Want to make a cake and don’t have cake flour? Out of brown sugar and having a craving for cookies? This is the most complete and comprehensive guide around! Make room on your frig for more frig art because this inclusive guide has it all! Never find yourself short of ingredients ever again! This is one golden guide!
Common Ingredient Substitutions
Ingredient |
Amount |
Substitution |
| Allspice | 1 teaspoon | 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon cloves |
| Arrowroot starch | 1 teaspoon | 1 tablespoon flour, OR 1 teaspoon cornstarch |
| Baking mix | 1 cup | 1 cup pancake mix OR 1 cup Easy Biscuit Mixture |
| Baking powder | 1 teaspoon | 1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar OR 1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/2 cup buttermilk (decrease liquid in recipe by 1/2 cup) |
| Beer | 1 cup | 1 cup nonalcoholic beer OR 1 cup chicken broth |
| Brandy | 1/4 cup | 1 teaspoon imitation brandy EXTRACT plus enough water to make 1/4 cup |
| Bread crumbs | 1 cup | 1 cup cracker crumbs OR 1 cup matzo meal OR 1 cup ground oats |
| Broth: beef or chicken | 1 cup | 1 bouillon cube plus 1 cup boiling water OR1 tablespoon soy sauce plus enough water to make 1 cup OR 1 cup vegetable broth |
| Brown sugar | 1 cup, packed | 1 cup white sugar plus 1/4 cup molasses and decrease the liquid in recipe by 1/4 cupOR 1 cup white sugar OR 1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar |
| Butter (salted) | 1 cup | 1 cup margarine OR 1 cup shortening plus 1/2 teaspoon salt OR 7/8 cup vegetable oil plus 1/2 teaspoon salt OR 7/8 cup lard plus 1/2 teaspoon salt |
| Butter (unsalted) | 1 cup | 1 cup shortening OR 7/8 cup vegetable oil OR 7/8 cup lard |
| Buttermilk | 1 cup | 1 cup yogurt OR 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar plus enough milk to make 1 cup |
| Cheddar cheese | 1 cup shredded | 1 cup shredded Colby cheddar OR 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese |
| Chervil | 1 tablespoon chopped fresh | 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley |
| Chicken base | 1 tablespoon | 1 cup canned or homemade chicken broth or stock. Reduce liquid in recipe by 1 cup |
| Chocolate(semisweet) | 1 ounce | 1 (1-ounce) square of unsweetened chocolate plus 4 teaspoons sugar OR 1 ounce semisweet chocolate chips plus 1 teaspoon shortening |
| Chocolate (unsweetened) | 1 ounce | 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa plus 1 tablespoon shortening or vegetable oil |
| Cocoa | 1/4 cup | 1 (1-ounce) square unsweetened chocolate |
| Condensed cream of mushroom soup | 1 (10.75-ounce) can | 1 (10.75-ounce) can condensed cream of celery, cream of chicken, OR golden mushroom soup |
| Corn syrup | 1 cup | 1 1/4 cup white sugar plus 1/3 cup waterOR 1 cup honey OR 1 cup light treacle syrup |
| Cottage cheese | 1 cup | 1 cup farmer’s cheese OR 1 cup ricotta cheese |
| Cracker crumbs | 1 cup |
1 cup bread crumbs OR 1 cup matzo mealOR 1 cup ground oats |
| Cream (half and half) | 1 cup | 7/8 cup milk plus 1 tablespoon butter |
| Cream (heavy) | 1 cup | 1 cup evaporated milk OR 3/4 cup milk plus 1/3 cup butter |
| Cream (light) | 1 cup | 1 cup evaporated milk OR 3/4 cup milk plus 3 tablespoons butter |
| Cream (whipped) | 1 cup | 1 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed |
| Cream cheese | 1 cup | 1 cup pureed cottage cheese OR 1 cup plain yogurt, strained overnight in a cheesecloth |
| Cream of tartar | 1 teaspoon | 2 teaspoons lemon juice or vinegar |
| Crème fraiche | 1 cup | Combine 1 cup of heavy cream and 1 tablespoon of plain yogurt. Let stand for 6 hours at room temperature |
| Egg | 1 whole (3 tablespoons or 1.7 oz) | 2 1/2 tablespoons of powdered egg substitute plus 2 1/2 tablespoons water OR1/4 cup liquid egg substitute OR 1/4 cup silken tofu pureed OR 3 tablespoons mayonnaise OR half a banana mashed with 1/2 teaspoon baking powder OR 1 tablespoon powdered flax seed soaked in 3 tablespoons water |
| Evaporated milk | 1 cup | 1 cup light cream |
| Farmer’s cheese | 8 ounces | 8 ounces dry cottage cheese OR 8 ounces creamed cottage cheese, DRAINED |
| Fats for baking | 1 cup | 1 cup applesauce OR 1 cup fruit puree |
| Flour–Bread | 1 cup | 1 cup all-purpose flour plus 1 teaspoon wheat gluten (available at health food stores & some supermarkets) |
| Flour–Cake | 1 cup | 1 cup all-purpose flour minus 2 tablespoons |
| Flour–Self-Rising | 1 cup | 7/8 cup all-purpose flour plus 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt |
| Garlic | 1 clove | 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder OR 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic OR 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt–reduce salt in recipe |
| Gelatin | 1 tablespoon, granulated | 2 teaspoons agar agar |
| Ginger–dry | 1 teaspoon | 2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger |
| Ginger–fresh | 1 teaspoon, minced | 1/2 teaspoon ground dried ginger |
| Green onion | 1/2 cup , chopped | 1/2 cup chopped onion, OR 1/2 cup chopped leek OR 1/2 cup chopped shallots |
| Hazelnuts | 1 cup whole | 1 cup macadamia nuts OR 1 cup almonds |
| Herbs–fresh | 1 tablespoon chopped fresh | 1 teaspoon (chopped or whole leaf) dried herbs |
| Herring | 8 ounces | 8 ounces of sardines |
| Honey | 1 cup | 1 1/4 cup white sugar plus 1/3 cup waterOR 1 cup corn syrup OR 1 cup light treacle syrup |
| Hot pepper sauce | 1 teaspoon | 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper plus 1 teaspoon vinegar |
| Ketchup | 1 cup | 1 cup tomato sauce plus 1 teaspoon vinegar plus 1 tablespoon sugar |
| Lard | 1 cup | 1 cup shortening OR 7/8 cup vegetable oilOR 1 cup butter |
| Lemon grass | 2 fresh stalks | 1 tablespoon lemon zest |
| Lemon juice | 1 teaspoon | 1/2 teaspoon vinegar OR 1 teaspoon white wine OR 1 teaspoon lime juice |
| Lemon zest | 1 teaspoon | 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract OR 2 tablespoons lemon juice |
| Lime juice | 1 teaspoon | 1 teaspoon vinegar OR 1 teaspoon white wine OR 1 teaspoon lemon juice |
| Lime zest | 1 teaspoon | 1 teaspoon lemon zest |
| Macadamia nuts | 1 cup | 1 cup almonds OR 1 cup hazelnuts |
| Mace | 1 teaspoon | 1 teaspoon nutmeg |
| Margarine | 1 cup | 1 cup shortening plus 1/2 teaspoon salt OR1 cup butter OR 7/8 cup vegetable oil plus 1/2 teaspoon salt OR 7/8 cup lard plus 1/2 teaspoon salt |
| Mayonnaise | 1 cup | 1 cup sour cream OR 1 cup plain yogurt |
| Milk–whole | 1 cup | 1 cup soy milk OR 1 cup rice milk OR 1 cup water or juice OR 1/4 cup dry milk powder plus 1 cup water OR 2/3 cup evaporated milk plus 1/3 cup water |
| Mint–fresh | 1/4 cup chopped | 1 tablespoon dried mint leaves |
| Molasses | 1 cup | Mix 3/4 cup brown sugar and 1 teaspoon cream of tartar |
| Mustard–prepared | 1 tablespoon | Mix together 1 tablespoon dried mustard, 1 teaspoon water, 1 teaspoon vinegar and 1 teaspoon sugar |
| Onion | 1 cup, chopped | 1 cup chopped green onions OR 1 cup chopped shallots OR 1 cup chopped leeksOR 1/4 cup dried minced onion OR 1/4 cup onion powder |
| Orange juice | 1 tablespoon | 1 tablespoon other citrus juice |
| Orange zest | 1 tablespoon | 1/2 teaspoon orange extract OR 1 teaspoon lemon juice |
| Parmesan cheese | 1/2 cup, grated | 1/2 cup grated Asiago cheese OR 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese |
| Parsley | 1 tablespoon chopped fresh | 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chervil OR 1 teaspoon dried parsley |
| Pepperoni | 1 ounce | 1 ounce salami |
| Raisin | 1 cup | 1 cup dried currants OR 1 cup dried cranberries OR 1 cup chopped pitted prunes |
| Rice–white | 1 cup, cooked | 1 cup cooked barley OR 1 cup cooked bulgur OR 1 cup cooked brown or wild rice |
| Ricotta | 1 cup | 1 cup dry cottage cheese OR 1 cup silken tofu |
| Rum | 1 tablespoon | 1/2 teaspoon rum EXTRACT, plus enough water to make 1 tablespoon |
| Saffron | 1/4 teaspoon | 1/4 teaspoon turmeric |
| Salami | 1 ounce | 1 ounce pepperoni |
| Semisweet chocolate chips | 1 cup | 1 cup chocolate candies OR 1 cup peanut butter or other flavored chips OR 1 cup chopped nuts OR 1 cup chopped dried fruit |
| Shallots, chopped | 1/2 cup | 1/2 cup chopped onion, OR 1/2 cup chopped leek OR 1/2 cup chopped green onion |
| Shortening | 1 cup | 1 cup butter OR 1 cup margarine minus 1/2 teaspoon salt from recipe |
| Sour cream | 1 cup | 1 cup plain yogurt OR 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar plus enough cream to make 1 cup OR 3/4 cup buttermilk mixed with 1/3 cup butter |
| Sour milk | 1 cup | 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice mixed with enough milk to make 1 cup: Let stand 5 minutes to thicken |
| Soy sauce | 1/2 cup | 4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce mixed with 1 tablespoon water |
| Stock–beef or chicken | 1 cup | 1 cube beef or chicken bouillon dissolved in 1 cup water |
| Sweetened condensed milk | 1 (14-ounce) can | 3/4 cup white sugar mixed with 1/2 cup water and 1 1/8 cups dry powdered milk: Bring to a boil and cook, stirring frequently, until thickened, about 20 minutes |
| Vegetable oil–for baking | 1 cup | 1 cup applesauce OR 1 cup fruit puree |
| Vegetable oil–for frying | 1 cup | 1 cup lard OR 1 cup vegetable shortening |
| Vinegar | 1 teaspoon | 1 teaspoon lemon or lime juice OR 2 teaspoons white wine |
| White sugar | 1 cup | 1 cup brown sugar OR 1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar OR 3/4 cup honey OR3/4 cup corn syrup |
| Wine | 1 cup | 1 cup chicken or beef broth OR 1 cup fruit juice mixed with 2 teaspoons vinegar OR 1 cup water |
| Yeast-active dry | 1 (.25-ounce) package | 1 cake compressed yeast OR 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast OR 2 1/2 teaspoonsrapid rise yeast |
| Yogurt | 1 cup | 1 cup sour cream OR 1 cup buttermilk OR 1 cup sour milk |
Source: All-Recipes
Once Upon a Spice 
Stunning. A cornucopia of solutions.
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Thank you, Bill! I had to clear off the entire side of my frig for it, but well worth the space! The Golden Guide for all cooks! 🙂
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Reblogged this on Once Upon a Spice.
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Wow! Very helpful thanks!
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Thank YOU!
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