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Missing an ingredient? Substitute what you have

5 min read
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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

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