Cooking Substitutes
Isn’t it frustrating to start a recipe, only to realize you're missing an important ingredient?
Here is a useful list of substitutes for some of the more common ingredients:
| Category | Ingredient | Quantity | Substitute |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baking | Cornstarch | 1 tablespoon | 2 tablespoons all purpose flour |
| Cake Flour | 1 cup | 1 cup all purpose flour minus 2 tablespoons | |
| Self Rising Flour | 1 cup | 1 cup all purpose flour minus 2 teaspoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt | |
| Flour for thickening | 2 tablespoons | 1 tablespoon cornstarch | |
| Baking Powder | 1 teaspoon | 1/2 teaspoon cream tartar plus 1/4 teaspoon baking soda | |
| Dairy | Whole Milk | 1 cup | 2/3 cup 1 percent milk plus 1/2 cup half and half or 7/8 skim milk plus 1/8 heavy cream |
| Half and Half | 1 cup | 3/4 cup whole milk plus 1/4 heavy cream or 2/3 cup skim (or low fat) milk plus 1/3 heavy cream | |
| Sour Cream | 1 cup | 1 cup plain yogurt | |
| Ricotta Cheese | 1 cup | 1 cup cottage cheese plus 1 tablespoon skim milk | |
| Yogurt | 1 cup | 1 cup buttermilk | |
| Buttermilk | 1 cup | 1 cup of milk plus 1 tablespoon of either lemon juice or white vinegar | |
| Sweeteners | Honey | 1 cup | 1 cup maple syrup or 1 cup light or dark corn syrup |
| Brown Sugar | 1 cup | 3/4 cup sugar plus 1/4 cup molasses | |
| Confectioners Sugar | 1 cup | 1 cup granulated sugar plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch - process in a blender until powdery | |
| Corn Syrup | 1 cup | 1 cup granulated sugar plus 1/4 cup water | |
| Acidity | Lemon Juice | 1 teaspoon | 1/2 teaspoon vinegar |
| Apple Cider Vinegar | 1/4 cup | 1/4 cup white vinegar | |
| Balsamic Vinegar | 1 tablespoon | 1 tablespoon sherry or cider vinegar | |
| Cocoa and Chocolate | Unsweetened Chocolate | 1 ounce | 1 tablespoon cocoa plus 1 tablespoon butter |
| Semi-sweet Chocolate | 1 square | 3 tablespoons chocolate chips or 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate plus 1 tablespoon sugar | |
| Dutch Process Cocoa | 3 tablespoons | 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa plus 1/8 teaspoon baking soda | |
| Seasonings | Fresh Herbs | 1 tablespoon | 1 teaspoon dried herbs |
| Fresh Ginger - grated | 1 tablespoon | 1 teaspoon dried ground ginger | |
| Dried Mustard | 1 teaspoon | 1 tablespoon prepared mustard | |
| Prepared Mustard | 1 tablespoon | 1 teaspoon dried mustard mixed with 1 tablespoon water | |
| Miscellaneous | Capers | 1 tablespoon | 1 tablespoon chopped green olives |
| Meat, Poultry or Vegetable Stock | 1 cup | Stock flavors are interchangeable but check for seasonings. Water can also be used. | |
| Orange | 1 orange | 1/4 cup orange juice |