There's nothing more frustrating than running out of an ingredient when you're right in the middle of cooking. Consider substituting the missing ingredient with something else from your kitchen. Here are a few common substitution ideas.
- Contributed by Delma at World Recipes Y-Group
Substitution table[]
| Item | Qty | Substitution |
|---|---|---|
| allspice | 1 tsp | ½ tsp cinnamon + ½ tsp ground cloves |
| apple pie spice | 1 tsp | ½ tsp cinnamon + ¼ tsp nutmeg + ⅛ tsp cardamom |
| baking powder | 1 tsp | ¼ tsp baking soda + ⅝ tsp cream of tartar |
| broth, beef or chicken | 1 cup | 1 bouillon cube dissolved in 1 cup boiling water |
| 1 envelope (or 1 tsp) powdered broth base dissolved in 1 cup boiling water | ||
| butter | ¼ cup | ¼ cup Crisco (regular or butter-flavor) shortening + 1½ tsp water |
| butter | ⅓ cup | ⅓ cup Crisco (regular or butter-flavor) shortening + 2 tsp water |
| butter | ½ cup | ½ cup Crisco (regular or butter-flavor) shortening + 1 Tbsp water |
| butter | ⅔ cup | ⅔ cup Crisco (regular or butter-flavor) shortening + 4 tsp water |
| butter | ¾ cup | ¾ cup Crisco (regular or butter-flavor) shortening + 1 Tbsp water + 1½ tsp water |
| butter | 1 cup | 1 cup Crisco (regular or butter-flavor) shortening + 2 Tbsp water |
| buttermilk | 1 cup | 1 cup plain yogurt |
| 1 cup milk minus 1 Tbsp + 1 Tbsp lemon juice or vinegar | ||
| catsup | 1 cup | 1 cup tomato sauce + ½ cup sugar + 2 Tbsp vinegar (for use in cooking) |
| chocolate, semisweet | 1 ounce | 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate + 1 Tbsp sugar |
| cocoa | ¼ cup | 1 ounce chocolate (decrease fat in recipe by reducing the recipe by ½ Tbsp oil or butter) |
| cornstarch | 1 Tbsp | 2 Tbsp flour |
| cream, half-and-half | 1 cup | ⅞ cup milk + 3 Tbsp butter |
| egg | 1 whole | 2 egg whites |
| ¼ cup egg substitute | ||
| flour, all purpose | 1 cup | ½ cup whole wheat flour + ½ cup all-purpose flour |
| flour, cake | 1 cup | 1 cup minus 2 Tbsp sifted all-purpose flour |
| garlic | 1 clove | ⅛ tsp garlic powder |
| 1 tsp chopped garlic | ||
| gingerroot | 1 Tbsp | ⅛ tsp powdered ginger |
| herbs, fresh | 1 Tbsp | 1 tsp dried |
| ketchup | 1 cup | 1 cup tomato sauce + ½ cup sugar + 2 Tbsp vinegar (for use in cooking) |
| lemon juice | 1 tsp | ½ tsp vinegar |
| mushrooms, fresh | 1 pound | 1 x 10-ounce can, drained |
| mustard, dry | 1 tsp | 1 Tbsp prepared mustard |
| onion, fresh | 1 small | 1 Tbsp instant minced |
| onion powder | 1 Tbsp | 1 medium onion, chopped |
| 4 Tbsp fresh chopped onion | ||
| orange | 1 medium | ½ cup juice |
| pimento, chopped | 2 Tbsp | 3 Tbsp fresh red bell pepper, chopped |
| pumpkin pie spice | 1 tsp | ½ tsp cinnamon + ¼ tsp ginger + ⅛ tsp allspice + ⅛ tsp nutmeg |
| sour cream | 1 cup | ¾ cup buttermilk + ⅓ cup butter or margarine |
| ⅓ cup buttermilk + 1 Tbsp lemon juice + 1 cup cottage cheese, blended until smooth | ||
| 1 cup plain yogurt | ||
| ¾ cup milk, ¾ tsp lemon juice + ⅓ cup butter or margarine | ||
| brown sugar, firmly packed | 1 cup | 2 Tbsp molasses |
| sugar, granulated | 1 cup | 1 cup powdered sugar |
| 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed | ||
| 1 cup corn syrup or honey (decrease liquid called for in recipe by ¼ cup) | ||
| tomatoes, fresh, chopped | 2 cups | 1 x 16-ounce can, drained |
| yogurt, plain | 1 cup | 1 cup buttermilk |
| 1 cup sour cream | ||
| 1 cup cottage cheese + 1 tsp lemon juice, blended until smooth |