instructables

Simple Substitutions Guide for Baking

by advaym

With everyone currently restricted to their houses, there's a lot more of cooking and baking happening, and
everyone's out of ingredients! Stores are running out of staples, and we're all trying to think of substitutions for
certain ingredients, and this is where this guide comes in.

Baking is a science, and there's science behind substituting one ingredient for another and making it work. The
ingredient that's being swapped should be similar in it's state, fat content, viscosity, sweetness, acidity and texture.

T he ca rdina l rule t o re m e m be r - w he ne v e r s ubs t it ut ing a n ing re die nt in a re cipe , a lw a y s do it

o ne ing re die nt a t a t im e , s o t ha t in ca s e it do e s n' t w o rk o ut , y o u kno w w he re t o co rre ct it .

This instructable discusses possible substitutions for 12 common ingredients used in baking-

Eggs
Flour
Butter
Sugars
Baking Powder
Baking Soda
Milk
Buttermilk
Heavy Cream
Chocolate
Yogurt
Parchment Paper

Simple Substitutions Guide for Baking: Page 1

Step 1: Eggs

Eggs help in binding and leavening. They add moisture, colour and taste to the baked goods.
One egg is about 60 g.

Po s s ible Subs t it ut e s -

S o da / Spa rkling W a t e r/ Ca rbo na t e d W a t e r-

1 egg = 1/4 cup soda/ Sparkling Water/ Carbonated Water
Fruit s -
1 egg = 1/4 cup (60 grams) of mashed bananas
1 egg = 1/4 cup (60 grams) of avocados
G ro und Fla x s e e ds / Chia s e e ds
1 egg = 1 tbsp of ground ax or chia seeds + 3 tbsp water
M a y o nna is e
1 egg = 3 tbsp mayonnaise

Subs t it ut e s f o r Eg g w hit e s -

Aqua f a ba (leftover liquid in canned beans and chickpeas).

1 egg white = 3 tbsp of aquafaba

Subs t it ut e s f o r Eg g y o lks -

S o y le cit hin
1 egg yolk= 1 tbsp of soy lecithin

Step 2: Flour
Simple Substitutions Guide for Baking: Page 2
Flour is essential, but tricky to substitute. Normally, all-purpose our can be swapped for 1/4 to 1/2 whole wheat
our, but it will change the texture and make the baked good more dense. Lower-protein ours (eg. cake our) are
more suited to tender baked goods, such as cakes and cookies. Higher-protein ours (bread our, high-gluten) are
important when structure and chew are desired, most importantly in bread.
All-purpose our is called so because it can be used for essentially all baking purposes.

Po s s ible Subs t it ut io ns -

Ca ke Flo ur -

It contains lower-protein content when compared to All-purpose our, which is necessary when
baking sponge cakes.
To substitute all-purpose our for cake our, simply swap 2 tbsp corn starch for the same amount of
all-purpose our per cup.

Bre a d Flo ur-

1 cup bread our = 1 cup all-purpose our

S e lf - ris ing o ur-

1 cup of Self-rising our = 1 cup all-purpose our + 1 and 1/2 tsp baking powder + 1/4 tsp salt.

Step 3: Butter

Butter functions as a leavening agent while baking and provides texture and avour. It can be easily swapped for
other fats.

Po s s ible Subs t it ut e s -

Simple Substitutions Guide for Baking: Page 3

 1 cup butter = 1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup butter = 1 cup coconut oil
1 cup butter = 3/4 cup olive oil

Always substitute fats in the same state. For example, vegetable oil should be used as a replacement for melted
butter (as they're both in liquid state).

You can even use Nut butters as a substitute (but keep in mind they have their own peculiar avours).

Other s e co nd line s ubs t it ut e s can include avocados, mashed bananas and full fat yogurts. Add these to the
batter slowly until the desired consistency is reached.

Subs t it ut e s t o a v o id - margarine and shortening.

Step 4: Sugars

As a rule of thumb, to maintain the texture and consistency of your batter/dough, replace a dry sugar with another
dry sugar and a liquid sugar with another liquid sugar only.

G ra nula t e d Sug a r Subs t it ut e -

1 cup granulated sugar = 1 cup brown sugar

Brown sugar is basically white sugar with molasses in it and it has a deeper avour but not enough to change the
texture or consistency of your dough, so it's an easy swap.

Bro w n Sug a r Subs t it ut e s -

Simple Substitutions Guide for Baking: Page 4

 1 cup brown sugar = 1 cup granulated sugar + 1 tbsp molasses
1 cup brown sugar = 1 cup granulated sugar + 1 tbsp maple syrup
1 cup brown sugar = 1 cup of raw sugars (turbinado or demerara)

Brown sugar has many substitutes, mainly by increasing the molasses content. However, if you don't have any of
the above at home, simply substitute 1 cup of brown sugar for 1 cup of white granulated sugar.

Subs t it ut ing Ho ne y / Ag a v e / M a ple s y rup-

1 cup of sugar = 2/3 cup of honey + 1/4 tsp baking soda

Wen using honey, it adds more moisture to the batter/ dough, so reduce your overall liquids in your
recipe by 1/4 cup for each cup of honey used. Keep in mind that substituting honey will change the
texture of your goods making them less airy and brown faster while cooking.

Step 5: Baking Powder

Baking Powder is sodium bicarbonate paired with an acid. It is a complete leavening agent by itself and doesn't
need any activator.

Po s s ible Subs t it ut e s -

1 tsp of baking powder = 1/4 tsp baking soda + 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp of baking powder = 1/4 tsp baking soda + 1/2 tsp vinegar
1 tsp of baking powder = 1/4 tsp baking soda + 1/2 tsp lemon juice

Baking soda needs an agent to activate it's leavening powers, hence the acid (cream of tartar/ vinegar/
lemon juice.
Simple Substitutions Guide for Baking: Page 5
S e co nd line s ubs t it ut e -

Butter milk- it is acidic in nature and combining buttermilk with baking soda can produce the same
leavening e ect as baking powder.
1 tsp of baking powder = 1/2 a cup of buttermilk and 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda ( be careful to
decrease the amount of other liquids you add to your recipe to compensate for the amount of
buttermilk added)

Subs t it ut e by W hipping Eg g - W hit e s -

Baked goods such as sponge cakes, sou es and pancakes owe their light texture and airiness to the whipped egg
whites in it. Whipping the egg whites vigorously creates air bubbles that increases the volume of the batter while
making it light.

To make your egg whites perfectly light and u y, beat them at a low speed until they're foamy, and then increase
the speed until the beaten eggs form soft peaks. Gently fold your remaining ingredients into the whipped egg
whites.

Step 6: Baking Soda

Baking Powder is sodium bicarbonate without with an acid. It is an incomplete leavening agent and needs an acidic
component to activate it.

Po s s ible Subs t it ut e s -

1 tsp of baking soda = 3 tsps of baking powder

Simple Substitutions Guide for Baking: Page 6

Subs t it ut e by W hipping Eg g - W hit e s -

To make your egg whites perfectly light and u y, beat them at a low speed until they're foamy, and then increase
the speed until the beaten eggs form soft peaks. Gently fold your remaining ingredients into the whipped egg
whites.

Step 7: Milk

Milk is generally an easy swap, and for most recipes, the percentage of milk fats are not that important to the
actual recipe.

W HO LE M ILK-

1 cup whole milk = 1 cup skim milk + 1 tbsp melted butter

1 cup whole milk = 1/4 cup condensed milk + 3/4 cup water

Ve g a n Subs t it ut e s -

1 cup whole milk = 1 cup almond/ oat/ coconut/ cashew/ soy milk

S W EE T ENED CO NDENS ED M ILK-

1 14-ounce can = 3/4 cup white sugar + 3/4 cup milk

Bring to a boil while stirring continuously until thickened. Takes about 30-45 minutes.

E VAPO RAT ED M ILK-

1 cup evaporated milk = 1 cup half & half

Simple Substitutions Guide for Baking: Page 7

Step 8: Buttermilk

It gives baked goods a light and moist texture. Its acidity activates the baking soda in recipes and acts as a raising
agent. it's commonly used for biscuits, pancakes, wa es, mu ns, and cakes.

Po s s ible Subs t it ut e s -

1 cup of buttermilk = 1 cup normal milk +1 tbsp (15 ml) of vinegar

1 cup of buttermilk = 1 cup normal milk +1 tbsp (15 ml) of lemon juice
1 cup of buttermilk = 1 cup normal milk +1 tbsp (15 ml) of 1 and 3/4 teaspoons (5 g) of cream of
tartar

S e co nd line s ubs t it ut e s -

1 cup of buttermilk = 3/4 cup of sour cream with 1/4 cup of water or milk and mix until smooth.
1 cup of buttermilk = 3/4 cup of plain yogurt/ curd with 1/4 cup of water or milk and mix until
smooth.

Ve g a n o pt io ns -

1 cup of buttermilk = 1 cup almond milk +1 tbsp (15 ml) of vinegar/ lemon juice
1 cup of buttermilk = 1 cup soy milk +1 tbsp (15 ml) of vinegar/ lemon juice
1 cup of buttermilk = 1 cup coconut milk +1 tbsp (15 ml) of vinegar/ lemon juice

Simple Substitutions Guide for Baking: Page 8

Step 9: Heavy Cream

Heavy Cream is made from the high-fat part of fresh milk and has 36–40% fat.

Po s s ible Subs t it ut e s -

1 cup of heavy cream = 3/4 cup of milk + 1/4 cup of melted butter (does not whip well)
1 cup of heavy cream = 7/8 cup of half-and-half +1/8 cup of melted butter (can be used for
whipping)

Ve g a n Subs t it ut e s -

1 cup of heavy cream = 1 cup of coconut cream (can be used for whipping but has a strong avour)
1 cup of heavy cream = 2/3 cup of soy milk +1/3 cup of olive oil (does not whip well)

Step 10: Chocolate

Well, chocolate is chocolate, and can't be entire swapped out. But there are certain xes-

Bit t e rs w e e t cho co la t e -

1 ounce = 1/2 ounce unsweetened chocolate + 1 tbsp granulated white sugar

Uns w e e t e ne d cho co la t e -

1 ounce = 3 tbsp cocoa powder + 1 tbsp butter or vegetable oil

D ut ch Pro ce s s e d Co co a Po w de r-

Simple Substitutions Guide for Baking: Page 9

 3 tbsp = 3 tbsp cocoa powder + 1/8 tsp baking soda

Co co a Po w de r-

3 tbsp (20 g) = 1 ounce (30 grams) unsweetened chocolate bar

but reduce butter/ oil in recipe by 1 tbsp as chocolate bars usually already contain cocoa butter

Step 11: Yogurt

Po s s ible Subs t it ut e s -

1 cup yogurt = 1 cup sour cream

1 cup yogurt = 1 cup buttermilk
1 cup yogurt = 1 cup heavy cream + 1 tbsp lemon juice

Step 12: Parchment Paper

Parchment paper is essential in baking as it helps make the surface non-stick, so that cakes and cookies can slide
right o .

Po s s ible s ubs t it ut e s -

Simple Substitutions Guide for Baking: Page 10

 Fo il
Silico ne ba king m a t
Ext ra g re a s e
M a g a z ine pa pe r

FO IL - Foil can be used as a replacement, but it does conduct heat much better than parchment paper. This will
result in the base of your cookies spreading more and getting more brown and crisp.

S ILICO NE BAKING M AT S - these are a good substitutes for parchment paper if you have them at home. But
keep in mind that silicone mats will cause your cookies to spread out resulting in a atter cookie. If you're baking
cakes, silicone moulds will cause your cake to dome, as the cake batter on the edges will keep slipping and won't
rise as much.

EX T RA GREAS E- a simple alternative by just heavily coating the surface with butter/ oil. It will work, but again
will result in spreading out of the cookies to an extent.

M AGA Z INE PAPER- the shiny paper comes in newspapers or magazines is a very good alternative. Make sure to
grease your pan/sheet, then place the magazine paper, then again grease the surface and it'll make a really good
alternative to parchment paper.

If y o u like d t his ins t ruct a ble , ple a s e do v o t e f o r it in t he ' Kit che n Co m pro m is e s Spe e d
Cha lle ng e '.
Thank you.

The butter equations don’t look quite right. There are two equations for coconut oil.

Thank you for pointing out the error. I've corrected it now.

The appropriate substitutions are-

1 cup butter = 1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup butter = 1 cup coconut oil
1 cup butter = 3/4 cup olive oil
This is a fantastic, well informed instructable. Well done. My hat is off to you!

Thank you,
I'm glad you find it helpful.

Simple Substitutions Guide for Baking: Page 11

This is so helpful, I've already bookmarked it for future use.
You, sir, have earned my vote for the contest, I hope you win!
Thank you so much, I really appreciate it.

Years ago it was common place to substitue butter milk by adding one tsp of vinegar to milk and
wait one hour.
Yes, even i've always followed that technique to get buttermilk for baking!

This is like an anthology. Thank you so much. Cooks and bakers know many of these, but finding
them all in one place with the caveats is a treasure. This will be in my recipe file.
Thank you! I'm so glad you liked it.
That was my main purpose behind this instructable, to create a single source of information of all
possible substitutes for baking.
Please also vote for it in the Kitchen Compromises Challenge. Thank you.
Thanks for a great and useful Instructible.

I am diabetic, so I always look for ways to keep blood sugar low.

Some "Sugar Free" biscuits (cookies) use Maltitol as a sugar replacement which actually causes a
rise in blood sugar like sugar does, however an alternative which works is Erythritol and is
available as Granulated, a golden version which has Steviol and a small amount of caramel and
also an icing sugar version. Consuming too much would have a laxative effect, however in
moderation I can still bake and enjoy real sugar free cakes and biscuits.
I am thinking about putting some of my recipes in an Instructible, just have to take some photos
and do a bit of writing.!

Simple Substitutions Guide for Baking: Page 12