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Common Cooking Substitutions Guide

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🍳 Common Cooking Substitutions Guide

The purpose of a cooking substitutions guide is to give you the freedom of flexibility — instead of rushing out to the store, you can feel confident using the next best ingredient. The final appearance, taste, and texture may be altered (especially in baking), but combining these suggestions with your own intuition may make something even better than the original recipe.

🧁 Baking Essentials

Ingredient

Substitution

1 tsp Baking Powder

¼ tsp baking soda + ½ tsp cream of tartar + ¼ tsp cornstarch

1 cup All-Purpose Flour

½ cup bread flour + ½ cup cake flour

1 tsp Allspice

¾ tsp ground cinnamon + a pinch of ground cloves + a pinch of grated nutmeg

1 tbsp Cornstarch (sauces/puddings)

1 to 1½ tbsp arrowroot, 2 tsp potato starch, or 2 tsp rice flour

1 tbsp Cornstarch (breading/frying)

3 tbsp all-purpose flour

Cream of Tartar

Lemon juice

Crème Fraîche

Sour cream or Greek yogurt

🥛 Dairy Substitutions

Ingredient

Substitution

1 cup Buttermilk

1 tbsp white vinegar + 1 cup milk; OR 1 tbsp lemon juice + 1 cup milk; OR ¾ cup yogurt + ¼ cup milk; OR ¾ cup sour cream + ¼ cup milk

1 cup Milk

½ cup water + ½ cup heavy cream — heavy cream is essentially just milk with the water removed, so this substitution works perfectly

Sour Cream

Due to their similar consistencies and tangy flavors, Greek yogurt works as the perfect substitution for sour cream. Use a 1:1 ratio and continue making the recipe according to the original instructions.

Cream Cheese

Neufchâtel; or pureed and strained cottage cheese or ricotta mixed with a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon

Coconut Milk

Mix 2½ cups of water with 2 cups of unsweetened shredded coconut, boil, cool, blend, and strain

🥚 Egg Substitutions

Ingredient

Substitution

1 Egg (in baked goods)

3 tbsp mayonnaise, 2½ tbsp powdered egg substitute + water, or half a mashed banana with ½ tsp baking powder

1 Egg (flax alternative)

1 tbsp ground flax mixed with 3 tbsp warm water replaces one egg in the batter

🧈 Fats & Oils

Ingredient

Substitution

1 cup Butter

Substitute butter for oil at a ratio of 1 cup butter to ⅞ cups oil. This works for both salted and unsalted butter. Margarine and shortening can also be substituted at the same ratio.

Oil (in baking)

Applesauce can substitute for oil in a 1:1 ratio — if the recipe calls for 1 cup of oil for baking, use 1 cup of applesauce.

Butter/Margarine (on toast)

Apple sauce, Greek yogurt, or roasted garlic mixed with olive oil

🍬 Sweeteners

Ingredient

Substitution

Light/Dark Corn Syrup (baking)

Honey, agave, brown rice syrup, cane syrup, maple syrup, or golden syrup. Alternatively, for 1 cup light corn syrup, combine 1 cup sugar and ¼ cup hot water.

Maple Syrup

You can make a substitute in a pinch with brown sugar, water, lemon juice, and cinnamon.

Sugar (in cooking/baking)

Pureed fruit can substitute for sugar in cooking and baking. Keep frozen purees on hand so they're as convenient as the sugar bowl.

Honey (as binder)

If honey is used for stickiness or binding (e.g., no-bake oatmeal bites), substitute with another "sticky" sweetener such as molasses or possibly maple syrup.

🌿 Herbs & Spices

Ingredient

Substitution

1 tbsp Fresh Herbs

Use 1 tsp dried herbs

Warm Spices (cinnamon, cardamom, apple pie spice)

Many of the warmer spices can confidently stand in for each other

Savory Spices (cumin, paprika, chili powder)

The more pungent and savory ones (think cumin, paprika, and chili powder) can stand in for each other

Tender Herbs (basil, parsley, tarragon)

Tender and leafy herb varieties are vastly interchangeable, as are woody herbs (rosemary, thyme, oregano)

Salt

Use herbs and spices instead of salt, or put lemon wedges on the table — a squeeze of lemon brings a bright zing so the salt won't be missed

🍅 Pantry & Sauce Substitutions

Ingredient

Substitution

1 tbsp Tomato Paste

3 tbsp tomato puree or tomato sauce (optionally reduce to thicken)

Cornstarch (as thickener)

Substitute flour for cornstarch using twice the amount — e.g., if the recipe requires 1 tbsp of cornstarch, use 2 tbsp of flour

Apple Cider Vinegar

Lemon juice, unseasoned rice vinegar, or white wine vinegar

Worcestershire Sauce

Fish sauce, soy sauce, or sherry vinegar

Soy Sauce

Tamari or liquid aminos are very good substitutes for soy sauce

🥩 Meat Substitutions

Ingredient

Substitution

Ground Beef

Ground bison, ground turkey, ground chicken, ground pork, or ground lamb

Chicken Breast

Chicken tenders, chicken thighs, ground chicken, pork chops, turkey cutlets, or white fish (cod or halibut)

Beef Roasts (round or chuck)

Beef stew meat, pork shoulder, or whole chicken

💡 General Tips

  • When substituting, think about what role the original ingredient plays in the dish — consider the amount, taste, texture, and even cooking time.

  • In general, with notable exceptions of baking and thickening agents, substituting ingredients that are like another item is usually a safe bet — the flavors might differ but the dish will probably be a success.

  • Your final product made with the substituted ingredient may differ slightly from the original, but it will still be acceptable in flavor, texture, and appearance.

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