It can be disappointing to find you’re missing a key ingredient in the middle of planning to bake. Before you strike the supermarket, remember that your cabinet may still contain options. Recipe substitutions can change the color, flavor, texture, or amount of food, but still yields a satisfactory final product. Below is a list of ingredient substitutions.
List of Baking Substitutes
Are you missing a particular ingredient? View these basic ingredient substitutions to comprehend if you can replace other ingredients in your kitchen.
1) Eggs
Eggs support binding and fermentation. Adds moisture, color, and flavor to baked products.
Eggs Substitutes
Sparkling Water/Soda/Carbonated Water:
- 1 egg = a 1/4 cup of soda, sparkling water, or carbonated water
Fruits:
- 1 egg = a 1/4 cup or 60 grams of mashed bananas or avocados
Ground Flax seeds/Chia seeds:
- 1 egg = 1 tbsp of ground flax or chia seeds plus 3 tbsp of water
Mayonnaise:
Aquafaba (liquid in canned beans and chickpeas):
- 1 egg white = 3 tbsp of aquafaba
Soy Lecithin:
- 1 egg yolk= 1 tbsp of soy lecithin
2) Flour
Flour is a pantry staple worth always having on hand and buying in quantity. In baking, no ingredient is more important than flour. It is the ingredient that holds it all together.
Cake Flour
- It comprises lower-protein content when matched to All-purpose flour, which is essential when baking sponge cakes.
- To substitute all-purpose flour for cake flour, just swap 2 tbsp cornstarch for the same amount of all-purpose flour per cup.
Bread Flour
- 1 cup of bread flour = 1 cup of all-purpose flour
3) Sugars
Finding the right measurements can be a little tricky if you’re trying to replace sugar in your recipe with something more palatable or just plain fun. Because you may have this change in the composition of the batter or dough.
- Granulated Sugar (1 cup) = Substitute with 1 cup corn syrup, 1 cup molasses, 3/4 cup honey, or 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed. For every cup of honey in baked goods, add 1/2 teaspoon of soda. The equivalent of 1 pound of granulated sugar = 2 1/4 cups
- Corn syrup(1 cup) = Substitute with 1 cup sugar + 1/4 cup water
- Honey(1 cup) = Substitute 1 1/4 cups sugar + 1/4 cup water
4) Butter
Butter acts as a leavening agent in baking, providing texture and flavor. It can be easily replaced with other fats. Most desserts contain fat. Butter is the major source of fat in baked products, but you can also utilize oil.
- 1 cup of butter is equivalent to 1 cup of vegetable oil
- 1 cup of butter is equivalent to 1 cup of coconut oil
- 1 cup of butter is equivalent to 3/4 cup of olive oil
You can always replace fats in the same condition. For instance, vegetable oil should be utilized as a substitute for melted butter as they are both in a liquid state.
Other second-choice substitutes include avocados, mashed bananas, and full-fat yogurt. Gradually add this to the dough until it reaches the desired consistency. Avoid using margarine and shortening as a butter substitute.
5) Rising Agent
Most recipes call for a leavening agent. The most commonly used is baking powder. Most cakes and baked products require baking powder, but some recipes recommend using baking soda in addition to the acid to activate it.
The dissimilarity is baking soda starts working right away, but baking powder has a delayed uprising reaction. Baking powder is used more often because you usually want the leavening to start in the oven rather than while you are preparing the dough.
Substitutes
- 1 tsp of baking powder = 1/4 tsp baking soda plus 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 tsp of baking powder = 1/4 tsp baking soda plus 1/2 tsp vinegar
- 1 tsp of baking powder = 1/4 tsp baking soda plus 1/2 tsp lemon juice
Other Substitute
- Buttermilk – is naturally acidic, and combining buttermilk with baking soda can create the same leavening effect as baking powder.
- 1 tsp of baking powder = 1/2 a cup of buttermilk + 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
Alternative With Whipping Egg Whites
Baked products like sponge cakes and pancakes are light and airy due to the egg whites they contain. Firmly whisking the egg whites will create air bubbles, making the batter more voluminous and lighter.
When making the egg whites absolutely light and soft, beat on low speed until foamy, then increase the speed until the beaten eggs form delicate. Lightly fold the other ingredients into the whipped egg whites.
6) Milk
The milk is usually easy to replace, and for most recipes, the milkfat portion is not very essential to the actual recipe.
For Whole Milk
- 1 cup whole milk is equivalent to 1 cup skim milk plus 1 tbsp melted butter
- 1 cup whole milk is equivalent to 1/4 cup condensed milk plus 3/4 cup water
For Vegan
- 1 cup of whole milk is equivalent to 1 cup of almond, oat, coconut, cashew, or soy milk
For Condensed Milk
- 1 14-ounce can is equivalent to 3/4 cup white sugar plus 3/4 cup milk (Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until thickened)
For Evaporated Milk
7) Heavy Cream
Heavy Cream has 36 to 40% of fat and is based on the high-fat part of fresh milk.
Substitute
- 1 cup of heavy cream is equivalent to 3/4 cup of milk plus 1/4 cup of melted butter
- 1 cup of heavy cream is equivalent to 7/8 cup of half and half plus 1/8 cup of melted butter
For Vegan
- 1 cup of heavy cream is equivalent to 1 cup of coconut cream, it can be used for whipping but has a strong flavor
- 1 cup of heavy cream is equivalent to 2/3 cup of soy milk plus 1/3 cup of olive oil
8) Chocolate
You can’t be entirely replaced the chocolate but there are certain adjustments.
For Unsweetened Chocolate
- 1 ounce is equivalent to 3 tbsp cocoa powder plus 1 tbsp butter or vegetable oil
For Bittersweet Chocolate
- 1 ounce is equivalent to 1/2 ounce unsweetened chocolate plus 1 tbsp granulated white sugar
For Cocoa Powder
- 3 tbsp is equivalent to a 1-ounce unsweetened chocolate bar.
However, since chocolate bars usually already contain cocoa butter, reduce the butter or oil in the recipe by 1 tablespoon.
9) Yogurt
Substitute
- 1 cup of yogurt is equivalent to 1 cup of sour cream
- 1 cup of yogurt is equivalent to 1 cup of buttermilk
- 1 cup of yogurt is equivalent to 1 cup of heavy cream plus 1 tbsp lemon juice
10) Cooking Oil
Substitute
- 1 cup is equivalent to 1 cup of melted shortening
Final Thought
Your final product made with the replaced ingredient may vary slightly from the actual food, but it will still be acceptable in texture, taste, and appearance. Whether you are out of baking powder or baking soda or even flour, make your own ingredient substitutions with our guide.