Missing an ingredient? Substitute what you have
When cooking or baking at home, few things can prove as frustrating as preparing a dish only to realize you’re missing a key item from the ingredients list.
Such realizations often force cooks to stop what they’re doing and make emergency trips to a nearby grocery store. That can delay dinner time or make cooks feel rushed when they ultimately return from the store. But what if there was a way to substitute ingredients without risking flavor? Thankfully, there is.
According to AllRecipes.com, cooks can easily make their own ingredient substitutions if they suddenly realize they’re missing an item listed in a recipe and don’t want to run to the store. But many substitutions won’t be direct, meaning 1 tablespoon of a particular ingredient will not always translate to 1 tablespoon of a substitute ingredient. The following substitution guide, courtesy of AllRecipes.com, can help cooks overcome the last-minute surprises regarding missing ingredients.
Ingredient: Allspice
Amount: 1 teaspoon
Substitute: ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ginger and ¼ teaspoon cloves
Ingredient: Baking Powder
Amount: 1 teaspoon
Substitute: ¼ teaspoon baking soda plus ½ teaspoon of cream tartar OR ¼ teaspoon baking soda plus ½ cup buttermilk (decrease liquid in recipe by ½ cup)
Ingredient: Bread crumbs
Amount: 1 cup
Substitute: 1 cup cracker crumbs OR 1 cup matzo meal OR 1 cup ground oats
Ingredient: Brown sugar
Amount: I cup, packed
Substitute: 1 cup white sugar plus ¼ cup molasses and decrease the liquid in the recipe by ¼ cup OR 1 cup white sugar OR 1¼ cup confectioners’ sugar
Ingredient: Butter (salted)
Amount: 1 cup
Substitute: I cup margarine OR 1 cup shortening plus ½ teaspoon salt OR 7/8 cup vegetable oil plus ½ teaspoon salt OR 7/8 cup lard plus ½ teaspoon salt
Ingredient: Butter (unsalted)
Amount: 1 cup
Substitute: 1 cup shortening OR 7/8 cup vegetable oil OR 7/8 cup lard
Ingredient: Cocoa
Amount: 1/4 cup
Substitute: 1 1-ounce square unsweetened chocolate
Ingredient: Corn syrup
Amount: 1 cup
Substitute: 1¼ cup white sugar plus 1/3 cup water OR 1 cup honey OR 1 cup light treacle syrup
Ingredient: Egg
Amount: 1 whole (3 tablespoons or 1.7 ounces)
Substitute: 2 ½ tablespoons of powdered egg substitute plus 2 ½ tablespoons water OR ¼ cup liquid egg substitute OR ¼ cup silken tofu pureed OR 3 tablespoons mayonnaise OR half a banana mashed with ½ teaspoon baking powder OR 1 tablespoon powdered flax seed soaked in 3 tablespoons water
Ingredient: Garlic
Amount: 1 clove
Substitute: 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder OR ½ teaspoon granulated garlic OR ½ teaspoon garlic salt (reduce salt in recipe)
Ingredient: Honey
Amount: 1 cup
Substitute: 11/4 cup white sugar plus 1/3 cup water OR 1 cup corn syrup OR 1 cup light treacle syrup
Ingredient: Lemon juice
Amount: 1 teaspoon
Substitute: ½ teaspoon vinegar OR 1 teaspoon white wine OR 1 teaspoon lime juice
Ingredient: Lime juice
Amount: 1 teaspoon
Substitute: 1 teaspoon vinegar OR 1 teaspoon white wine OR 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Ingredient: Mayonnaise
Amount: 1 cup
Substitute: 1 cup sour cream OR 1 cup plain yogurt
Ingredient: Onion
Amount: 1 cup, chopped
Substitute: 1 cup chopped green onions OR 1 cup chopped shallots OR 1 cup chopped leeks OR ¼ cup dried minced onion OR ¼ cup onion powder
Ingredient: Semisweet chocolate chips
Amount: 1 cup
Substitute: 1 cup chocolate candies OR 1 cup peanut butter or other flavored chips OR 1 cup chopped nuts OR 1 cup chopped dried fruit
Ingredient: Shortening
Amount: 1 cup
Substitute: 1 cup butter OR 1 cup margarine minus ½ teaspoon salt from recipe
Ingredient: Stock – beef or chicken
Amount: 1 cup
Substitute: 1 cube beef or chicken bouillon dissolved in 1 cup water
Ingredient: Vegetable oil (for baking)
Amount: 1 cup
Substitute: 1 cup applesauce OR 1 cup fruit puree
Ingredient: Vegetable oil (for frying)
Amount: 1 cup
Substitute: 1 cup lard OR 1 cup vegetable shortening