Common Baking Substitutions
Mashed banana or applesauce for oil: Substitute at a 1:1 ratio. Mashed banana or applesauce can keep your baking moist, but it doesn’t contribute as much fat as oil does.
Dairy-free milk for cow’s milk: Substitute at a 1:1 ratio. This switch will be well-known to lactose-intolerant or vegan home cooks, but dairy-free milks are popular for their great taste and health benefits, so it’s good to know you can do an exact substitution when you need to.
Sugar and molasses for brown sugar: Sub 1 cup of sugar and 2 tbsp molasses for 1 cup of brown sugar. Fun fact: molasses and sugar are what happens when brown sugar is separated into parts, so you’re really just putting brown sugar back together again!
Milk and lemon juice (or vinegar) for buttermilk: Add 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar to a 1-cup measuring cup, and fill the rest with milk to substitute for 1 cup buttermilk. Let it sit for 5 minutes to let the ingredients react for a tangy, acidy final product.
Ground flax seeds and water for eggs: Sub 1 tbsp ground flax seed and 3 tbsp water for an egg. Let it sit for 5 minutes to thicken. This fix is great if you’re watching your cholesterol or need more healthy omega fatty acids in your diet, but don’t substitute it for whipped egg whites!
Common Cooking Substitutions
Lemon juice for vinegar: Substitute 2 parts lemon juice for 1 part vinegar. Though the flavors here are different, the acids in each ingredient will do virtually the same job.
Yogurt for mayonnaise or sour cream: Substitute at a 1:1 ratio. These all have a similar consistency, but yogurt adds some healthy fats and a flavorful tang to your dish.
Bouillon cube for broth: Substitute 1 cup of water with 1 bouillon cube for 1 cup of broth. Sometimes, we don’t have all day to make our own delicious broth, or we’re missing a can of it. Bouillon cubes are a quick and inexpensive substitute in a pinch.
Crushed crackers for bread crumbs: Substitute between ¾ cup to 1 cup crackers for 1 cup bread crumbs, depending on how finely you crush them.
Tomato paste and water for tomato sauce: Substitute ½ cup tomato paste and ½ cup water for 1 cup tomato sauce. Tomato paste is essentially concentrated tomato sauce, so a little water gets it to the right consistency.
Garlic powder or minced garlic for fresh garlic: Sub 1 clove of garlic with ⅛ tsp garlic powder or ½ tsp minced garlic.
Whatever the reason, everyone needs a quick and healthy substitution sometimes. Keep these baking and cooking stables in the kitchen, and you’ll be able to make your favorite recipes using what’s already in your pantry!
