Substitutions for Common Baking & Cooking Ingredients
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Don’t Have It?
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Amount
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How to Hack It!
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When to Use
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Eggs
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1 large egg
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Any of the following: ¼ cup plain yogurt, ¼ cup apple sauce, or ¼ cup mashed banana
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Muffins, quick breads and denser cakes.
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Buttermilk
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1 cup
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1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar, plus enough milk to make 1 cup
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Pancakes, muffins, quick breads, scones and cakes.
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Baking Powder
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1 teaspoon
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½ teaspoon cream of tartar, plus ¼ teaspoon baking soda
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Any recipe that calls for baking powder.
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Heavy Cream
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1 cup
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¼ cup melted butter (cooled), plus ¾ cup milk
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Any cooking or baking recipe that calls for heavy cream. Cannot be used for whipping.
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Cornstarch
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1 tablespoon
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2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
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Any recipe that calls for thickening sauces and fillings.
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Butter
Solid or Softened
Melted
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1 cup butter (two sticks)
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
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1 cup vegetable shortening, 1 cup coconut oil
1 cup vegetable oil, 1 cup canola oil, 1 cup olive oil, 1 cup grapeseed oil, 1 cup melted coconut oil
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Muffins, quick breads and cakes. Note: Butter adds flavor and tenderness to baked goods and results can vary. swapping it out can yield slightly denser results.
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Vegetable oil
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1 cup
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1 cup canola oil, 1 cup olive oil, 1 cup grapeseed oil
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Any recipe that needs vegetable oil. Note: Some olive oil tends to have a peppery taste, which can alter the flavor of baked goods.
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Tomato sauce
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15-ounce can
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1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste, plus 1 ½ cans of water
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Any recipe that calls for tomato sauce.
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Chocolate
Unsweetened baking
Semisweet chocolate chips
Semisweet baking
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1 ounce
1 cup
1 ounce
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3 tablespoons cocoa + 1 tablespoon melted shortening
6 ounces semisweet baking chocolate chopped
1 ounce unsweetened baking chocolate+1 tablespoon sugar or 1 tablespoon cocoa plus 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 teaspoons shortening
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Cookies, glazes, dips, ganache
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Sour cream
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1 cup
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1 cup plain yogurt
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Any recipe that calls for sour cream.
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Brown sugar
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1 cup
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1 cup granulated (white) sugar, plus 2 tablespoons molasses
1 cup coconut sugar
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Any recipe that calls for brown sugar.
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