Running short on an ingredient mid recipe? This ingredient substitution chart gives you exact swap amounts for the most common baking and cooking substitutions, so you can keep cooking without a trip to the shop. Every swap below uses the standard ratios trusted by home cooks everywhere. For any cup, ounce, gram or millilitre swap, convert units free with our instant unit converter.
Baking swaps: leaveners, flours and dairy
Most baking substitutions come down to leavening, moisture and acidity. The swaps below keep those three in balance so your cakes, breads and biscuits still rise and set properly. Measure carefully, as baking is less forgiving than stovetop cooking.
| Ingredient | Amount | Substitute (same amount unless noted) | How to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baking powder | 1 tsp | 1/4 tsp baking soda + 1/2 tsp cream of tartar | Mix well before adding to the dry ingredients |
| Baking soda | 1 tsp | 3 tsp baking powder (reduce any acidic liquid slightly) | Only as a last resort; the flavour may be milder |
| Self raising flour | 1 cup | 1 cup plain flour + 1 1/2 tsp baking powder + 1/4 tsp salt | Whisk the dry ingredients together thoroughly |
| Plain (all purpose) flour | 1 cup | 1 cup minus 2 tbsp plain flour + 2 tbsp cornflour (cake flour DIY) | Sift twice for a finer crumb in cakes |
| Cornflour (cornstarch) | 1 tbsp | 2 tbsp plain flour (for thickening) | Flour thickens less sharply; simmer a minute longer |
| Buttermilk | 1 cup | 1 cup milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar | Rest 5 minutes until slightly curdled, then stir |
| Sour cream | 1 cup | 1 cup plain yoghurt | Use full fat yoghurt for the closest texture |
| Heavy (double) cream | 1 cup | 3/4 cup milk + 1/3 cup melted butter | For cooking and baking only; it will not whip |
| Cream cheese | 1 cup | 1 cup ricotta blended smooth, or 1 cup mascarpone | Best for spreads and no bake fillings |
| Egg (in baking) | 1 large egg | 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce or 1 mashed banana | Works in muffins, pancakes and quick breads |
| Egg (as binder) | 1 egg | 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water, rested 5 minutes | Good for meatballs, burgers and veggie patties |
| Cocoa powder | 3 tbsp | 1 square (1 oz / 28 g) unsweetened chocolate + reduce fat by 1 tbsp | Melt the chocolate before blending into the batter |
| Chocolate chips | 1 cup | 1 cup chopped bar chocolate | Chop roughly for the same melty pockets |
| Brown sugar | 1 cup | 1 cup white sugar + 1 tbsp molasses (or 2 tbsp for dark brown) | Mix until the colour is even throughout |
| Honey | 1 cup | 1 1/4 cups sugar + 1/4 cup water | Reduce the batter liquid slightly elsewhere |
| Molasses | 1 cup | 1 cup honey or dark treacle | Expect a slightly lighter flavour |
Cooking swaps: fats, liquids and flavour
Stovetop cooking is more forgiving, so these savoury swaps can be made by feel. The amounts below are the safest starting ratios; taste and adjust as you go.
| Ingredient | Amount | Substitute | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Butter | 1 cup | 1 cup margarine or coconut oil | Olive oil works too but changes the flavour |
| Vegetable oil | 1 cup | 1 cup melted coconut oil or light olive oil | Avoid extra virgin olive oil for high heat |
| Wine (cooking) | 1 cup | 1 cup stock plus 1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice | Matches acidity without the alcohol |
| Garlic clove | 1 clove | 1/8 tsp garlic powder | Add powder later in cooking so it does not burn |
| Fresh herbs | 1 tbsp fresh | 1 tsp dried herbs | Dried herbs are roughly three times stronger |
| Onion | 1 medium | 1 tsp onion powder or 1 tbsp dried minced onion | Rehydrate dried onion in warm water first |
| Lemon juice | 1 tbsp | 1 tbsp lime juice or 1/2 tbsp vinegar | Lime leans more aromatic; vinegar more neutral |
| Tomato sauce | 1 cup (8 oz) | 1/2 cup tomato paste + 1/2 cup water | Season as you would the sauce |
| Breadcrumbs | 1 cup | 1 cup crushed crackers or rolled oats | Oats give a chewier coating |
| Worcestershire sauce | 1 tbsp | 1 tbsp soy sauce + a pinch of sugar | Close enough for marinades and stews |
Substitution rules that keep recipes working
Three principles make almost any swap succeed. First, match the chemistry: acids need bases (that is why buttermilk substitutes need lemon juice with baking soda). Second, keep the total liquid volume the same, especially in baking. Third, substitute by weight when you can; a kitchen scale beats cup measures for accuracy. If you are scaling a recipe up or down at the same time, convert units free to get the new amounts exactly right.
A worked example: pancakes with an empty shelf
Here is the chart doing its job on a real Saturday morning problem. A pancake recipe for twelve pancakes calls for 2 cups of plain flour, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 1½ cups of buttermilk, and 2 eggs. The shelf holds flour and milk, but there is no buttermilk, no baking powder, and only one egg. Three substitutions, all from the tables above, rescue breakfast without a shop run.
First, the leavener. The chart says 1 teaspoon of baking powder equals ¼ teaspoon of baking soda plus ½ teaspoon of cream of tartar. The recipe needs 2 teaspoons, so double both parts: ½ teaspoon of baking soda plus 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar. Whisk them into the flour thoroughly, because the soda has to meet the acid evenly or you will get bitter spots and patchy rise.
Second, the buttermilk. The swap is 1 cup of milk plus 1 tablespoon of lemon juice for each cup of buttermilk, so 1½ cups needs 1½ cups of milk plus 1½ tablespoons of lemon juice. Stir and rest it for five minutes. It will look slightly curdled and smell faintly sharp. That acidity is the point, because it reacts with the baking soda you just added and keeps the pancakes tender. Note the pairing: the soured milk and the soda based leavener work as a team, each supplying what the other needs.
Third, the missing egg. One real egg goes in as written. For the second, the chart offers ¼ cup of unsweetened applesauce, which supplies moisture and gentle binding. In pancakes, a forgiving, griddled batter, the difference is barely noticeable; the same swap in a delicate sponge would be a much worse idea, which is why the chart ties each egg swap to the kind of recipe it suits. If any of the quantities had needed converting along the way, say the recipe had been written in grams, the unit converter handles the cup to gram step, and if you were doubling the batch for a crowd, a recipe scaler calculator multiplies every line, leavener included, so the ratios survive the scaling.
The result: pancakes that rise properly, taste right, and used only what was already in the kitchen. The lesson generalises, most mid recipe emergencies are one leavener, one liquid, and one binder deep, and the chart covers all three.
Substitutions compared: what each swap does well, and where it fails
| Substitution | Best for | Effect on the result | Avoid it when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soured milk (milk + lemon juice) for buttermilk | Pancakes, scones, soda bread, marinades | Nearly identical tenderness and tang; slightly thinner batter | The recipe is a cultured dressing or dip where real buttermilk flavour is the point |
| Plain yoghurt for sour cream | Baking, sauces, dolloping on savoury dishes | Same tang and body; a little less rich | The sauce will boil hard, yoghurt splits more readily than sour cream |
| Applesauce or banana for an egg | Muffins, pancakes, quick breads | Moist, slightly denser crumb; banana adds its own flavour | The recipe relies on eggs for lift, like sponges, meringues, or soufflés |
| Flour for cornflour as a thickener | Gravy, stew, pie fillings | Works, but needs double the amount and a longer simmer; sauce looks cloudy rather than glossy | You want a clear, shiny sauce, as in many stir fry glazes |
| Dried herbs for fresh herbs | Stews, soups, sauces with long cooking times | Deeper, earthier flavour; use one third the amount | The herb is a fresh garnish, basil or parsley scattered on at the end has no dried equivalent |
| Milk + melted butter for heavy cream | Soups, sauces, batters | Richness is close enough that most eaters cannot tell | Anything whipped, the mixture has no chance of holding peaks |
Common mistakes to avoid
- Swapping baking soda and baking powder one for one. Soda is roughly three to four times stronger and needs acid to work. A straight swap is the single most common cause of soapy tasting, oddly browned bakes.
- Changing the liquid without adjusting the total. Honey for sugar adds water; applesauce for an egg adds water. If the batter suddenly looks thin, the swap added liquid nobody subtracted elsewhere. Keep the overall liquid volume steady, especially in baking.
- Stacking too many swaps in one recipe. Each substitution is tested on its own. Replace the leavener, the dairy, the egg, and the flour in the same cake and the small inaccuracies multiply into a different recipe entirely. One or two swaps per dish is the safe limit for anything you have not made before.
- Using the heavy cream substitute for whipping. Milk plus butter cooks beautifully and whips never. If the recipe says whipped cream, the honest options are real cream or a different dessert.
- Adding dried herbs at fresh herb quantities. A tablespoon for tablespoon swap triples the intended flavour and can turn a stew medicinal. The ratio is 1 teaspoon dried to 1 tablespoon fresh.
- Substituting by volume when the swap changes density. A cup of yoghurt and a cup of sour cream are close; a cup of flour and a cup of cornflour are not. When a swap feels off, weighing both sides usually explains why.
Keep the chart bookmarked for the emergencies, but the deeper skill is the pattern underneath it: match the acidity, protect the liquid balance, respect what each ingredient was actually doing in the recipe. Once you see substitutions that way, you stop needing a chart row for every ingredient. You can reason your way to a swap the chart never listed.
Frequently asked questions
Can I substitute baking soda for baking powder?
Yes, but not one for one. Use 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda plus 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar for every 1 teaspoon of baking powder. Baking soda is about three to four times stronger, so a straight swap will leave a soapy, metallic taste.
What is the best substitute for buttermilk?
Mix 1 cup of milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar and let it rest for 5 minutes. This soured milk mimics buttermilk’s acidity, which is what activates baking soda and keeps pancakes and scones tender.
Can I use plain flour instead of self raising flour?
Yes. For every 1 cup of self raising flour, use 1 cup of plain flour mixed with 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Whisk the dry ingredients together so the raising agents distribute evenly.
How do I substitute an egg in baking?
For moisture and binding in muffins, pancakes or quick breads, replace 1 egg with 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce or 1 mashed banana. As a binder for patties and meatballs, use 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons of water, rested for 5 minutes.
What can I use instead of heavy cream?
For cooking and baking, replace 1 cup of heavy cream with 3/4 cup of milk plus 1/3 cup of melted butter. This works in sauces, soups and batters, but it will not whip, so do not use it for whipped cream.
Are dried herbs stronger than fresh herbs?
Yes. Use 1 teaspoon of dried herbs for every 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs, a 1:3 ratio. Dried herbs need heat and time to release flavour, so add them earlier in cooking than you would fresh ones.