Substitutions for Common Baking Ingredients

Have you ever gotten everything ready to bake or cook something, and sometimes you may have even started mixing it all together and the recipe says the one thing you just ran out of yesterday. It's frustrating. You're elbow deep in batter and you don't want to go to the store to get 1 thing! In my case, my husband takes the car for the day, so I can't go anywhere. I can wait for Joe to come home and I'll ask him on the way home to grab whatever, but that's a long time from now! So, not only can this be a reference for you but mostly me, so I can remember from now on!

Allspice – 1 teaspoon

• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon plus 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves.

Baking Powder – 1 teaspoon

• ·         1/3 tsp. baking soda plus 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
• ·         1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/2 cup yogurt or buttermilk (decrease liquid in recipe by 1/2 cup)

Bread Crumbs (Dry) – 1 cup

• ·         3 slices of bread, crumbled.

Brown sugar, packed, 1 cup

• ·         1 cup granulated sugar mixed with 2 Tbsp molasses or dark corn syrup

Butter – 1 cup

• ·         1 cup of regular margarine
• ·         1 cup of vegetable shortening (for baking)
• ·         1 cup of oil (but only if melted butter is called for)

Buttermilk – 1 cup

• ·         1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar plus enough regular milk to make 1 cup (let sit for 5 minutes)
• ·         1 cup Plain Yogurt

Chocolate

• ·         Semisweet baking, 1 oz

o    1 oz unsweetened baking chocolate plus 1 Tbsp sugar

• ·         Semisweet chips, 1 cup

o    6 oz semisweet baking chocolate, chopped

• ·         Unsweetened baking, 1 oz,

o    3 Tbsp baking cocoa plus 1 Tbsp vegetable oil or melted shortening or margarine

Cream / Half and Half – 1 cup

• ·         7/8th of a cup of whole milk plus 1/2 tablespoon of butter
• ·         3 tablespoons of oil, plus enough milk for 1 cup
• ·         1 cup of evaporated milk

Cocoa – 1/4th cup

• ·         1 ounce (square) chocolate (decrease butter/oil in recipe by 1/2 a tablespoon)

Condensed Milk – 1 cup

• ·         Heat 1/3 cup of evaporated milk, 3/4 cup of sugar, and 2 tablespoons of butter until dissolved.

Cornstarch (for thickening) – 1 tablespoon

• ·         2 tablespoons of flour (must cook for at least 3 minutes longer to thicken)
• ·         4 tsp quick-cooking tapioca

Corn syrup

• ·         Light, 1 cup

o    1 cup granulated sugar plus 1/4 cup water

• ·         Dark, 1 cup

o    1 cup light corn syrup; 3/4 cup light corn syrup plus 1/4 cup molasses; 1 cup maple-flavored syrup

Egg – 1 whole egg

• ·         1/4th cup of egg beaters
• ·         2 tablespoons of mayonnaise (for baking batters only)
• ·         1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds and 3 tablespoons water (or other liquid). Stirred until gelatinous. 
• ·         1 tsp of baking powder and 3 tbsp of natural applesauce, mixed

Flour (All-Purpose) – 1 cup

• ·         1/2 cup whole wheat flour plus 1/2 cup of all purpose flour (don’t substitute more than 1/2 the flour)
• ·         All-purpose, 1 cup

o    1 cup and 2 Tbsp Cake Flour

• ·         Cake, 1 cup

o    1 cup minus 2 Tbsp All Purpose

• ·         Self Rising, 1 cup

o    1 cup All Purpose flour plus 1 ½ baking powder and ½ tsp salt

• ·         The following alternatives require more leavening, so add 2 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder per cup of flour.  Also recommended, use buttermilk and 1/2 a teaspoon of baking soda instead of milk to decrease heaviness.

o    3/4 cup rice flour

o    1 1/2 cups of oat flour

o    1 1/4 cups of rye flour

o    5/8 cup of potato starch flour

o    1 cup rolled oats

o    1 cup fine cornmeal

Lemon Juice, fresh, 1 Tbsp

• ·         1 Tbsp bottled lemon juice
• ·         1 Tbsp White Vinegar

Lemon Peel, grated, 1 tsp

• ·         1 tsp dried lemon peel

Milk, 1 cup

• ·         ½ evaporated milk plus ½ cup water
• ·         Nonfat dry milk prepared as directed on package
• Plain Yogurt – 1 cup
• ·         1 cup buttermilk
• ·         1 cup cottage cheese (blended smooth)
• ·         1 cup sour cream

Pumpkin or Apple Pie Spice, 1 tsp

• ·         Mix ½ tsp ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground ginger, 1/8 tsp ground allspice and 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Sour Cream, 1 cup

• ·         1 cup plain yogurt

Sugar (Powdered) – 1 cup

• ·         3/4 cup of granulated sugar

Sugar (White) – 1 cup

• ·         1 cup of firmly packed brown sugar
• ·         1 3/4 cups confectioner’s sugar (not for baking)
• ·         3/4 cup maple syrup (reduce liquid in recipe by 3 tablespoons)

Vegetable or Canola Oil: 

• ·         Melted shortening 
• Melted Butter
• Coconut Oil
• Apple sauce (More healthy option as well!) 

Vanilla Extract

• Vanilla beans
• Almond extract
• Vanilla vodka, rum or brandy

Whole Milk – 1 cup

• ·         1 cup buttermilk plus 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda (if baking, reduce baking powder by 2 teaspoons)
• ·         1/4 cup nonfat dry milk , 7/8 cup of water, and 2 teaspoons of butter

Yeast, regular or quick active dry, 1 pkg

• ·         2 ¼ tsp regular or quick active dry
• ·         1 package compressed cake yeast

Sources:
Betty Crocker
Yahoo
Yahoo
Yummly