In a Pinch Ingredient Substitution
Guide E-131
Reviewed by Cassandra Vanderpool
College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, New Mexico State University
Author: Extension Diabetes Coordinator, Department of Extension Family and Consumer Sciences, New Mexico State University. (Print friendly PDF)
Have you ever been in the middle of preparing a recipe and discovered you were out of an important ingredient? If so, you had to decide on a solution to the problem—make a suitable substitute for that ingredient from supplies available in your pantry, or make a trip to the grocery store.
The jaunt to the store ensures that you get the ingredient specified in the recipe, but it can also take valuable time and energy you might not have.
Ingredient substitution—or using similar ingredients that perform the same function in a food—is the easiest alternative. The key to success with ingredient substitution is being able to put your finger on the information when you need it. The following information is designed to help you do just that.
Many substitutions are simply another form of the needed ingredient. For example, 1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder can be substituted for one small garlic clove. These simple substitutions are called equivalents because the ingredients are similar. When equivalent ingredients are substituted, very little, if any, change will be noticed in the finished product.
Another type of substitution involves using an ingredient with properties similar to the ingredient called for in the recipe. An example would be substituting plain yogurt for sour cream in a salad dressing.
Each ingredient in a recipe has a specific function. Therefore, this kind of substitution can result in a product with different quality characteristics. This means that flavor, color, or texture of the product may change because of an ingredient substitution.
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Ingredient Substitution Chart |
||
Ingredient |
Amount |
Substitutes |
Allspice |
1 tsp |
|
Apple pie spice |
1 tsp |
|
Arrowroot starch |
1 1⁄2 tsp |
|
Baking powder |
1 tsp |
|
Bay leaf |
1 whole |
|
Beau monde seasoning |
1 tsp |
|
Broth |
1 cup |
|
Butter |
1 cup |
|
Catsup |
1 cup |
|
Chicken stock |
1 1⁄2 tsp |
|
Chicken stock |
1 Tbsp dissolved in 1 cup water and the second part |
|
Chili sauce |
1 cup |
|
Chives |
2 tsp |
|
Chocolate chips |
1 oz |
|
Chocolate, semisweet |
1 2⁄3 oz |
|
Chocolate, semisweet chips, melted |
6-oz package |
|
Chocolate, unsweetened |
1 oz or |
|
Cocoa |
1⁄4 cup |
|
Coconut |
1 Tbsp grated, dry |
|
Coconut cream |
1 cup |
|
Coconut milk |
1 cup |
|
Corn syrup |
1 cup |
|
Cornstarch |
1 Tbsp |
|
Cracker crumbs |
3⁄4 cup |
|
Cream, half-and-half |
1 cup |
|
Cream, heavy (36–40% fat) |
1 cup |
|
Cream, light |
1 cup |
|
Cream, whipped |
|
|
Dill plant, fresh or dried |
3 heads |
|
Egg |
1 whole |
|
Egg white |
1 white (2 Tbsp) |
|
Egg yolk |
1 yolk (1 1⁄2 Tbsp) |
|
Flour, all-purpose (for thickening) |
1 Tbsp |
|
Flour, all-purpose Note: Specialty flours added to yeast bread recipes will result in a reduced volume and a heavier product. |
1 cup sifted |
|
Flour, cake |
1 cup sifted |
|
Flour, self-rising |
1 cup |
|
Flour, whole wheat |
|
|
Garlic |
1 clove, small |
|
Gelatin |
3-oz package |
|
Ginger, powdered |
1⁄8 tsp |
|
Herbs, fresh and finely cut |
1 Tbsp |
|
Honey |
1 cup |
|
Horseradish |
1 Tbsp, fresh |
|
Lemon |
1 tsp juice |
|
Lemon |
1 medium |
|
Lemon peel, dried |
1 tsp |
|
Macaroni (4 cups cooked) |
2 cups, uncooked |
• 2 cups spaghetti, uncooked • 4 cups noodles, uncooked |
Maple sugar |
1⁄2 cup |
• 1 cup maple syrup |
Maple sugar |
1 Tbsp |
• 1 Tbsp white, granulated sugar |
Marshmallows, miniature |
1 cup |
• 10 large marshmallows |
Mayonnaise (for use in salads and salad dressings) |
1 cup |
|
Mei Yen seasoning |
1 tsp |
|
Milk, buttermilk |
1 cup |
|
Milk, evaporated (whole or skim) |
1⁄2 cup, plus 1⁄2 cup water |
|
Milk, skim |
1 cup |
|
Milk, skim |
1/4 cup |
|
Milk, sweetened |
1 can (about 1 cup |
|
Milk, whole |
1 cup |
|
Mushrooms |
1 pound, fresh |
|
Mushrooms, powdered |
1 Tbsp |
|
Mustard, dry |
1 tsp |
|
Onion, fresh |
1 small |
|
Onion, instant minced |
1 Tbsp |
|
Onion powder |
1 Tbsp |
|
Orange |
1 medium |
|
Orange peel, dried |
1 Tbsp |
|
Orange peel, dried |
2 tsp |
|
Parsley, dried |
1 tsp |
|
Peppermint, dried |
1 Tbsp |
|
Peppers, green bell |
1 Tbsp, dried |
|
Peppers, red bell |
1 Tbsp, dried |
|
Pimento |
2 Tbsp |
|
Pumpkin pie spice |
1 tsp |
|
Rennet |
1 tablet |
|
Rice (3 cups cooked) |
1 cup regular, uncooked |
|
Shortening, melted |
1 cup |
|
Shortening, solid (used in baking) |
1 cup |
|
Sour cream |
1 cup |
|
Spearmint, dried |
1 Tbsp |
|
Sugar, brown |
1 cup firmly packed |
|
Sugar, white |
1 tsp |
|
Sugar, white |
1 cup |
|
Tapioca, granular |
1 Tbsp |
|
Tomato juice |
1 cup |
|
Tomatoes, fresh |
2 cups |
|
Worcestershire |
1 tsp |
|
Yeast, active dry |
1 Tbsp |
|
Yogurt, plain |
1 cup |
|
For Further Reading
E-132: In a Pinch Food Yieldshttps://pubs.nmsu.edu/_e/E132/
E-118: Storing Food Safely
https://pubs.nmsu.edu/_e/E118/
E-215: High-Altitude Cooking
https://pubs.nmsu.edu/_e/E215/
All Food And Nutrition Publication Listing
https://pubs.nmsu.edu/pubs/_e/
Original authors: Barbara Willenberg, Extension Assistant; and Karla Vollmar Hughes, State Specialist, University of Missouri. Adapted (with permission) by Alice Jane Hendley, Diet and Health Specialist. Subsequently reviewed by Martha Archuleta, Extension Food and Nutrition Specialist. |
Cassandra Vanderpool is the Extension Diabetes Coordinator in the Department of Extension Family and Consumer Sciences at NMSU. She earned her first B.S. at NMSU and her M.S. at the University of New Mexico. She is dedicated to making effective nutrition programs available to the New Mexicans who need them.
To find more resources for your business, home, or family, visit the College of Agriculture and Home Economics on the World Wide Web at pubs.nmsu.edu
Contents of publications may be freely reproduced for educational purposes. All other rights reserved. For permission to use publications for other purposes, contact pubs@nmsu.edu or the authors listed on the publication.
New Mexico State University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and educator. NMSU and the U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating.
Revised May 2016