There’s nothing worse than being in the middle of a recipe and realizing you’re out of an ingredient. Rather than run to the store, use this guide (and chart below!) for The Best Ingredient Substitutions to save your recipe and achieve success in the kitchen.
Ingredient Substitutions 101
Although substituting an ingredient is often the easiest and quickest way to finishing your recipe, there are a couple of things to keep in mind:
- Not all substitutions are created equal. The original ingredient is there for a reason and substituting it for another may result in a different taste, texture or color. However, some recipes will be completely unaffected (read: unchanged, perfect!).
- Try it, then assess your success. Did the buttermilk substitution work like a charm or did it fall flat? What about the applesauce in place of oil? Assess whether the ingredient substitution you made worked or didn’t work for your recipe.
Ready to replace that missing ingredient? Check out our handy chart above and use these helpful ingredient substitution notes for recipe success.
Buttermilk
Buttermilk isn’t a pantry staple for most of us, and when we do buy it, we’re left with an almost-full quart sitting in the fridge wondering what to do with it. Luckily, buttermilk substitutions work well in everything from pancakes to waffles to biscuits.
However, if you find yourself with leftover buttermilk, you can use it to make ranch dressing, as a marinade for pork chops or chicken before coating in breadcrumbs and baking, or freeze it in ¼-cup portions (it’ll likely separate when thawed but is still good to use).
Flax Egg
This vegan egg substitute is made by mixing 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons water. Allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes before using in any recipe that includes eggs.
Flax eggs work best in baked good recipes that call for one or two eggs. This is not a good option if your recipe calls for more than two eggs, as the center will likely be gooey and it won’t rise the same.
Applesauce
Substituting applesauce for oil in your baked goods will result in a creamier, more moist texture. If possible, replace only half of the oil with applesauce and see how your recipe turns out. Applesauce works best in cakes, muffins and breads.
Avoid using this substitution for cookies as it’ll make them too fluffy, rather than crispy and chewy. Bonus points for homemade applesauce with just three simple ingredients!
Dried Herbs
The most important thing to keep in mind when replacing dried herbs for fresh herbs in a recipe is that the flavor of dried herbs is much more concentrated than fresh. Use the chart above as a guideline, then taste and season to your personal preference.
Additionally, fresh herbs are often added to the end of the cooking process to avoid destroying their color and delicate flavor with heat. However, it’s best to add dried herbs toward the beginning of cooking to allow their flavor to seep into the dish.
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Can you give a formula to go by if I need all purpose flour but have self rising flour?
Hi Melody! Here are a few tips for substituting self-rising flour for all-purpose: 1. Look for recipes that use baking powder: about 1/2-1 teaspoon per cup of flour. For recipes that use more than 1 teaspoon of baking powder, add enough to make up the difference. 2. When making the substitution, omit the baking powder and salt from the recipe, it’s already in the self-rising flour. 3. For recipes with both baking powder and baking soda, include the baking soda just as you would if you were using all-purpose flour.
When a recipe calls for “00 flour” is there a substitution for this. It is very hard to find.
Hi Carmella! It’s generally fine to substitute all-purpose flour for “00” flour. You may notice a texture difference if you are very familiar with products made from “00” flour, but all your recipes *should* still come out just fine. :)
The ingredient substitutions are so awesome! I’ve always wondered and avoided making certain dishes bc I didn’t have the ingredient it called for. Thank you so much for this!!
You are so welcome, Mary! I’m thrilled you found this helpful!
Thanks Kelly, worth a shot.
You are so welcome, Sharon :)
Hi Kelly
When a recipe calls for Milk, Buttermilk or something dairy, are there substitutes? I tend to use water or orange juice depending if it’s savoury or sweet. Love to hear your ideas and try other solutions for a non dairy substitute.
Hi Sharon! It really depends on the recipe, but plant-based milk alternatives can work great. You can even make dairy-free buttermilk by using soy milk and lemon juice.