Below you'll find substitution suggestions courtesy of the USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference
COMMON INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS
| ITEM | AMOUNT | SUBSTITUTION |
|---|---|---|
| Allspice | 1 teaspoon | ½ teaspoon cinnamon plus ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves |
| Arrowroot, as a thickener | 1 teaspoon | 1 tablespoon flour; or 1 teaspoon cornstarch |
| Baking powder | 1 teaspoon | ¼ teaspoon baking soda plus ¼ teaspoon cornstarch plus ½ teaspoon cream of tartar |
| Baking soda | 1 teaspoon | 4 teaspoons baking powder; or 1 teaspoon potassium bicarbonate and ⅓ teaspoon salt. |
| Bread crumbs | 1 cup | 1 cup cracker crumbs; or 1 cup matzo meal OR 1 cup ground oats |
| Brown sugar | 1 cup | Add 1 tablespoon of molasses plus granulated sugar to make 1 cup |
| Butter, salted | 1 cup | 1 cup margarine; or 1 cup shortening plus ½ teaspoon salt; or ⅞ cup vegetable oil plus ½ teaspoon salt |
| Butter, unsalted | 1 cup | 1 cup shortening OR ⅞ cup vegetable oil |
| Buttermilk | 1 cup | 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar plus milk to equal 1 cup; or 1 cup plain yogurt |
| Chocolate, unsweetened | 1 ounce | 3 tablespoons cocoa plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (or shortening or vegetable oil) |
| Cracker crumbs | ¾ cup | 1 cup dry bread crumbs; or 1 tablespoon quick-cooking oats (for thickening) |
| Cream, heavy | 1 cup | ¾ cup milk plus ⅓ cup melted butter (this will not whip) |
| Cream, light | 1 cup | ⅞ cup milk plus 3 tablespoons melted, unsalted butter |
| Cream, sour | 1 cup | ⅞ cup buttermilk or plain yogurt plus 3 tablespoons melted, unsalted butter |
| Cream, whipping | 1 cup | ⅔ cup well-chilled evaporated milk, whipped; or 1 cup nonfat dry milk powder whipped with 1 cup ice water |
| Egg | 1 whole (3 tablespoons) | 2 yolks plus 1 tablespoon cold water; or 3 tablespoons vegetable oil plus 1 tablespoon water (for baking); or 3 tablespoons mayonnaise (for cakes); or 2 ½ tablespoons of powdered egg substitute plus 2 ½ tablespoons water, or ¼ cup liquid egg substitute; or half a banana mashed with ½ teaspoon baking powder |
| Egg white | 1 white | 2 tablespoons meringue powder plus 3 tablespoons water, combined |
| Flour, all-purpose | 1 cup | 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons cake flour (not advised for cookies or quick breads); or 1 cup self-rising flour (omit baking powder and salt from recipe). Reader suggestion: ⅝ cup potato flour; or 1–¼ cups rye flour or coarsely ground whole-grain flour; or 1 cup cornmeal |
| Flour, cake | 1 cup | 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons sifted all-purpose flour plus 3 tablespoons cornstarch |
| Flour, self-rising | 1 cup | 1 cup all-purpose flour plus 1–½ teaspoons baking powder plus ¼ teaspoon salt |
| Garlic | 1 small clove | ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder or instant minced garlic |
| Herbs, dried | ½ to 1 teaspoon | 1 tablespoon fresh herbs, minced and packed |
| Honey | 1 cup | 1–¼ cups sugar plus ½ cup liquid called for in recipe (such as water or oil); or 1 cup pure maple syrup |
| Ketchup | 1 cup | 1 cup tomato sauce plus ¼ cup sugar plus 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar plus ½ teaspoon salt plus inch of ground cloves combined; or 1 cup chili sauce |
| Lemon juice | 1 teaspoon | ½ teaspoon vinegar |
| Lemon, juice and rind | 1 lemon | 3 tablespoons bottled lemon juice and 1 teaspoon dried grated rind |
| Lemon rind, grated | 1 teaspoon | ½ teaspoon lemon extract |
| Mayonnaise | 1 cup | 1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt; or 1 cup cottage cheese (pureed) |
| Milk, skim | 1 cup | ⅓ cup instant nonfat dry milk plus ¾ cup water |
| Milk, to sour | 1 cup | 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice plus milk to equal 1 cup. Stir and let stand 5 minutes. |
| Milk, whole | 1 cup | ½ cup evaporated milk plus ½ cup water; or ¾ cup 2 percent milk plus ¼ cup half and half |
| Molasses | 1 cup | 1 cup honey or dark corn syrup |
| Mustard, dry | 1 teaspoon | 1 tablespoon prepared mustard less 1 teaspoon liquid from recipe |
| Oat bran | 1 cup | 1 cup wheat bran or rice bran or wheat germ |
| Oats, old-fashioned | 1 cup | 1 cup steel-cut Irish or Scotch oats |
| Oil, for baking | ½ cup | ½ cup of applesauce (keeps baked goods moist but with less fat) |
| Onion, chopped | 1 small | 1 tablespoon instant minced onion; or 1 teaspoon onion powder; or ¼ cup frozen chopped onion |
| Quinoa | 1 cup | 1 cup millet or couscous (whole wheat cooks faster) or bulgur |
| Sugar, dark brown | 1 cup | 1 cup light brown sugar, packed; or 1 cup granulated sugar plus 2 to 3 tablespoons molasses |
| Sugar, granulated | 1 cup | 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar; or 1–¾ cups confectioners’ sugar (but makes baked goods less crisp); or 1 cup superfine sugar |
| Sugar, light-brown | 1 cup | 1 cup granulated sugar plus 1 to 2 tablespoons molasses; or ½ cup dark-brown sugar plus ½ cup granulated sugar |
| Sweetened condensed milk | 1 can (14 oz.) | 1 cup evaporated milk plus 1-¼ cup granulated sugar. Combine and heat until sugar dissolves. |
| Tomatoes, canned | 1 cup | ½ cup tomato sauce plus ½ cup water; or 1–⅓ cups chopped fresh tomatoes, simmered |
| Tomato juice | 1 cup | ½ cup tomato sauce plus ½ cup water plus dash each salt and sugar; or ¼ cup tomato paste plus ¾ cup water plus salt and sugar, to taste |
| Tomato ketchup | ½ cup | ½ cup tomato sauce plus 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon vinegar, and ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves |
| Tomato puree | 1 cup | ½ cup tomato paste plus ½ cup water |
| Tomato soup | 1 can (10–¾ oz.) | 1 cup tomato sauce plus ¼ cup water |
| Vanilla bean | 1-inch bean | 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or substitute bourbon, rum, or whiskey, using two times the amount of vanilla called for in the recipe. |
| Vinegar | 1 teaspoon | 1 teaspoon lemon or lime juice, or 2 teaspoons white wine |
| Vinegar, apple cider | – | malt, white wine, or rice vinegar |
| Vinegar, balsamic | 1 tablespoon | 1 tablespoon red- or white-wine vinegar plus ½ teaspoon sugar |
| Vinegar, red wine | – | white-wine, sherry, champagne, or balsamic vinegar. |
| Vinegar, rice | – | apple cider, champagne, or white-wine vinegar |
| Vinegar, white wine | – | apple cider, champagne, fruit (raspberry), rice, or red-wine vinegar |
| Wine | 1 cup | 1 cup chicken or beef broth; or 1 cup fruit juice mixed with 2 teaspoons vinegar; or 1 cup water |
| Yeast | 1 cake (⅗ oz.) | 1 package (¼ ounce) or 1 scant tablespoon active dried yeast |
| Yogurt, plain | 1 cup | 1 cup sour cream (thicker; less tart) or buttermilk (thinner; use in baking, dressings, sauces) |
SUBSTITUTIONS FOR UNCOMMON INGREDIENTS
Here is a list of substitutions for ingredients that are a little less common or can occasionally be hard to find.
| ITEM | SUBSTITUTION |
|---|---|
| Balsamic vinegar—1 tablespoon | 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar plus ½ teaspoon sugar |
| Bamboo shoots | Asparagus (in fried dishes) |
| Bergamot | Mint |
| Chayotes | Yellow summer squash or zucchini |
| Cilantro | Parsley (for color only; flavor cannot be duplicated) |
| Coconut milk | 2–½ cups water plus 2 cups shredded, unsweetened coconut. Combine and bring to a boil. Remove from heat; cool. Mix in a blender for 2 minutes; strain. Makes about 2 cups. |
| Delicata squash | Butternut squash or sweet potato |
| Green mangoes | Sour, green cooking apples |
| Habanero peppers | 5 jalapeno peppers or serrano peppers |
| Italian seasoning | Equal parts basil, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, sage, and thyme |
| Lemongrass | Lemon zest (zest from 1 lemon equals 2 stalks lemongrass) |
| Limes or lime juice | Lemons or lemon juice |
| Lo Mein noodles | Egg noodles |
| Mascarpone — 1 cup | 3 tablespoons heavy cream plus ¾ cup cream cheese plus 4 tablespoons butter |
| Neufchatel | Cream cheese or Boursin |
| Palm sugar | Light brown sugar |
| Rice wine | Pale, dry sherry or white vermouth |
| Red peppers | Equal amount pimientos |
| Romano cheese | Parmesan cheese |
| Saffron | Turmeric (for color; flavor is different) |
| Shallots | Red onions or Spanish onions |
| Shrimp paste | Anchovy paste |
| Tamarind juice | 5 parts ketchup to 1 part vinegar |