Food Substitutions
Here are some useful substitutions for common food ingredients in case you're ever stuck in a jam (we've all been there before right?). Most of these are pretty standard and we'll be adding more to the list as often as possible. As always, suggestions are welcome!
Ingredient | Amount | Substitution |
| Baking powder | 1 tsp | ¼ tsp baking soda plus ½ tsp cream of tartar |
| Buttermilk | 1 cup | 1 cup plain yogurt or 1 tbsp vinegar plus milk to equal 1 cup, or 1 tbsp lemon juice plus milk to equal 1 cup |
| Cake Flour | 1 cup | 1 cup minus 2 tbsp sifted all purpose flour |
| Chocolate | 1 ounce | 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa plus 1 tbsp butter or margarine |
| Cornstarch | 1 tbsp | 2 tbsp all purpose flour |
| Corn syrup | 2 cups | 1 cup granulated sugar |
| Cream, light | 1 cup | 1 ½ tbsp butter plus whole milk to equal 1 cup |
| Cream, whipping or heavy | 1 cup | ½ cup butter plus whole milk to equal 1 cup |
| Egg, yolk | 2 yolks | 1 whole egg (can be used for baking but not for piecrust or a sauce) |
| Egg, whole | 1 egg | 2 egg yolks (for baking, 2 egg yolks plus 1 tbsp water) OR if just one egg short for a recipe substitute 1 tsp of cornstarch |
| Garlic | 1 clove | 1 tsp chopped garlic, ½ tsp minced garlic, 1/8 tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp garlic flakes = ¼ tsp granulated garlic, ½ tsp garlic juice |
| Herbs, fresh | 1 tbsp | 1 tsp dried herbs |
| Honey | 1 cup | 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar plus ¼ cup liquid |
| Lemon juice | 1 tbsp | 1 tbsp distilled white vinegar |
| Milk, skim | 1 cup | 1/3 cup nonfat dry milk plus ¾ cup water |
| Milk, whole | 1 cup | ½ cup evaporated milk plus ½ cup water |
| Molasses | 1 cup | ¾ cup granulated sugar |
| Molasses | 1 cup | 1 cup light corn syrup (makes light coloring) |
| Mushrooms, fresh | 1 lb. | 12 ounces canned mushrooms, drained |
| Mustard, dry | 1 tsp | 1 tbsp prepared mustard |
| Sour cream | 1 cup | 3 tbsp butter plus buttermilk or yogurt to equal 1 cup |
| Sugar, brown | 1 cup | 1 cup granulated sugar |
| Sugar, granulated | 1 cup | 1 ¾ cup confectioners' sugar (do not substitute for baking) |
| Tomato juice | 3 cups | 1 ½ cups tomato sauce plus 1 ½ cups water or 1 can (6 oz. size) tomato paste plus 3 cans water, dash salt and dash sugar |
| Tomato sauce | 1 cup | 1 can (3 oz. size) tomato paste plus ½ cup water |
| Yogurt | 1 cup | 1 cup buttermilk |