Substitute Baking Ingredients You Need

Having a hard time finding all the ingredients you need for those everyday meals or special treats? Times are tough, but thankfully, substitute baking ingredients are available when you can’t find what you need. People have been using these substitutes for years, but not everyone is aware of them. I had a PRINTABLE made, it’s at the bottom of the post!

Related Topic: 13 Surprising Uses for Flour

What are Substitute Baking Ingredients?

Substitute baking ingredients are those that can be used if you don’t have the ingredient listed in the recipe. For example, if a recipe calls for baking powder but you only have baking soda, you can still make the recipe.

How Do Substitute Baking Ingredients Work?

Essentially, substitutes work by providing your recipe with the same type of texture or flavor required to complete the recipe. 

Some substitutes are actually what make the original ingredient anyway. For example, self-rising flour is just regular flour, baking powder, and salt. 

These substitutes work by having you create the actual ingredient using what you have, or by substituting an ingredient with a similar texture, flavor, or appearance to make the recipe work. 

Will The Recipe Taste the Same?

Most substitutions work well when baking. The basic substituted ingredients may make the recipe differ slightly from the original. However, it will still be acceptable in flavor, texture, and appearance. Bottom line, it may be a little different, but it will taste pretty close to the original recipe. 

Related: How to Make a Sourdough Starter

Substitute Baking Ingredients

Not only are these substitutes great for when you can’t find what you need on the pantry shelves, but they are also great for those days when you start to make a cake, only to realize you only have one egg, or you don’t have baking powder for your bread.

No matter what a recipe calls for, you can usually find a suitable substitute. Here is our ultimate list of substitute baking ingredients for you to try:

#1 Flour Substitutes

Flour is a staple ingredient in most baked goods. Obviously, you will need to find some flour for baking, but you can substitute different types of flour. If you have all-purpose flour, you can make any other kind of specialty flour, including self-rising flour, pastry, or bread flour. Here’s how you can do it:

• Cake flour: 1 cup = remove two tablespoons of the all-purpose flour to make 1 cup of cake flour. 
• Cake flour: (#2 option) For every cup of all-purpose flour, remove two tablespoons and replace them with an equal amount of cornstarch. Then, sift the mixture 5 or 6 times.
• Pastry flour: 1 cup = 1/2 cup all-purpose flour and 1/2 cup cake flour.
• Self-rising flour: 1 cup = 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. 
• Bread flour: You can substitute bread flour 1:1 with all-purpose flour. 
• Gluten-free flour: You can use this as a substitute for all-purpose flour in a 1:1 ratio.
• Whole wheat flour: 1 cup = 7/8 cup of all-purpose flour and two tablespoons of wheat germ. 

#2 Sugar

Like flour, recipes may require specific types of sugar. If you have regular granulated sugar, you can adjust it to make other variations. Here’s how:

• Superfine sugar: 1 cup = 1 cup and two teaspoons of granulated sugar ground up in a food processor. 
• Powdered sugar: 1 cup = 1 cup granulated sugar and one teaspoon of cornstarch ground up in a food processor.
• Powdered sugar: (#2 option) = 1 cup granulated sugar, grind it up in a food processor.
• Light Brown sugar: 1 cup = 1 cup of granulated sugar and one tablespoon of molasses. 
• Dark brown sugar: 1 cup = 1 cup granulated sugar and two tablespoons of molasses. 
• Molasses: 1 cup = 3/4 cup dark brown sugar and 1/4 cup of water. 

#3 Leaveners: Baking Soda and Baking Powder

Baking powder and baking soda sound so similar that I can’t tell you how many times I have actually mixed them up and messed up my whole recipe. These two ingredients don’t act in the same way. But there are ways to swap them in a pinch. 

• Baking Powder: 1 teaspoon = 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar. 
• Baking Soda: 1 tablespoon = 3 tablespoons of baking powder. 

Baking soda is a tricky substitute, so make sure the recipe includes some acidic ingredient as well, such as sour cream, buttermilk, or cocoa powder, before making the swap.

#4 Milk Substitutes

Related: How to Never Run Out of Milk Ever Again

Some recipes require different types of milk, such as whole milk, half-and-half, or buttermilk. If you don’t have any, don’t fret; you can substitute. Here are some milk substitutes:

• Milk: If a recipe calls for milk and you have absolutely no milk on hand, you can sometimes substitute water, but it may alter the flavor and texture. Adding butter may help compensate for the missing milk fat. Here is what you can do:  1 cup = 1 cup of water and one tablespoon of butter. 
• Whole milk: 1 cup = 3/4 cup of skim milk and two tablespoons of heavy cream. 
• Half and Half: 1 cup = 1/2 cup whole milk and 1/2 cup heavy cream. 
• Buttermilk: 1 cup = 1 cup whole milk and one tablespoon white wine vinegar or lemon juice. Combine the ingredients and let them curdle for about 10 minutes. 
• Buttermilk: 1 cup = 1 cup plain yogurt

#5 Eggs

Eggs are in a category by themselves because there are so many different ways you can substitute for missing eggs. We offer a variety of options for those who prefer not to eat or use eggs. Here is what you can do if you don’t have any eggs:

• One egg = 1/4 cup applesauce
• One egg = 1 tablespoons ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons water
• One egg = 1/4 cup silken tofu pureed
• One egg = 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• One egg = 1/2 banana mashed with 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

For more information on egg substitutes, check out my post: “What Can You Use as an Egg Substitute.”

#6 Butter

Butter is another big one that has a variety of substitutes. Here are all the ways you can make butter when you don’t have any. 

• 1 cup salted butter = 1 cup margarine
• 1 cup salted butter = 1 cup vegetable shortening + 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup salted butter = 7/8 cup lard + 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter = 1 cup salted butter = 1 cup vegetable shortening = 1 cup lard *minus* 1/2 teaspoon salt from recipe

#7 Cornstarch Substitute Baking Ingredients

Cornstarch is typically used as a thickening agent. Therefore, you can use other methods without using cornstarch. However, if you are baking, it’s a little trickier. Here are some options:

• Cornstarch for baking: 1 tablespoon = 1-1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour. 
• Cornstarch for thickening: sour cream or Greek yogurt. 

#8 Yeast

I get so many asking, “What can I use if I don’t have yeast?” Yeast was once hard to obtain, but it is now readily available. Here are just a few:

• Yeast substitute #1: 1 teaspoon = 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda.
• Yeast Substitute #2: 1 teaspoon = 1 teaspoon double-acting baking powder.
• Yeast substitute #3: Check out my post for Sourdough starter

#9 Other Ingredients

Some ingredients have only one substitute, so instead of writing a paragraph for each one, I will list them below. 

• Bread crumbs: 1 cup = 1 cup of cracker crumbs, cornflake crumbs, crushed pork rinds, or rolled oats.
• Chocolate chips: 1 ounce = 1 ounce of unsweetened chocolate and one tablespoon of sugar.
• Cream of tartar: 1 teaspoon = 2 teaspoons of white vinegar or lemon juice.
• Cream cheese: 1 cup = 1/2 cup of plain yogurt and 1/2 cup of ricotta cheese.
• Honey: 1 cup = 1 cup of corn syrup, or 1-1/4 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup of water.
• Lemon juice: 1 teaspoon = 1 teaspoon of white wine or 1/2 teaspoon of vinegar.
• Mayonnaise: 1 cup = 1 cup of plain yogurt, 1 cup of sour cream, or 1 cup of pureed cottage cheese.
• Ricotta cheese: 1 cup = 1 cup of cottage cheese.
• Sour cream: 1 cup = 1 cup of plain yogurt, or 1 cup of whole milk mixed with a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar.
• Tomato sauce: 1 cup = 1/2 cup of tomato paste and 1/2 cup of water.
• Vegetable oil for baking: 1 cup = 1 cup of applesauce
• Vegetable oil for frying: 1 cup = 1 cup of shortening (for frying).
• Vinegar: 1/2 cup = 1/2 cup of white wine or 2/3 cup of lemon juice.
• Plain yogurt: 1 cup = 1 cup of sour cream or buttermilk.

PRINTABLE:

Substitute Baking List

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Final Word

The great thing about struggling to find what we need is that we can experiment with substitute baking ingredients that we may prefer over the original ones. I hope you find these substitutes useful. Do you know of any other substitutes not listed here? Please let me know. May God bless this world, Linda

Copyright Images: Baking Ingredients Deposit photos_65753321_s-2019, Baking Ingredients Deposit photos_58078179_s-2019

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