Baking Substitutions Chart

Ingredient Amount Substitution

Baking powder 1 teaspoon Combine ¼ teaspoon baking soda and ½ teaspoon cream of tartar. Bake
immediately.
Baking soda ¼ 1 teaspoon baking powder
teaspoon
Bread crumbs Ground rolled oats or crushed cereal
Bread flour All-purpose flour
Brown sugar 1 cup 1 scant cup granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon molasses
Butter Coconut oil, margarine, or lard can replace butter
Buttermilk 1 cup 1 cup plain yogurt (not Greek), or 1 cup milk mixed with 1 tablespoon
vinegar or lemon juice
Cake flour 1 cup Add 2 tablespoons cornstarch to a 1-cup measuring cup; fill rest of the way
with all-purpose flour
Cornstarch 1 1½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
tablespoon
Cream of tartar ¼ ½ teaspoon lemon juice
teaspoon
Egg 1 For yeast breads, cookies, pancakes, or waffles, mix 2 tablespoons ground
flax meal and 3 tablespoons cold water. Let the mixture rest for 10
minutes before adding.
Evaporated Half-and-half
milk
Half-and-half ½ cup ¼ cup milk and ¼ cup cream, or ½ cup non-dairy coffee creamer
Heavy cream 1 cup Melt ¼ cup unsalted butter and slowly whisk in ¾ cup whole milk or half-
and-half
Honey Corn syrup, molasses, maple syrup, or agave nectar
Lemon juice Cider vinegar
Mascarpone 16 ounces Mix 12 ounces of room temperature cream cheese with ¼ cup heavy
whipping cream and ¼ cup sour cream
Powdered sugar½ cup Grind ½ cup granulated sugar in a blender until fine. Multiply as needed
to reach the amount called for in the recipe.
Semi-sweet 1 ounce 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate and ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
chocolate
Sour cream Plain yogurt

Ingredient Amount Substitutes

Allspice 1 teaspoon  ½ teaspoon cinnamon plus ½ teaspoon ground cloves

Ingredient Amount Substitutes

Apple Pie Spice 1 teaspoon  ½ teaspoon cinnamon plus ¼ teaspoon nutmeg plus 1/8 teaspoon
cardamom

Baking Powder, double- 1 teaspoon  ¼ teaspoon baking soda plus 5/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
acting

Barbeque Sauce 1 cup  ¾ cup ketchup, 2 tablespoons mustard and 2 tablespoons brown sugar

Butter 1 cup  1 cup margarine (regular)

 1 cup vegetable shortening (for baking)

 An equal amount of oil can be substituted for a similar portion of

melted butter if the recipe specifies using melted butter.

Buttermilk 1 cup  1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar plus enough regular milk to make 1
cup (allow to stand 5 minutes)

Chili Sauce 1 cup  1 cup tomato sauce, ¼ cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons vinegar, ¼
teaspoon cinnamon, dash of ground cloves and dash of allspice

Chocolate, 1 ounce  3 tablespoons cocoa plus 1 tablespoon butter or regular margarine or

unsweetened vegetable oil

Cornstarch (for 1 tablespoon  2 tablespoons flour

thickening)

Cream, whipping 1 cup unwhipped  2 cups whipped cream

Egg 1 whole egg  ¼ cup egg substitute; check label for specific directions

 Reconstituted powdered eggs; follow package directions

 2 tablespoons mayonnaise (suitable for use in cake batter)

 ½ teaspoon baking powder plus 1 tablespoon vinegar plus 1 tablespoon

liquid (for baking use only)

Flour, all-purpose white 1 cup  ½ cup whole wheat flour plus ½ cup all-purpose flour
Ingredient Amount Substitutes

flour

Flour, cake 1 cup  1 cup minus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Flour, self-rising 1 cup  1 cup minus 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour plus 1 ½ teaspoons baking
powder and ½ teaspoon salt

Garlic 1 small clove  1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Herbs, fresh 1 tablespoon,  1 teaspoon dried leaf herbs

finely cut
 ½ teaspoon ground dried herbs

Ketchup (for use in 1 cup  1 cup tomato sauce, ½ cup sugar, and 2 tablespoons vinegar
cooking)

Lemon Zest (fresh 1 teaspoon  ½ teaspoon lemon extract

grated lemon peel)

Marshmallows, 1 cup  10 large marshmallows

miniature

Mayonnaise (for use in 1 cup  1 cup sour cream

salads and salad
 1 cup yogurt
dressings)
 1 cup cottage cheese pureed in a blender

 Use any of the above for part of the mayonnaise

Mustard, dry (in cooked 1 teaspoon  1 tablespoon prepared mustard

mixtures)

Onion 1 small or ¼ cup  1 tablespoon instant minced onion; check label for specific directions
chopped, fresh
onion

Pasta (substituting one 4 cups (cooked) The National Pasta Association suggests these substitution ratios:
Ingredient Amount Substitutes

for another)

 8 ounces of uncooked elbow macaroni, medium shells, rotini, twists,

spirals, wagon wheels, bow ties, mostaccioli, penne, radiatore, rigatoni,
spaghetti, angel hair, linguine, vermicelli and fettuccine all produce
about 4 cups cooked pasta

 Use about twice as much uncooked egg noodles to provide 4 cups

cooked pasta. Approximately 8 ounces uncooked egg noodles equal 2 ½
cups cooked noodles.

Pumpkin Pie Spice 1 teaspoon  ½ teaspoon cinnamon plus ¼ ground teaspoon ginger plus 1/8 teaspoon
ground allspice plus 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Rice Any amount  Most rice products will substitute for each other on a fairly equal basis
in recipes, but the cooking time and amount of liquid will vary. Learn
more about cooking rice.

Rum Any amount  1 part rum extract plus 3 parts water. For example: for ¼ cup rum,
substitute 1 tablespoon rum extract plus 3 tablespoons water.

Sugar, Confectioners' or 1 cup  1 cup granulated sugar plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch; process in a food
Powdered processor using the metal blade attachment until it's well blended and
powdery.

Tomato Juice 1 cup  1 ½ cup tomato sauce plus ½ cup water

Tomato Soup 10 ¾ ounce can  1 cup tomato sauce plus ¼ cup water

Wine, red Any amount  The same amount of grape juice or cranberry juice

Wine, white Any amount  The same amount of apple juice or white grape juice

Yeast, compressed 2/3 oz  1 package (¼ ounce) active dry yeast

 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast

List of Ingredient Substitutions for Cooking and Baking
It is frustrating to be in the middle of a baking project and find you are missing a key ingredient. Before making
a trek to the grocery store, remember that your cupboards may still hold options. A recipe substitution can
sometimes alter the flavor, color, texture or volume of the food, but will still result in an acceptable finished
product. The following is a list of ingredient substitutions.

Baking powder, 1 teaspoon. Substitute with 1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 5/8 teaspoon cream of tartar; or 1/4
teaspoon soda plus 1/2 cup fully soured milk or buttermilk; or 1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/2 tablespoon
vinegar or lemon juice used with milk to make 1/2 cup; or 1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/4 to 1/2 cup
molasses. (Note about molasses in order for carbon dioxide to be released and cause the product to rise, an acid
ingredient must be present to react with the soda. Molasses is acidic enough that it releases carbon dioxide.)

Yeast, active dry, 1 tablespoon. Substitute with 1 package active dry yeast; or 1 compressed yeast cake.

Whole egg, raw, 1 large. Substitute with 2 egg yolks; or 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon thawed frozen egg; or 2
tablespoons and 2 teaspoons dry whole egg powder plus an equal amount of water. Equivalents1 large egg = 3
T.; 5 large = 1 cup.; 6 medium = 1 cup.

Cream, half & half (12-16% fat), 1 cup. For use in cooking and baking, substitute with 7/8 cup milk and 3
tablespoons butter or margarine; or 1 cup evaporated milk, undiluted.

Cream, heavy (36-40% fat), 1 cup (2-2 1/2 cups whipped). For use in cooking and baking, substitute with 3/4
cup milk and 1/3 cup butter or margarine.

Milk, 1 cup. Substitute with 1/3 cup instant nonfat dry milk plus 1 cup minus 1 tablespoon water; or 3
tablespoons sifted regular nonfat dry milk plus 1 cup minus 1 tablespoon water.

Milk, sweetened, condensed, 1 can = 1 1/3 cup. Substitute with 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons dry milk plus 1/2 cup
warm water; mix well, add 3/4 cup sugar and 3 tablespoons melted butter or margarine. Stir until smooth. Or
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons evaporated milk, 1 cup sugar and 3 tablespoons melted butter or margarine. Heat and
stir until sugar and butter dissolve.

Buttermilk or sour milk, 1 cup. Substitute with 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice plus enough milk to make
1 cup. Let stand 5 minutes. Or 1 3/4 teaspoons cream of tartar plus 1 cup milk; or 1 cup plain yogurt.

Sour cream, 1 cup. Substitute with 1 cup plain yogurt; or 7/8 cup sour milk plus 1/3 cup butter.

Granulated sugar, 1 cup. Substitute with 1 cup corn syrup, 1 cup molasses or 3/4 cup honey (decrease liquid
called for in recipe by 1/4 cup); or 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed. For each cup of honey in baked goods,
add 1/2 teaspoon soda. Equivalent1 pound granulated sugar = 2 1/4 cups.

Brown sugar, 1 cup (firmly packed). Substitute with 1 cup granulated sugar. Equivalent1 pound brown sugar
= 2 1/4 cups firmly packed.

Corn syrup, 1 cup. Substitute with 1 cup sugar plus 1/4 cup water.

Honey, 1 cup. Substitute 1 1/4 cups sugar plus 1/4 cup water.

Flour used as thickener, 1 tablespoon. Substitute with 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch, potato starch, rice starch or
arrowroot starch; or 1 tablespoon quick-cooking tapioca.
Flour is a pantry staple that is always worth keeping on hand and buying in bulk. Check out the article

All-purpose flour, 1 cup sifted. Substitute with 1 cup unsifted all-purpose flour minus 2 tablespoons; or 1 cup
plus 2 tablespoons cake flour. Equivalent1 pound = 4 cups sifted or 3 1/3 cups unsifted.

Shortening, solid, 1 cup. For use in baking, substitute with 7/8 cup lard; or 1 1/8 cups butter or margarine
(decrease salt in recipe by 1/2).

Shortening, melted, 1 cup. Substitute with 1 cup cooking oil.

Cooking oil, 1 cup. Substitute with 1 cup melted shortening.

Butter, 1 cup. Substitute with 1 cup margarine; or 7/8 to 1 cup hydrogenated fat plus ½ teaspoon salt; or 7/8
cup lard plus ½ teaspoon salt; or 4/5 cup bacon fat, clarified; or 3/4 cup chicken fat, clarified; or 7/8 cup oil.

Allspice, 1 teaspoon. Substitute with 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves.

Pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon. Substitute with 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ginger, 1/8 teaspoon
allspice and 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg.

Chocolate, 1 ounce. Substitute with 3 tablespoons cocoa plus 1 tablespoon fat.

Semisweet chocolate, 1 ounce. Substitute with 1/2 ounce baking chocolate plus 1 tablespoon sugar.

Cocoa, 1/4 cup or 4 tablespoons. Substitute with 1 ounce (square) unsweetened chocolate (decrease fat called
for in recipe by 1/2 tablespoon).

Cornstarch (for thickening), 1 tablespoon. Substitute with 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; or 2 tablespoons
granular tapioca.

Lemon juice, 1 teaspoon. Substitute with 1/2 teaspoon vinegar.