken, OR golden mushroom soup |
| Corn syrup substitute | 1 c | 1 1/4 c white sugar plus 1/3 c water OR 1 c honey |
| Cottage cheese substitute | 1 c | 1 c ricotta cheese |
| Cracker crumbs substitute | 1 c | 1 c bread crumbs |
| Cream (half and half) substitute | 1 c | 7/8 c milk plus 1 T butter |
| Cream (heavy) substitute | 1 c | 1 c evaporated milk OR 3/4 c milk plus 1/3 c butter |
| Cream (light) substitute | 1 c | 1 c evaporated milk OR 3/4 c milk plus 3 T butter |
| Cream (whipped) substitute | 1 c | 1 c frozen whipped topping, thawed |
| Cream cheese substitute | 1 c | 1 c pureed cottage cheese OR 1 c plain yogurt, strained overnight in a cheesecloth |
| Cream of tartar substitute | 1 tsp | 2 tsp lemon juice or vinegar |
| Egg substitute | 1 whole | 2-1/2 T of powdered egg substitute plus 2-1/2 T water OR 1/4 c liquid egg substitute OR 1/4 c silken tofu pureed OR 3 Ts mayonnaise OR half a banana mashed with 1/2 tsp baking powder |
| Evaporated milk substitute | 1 c | 1 c light cream |
| Flour (bread) substitute | 1 c | 1 c all-purpose flour plus 1 tsp wheat gluten |
| Flour (cake) substitute | 1 c | 1 c all-purpose flour minus 2 T |
| Flour (self-rising) substitute | 1 c | 7/8 c all-purpose flour plus 1-1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp of salt |
| Garlic substitute | 1 clove | 1/8 tsp garlic powder OR 1/2 tsp granulated garlic OR 1/2 tsp garlic salt (reduce salt in recipe) |
| Ginger (dry) substitute | 1 tsp | 2 tsp chopped fresh ginger |
| Ginger (fresh) substitute | 1 tsp | 1/2 tsp ground dried ginger |
| Green onion substitute | 1/2 c | 1/2 c chopped onion OR 1/2 c chopped leek OR 1/2 c chopped shallots |
| Hazelnut substitute | 1 c | 1 c macadamia nuts OR 1 c almonds |
| Herbs (fresh) substitute | 1 T | 1 tsp dried herbs |
| Herring substitute | 8 oz | 8 oz sardines |
| Honey substitute | 1 c | 1 1/4 c white sugar plus 1/3 c water OR 1 c corn syrup |
| Hot sauce substitute | 1 tsp | 3/4 tsp cayenne pepper plus 1 tsp vinegar |
| Ketchup substitute | 1 c | 1 c tomato sauce plus 1 tsp vinegar plus 1 T sugar |
| Lard substitute | 1 c | 1 c shortening OR 7/8 c vegetable oil OR 1 c butter |
| Lemon grass substitute | 2 stalks | 1 T lemon zest |
| Lemon juice substitute | 1 tsp | 1/2 tsp vinegar OR 1 tsp white wine OR 1 tsp lime juice |
| Lemon zest substitute | 1 tsp | 1/2 tsp lemon extract OR 2 Ts lemon juice |
| Lime juice substitute | 1 tsp | 1 tsp vinegar OR 1 tsp white wine OR 1 tsp lemon juice |
| Lime zest substitute | 1 tsp | 1 tsp lemon zest |
| Macadamia nut substitute | 1 c | 1 c almonds OR 1 c hazelnuts |
| Mace substitute | 1 tsp | 1 tsp nutmeg |
| Margarine substitute | 1 c | 1 c shortening plus 1/2 tsp salt OR 1 c butter OR 7/8 c vegetable oil plus 1/2 tsp salt OR 7/8 c lard plus 1/2 tsp salt |
| Mayonnaise substitute | 1 c | 1 c sour cream OR 1 c plain yogurt |
| Milk (whole) substitute | 1 c | 1 c soy milk OR 1 c rice milk OR 1 c water or juice OR 1/4 c dry milk powder plus 1 c water OR 2/3 c evaporated milk plus 1/3 c water |
| Mint (fresh) substitute | 1/4 c | 1 T dried mint leaves |
| Molasses substitute | 1 c | 3/4 c brown sugar plus 1 tsp cream of tartar |
| Mustard (prepared) substitute | 1 T | 1 T dried mustard plus 1 tsp water plus 1 tsp vinegar plus 1 tsp sugar |
| Onion substitute | 1 c | 1 c green onions OR 1 c shallots OR 1 c leeks OR 1/4 c dried minced onion OR 1/4 c onion powder |
| Orange juice substitute | 1 T | 1 T other citrus juice |
| Orange zest substitute | 1 T | 1/2 tsp orange extract OR 1 tsp lemon juice |
| Parmesan cheese substitute | 1/2 c | 1/2 c Asiago cheese OR 1/2 c Romano cheese |
| Parsley (fresh) substitute | 1 T | 1 T fresh chervil OR 1 tsp dried parsley |
| Pepperoni substitute | 1 oz | 1 oz salami |
| Raisin substitute | 1 c | 1 c dried currants OR 1 c dried cranberries OR 1 c chopped pitted prunes |
| Rice (white) substitute | 1 c | 1 c barley OR 1 c bulgur OR 1 c brown or wild rice |
| Ricotta substitute | 1 c | 1 c dry cottage cheese OR 1 c silken tofu |
| Rum substitute | 1 T | 1/2 tsp rum extract plus enough water to make 1 T |
| Saffron substitute | 1/4 tsp | 1/4 tsp turmeric |
| Salami substitute | 1 oz | 1 oz pepperoni |
| Chocolate chips (semisweet) substitute | 1 c | 1 c chocolate candies OR 1 c other flavored chips OR 1 c chopped nuts OR 1 c chopped dried fruit |
| Shallots (chopped) substitute | 1/2 c | 1/2 c chopped onion OR 1/2 c chopped leek OR 1/2 c chopped green onion |
| Shortening substitute | 1 c | 1 c butter OR 1 c margarine minus 1/2 tsp salt from recipe |
| Sour cream substitute | 1 c | 1 c plain yogurt OR 1 T lemon juice or vinegar plus enough cream to make 1 c OR 3/4 c buttermilk mixed with 1/3 c butter |
| Sour milk substitute | 1 c | 1 T vinegar or lemon juice plus enough milk to make 1 c (let stand 5 minutes to thicken) |
| Soy sauce substitute | 1/2 c | 4 T Worcestershire sauce plus 1 T water |
| Stock (chicken or beef) substitute | 1 c | 1 bouillon cube dissolved in 1 c boiling water |
| Sweetened condensed milk substitute | 1 can | 3/4 c white sugar mixed with 1/2 c water plus 1-1/8 c dry powdered milk (boil and cook, stirring frequently, until thickened, about 20 minutes) |
| Vegetable oil (for baking) substitute | 1 c | 1 c applesauce OR 1 c fruit puree |
| Vegetable oil (for frying) substitute | 1 c | 1 c lard OR 1 c vegetable shortening |
| Vinegar substitute | 1 tsp | 1 tsp lemon or lime juice OR 2 tsp white wine |
| White sugar substitute | 1 c | 1 c brown sugar OR 1-1/4 c confectioners sugar OR 3/4 c honey OR 3/4 c corn syrup |
| Wine substitute | 1 c | 1 c chicken or beef broth OR 1 c fruit juice plus 2 tsp vinegar OR 1 c water |
| Yeast (active dry) substitute | 1 pkg | 1 cake compressed yeast OR 2-1/2 tsp active dry yeast OR 2-1/2 tsp rapid rise yeast |
| Yogurt substitute | 1 c | 1 c sour cream OR 1 c buttermilk OR 1 c sour milk |
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thanks for ur info…
You’re very welcome! :)
Great list! Thanks! :-) http://www.craftrunwag.blogspot.com
I’m glad you found it useful!
haha! No kidding. :)
Useful list! But do wonder how chicken broth can be substituted for beer:)