28 Brilliant Baking Substitutions to Save You a Trip to the Store
We’ve all been there: you’re hands-deep in the middle of a recipe and you KNOW you have all the ingredients. You have somewhere important to be—or company on their way—and you volunteered to be in charge of dessert. You wearily throw open the fridge door, reach for the butter and—it’s not there. You completely forgot you served the rest of it with those crusty dinner rolls the night before. Then you reach for the eggs. But thanks to your son—who decided to make a 6-egg omelette that morning—there’s none of those, either.
So what’s a baker to do? Well, with cooking, you have the wiggle room for a little experimentation. With baking, eh... not so much. The texture and structure of your final product greatly depend on the magic (aka science) that happens with just the right combination of ingredients.
But there’s no need to panic and throw in the towel! I’ve got you covered with tried-and-true baking substitutions that have prevented more than one person from having to make a store run. These kitchen-proven alternatives can save you serious time without compromising your final result. Chances are you’ve got many of these items at home already—so don’t grab those car keys until you check this list!
Baking powder: 1 tsp of baking powder = 1/4 tsp baking soda plus 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
Baking soda: 1 tsp = 3 tsp baking powder
Bread flour: Use all-purpose flour instead at a 1:1 ratio. The resulting texture won't be as chewy or dense, but it will still produce good flavor. You may need to work or knead the dough a bit more to produce the gluten that’s found in bread flour.
Brown sugar: 1 cup brown sugar = 1 cup granulated sugar plus 1 Tbsp molasses
Butter: 1 cup butter = 1 cup shortening or vegetable oil
Buttermilk: 1 cup buttermilk = 1 cup yogurt OR 1 Tbsp of lemon juice or white vinegar in a liquid measuring cup, add milk to the 1-cup line, stir and let sit for 5 min.
Cake flour: 1 cup all-purpose flour minus 1 Tbsp plus 1 Tbsp cornstarch (sift a few times)
Cinnamon: Spices such as cloves, allspice, coriander, nutmeg and pumpkin pie or apple pie spice (blend) provide a similar warmth and pleasant aroma. Use half of what the recipe calls for if using any of these as substitutes OR use half cloves, half nutmeg, or half allspice and half apple pie spice to equal the cinnamon called for in a recipe.
Cream: 1 cup whole milk plus 1 Tbsp melted butter
Cream cheese: 1 cup cream cheese = 1 cup mascarpone, Boursin spread or Neufchâtel OR 8 oz. low-fat cottage cheese plus 1/4 cup butter
Egg: 1 large egg = 3 Tbsp mayonnaise OR 1/4 cup apple sauce OR ¼ cup of any of the following: banana, applesauce, mashed pumpkin, pureed prunes, vegetable oil. You could also use a “chia egg” which is 1 Tbsp chia seeds and 2 ½ Tbsp water, set for 5 min. (use the same way you would use an egg).
Half-and-half: 1 cup half-and-half = 1/2 cup whole milk + 1/2 cup heavy cream
Heavy cream: 1 cup heavy cream = 1 cup whole milk plus 1 Tbsp melted butter
Honey: 1 cup honey = 1 1/4 cup white sugar plus 1/3 cup water
Plain yogurt: 1 cup plain yogurt = 3/4 cup Greek yogurt plus 3 Tbsp water OR 1 cup sour cream
Whole milk: 1 cup skim milk plus 1 Tbsp melted butter (Nondairy: 1 cup almond milk, cashew milk or oat milk)
Granulated sugar: 1 cup packed brown sugar OR 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar OR 3/4 cup honey
Light corn syrup: 1 cup sugar plus 1/4 cup water OR 1 cup light molasses
Nutmeg: Consider using cinnamon, cloves, allspice, or ground ginger instead.
Orange or lemon zest: 1 Tbsp zest = 1/2 tsp orange/lemon extract. Note: I use zest whenever possible. So if you need an orange but only have a lemon, use lemon zest and vice versa. Use extract only when necessary.
Ricotta cheese: 1 cup ricotta = 1 cup dry cottage cheese (remove excess liquid by straining regular cottage cheese through a sieve)
Self-rising flour: 1 cup self-rising flour = 1 cup all-purpose flour plus 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt
Semi-sweet chocolate: 1 oz. semi-sweet chocolate = 3 Tbsp cocoa powder plus 3 Tbsp sugar and 1 Tbsp oil OR just use whatever chocolate you have on hand. Milk chocolate will be more sweet and a dark chocolate will be less sweet (you can use a combo of both or all 3). Use up what you have in the cabinet; you might find you like a mix of chocolates better!
Shortening: 1 cup shortening = 1 cup butter
Sour cream: 1 cup sour cream = 1 cup Greek yogurt or 1 cup plain yogurt
Sweetened condensed milk: 1 14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk = 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 for 20 mins)
Vanilla: 1 vanilla bean = 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract OR 1 tsp maple syrup OR 1/2 tsp almond extract
Whipped cream: 1 cup whipped cream = 1 cup thawed frozen whipped topping (i.e. Cool Whip)
Do most baking substitutions really measure up when it comes to results? Yes and no. Depending on what substitutions you’re using and how much, your end product may taste slightly different than the version made with the “real thing.” That said, the difference won’t be dramatic. The baking substitutes we’ve outlined here will still provide comparable texture and appearance as well as great flavor.
Rather have someone else do the baking today? Order online here or email From Scratch at jenn@fromscratchllc.com.
