Baking Ingredient Substitutions

We have all done it. You have started to bake a recipe only to find you don't have the right ingredient.  You have to decide, do I stop everything and go to the store, or turn the oven off and toss your halfway made recipe away.  Chances are there are Baking Ingredient Substitutions so you can finish making your recipe.

Using the called-for ingredients in a recipe is always the best option but here are some of my favorite baking substitutions that will help you in a pinch so you can finish your recipe.

Here you will find common baking substitutions like

• What can you use to substitute milk in a recipe
• I am out of eggs, what can I substitute instead
• Is there a substitution for brown sugar in a recipe
• There are alternative ingredients for sour cream, chocolate even molasses

Trust me, I have used most of these substitutions because it is just impossible to always have what I need, especially when other people in my house are cooking and baking too and they use the last stick of butter!!! Or, you just don't keep heavy cream on hand.

The solution is a substitution

Baking Ingredient Substitution Chart

Baking Powder

1 teaspoon = ¼ teaspoon baking soda + ½ teaspoon cream of tartar

Baking Soda

½ teaspoon baking soda = 2 teaspoon baking powder

Bread Crumbs

1 cup = 1 cup of cracker crumbs, cornflake crumbs, or rolled oats

Butter

½ cup unsalted butter = ½ cup salted butter then reduce the salt in the recipe by ¼ teaspoon

Also, can use Coconut oil, unsweetened applesauce

Dairy/Milk

Buttermilk

1 cup buttermilk = 1 cup of plain yogurt

Or 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar + enough milk to make 1 cup. Let stand for 5 minutes

Evaporated Whole Milk

1 cup = 1 cup of half-and-half

Half and Half

1 cup half and half = ½ cup whole milk + ½ cup heavy cream

Heavy Cream

1 cup heavy cream = ⅞ cup half and half + ⅛ cup melted butter

or ¾ cup milk + ⅓ cup melted butter

or ½ cup whole milk + ½ cup plain Greek yogurt

Chocolate

1 ounce unsweetened chocolate = 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder + 1 tablespoon unsalted butter or vegetable oil

Cocoa Powder

¼ cup cocoa powder (unsweetened)= 1-ounce unsweetened chocolate + reduce the fat in the recipe by 1 tablespoon

Corn Starch

1 tablespoon corn starch = 1 ½ tablespoons flour 

Corn Syrup

1 cup corn syrup = 1 ¼ cup white sugar + ⅓ cup water

Cream of Tartar

1 teaspoon = 2 teaspoons of white vinegar or lemon juice

Eggs

Use ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce + ½ teaspoon baking powder, if you only have sweetened applesauce reduce the sugar in the recipe

Use ¼ cup of vegetable oil in place of 1 egg

Mash a banana to make ¼ cup - this will also make your baked goods have a slight banana flavor

Mix 2 tablespoon water + 1 teaspoon vegetable oil + 2 teaspoon baking powder together to replace 1 egg

Flours –

Bread Flour

Substitute bread flour one to one with all-purpose flour

Because of the protein levels in bread flour are different than all-purpose flour you baked product will be chewier and denser

Cake Flour

1 cup of cake flour = ¾ sifted all-purpose flour + 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Pastry flour

1 cup = ½ cup all-purpose flour +  ½ cup cake flour

Self-Rising Flour

1 cup self-rising flour = 1 cup all-purpose flour plus 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder and ¼ teaspoon salt

Flour (whole wheat)

 1 cup = ⅞ cup of all-purpose flour and 2 tablespoons of wheat germ

Honey

 Substitute agave nectar, maple syrup or corn syrup

Lemon Juice

1 teaspoon lemon juice = ½ teaspoon vinegar

or 1 teaspoon white wine

or 1 teaspoon lime juice

Marshmallow Cream

 1 ounce = 3 melted marshmallows

Molasses

 1 cup = 1 cup of dark corn syrup, or ¾ cup of brown sugar and 1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Pumpkin Pie Spice

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice = ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon + ¼ teaspoon ground ginger + ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice + ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Sugars

Dark Brown Sugar
1 cup Dark Brown Sugar = 1 tablespoon molasses + 1 cup white sugar

or 1 tablespoon molasses + 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

Powdered Sugar

1 cup powdered sugar = 1 cup granulated sugar + 1 tablespoon cornstarch, blend until fine in a blender

White Sugar

1 cup White Sugar = 1 cup brown sugar

or 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar

or ¾ cup honey

or ¾ cup corn syrup

Sour Cream

1 cup sour cream = 1 cup plain yogurt

or 1 cup of whole milk mixed with a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar

Vanilla Beans

1 vanilla bean = 2 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Vegetable Oil for use in baking

 1 cup = 1 cup of applesauce or 1 cup of vegetable shortening

Vinegar

1 teaspoon vinegar = 1 teaspoon lemon or lime juice or 2 teaspoons white wine

½ cup =   ⅔ cup of lemon juice or ½ cup of white wine

Yogurt (plain)

 1 cup = 1 cup of sour cream or buttermilk

I hope this baking substitution list is helpful, and if you have any substitution that I have not listed let leave me a comment so I can add it. There is always something new.

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About Jere’

From learning to cook on a farm in Indiana to culinary school in California,  my passion for food is never-ending.  Turning on my oven to bake something for friends and family is my happy place, and I am glad to be here at One Hot Oven sharing both sweet and savory recipes with all my baking friends.

Have any questions or just want to chat about the recipe? Contact me here, and I’ll be happy to help!