Over the past few weeks, baking has taken the world by storm. And its taken all of its usual ingredients right with it. Grocery stores are suddenly out of flour, yeast, eggs, vanilla… everything you needed for that recipe you’ve been wanting to make. But don’t let that stop you! There are so many options to rescue (and maybe even improve) your next baking project. Here is the ultimate guide to baking with substitutions.
Flour:
If you need bread flour, try: substituting all-purpose flour.
If you need cake flour, try: for every 1 cup of cake flour, measure 1 cup of all-purpose flour, remove 2 tablespoons, and add in 2 tablespoons of cornstarch.
If you need all-purpose flour, try: using a gluten free substitute, like making your own oat flour! Grind oats in a food processor or a high powdered blender until the oats turn into a fine powder. It might not result in the exact same final product, but it will work great in a pinch.
Sugar:
If you need granulated sugar, try: substituting unpacked brown sugar at a 1 to 1 ratio. You can also try using a liquid sweetener, like honey or maple syrup. Substitute 3/4 cup of liquid sweetener for 1 cup of sugar.
If you need brown sugar, try: substituting granulated sugar and molasses. Add two tablespoons of molasses to every 1 cup of granulated sugar, and blend in a food processor or high powered blender. If you don’t have molasses, substituting with plain granulated sugar will work fine too!
If you need powdered sugar, try: mixing 1 teaspoon of cornstarch into 1 cup of granulated sugar, pulsing in a food processor until it becomes a powder.
Leavener:
If you need baking soda, try: substituting baking powder, using the ratio of 3x baking powder to 1x baking soda (3 teaspoons of baking powder will replace 1 teaspoon of baking soda).
If you need baking powder, try: substituting baking soda and cream of tartar. For one teaspoon of baking powder, use 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar.
Dairy/Eggs
If you need eggs, try: a favorite vegan substitute, a flax egg! Mix 1 tablespoon of ground flaxmeal into 3 tablespoons of water. Let the mixture sit for about 10-15 minutes until it has thickened. You can also do the same process with chia seeds.
If you need butter, try: margarine or solid coconut oil. You can also try greek yogurt, or even applesauce or avocado, like maybe vegan bakers do!
If you need milk, try: substituting with any dairy-free milk alternative (almond, oat, coconut, etc.), or try thinning out any other dairy product you have, such as heavy cream or yogurt, with water. As a last resort, you can always use water alone as a replacement.
If you need cream, try: mixing 3/4 cup of milk and 1/4 cup of melted butter to make 1 cup of cream. You can also try using canned coconut milk or coconut cream, two great vegan alternatives!
If you need buttermilk, try: adding 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup of your milk of choice. Let it sit for a few minutes for the best flavor.
If you need sour cream, try: greek yogurt, mascarpone, crème fraîche, queso fresco, crema, or mayo. All of these can pretty much be used interchangeably in most recipes.
Spices and Mix-ins:
If you need vanilla extract, try: using vanilla beans or vanilla powder. Another option is to replace vanilla with a dark alcohol, such as rum. You can also try maple syrup or other flavored extracts as a replacement– just be cautious of the strength of their flavors. If those don’t work, here are 10 other ideas for vanilla substitutions!
If you need cinnamon, try: replacing it with allspice, nutmeg, pumpkin spice blend or apple pie spice blend.
If you need chocolate chips, try: cutting up any chocolate bars you have at home to make your own! You can also try using other fun mix-ins, like toffee, nuts, candy bars, even pretzels or potato chips!
No matter what ingredients you’re missing, baking with substitutions like these can guarantee that whatever you bake, it will be amazing. Be creative, be adaptable, and have fun with it. Who knows… if you’re baking with substitutions, you might end up creating your new favorite recipe!