The Kitchen Table Home Decorating Conversations

Ingredient Swaps

6 years ago

Those of you that are long-time or master cooks probably know all of the ideas, but I thought this list of ingredient substitutions might be helpful to some.

Butter

For cooking, any oil will do. For baking, use an equivalent amount of:

Regular (not light) margarine
Lard
Coconut oil (solid)

If you’ve only got half the amount of butter you need for a baked good recipe, applesauce can work for the rest.

Eggs

For each egg in a baking recipe,swap in:

1/3 cup applesauce
1/2 pureed banana (1/4 cup)
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds or chia seeds + 3 tablespoons water
1/4 cup blended silken tofu
3 tablespoons vegetable oil + 1 tablespoon water
2 to 3 tablespoons mayonnaise (for cakes)

Sour Cream

Replace each cup with:

Plain Greek yogurt, an equivalent amount
3/4 cup cream cheese + 3 tablespoons milk
1/3 cup melted unsalted butter + 3/4 cup milk + 1 teaspoon lemon juice (for baking)

Dairy Products

1 cup milk = 1/2 cup evaporated milk + 1/2 cup water
1 cup half & half = 1 cup whole milk + 1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter OR 1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup heavy whipping cream = 2/3 cup whole milk + 1/3 cup melted unsalted butter
1 cup buttermilk = 1 cup milk + 1 teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar

Garlic

For each clove, use:

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt (omit 1/2 teaspoon salt from the recipe)
1/2 teaspoon jarred minced garlic
1/2 to 1 teaspoon minced shallots

Onions

For each medium onion, use:

1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons onion powder
1 cup chopped shallots
1 1/4 cups chopped leeks, green onions or scallions (white and light green parts only)
1 cup frozen chopped onions

Lemon

For each tablespoon of juice, use 1 1/2 teaspoons white wine vinegar, sherry vinegar or champagne vinegar
For each teaspoon of zest, use 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

Fresh Herbs

For each tablespoon of chopped fresh herbs, use:

1 teaspoon dried
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground or powdered

Breadcrumbs

For each cup, use:

3 to 4 slices oven-dried bread, crushed in a food processor
1 1/4 cups croutons or stuffing cubes, crushed
3/4 cup cracker crumbs
1 cup crushed tortilla or potato chips
1 cup crushed pretzels
1 cup crushed cornflakes

Flour

1 cup all-purpose flour = 1 cup + 3 tablespoons cake flour OR 1 cup self-rising flour (omit baking powder + salt from recipe) OR 1 1/2 cups dry breadcrumbs
1 cup of cake flour = 1 cup pastry flour OR 1 cup minus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour + 3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup pastry flour = 2/3 cup all-purpose flour + 1/3 cup cake flour
1 cup self-rising flour = 1 cup all-purpose flour + 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder + 1/2 teaspoon salt

Sugar

1 cup granulated sugar = 1 3/4 cup unsifted confectioners’ sugar OR 1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar OR 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons honey, agave nectar, or brown rice syrup + 1/4 teaspoon baking soda (reduce liquid in recipe by 3 tablespoons and lower oven temperature by 25°F)
1 cup dark brown sugar = 1 packed cup light brown sugar + 1 tablespoon molasses OR 1 cup granulated sugar + 2 to 3 tablespoons molasses
1 cup light brown sugar = 1 cup granulated sugar + 1 to 2 tablespoons molasses OR 1/2 cup dark brown sugar + 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup confectioners’ sugar = 1 cup granulated sugar + 1 tablespoon cornstarch, processed in a food processor

Cocoa Powder

For every 3 tablespoons, use:

1 ounce unsweetened chocolate (decrease fat in recipe by 1 tablespoon)
2 ounces semisweet chocolate (decrease fat in recipe by 1 tablespoon and sugar in recipe by 3 tablespoons)

Table Salt

For each teaspoon, use:

1 1/2 teaspoons Morton kosher salt
2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
2 teaspoons soy sauce

Rice

For each 1 cup of uncooked white or brown rice, use the following amount of the uncooked substitute:

2 cups orzo pasta
1 1/4 cups couscous
3/4 cup barley
1 cup quinoa
1 cup bulgur
1 1/3 cups wheatberries
1 1/2 cups kasha

Tomatoes

For each pound of fresh tomatoes, use:

1 1/2 cups canned whole tomatoes
6 to 8 sun-dried tomato halves, reconstituted in hot water
3 tablespoons tomato paste (you may need to add liquid)

Broth

1 cup of broth = 1 bouillon cube + 1 cup boiling water OR 1 teaspoon bouillon granules + 1 cup boiling water
To replace chicken or vegetable broth, use an equivalent amount of dry white wine, vermouth or water (in small amounts).
To replace beef broth, use an equivalent amount of vegetable broth, red wine or beer.

Wine

For each cup of red, use:

3/4 cup red grape juice + 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or lemon juice + 2 tablespoons of water (for marinades)
1 cup beef broth (for sauces and stews)
1 cup beer (for stews)

For each cup of white, use:

3/4 cup white grape juice, apple juice, or apple cider + 1/4 cup white wine vinegar or lemon juice (for marinades)
1 cup sherry, vermouth, sake, mirin, or chicken or vegetable broth (for sauces and stews)

Featured Answer

Jasdip

6 years ago

last modified: 6 years ago

I'd make a change on the list for Buttermilk. That tip is making sour milk, not buttermilk.

I use buttermilk regularly in my bran muffins and pancakes. 2/3 cup of plain yogurt + 1/3 cup milk gives your the tang and thickness that you want for buttermilk.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (21)

Arapaho-Rd
6 years ago
Wonderful! Thank you, Fun, for sharing all of this.
Fun2BHere thanked Arapaho-Rd
Elmer J Fudd
6 years ago
Very useful!
Fun2BHere thanked Elmer J Fudd
Related Professionals
Evansville Furniture & Accessories · Auburn Furniture & Accessories · Kankakee Furniture & Accessories · Greenfield Furniture & Accessories · Springfield Furniture & Accessories · San Luis Obispo Furniture & Accessories · Elizabethtown Interior Designers & Decorators · Scranton Interior Designers & Decorators · Murrieta Interior Designers & Decorators · Sanford Interior Designers & Decorators · Wilmington Architects & Building Designers · Ocala Architects & Building Designers · California Architects & Building Designers · Columbus Architects & Building Designers · Knoxville Architects & Building Designers
woodrose77
6 years ago
Thank you ! Good to have in these uncertain times.
Fun2BHere thanked woodrose77
WalnutCreek Zone 7b/8a
6 years ago
A fantastic list, Fun2BHere. I am sending it to my grandchildren.
Fun2BHere thanked WalnutCreek Zone 7b/8a
whistle_b
6 years ago
Thanks. I'm saving this list.
Fun2BHere thanked whistle_b
matthias_lang
6 years ago
Eh, I thought this might be about trading ingredients from one's kitchen for ingredients from another's kitchen. I, for example, would like to trade some home canned tomato or tomato juice for some olive oil just now.
bpath
6 years ago
Thanks! I’m going to send it to my son and also add it to my cookbook collection.
Fun2BHere thanked bpath
Olychick
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
We always used that recipe to make "buttermilk" when I was young. It works fine. But those were days when people were less likely to have plain yogurt in their refer and I do what you do now.
Fun2BHere thanked Olychick
KaJaL
6 years ago
What a wonderful & thoughtful post ..... thank you !
Fun2BHere thanked KaJaL
Cherryfizz
6 years ago
Those tips are always useful, thanks! My bread machine recipes always have powdered milk as one of the ingredients. Could I use fresh milk instead? I do have powdered buttermilk but not sure if that would change the taste of the bread, probably not but thought I would ask. As you can tell I am not much of a bread baker. Powdered milk is no where to be found right now
Fun2BHere
Original Author
6 years ago
@Cherryfizz, I dont have a breadmaker, but I found this answer for your consideration.

You can substitute 2% liquid milk for the water in any bread machine recipe, cup for cup with no problems. Just leave out the powdered milk. You may have to adjust the dough moisture slightly with another tablespoon or two of flour (the powdered milk absorbs a little of the liquid.)

You can also use buttermilk or thinned plain yogurt (thin with a little milk) as a substitute for the powdered milk. You can also use diluted or undiluted canned evaporated milk. Once again, replace the water, cup for cup, with the liquid dairy product.

You can also substitute soy milk, rice milk or almond milk, or even canned coconut milk, cup for cup, for the water in the bread machine recipe.

I usually use 2% liquid milk and substitute plain powdered coffee creamer for the powdered milk. But the 2% liquid milk alone, or any of the above liquids alone are fine.

Make sure to use room temperature or lukewarm (not hot) liquid milk (or other liquid). Using cold liquids may cause the dough to rise more slowly (it chills the yeast), which can result in short, dense loaves. Using too hot a liquid can damage or kill the yeast, also resulting in a short, dense loaf. A liquid temperature of about 70-F to 90-F is best.
Cherryfizz
6 years ago
Thank you Fun2BHere!
Fun2BHere thanked Cherryfizz
ci_lantro
6 years ago
If you have buttermilk but are running low, you can make more buttermilk. 1 c. cultured (store bought) b'milk + 3 cups of regular milk in a quart jar. Cover & leave it on the counter overnight. Or until it starts to thicken. More or less time depending on room temperature. Store the finished product in the refrigerator.
bbstx
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
For swaps on other ingredients, check out Cook’s Thesaurus. For instance, your recipe calls for cotija, but you are out. Here is what Cook’s Thesaurus suggests:

cotija = queso anejado Notes: This is a sharp, salty white grating cheese that softens but doesn't melt when heated.Cacique is a well-known brand. Look for it in Hispanic markets. Substitutes: Parmesan OR Romano OR anejo cheese OR feta cheese OR nutritional yeast (This substitution works best if recipe calls for cheese to be sprinkled over a dish. Nutritional yeast is low in fat, high in protein and B vitamins, and it's not made with any animal products.)

Or maybe you need a substitute for cumin:

cumin= comino = cummin = jeeraPronunciation: KUH-min or KYOO-min or KOO-min Equivalents: 1 oz. = 4 tablespoons ground = 4 1/2 tablespoons whole seed. Notes: Cumin is a key ingredient in Southwestern chili recipes, but it's also widely used in Latin America,
artemis_ma
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
A great share.

I'll admit for some of the suggestions I don't have appropriate substitutions, but those are primarily for foods I really don't eat much of, anyway. That would be the sour cream and the dairy goods, and the breadcrumbs. I love cheese however, and have to milk (ahem) my refrigerator supply along since there really IS no subbing for that.

I have a surplus of eggs, enough that I am bringing weekly supplies to my community center 2 miles away, so they can cook them into foods they are making to hand out to the community. (Yes, backyard chickens. 10 hens.)
Fun2BHere thanked artemis_ma
artemis_ma
6 years ago
PS I am surprised you didn't share this with the Cooking Forum?
joann_fl
6 years ago
I just posted this in Our Recipe List
Fun2BHere thanked joann_fl
ci_lantro
6 years ago
When I don't have fresh cilantro on hand, I substitute freshly ground coriander. Coriander is the seed produced by cilantro. It's not the same but is similar.

Also not as good as fresh cilantro but better than none is to freeze fresh cilantro. You can pull the frozen bunch out of the freezer & snip or cut some off & return to the freezer.
Fun2BHere thanked ci_lantro
jtc
6 years ago
Any one have a substitute for Bisquick? I never buy it and thought I would like to make a cheeseburger pie.
bbstx
6 years ago
There are a lot of DIY Bisquick recipes online. Just Google “Homemade Baking Mix” or “DIY Bisquick”

Ingredient Swaps

Jasdip

Comments (21)

Arapaho-Rd

Elmer J Fudd

Related Professionals

woodrose77

WalnutCreek Zone 7b/8a

whistle_b

matthias_lang

bpath

Olychick

KaJaL

Cherryfizz

Fun2BHere
Original Author

Cherryfizz

ci_lantro

bbstx

artemis_ma

artemis_ma

joann_fl

ci_lantro

jtc

bbstx

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Ingredient Swaps

Comments (21)

Related Professionals

Fun2BHereOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Fun2BHere
Original Author