by Chef Murph
Knowing a few main baking substitutions can be very useful. A time might come when you have to bake for someone with specific allergies, or you might be out of a key ingredient. You might also want to make a few healthier substitutions or maybe you just enjoy doing things a little differently now and then.
Link to download the charts here.
Whatever your reasons are, having a few tricks up your sleeve is never a bad idea. Here are some excellent baking substitutions you can try in your own kitchen. Unless otherwise noted use the same amount of the substitute as the ingredient you’re replacing. You may need to practice and perfect your favorite recipes with these. Also consider moving towards weighing ingredients over using measuring cups. Think in terms of flavors, texture, and how each ingredient affects it when you make substitutions.
Eggs (per egg): Choose based on the flavors you are trying to create
1/4 Cup Silken Tofu
- 1 TBSP Ground Flax Seed plus 3 Tablespoons Water
- 1/4 Cup Unsweetened Applesauce
- 3 1/2 Tablespoons Gelatin Mix (1 Cup Boiling Water + 2 Teaspoons Gelatin)
- 1/2 Cup Mashed Banana
Oil (per cup): What you use will depend on if your dish is sweet or savory
- Fruit Puree
- Sour Cream
- Yogurt
- Banana
- Melted Butter
- Coconut Oil
White Flour (per cup): When substituting something for white flour the rule is to mix different types of substitutes together to get the right flavor and texture, at least two but three sometimes is better. Also use Grams instead of Cups. 140 Grams of any mixture below will equal 1 Cup of Flour.
- Coconut Flour
- Almond Flour
- Cornmeal
- Rice Flour
- Oat Flour
- Rolled Oats
- Soy Flour
White Sugar (per cup):
2/3 Cup Agave Nectar*
- 3/4 Cup Honey*
- 1 Cup Chopped Dates (puree with 1 Cup of liquid after soaking for 1 hour)
- 1 Cup Mashed Ripe Banana
- 1 Teaspoon Stevia
*You will need to reduce the liquid in the overall recipe for both of these substitutions.
Salt (per teaspoon):
- 1/2 Teaspoon Lemon Juice
- Dulse Seaweed Flakes (to taste)
- Dried Celery Flakes or Powder
Milk:
- Almond Milk
- Coconut Milk
- Soy Milk
- Oat Milk
- Rice Milk
Buttermilk (per cup):
- 1 cup Sour Cream
- 1 cup Plain Yogurt + 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda + 3 Tablespoons Butter
- 1 cup Milk + 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice + 3 Tablespoons Butter
Butter:
- Vegetable Shortening
- Earth Balance Spread
- Coconut Oil
- Avocado
Yeast:
- Double Acting Baking Powder
- Equal Parts Baking Soda + Lemon Juice, Vinegar or Buttermilk
Sour Cream (per cup):
- 1 cup Plain Yogurt + 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 1 cup Silken Yogurt + 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice Blended
Cocoa Powder:
- Carob Powder
As baking can sometimes be a very finicky operation, not all recipes will come out the exact same texture when you make certain substitutions. You may need to practice and perfect your favorite recipes with these. Also consider moving towards weighing ingredients over using measuring cups. Think in terms of flavors, texture, and how each ingredient affects it when you make substitutions.
Little tricks are sometimes the difference between good and great. 😉
Thanks!
Show some love and cook for somebody! 🙂
XoxoX
Chef Murph
