Food Substitutions
If you want to make healthy food substitutions or do not have a certain ingredient available, try the following solutions. For a more complete list of substitutions, check out this site. 07/06/22
- Applesauce Substitute for Oil: If the recipe calls for 1/4 cup of oil, use 1/4 cup of applesauce (or other fruit puree) - this works well with muffins, quick breads, cakes and brownies. Pear puree is the closest match to applesauce.
- Substitute for Applesauce: Pureed apples, mashed sweet potatoes, pumpkin puree, mashed bananas, other puree fruit like pear, berry or prunes, plain Greek yogurt, or honey
- Baking Powder Substitute (1 tsp): 1/4 tsp baking soda plus 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
- Baking Soda (1 tsp): 4 tsps of Baking Powder. If recipe requires sour cream, yogurt, buttermilk, or molasses, replace it with the same amount of whole milk.
- Bisquick Substitute
1 c Flour 1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder 1 Tbsp shortening or butter
With pastry blender, mix the ingredients well until small pea-sized pebbles form. Use cup for cup in any recipe that requires Bisquick or a similar baking mix. If you wish to use Bisquick, try Bisquick Heart Smart Pancake and Baking Mix which has no partially hydrogenated oils or trans fats.
- Bread Crumbs (1 cup): 1 cup cracker crumbs, matzo meal or ground oats.
- Broth - Beef or Chicken (1 cup): 1 bouillon cube plus 1 cup boiling water OR 1 Tbsp soy sauce plus enough water for 1 cup Or 1 cup vegetable broth.
- Brown Sugar (1 cup packed): 1 cup white sugar plus 1/4 cup molasses and decrease liquid by 1/4 cup OR 1 cup white sugar OR 1 1/4 cups confectioners sugar.
- Butter - Salted (1 cup): 1 cup margarine OR 1 cup shortening plus 1/2 tsp salt OR 7/8 cup vegetable oil plus 1/2 tsp salt
- Butter - Unsalted (1 cup):
- 1 cup shortening
- 1 cup olive or vegetable oil
- Avocado puree
- Applesauce, unsweetened
- Buttermilk (1 cup): 1 cup yogurt OR 1 Tbsp lemon juice plus enough milk to make 1 cup
- Chocolate - Semi-Sweet (1 oz): 1 oz. square of unsweetened chocolate plus 4 tsps sugar OR 1 oz semisweet chocolate chips plus 1 tsp shortening
- Chocolate - Unsweetened (1 oz): 3 Tbsps unsweetened cocoa plus 1 Tbsp shortening or vegetable oil
- Cocoa (1/4 cup): 1 oz square unsweetened chocolate
- Cottage Cheese (1 cup): 1 cup Farmer's Cheese or Ricotta
- Cream - Half and Half (1 cup): 7/8 cup milk with 1 Tbsp butter
- Cream - Heavy (1 cup) Substitutes:
- 1 cup evaporated milk and 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup milk and 1/4 cup butter
- 2 Tbsps cooled, melted butter and 3/4 cup and 2 Tbsps half and half
- 2/3 cup soy or rice milk and 1/3 cup vegetable oil or margarine
- 2 Tbsps cornstarch and one cup milk
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt and 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup low-fat cream cheese for 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup coconut cream
- Blend in food processor 1/2 silken tofu and 1/2 c soy milk
- Egg Whites Substitute for Whole Eggs: For every egg, substitute 1/4 cup of egg substitute or two regular egg whites. This will cut down on cholesterol and calories, (12 eggs = 3 cups liquid egg whites; 6 eggs = 1 1/2 liquid egg whites)
- Egg White Liquid for Regular Egg Whites: 2 Tbsp liquid egg whites = 1 large egg.
- Eggs: If no eggs, use any of these substitutes:
- 1 egg = 1 Tbsp cornstarch mixed with 3 Tbsps of water
- 1 egg = 2 tablespoons water + 2 teaspoons baking powder + 1 teaspoon vegetable oil.
- 1 egg = 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce or mashed banana.
- 1 egg = 1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds and 3 tablespoons of water.
- Flour (1 cup):
- Bread Flour - 1 cup all-purpose and 1 tsp wheat gluten;
- Cake Flour - 1 cup all-purpose minus 2 Tbsps -
- Self-Rising Flour (1 cup) - Substitute 1 cup all-purp flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp baking soda, and 1/2 tsp salt
- For 1/2 c self-rising flour, use 1/2 c all-purp flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/8 tsp baking soda and 1/4 tsp salt
- Wheat Flour - Almond Flour or White Flour
- Garlic (1 clove):
- 1 garlic clove = 2 tsps. minced garlic in jar
- 1/8 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic salt, reduce salt in recipe
- Herbs (fresh to dried): 1 Tbsp. fresh = 1 tsp dried
- Honey (1 cup): 1 1/4 cups white sugar plus 1/3 cup water
- Lemon Zest (1 tsp): 1/2 tsp lemon extract OR 2 Tbsps. lemon juice.
- Orange Zest (1 tsp): 1/2 tsp orange extract OR 1 tsp lemon juice
- Mayonnaise (1 cup): 1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
- Milk - whole (1 cup): 1 cup soy milk, rice milk, water or juice OR 1/4 cup dry milk powder plus 1 cup water OR 2/3 cup evaporated milk plus 1/3 cup water
- Molasses (1 cup): 3/4 cup brown sugar and 1 tsp cream of tartar
- Orange Peel Dried (1 Tbsp): 1 tsp orange extract
- Parsley: 1 tsp dried = 1 T fresh; 1/4 cup fresh = 1 T + 1 tsp dried
- Rice - Cooked (1 cup): 1/2 cup uncooked White Rice, Brown Rice, Barley, Bulgar, Brown or Wild Rice + 1 cup water
- Sour Cream (1 cup): 1 cup plain yogurt OR 1 Tbsp lemon juice or vinegar and enough cream to make 1 cup
- Soy Sauce (1/2 cup): 1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce mixed with 1 Tbsp water
- Sugar - Unsweetened Applesauce
- Sweetened Condensed Milk (1 14-oz can): 3/4 cup white sugar mixed with 1/2 cup water and 1 1/8 cups dry powdered milk. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring frequently until thickened - about 20 minutes
- Yeast - 1 (.25 pkg) yeast: 1 cake compressed yeast OR 2 1/2 tsps active dry yeast OR 2 1/2 tsps rapid rise yeast