Common Baking Substitutions You Can Make If You Don't Have One Ingredient
Few things are more frustrating than realizing you're out of one key ingredient while getting ready to bake something delicious. Whether you can't head out to the store to grab that item or you simply can't find it anywhere, you may be tempted to scrap the entire recipe and move onto something else. But you don't always have to do that! It's totally possible that you can make a quick and easy baking substitution with something you do already have in your pantry or fridge.
It's possible that some of these substitutions might change the end result just a little bit, but chances are good you won't even notice. These are great to keep in mind whether you don't have something you need or you have food allergies or intolerances that make it hard to navigate most recipes you find online. Here are a few of the most common baking substitutions you can make, including the best substitutions for baking powder, buttermilk, and heavy cream.
A quick way to create brown sugar on your own is to mix 1 cup of white sugar with 1 tablespoon of maple syrup or molasses.
If you have light brown sugar, but need dark brown sugar, you can add 1 tablespoon of molasses to a cup of light brown sugar. Light and brown can also basically be interchangeable if you don't have molasses.
There are several substitutions for baking powder, which is a combination of baking soda and acid. Here are several options:
Combine 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar, and 1/4 teaspoon cornstarch.
Combine 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda.
Combine 1/4 cup of molasses and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda.
Combine 1/2 teaspoon vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda.
Combine 1/2 cup buttermilk and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda. Reduce the other liquids in the recipe by 1/2 cup to maintain the correct consistency.
Buttermilk is, fortunately, easy to substitute with items you likely already have. To create one cup of buttermilk, mix 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup of milk. Let it sit for about five minutes before using.
In a pinch, you can also substitute 1 cup of buttermilk with 1 cup of plain yogurt, although this may change the consistency of your recipe.
Vanilla bean isn't always very easy to find and can also be quite pricey. If you don't have it in your spice cabinet, you're not alone. Easily make 1 vanilla bean by using 2 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract.
Cornstarch is a super fine powder and is often used as a thickener when using it for baking. There are a few substitution options:
Use all-purpose flour in place of cornstarch at a 3 to 1 ratio (example: 3 tablespoons of flour is equivalent to 1 tablespoon of cornstarch).
Substitute arrowroot on an even basis.
Use 2 tablespoons of rice flour for every 1 tablespoon of cornstarch.
Semisweet baking chocolate is often used in recipes like brownies and truffles. Don't confuse it with semisweet chocolate chips—semisweet baking chocolate is sold as a bar divided into squares and is made with more cocoa butter than chips, which makes it melt better than chips. This is why chips are not a great substitute for semisweet baking chocolate, even if they seem the same.
Instead, combine 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons sugar, and 2 teaspoons melted butter, melted shortening, or vegetable oil. This will create 1 ounce of semisweet chocolate.
In a pinch, you can substitute an equal amount of bittersweet baking chocolate for semisweet. This may make the recipe come out less sweet, so compensate by adding a little extra sugar.
Cake flour is a very fine and delicate flour that produces a super tender texture (you might use this in something like an angel food cake, which is very light). You can't substitute all-purpose flour for cake flour and expect the same results.
Instead, mix 3/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour with 2 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot powder. Sift them together to create that fine texture of cake flour.
Heavy cream is the high-fat part of milk that makes everything it's used in taste more decadent and creamy. If you don't have it, there's a fix.
You can melt 1/4 cup butter, then mix it with 3/4 cup regular or skim milk. This will create a pretty good substitute, however, it's not going to work if you're making whipped cream, as it won't whip correctly.
Cream of tartar is basically like a powdered acid that is often used as a stabilizer in baking. Because it's an acidic, it's easy to replace. The best way to substitute it is with freshly squeeze lemon juice: use 1 teaspoon lemon juice for every 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar. If you don't have any lemons, use white vinegar.
Honey is fairly easy to substitute when baking as it's basically just a sweetener. There are a few options:
Mix 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar with 1/4 cup water to create 1/4 cup or 4 tablespoons of honey.
Use equal amounts of agave, brown rice syrup, maple syrup, or even molasses in place of honey.
Sour cream is used often when baking (and cooking!), and is fairly simple to substitute. Here are some options:
Add 1/4 cup vinegar or lemon juice to plain yogurt, mix together.
Use 1 cup of plain yogurt in place of 1 cup of sour cream.
Mix 1 cup of heavy whipping cream or milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, although this may slightly change the consistency of the recipe.
Use equal amount of buttermilk to sour cream, although, again, this is much thinner and may change the consistency.
Baking soda is actually an ingredient in baking powder, so you can easily use baking powder instead - you'll just use a lot of it. You'll need to use three times the amount of baking powder to baking soda. So, for example, 3 teaspoons of baking powder equals 1 teaspoon of baking soda.
There are several ways to substitute butter, whether it's because of a dairy allergy or because you don't have any.
You can replace 1 cup of butter with 1/2 cup buttermilk, 1 cup margarine, and 1 cup vegetable shortening with 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Non-dairy substitutions for 1 cup of butter include 1 mashed avocado, 1/2 cup applesauce, 1/2 cup pumpkin puree, 3/4 cup vegetable oil, or 1 cup coconut oil. Keep in mind these all may alter the taste of your recipe.
Mascarpone cheese is a fresh cheese that is often referred to as the Italian version of cream cheese. So, does this mean you can use cream cheese in place of mascarpone? Not exactly. Try these options instead:
Mix 8 ounces softened cream cheese with 1/4 cup whipping cream.
Mix 8 ounces softened full-fat cream cheese with 1/4 cup softened butter and 1/4 cup cream.
Mix 8 ounces softened full-fat cream cheese with 1/4 cup heavy cream and 2 tablespoons softened unsalted butter.
Mix 8 ounces softened cream cheese with 1/8 cup whipping cream and 1/8 cup sour cream.
Half and half is an equal mix of whole milk and light cream, hence the name. It isn't as rich as heavy whipping cream, but it is more rich and decadent than regular milk.
Simply make your own half and half by mixing 1/2 cup whole milk with 1/2 cup heavy cream.
You can also try melting 1/4 cup butter into 3/4 cup whole milk, although this may change the taste a bit.
Powdered sugar is very easy to make on your own. You can put regular sugar into a food processor and grind it until it's the same consistency as powdered sugar.
Vegetable oil is a neutral oil made from extracting the oils from seeds or parts of fruit. There are several easy substitutions you can make, some of which will actually make your recipe healthier. Use these on a 1 to 1 ratio (in other words, 1 cup olive oil equals 1 cup vegetable oil). Instead of vegetable oil, you can use olive oil, avocado oil, melted butter, flaxseed oil, apple sauce, coconut oil, ghee, fruit puree, or even yogurt.
Common Baking Substitutions You Can Make If You Don't Have One Ingredient
Few things are more frustrating than realizing you're out of one key ingredient while getting ready to bake something delicious. Whether you can't head out to the store to grab that item or you simply can't find it anywhere, you may be tempted to scrap the entire recipe and move onto something else. But you don't always have to do that! It's totally possible that you can make a quick and easy baking substitution with something you do already have in your pantry or fridge.
It's possible that some of these substitutions might change the end result just a little bit, but chances are good you won't even notice. These are great to keep in mind whether you don't have something you need or you have food allergies or intolerances that make it hard to navigate most recipes you find online. Here are a few of the most common baking substitutions you can make, including the best substitutions for baking powder, buttermilk, and heavy cream.
Exactly how to make do with what's in your pantry.
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