Ingredient Substitutions Guide: Smart Swaps for Every Recipe
| Ingredient | Amount | Substitutes |
|---|---|---|
| Allspice | 1 Teaspoon | 1/2 Teaspoon of Cinnamon + 1/2 Teaspoon of Ground Cloves |
| Apple Pie Spice | 1 Teaspoon | 1/2 Teaspoon of Cinnamon + 1/4 Teaspoon of Nutmeg + 1/8 Teaspoon of Cardamom |
| Baking Powder, double-acting | 1 Teaspoon | 1/4 Teaspoon of Baking Soda + 5/8 Teaspoon Cream of Tartar |
| Barbeque Sauce | 1 Cup | 3/4 Cup Ketchup + 2 Tablespoons Mustard + 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar |
| Butter | 1 Cup | Option 1 – 1 Cup of Margarine (regular)
Option 2 – 1 Cup Vegetable Shortening (for baking) Option 3 – Equal amount of oil can be used for similar portion of melted butter if the recipe calls for melted butter |
| Buttermilk | 1 Cup | 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice or Vinegar + enough regular milk to measure 1 cup (mix and allow to stand for 5 minutes) |
| Chili Sauce | 1 Cup | 1 Cup of Tomato Sauce + 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar + 2 Tablespoons Vinegar + 1/4 Teaspoon of Cinnamon + a dash of Ground Cloves and Allspice |
| Chocolate (unsweetened) | 1 Ounce | 3 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder + 1 Tablespoon of Butter, Margarine, or Vegetable Oil |
| Cornstarch (for thickening) | 1 Tablespoon | 2 Tablespoons of Flour |
| Cream, whipping | 1 Cup (unwhipped) | 2 Cups of Whipped Cream |
| Egg | 1 whole Egg | Option 1 – 1/4 Cup Egg Substitute (Packaged)
Option 2 – Reconstituted powdered eggs; follow package directions Option 3 – 2 Tablespoons of Mayonaise (suitable for use in cake batter) Option 4 – 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder + 1 Tablespoon of Vinegar + 1 Tablespoon of liquid (for baking use only) |
| Flour, all-purpose white flour | 1 Cup | 1/2 Cup Whole Wheat Flour + 1/2 Cup all-purpose Flour |
| Flour, Cake Flour | 1 Cup | 1 Cup minus 2 teapoons of all-purpose flour + 1 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Powder + 1/2 Teaspoon of Salt |
| Garlic | 1 Clove | 1/8 Teaspoon of Garlic Powder |
| Fresh Herbs | 1 Tablespoon finely chopped | 1 Teaspoon of dried leaf herbs or 1/2 Teaspoon of ground dried herbs |
| Ketchup (for use in cooking) | 1 Cup | 1 Cup Tomato Sauce + 1/2 Cup Sugar + 2 Tablespoons Vinegar |
| Lemon Zest (fresh grated lemon peel) | 1 Teaspoon | 1/2 Teaspoon of Lemon Extract |
| Marshmallows, miniature | 1 Cup | 10 Large Marshmallows |
| Mayonnaise (for use in salads and dressings) | 1 Cup | Option 1 – 1 Cup of Sour Cream
Option 2 – 1 Cup of Plain Yogurt Option 3 – 1 Cup of Cottage Cheese pureed in a blender Option 4 – A combination of the ingredients above |
| Mustard, dry (in cooked mixtures) | 1 Teaspoon | 1 Tablespoon prepared mustard |
| Onion | 1 small or 1/4 Cup chopped fresh onion | 1 Tablespoon instant minced onion; check label for specific directions |
| Pasta (substituting one for another) | 4 Cups (cooked) | Option 1 – 8 ounces of uncooked elbow macaroni, medium shells, rotini, twists, spirals, wagon wheels, bow ties, mostaccioli, penne, radiatore, rigatoni, spaghetti, angel hair, linguine, vermicelli, and fettuccine all produce about 4 cups cooked pasta
Option 2 –Use about twice as many uncooked egg noodles to provide 4 cups of cooked pasta. Approximately 8 ounces of uncooked egg noodles equal 2 ½ cups of cooked noodles. |
| Pumpkin Pie Spice | 1 Teaspoon | 1/2 Teaspoon of Cinnamon + 1/4 Teaspoon of Ground Ginger + 1/8 Teaspoon of Ground Allspice + 1/8 Teaspoon of Ground Nutmeg |
| Rice | Any Amount | Most rice products will substitute for each other on a fairly equal basis in recipes, but the cooking time and amount of liquid will vary. Learn more about cooking rice. |
| Rum | Any Amount | 1 part rum extract + 3 parts water. For example 1/4 Cup rum = 1 tablespoon of rum extract + 3 tablespoons water |
| Sugar, Confectioners or Powdered Sugar | 1 Cup | 1 Cup Granulated Sugar + 1 Tablespoon of Cornstarch; process in a food processor using the metal blade attachment until it is well blended and powdery. |
| Tomato Juice | 1 Cup | 1 1/2 Cup Tomato Sauce + 1/2 Cup Water |
| Tomato Soup | 10 3/4 Ounce Can | 1 Cup Tomato Sauce + 1/4 Cup of Water |
| Wine, red | Any Amount | Same amount of grape juice or cranberry juice |
| Wine, white | Any Amount | The Same amount of apple juice or white grape juice |
| Yeast, compressed | 2/3 Ounce | Option 1 – 1 package (1/4 ounce or 1 1/4 Teaspoons) active dry yeast |
