Baking Basics: Common Baking Substitutions
Baking Basics is back!
A few weeks ago I asked for feedback on what you would like to see featured in future Baking Basics installments, and the response was overwhelming – you wanted substitutions! While I am always a staunch advocate of cooking or baking a recipe exactly as written the first time through before attempting substitutions, I know that sometimes life can throw you a curveball. Maybe your grocery store is already closed and you need to make something for the next morning, or you’re stuck at home in a snowstorm and are just dying to bake something. Life happens!
SO, today I’m sharing with you some of the most common and helpful baking substitutions. Please note that while these will work most of the time, it’s totally possible (likely, even) that using any of these could result in slightly altered taste/texture of your baked goods. If there are substitutions not listed here that you are interested in, leave a comment below and I’ll add them!
Happy Baking! xo
Common Baking Substitutions
Baking Powder
1 teaspoon baking powder = ¼ teaspoon baking soda + ½ teaspoon cream of tartar + ¼ teaspoon cornstarch
Baking Soda
½ teaspoon baking soda = 2 teaspoon baking powder
Butter
1 cup salted butter = 1 cup margarine
1 cup salted butter = 1 cup vegetable shortening + ½ teaspoon salt
1 cup salted butter = 7/8 cup lard + ½ teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter = 1 cup salted butter = 1 cup vegetable shortening = 1 cup lard *minus* ½ teaspoon salt from recipe
Buttermilk
1 cup buttermilk = 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar + enough milk to make 1 cup. Let stand for 5 minutes
1 cup buttermilk = 1 cup plain yogurt
Cake Flour
1 cup cake flour = ¾ cup sifted all-purpose flour + 2 tablespoons cornstarch
Chocolate
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate = 3 tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa powder + 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, vegetable oil or shortening
Cocoa Powder
3 tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa powder = 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate + reduce fat in recipe by 1 tablespoon
3 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder = 3 tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa powder + ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
Eggs
1 egg = ¼ cup applesauce
1 egg = 1 tablespoons ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons water
1 egg = ¼ cup silken tofu pureed
1 egg = 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 egg = ½ banana mashed with ½ teaspoon baking powder
Half-and-Half
1 cup half-and-half = ½ cup whole milk + ½ cup heavy cream
Lyle’s Golden Syrup
1 cup Lyle’s Golden Syrup = 1 cup light molasses
1 cup Lyle’s Golden Syrup = 1 cup light corn syrup
Milk
1 cup whole milk = ½ cup evaporated milk + ½ cup water
1 cup whole milk = 1 cup skim milk + 2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine
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Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice = ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon + ¼ teaspoon ground ginger + 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice + 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Sour Cream
1 cup sour cream = 1 cup plain yogurt
Vanilla Beans
1 vanilla bean = 2½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Vegetable Oil
1 cup vegetable oil = 1 cup applesauce = 1 cup fruit puree
Vegetable Shortening
1 cup vegetable shortening = 1 cup butter
1 cup vegetable shortening = 1 cup margarine
Yeast
1 envelope (¼-ounce) active dry yeast = 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
1 envelope (¼-ounce) active dry yeast = 2¼ teaspoons rapid-rise yeast
1 envelope (¼-ounce) active dry yeast = ⅓ of a 2-ounce cake yeast
Additional Requests?
If there are other substitution questions you have not listed above, leave them in a comment below and I’ll update this page as I answer them!
BAKE ON!
Check out more posts in the Baking Basics series:
5 Mistakes to Avoid When Preparing a Recipe
Flour 101: The Definitive Guide to the Different Types of Baking Flours
Cocoa Powder 101: Natural Unsweetened vs Dutch-Process
Baking Soda vs. Baking Powder: Everything You Need to Know!
This is exactly what I’m looking for. Thank you so much for sharing these baking substitutions!
what can I use in place of lemon juice in a peach recipe ?
what I use to replace lemon juice in a peach cobbler ?
Hi Linda, You could use lime juice or even pineapple juice!
Do you have substitutions for liquor?
Hi Diana, It honestly depends on the type of recipe that the liquor is being used in. Most cases, it can be omitted as long as it’s not a large amount, but in things like pie crust or ice cream, it does play a specific role.
Do you have substitutes for sugar? I know Splenda is one but do I use the same amount of Splenda as the recipe calls for sugar? I’m having a house guest coming who is a diabetic. Thanks
Hi LaVerne, I typically don’t substitute for sugar, but I do believe that you can make a 1:1 substitution using Splenda.
This list has been so very helpful. Today’s magic fix was turning skim milk into fuller fat milk with butter. My husband and I are making salted caramel pecan bourbon ice cream and fuller fat milk goes a long way in magical ice cream. :)
As an expatriate sometimes we cannot find all ingredients described in the recipes. This list is so useful: thank you very much! (plus sometimes you totally run out of eggs…)
What are substitutes for liquor.
Thank you.
I would love a non dairy substitute for powdered milk.
Hi!
In Cake Flour substitution, is potato starch and corn starch interchangeable?
I usually keep potato stach in hand.
Thank you for the common baking substitutions, they will definitely help a lot in my baking.
Hi Kin, They are not totally the same, but for the application of the cake flour substitute, I think it would be okay (but I’ve never tried it!).
I sometimes use mayonnaise as an egg substitute in recipes, especially my fudge cake and pound cake recipes. 1/4 cup per each egg. Really leaves a wonderful taste and texture. Love your blog.
Great list! Another handy really simple substitute for buttermilk is a 1:1 ratio of sour cream to milk – 1 cup buttermilk = 1/2 cup sour cream+1/2 cup milk (stir well).
I’m allergic to dairy, so I usually end up substituting a lot. Some tricks I’ve used:
1 cup milk = 1 cup water + 1 tbsp sugar
1 cup cream cheese = 1 cup vegan cream cheese (minus about 2 tbsp liquid from the recipe)
I almost always use butter-flavored Crisco sticks 1:1 for butter
Thanks for the other tricks!
Great Post! Does anyone have a substitute for poultry seasoning?
Hi Barbara, There are a ton of recipes online, here is one from The Kitchn:
http://www.thekitchn.com/from-the-spice-cupboard-poultr-131895
1 tablespoon ground sage
1 tablespoon ground thyme
1 tablespoon ground marjoram
1 teaspoon ground rosemary
1 teaspoon crushed celery seed
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
I’d like to know the substitution of oil to butter. I make the Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe using 2/3 c. Oil to the 1 c. Butter called for. I think it’s more heart healthy. Have you tried substituting oil for butter? It seems a little less oil works out better than substitution one for one.v
Hi Karen, I never make this substitution, just because I’d rather have a buttery cookie than an oily one! I wouldn’t typically recommend the substitution unless the butter is melted in the recipe, as you’ll then be introducing more liquid into the recipe than intended.
My daughter has a dairy (and egg) allergy and so I always sub coconut oil for butter. I don’t do it where the butter needs to be creamed with sugar bc coconut oil has such a low melting point that it won’t achieve the right consistency, but have tons of luck in muffins, pancakes, and waffles! Also another egg sub is a chia egg (1 tbsp chia to 3 tbsp water) and I know aquafaba, which is whipped chickpea juice, is becoming popular as an egg white sub but I haven’t tried it yet myself!
This is really handy! What about substituting oil for butter?
It depends on the recipe and the oil. If it calls for melted butter, I almost always sub veggie oil. I’ve used coconut oil in place of butter in cookies and they turned out very flat.
Hi Agos, Ditto Reina – if the butter is melted, you should be able to sub oil without an issue since you’re going liquid for liquid. However, if the butter is creamed into sugar, you’ll have a harder time since oil will contribute more liquid to the recipe than intended.
I love these posts that I call helpful hints. Baking can be intimidating to many of us. It is the science of it all that gets me. So when you take the time to break the intimidation down, provide substitutions and explain why you do things a certain way (like eggs and butter being a room temperature), it helps give me confidence to try many of your recipes. So thank you and please keep it up.
What a great list to keep on hand!
Kari
http://sweetteasweetie.com/coconut-shrimp/
So helpful. Thank you! As another reader commented, would love to see a blog post on baking pans. If a recipe tells me to use a 9×13, and all my metal pans are occupied with treats, I always wonder if using a glass/pyrex dish will change the consistency of a recipe vs. using a metal pan. I have also researched cookie sheets… and have gone through sooo many different types and brands… insulated air cookie sheets, darker non-stick, light metal with edges… still have yet to try silicone! Thanks again for your great blog site and wonderful recipes!
Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 cup dry (powdered) milk
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup boiling water
3 T melted butter
Combine in blender until smooth. Makes 14 oz.
Thank you SO much for posting these baking substitutions!
Your the best!
Omg love love love this post! Especially the egg and butter substitutions since I bake vegan treats!
http://www.sprinklesandsaturdays.com
These are really helpful!
One thing to consider when substituting shortening for butter is that butter is only around 80-85% fat and up to 16% water. This moisture makes a big difference when baking cookies and cakes. Consider taking away 2 tbsp of the shortening, and adding 2 tbsp of milk to make the ratios more similar to butter.
Love these suggestions for substitutions! I had no idea you could sub flaxseed for an egg, but I’m definitely going to keep that in mind the next time I’m an egg short :) I love the yogurt for sour cream too, that one is awesome!
Whoever said you cannot teach an old dog new tricks was wrong. At 73, I’m still learning things from you and pass them on to my children and friends. Thank you for your common sense approach to cooking!
This is such a useful and interesting post. I’d love to see a post on pan size conversions. I tried to do a simple one recently and doubled a recipe but it didn’t quite work :(
Hi Laura, Thanks for the suggestion, I will definitely add that one to the list!
Boy! The baking powder & baking soda substitutions really surprised me! As did the egg subs. Great info for sure.
Here’s one I used just this past weekend. It’s for the Nestle’s pre-melted chocolate that they no longer make (I think it’s also called Choco Bake, which may be a different product??) For the 1 oz packet of pre-melted chocolate, use 1 T. shortening, melted + 3 T. cocoa powder.
Thank you for this! I have a chocolate frosting recipe I love that uses those chocolate packets!
The post above should read thank you and not think you. Sorry.
Think you so much for these substitutions, especially the cake flour and the butter milk. Have a bless day.
I love these posts! :)
Are arrowroot powder and cornstarch interchangeable? I usually only keep arrowroot in hand.
Hi Odille, From what I’ve read, not exactly if you’re using it as a thickener. They should both thicken fine when combined with water, but cornstarch is a better option for thickening a dairy-based sauce (arrowroot becomes slimy when mixed with milk products). If you want to thicken an acidic liquid (pie filling!), arrowroot does a better job, as cornstarch loses potency when combined with acidic ingredients.
Brown Sugar
1 cup Sugar
1 Tablespoon Molasses
Put in a bowl and stir with a fork and some elbow grease.
Less than 5 minutes you will have brown sugar.