Food Substitutes for Recipe Ingredients

Replacements for Called-For Products Not in Your Pantry

© Peggy Williams

Mar 14, 2009

How many times have you begun preparation on a recipe and found you were out of a key ingredient? Maybe you are preparing a recipe which calls for fresh apples and you only have pears. A recipe that calls for buttermilk would stop many cooks since most people do not stock it. There are solutions to these and many more recipe dilemmas by using replacements or equivalents.

Substitutes

Use equal amounts unless otherwise noted.

• Apples, 3 medium
  • 1 c chopped pears plus 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Arrowroot Flour
  • use just enough to thicken
• Baking Powder
  • ¼ tsp baking soda plus ½ c sour milk
• Bulgur
  • Brown rice, couscous, or quinoa
• Buttermilk, 1 c
  • 1 c milk plus 1 ¾ tbsp cream of tartar or equal amount of sour cream
• Cake Flour
  • 1 c all-purpose flour minus 2 tbsp
• Capers
  • Use chopped green olives
• Chocolate, Baking, Unsweetened
  • For 1 oz, use 3 tbsp cocoa plus 1 tbsp butter
• Corn Syrup
  • 1 c sugar plus ¼ c liquid
• Cream Cheese
  • Cottage cheese mixed with cream or cream with small amount of butter or milk
• Eggs, Whole
  • 1 tsp cornstarch plus 3 tbsp water per egg in recipes for thickening
• Honey (1 c in baked goods)
  • 1 ¼ c sugar plus ¼ c water (may affect final flavor)
• Mascarpone Cheese
  • Cream cheese whipped with little butter
• Milk (in baked goods)
  • Fruit juice plus ½ tsp baking soda mixed in with flour
• Molasses (1 c)
  • 1 c of honey (will definitely affect final flavor)
• Nuts (baked goods only)
  • Bran
• Pancetta
  • Lean cooked bacon or very thin sliced ham
• Self-Rising Flour (1 c)
  • 1 c all-purpose flour plus 1 tsp baking plus ½ tsp salt
• Shallots
  • Small green onions or standard onions (use smaller amount)
• Shortening, 1 c
  • 1 c butter or hard margarine (baked goods)
• Sour Cream, 1 c
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice plus evaporated milk to make 1 c; or
  • 1 tbsp white vinegar plus enough milk to equal 1 c, allow to stand 5 minutes; or
  • 1/3 c melted butter plus 3/4 c sour milk for baked goods
• Tahini
  • Finely ground sesame seeds
• Tomato Paste (1 tbsp)
  • 1 tbsp ketchup
• Vinegar
  • Either lemon juice in cooking or wine in marinades
• Yogurt
  • Sour cream or buttermilk

For herb and spice substitutes, see Healthy Seasoning Substitutions A-L and Healthy Seasoning Substitutions M-Z.

Customize Your Recipes

Knowing which foods are viable replacements for ingredients saves you time and money in extra trips to the grocery store. You will also need less cabinet space for storage of seldom-used products. By varying foods, herbs and spices in recipes, your recipe possibilities are endless. In the process, who knows, you may discover a new recipe that becomes your own traditional family favorite or have your own television show.

Food Substitutions

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