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Home » How To » Ingredient Substitutions

Ingredient Substitutions

May 25, 2010 by Faith 35 Comments

I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve been inspired to try a new recipe only to realize that I’m missing a key ingredient (or worse yet, when I’ve already started cooking and mid-meal I realize I don’t have everything I need).  Of course, a trip to the market would fix that, but if you can utilize other ingredients that you already have on hand, it’s even better.  Some substitutions that I make are to use what I have on hand, but I make other substitutions to healthy things up a little.  Next time you’re in the kitchen and you realize you don’t have an ingredient, check to see if there’s a substitution before you had off to the grocery. 

(I don’t discuss spices in this post; for information on spices blends and spice substitutions, see here.) 

  • Salt (on finished dishes):  Fresh squeezed lime juice or fresh minced parsley
  • Dried Bread Crumbs:  Crushed potato chips, pretzels, tortilla chips, crackers, or cereal; coarsely ground oatmeal

(Image Source)

  • Mayo:  Sour cream or plain Greek-style yogurt
  • Ricotta Cheese:  Pureed dry cottage cheese
  • Mascarpone Cheese:  Neufchatel cheese or cream cheese

(Image Source)

  • Half and Half:  Equal parts heavy cream and whole milk
  • Cream:  3/4 c whole milk + 1/4 c butter = 1 c cream
  • Buttermilk:  1 c milk (low fat is fine) left to sit with either 2 tsp lemon juice or 1 tsp vinegar = 1 c buttermilk; or plain yogurt (1:1, buttermilk to yogurt)
  • Beer or Wine (in soups, stews, and braised dishes):  Broth or water

(Image Source)

  • Broth:  1 bouillon cube + 1 c boiling water = 1 c broth
  • Dried Lemon Zest:  Pinch nutmeg
  • Leek:  Scallion or chive

(Image Source)

  • Shallot:  1 clove garlic, 1 small onion
  • Egg:  1 TB ground flax seed soaked in 3 TB water = 1 egg
  • Cornstarch:  Arrowroot (1:1, cornstarch to arrowroot) or flour (2:1, cornstarch to flour)
  • Baking Powder:  1/4 tsp baking soda + 1/2 tsp cream of tartar = 1 tsp baking powder
  • Self-Rising Flour:  1 c all-purpose flour + 1 1/2 tsp baking powder + 1/2 tsp salt = 1 c self-rising flour
  • Brown Sugar:  1 c white sugar + 1-2 TB molasses = 1 c brown sugar

(Image Source)

  • Powdered (Confectioners) Sugar:  1 c white sugar processed with 2 TB cornstarch until it becomes powdery
  • Honey:  Maple syrup or agave nectar

(Image Source)

  • Corn Syrup:  Honey or golden syrup
  • Unsweetened Baking Chocolate:  3 TB unsweetened cocoa powder + 1 TB vegetable oil or shortening = 1 oz unsweetened chocolate

(Image Source)

  • Oil (in baked goods):  Applesauce, apple butter, mashed banana, pureed avocado, pureed pumpkin, or yogurt

Filed Under: How To Tagged: Baking, Cooking, Ingredient Substitutions

Comments

  1. Emily says

    June 3, 2010 at 5:38 am

    Thank you, can I use your pictures, too? If you don’t mind I will probably just post it exactly as you have it.

    Reply
  2. Emily says

    June 1, 2010 at 7:37 pm

    This is GREAT. Sometimes I realize I am out of something and quickly Google substitutes. It is nice to think some of those options are all in one place. With your permission, I would like to re-post this on my blog in the near future. You know, of course, that I will link it back to you!

    Reply
    • admin says

      June 2, 2010 at 1:52 pm

      Emily, I’m glad you like this post, you can absolutely re-post it! I really appreciate you asking…thanks! :)

      Reply
  3. B. says

    June 1, 2010 at 4:34 am

    Salt creates a different chemical reaction than parsley and lemon, and engages different areas of taste buds on the tongue. All three are good finishers for your prepared dishes, but I wouldn’t go as far as to say the latter can substitute for the former.

    Reply
    • admin says

      June 1, 2010 at 5:56 am

      B., As I mentioned, when I talk about using lime and parsley as a substitute for salt, I’m referring to finished dishes where salt would be used for flavor (as opposed to dishes where the chemical reaction that salt provides is necessary, such as baking certain breads). I didn’t claim that lime and parsley taste like salt or trigger the salt taste buds on your tongue (although parsley, being related to celery — one of the saltiest vegetables — actually does taste slightly salty). Adding parsley and lime to finished dishes just helps to enhance the other flavors in the dish, similar to what adding salt to the finished dish would do. I hope this helps to clear this up! :)

      Reply
  4. ingrid says

    May 27, 2010 at 11:42 am

    Okay, I’m a dum and read that wrong. :(
    ~ingrid

    Reply
  5. ingrid says

    May 27, 2010 at 10:45 am

    Awesome list! Thanks for sharing. Some I knew and some I didn’t and I REALLY needed that whole milk one. I never have whole milk.
    ~ingrid

    Reply
  6. Blond Duck says

    May 27, 2010 at 10:24 am

    Have a wonderful holiday weekend!

    Reply
  7. Erica says

    May 27, 2010 at 8:08 am

    Great post!!!!!I am printing this list.

    Reply
  8. Nicole, RD says

    May 27, 2010 at 5:29 am

    The baking chocolate trick is good to know! I try not to keep chocolate around (trouble!), but I never have shortening, either. Hm! I knew the trick with flax and water for an egg. I’m yet to try that, but I love the idea. The onion + garlic for a leek was helpful…I forget the clove of garlic when I make that substitution!

    Reply
  9. Summer says

    May 27, 2010 at 5:24 am

    Love ur list Faith and all the pics u put together!
    Me too need lods of subs,all d time, coz out here we find not half the stuff!!!

    Reply
  10. Veronica M. says

    May 26, 2010 at 10:12 pm

    I didn’t realize how much substituting I did myself until I was reading your (excellent) list and realized there were only a few I hadn’t tried. I like the unsweetened chocolate one–good to know!

    Reply
  11. Reeni says

    May 26, 2010 at 6:50 pm

    Thanks for the substitutions Faith! It has happened to me plenty of times in the middle of a recipe.

    Reply
  12. Velva says

    May 26, 2010 at 6:05 pm

    These are great ideas for substitutions. Thanks for sharing this information.

    Reply
  13. kim says

    May 26, 2010 at 4:42 pm

    I also use this method as well! Baking Powder: 1/4 tsp baking soda + 1/2 tsp cream of tartar = 1 tsp baking powder
    Thanks for sharing this: Self-Rising Flour: 1 c all-purpose flour + 1 1/2 tsp baking powder + 1/2 tsp salt = 1 c self-rising flour

    Also, I sub ricotta cheese for mascarpone to make a ‘lower fat’ version of tiramisu! :)

    Reply
  14. marla {family fresh cooking} says

    May 26, 2010 at 3:21 pm

    Faith, this is such a helpful post. The flaxseed for egg….who ever would have guessed that could be a substitution. I always learn from you and I love that! xo

    Reply
  15. MaryMoh says

    May 26, 2010 at 3:14 pm

    This is such an informative post. It’s really helpful. Thanks very much for compiling it all.

    Reply
  16. Jen says

    May 26, 2010 at 12:39 pm

    I am sure that I will be referring to this post often. Thank you for compiling this great substitutions listing!

    Reply
  17. Barbara says

    May 26, 2010 at 12:16 pm

    Extremely helpful list, Faith. I’m going to start a file in my notepad for reference. Can’t think of all the times I’ve rushed online to find a sub for something I’m missing!

    Reply
  18. Lazaro says

    May 26, 2010 at 11:15 am

    Fantastic informative post. Great substitutions advice.

    Cheers!

    Reply
  19. Ameena says

    May 26, 2010 at 10:31 am

    These are really great tips, especially for me since my fridge/cupboards are usually quite bare. And I learned the other day that another great substitute for bread crumbs is ground flax. Even Ali jumped on that and loved it!

    Reply
  20. Krista says

    May 26, 2010 at 8:48 am

    This is a great post to keep on hand! Thanks for taking the time to post it for us!!

    Reply
  21. Joanne says

    May 26, 2010 at 9:54 am

    I constantly find myself out of a myriad of things (why dont’ I think before I cook…not sure.) This is such a handy dandy list!

    Reply
  22. sophia says

    May 26, 2010 at 9:42 am

    This is a really great list, Faith! I never buy buttermilk…I just use milk and vinegar! And didn’t know you can use lime juice for salt!

    Reply
  23. [email protected] says

    May 26, 2010 at 6:28 am

    oh such a great post! i always am missing something when i am cooking….this is fabulous!

    Reply
  24. 5 Star Foodie says

    May 26, 2010 at 7:06 am

    This is a great reference for ingredient substitutions!

    Reply
  25. [email protected] says

    May 26, 2010 at 4:41 am

    What a great list… how many times have I been sure I had everything I needed only to discover I did not often because Dr Lostpast neglected to mention he’d used the last of____ and forgot to mention it! ARRGGHHH! Thanks for some great substitution ideas!

    Reply
  26. grace says

    May 26, 2010 at 3:29 am

    terrific. the buttermilk and mayonnaise substitutions are permanent in my kitchen, and there’re a lot of other good tidbits here too–thanks, faith!

    Reply
  27. theUngourmet says

    May 25, 2010 at 10:31 pm

    These are great! It can be so frustrating to start a recipe and then find you don’t have everything. I’ll have to save this list. Thanks!

    Reply
  28. Heavenly Housewife says

    May 25, 2010 at 11:47 pm

    Wonderful post with a lot of great tips. My favourite substitution ingredient is greek yogurt. I often use it instead of mayonnaise in sandwiches and instead of creams in curries. Its also soooooo good for you!
    Also, did u know u can make your own cake flour by adding some corn starch to all-purpose flower (i cant remember how much though LOL).
    *kisses* HH

    Reply
  29. Mimi says

    May 25, 2010 at 9:35 pm

    This is definitely a post to bookmark. great information.
    Mimi

    Reply
  30. Barbara Bakes says

    May 25, 2010 at 7:40 pm

    What a nice resource. I’ll have to remember to stop by if I have a question about a sub.

    Reply
  31. Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella says

    May 25, 2010 at 4:41 pm

    Once again Faith, this is an excellent post! Now I had no idea that parlsey and lime juice could substitute for salt. I’m going to try it next time! :D

    Reply
  32. tasteofbeirut says

    May 25, 2010 at 3:31 pm

    Excellent to have this on hand for a quick reference; thanks so much Faith! Very useful post.

    Reply
  33. Blond Duck says

    May 25, 2010 at 2:05 pm

    I’m so glad you posted this list! Printing!

    Reply

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Hello and welcome to An Edible Mosaic! This is my recipe collection of international favorites and updated American classics with an emphasis on seasonal dishes. Here you’ll find a focus on real foods that sustain body and mind, bring people together, and make a house a home.

 

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meet faith

I’m Faith Gorsky, the writer, cook, and photographer behind An Edible Mosaic. My goal is to inspire you to get in the kitchen and try something new! Feel free to email me with questions or comments.

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affiliate disclosure

An Edible Mosaic is monetized in part though affiliate links, and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This means that if you click on an affiliate link and/or purchase an item after clicking on an affiliate link, I may receive a percentage of the sales price. I only recommend products that I love and use. To learn more, please read my Privacy Policy.

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