Out of an ingredient halfway through a recipe? These are the standard swaps most home cooks use, with exact amounts. Results are close, not identical: the swap usually changes flavour or texture slightly, so use the original ingredient when you can.
| You need | Use instead | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 cup buttermilk | 1 tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar + milk to make 1 cup | Stir, then let stand 5–10 minutes |
| 1 cup buttermilk | ¾ cup plain yogurt + ¼ cup milk | Whisk until smooth |
| 1 cup milk | ½ cup evaporated milk + ½ cup water | Works in baking and cooking |
| 1 cup heavy cream | ¾ cup milk + ¼ cup melted butter | For baking and sauces; will not whip |
| 1 cup sour cream | 1 cup plain Greek yogurt | Swap 1 to 1 |
| 1 cup butter | ¾ cup vegetable oil | Good in cakes and muffins; not for cookies that need creaming |
| Use instead | Best for |
|---|---|
| 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water (rest 5 minutes) | Muffins, pancakes, cookies |
| ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce | Cakes, quick breads, brownies |
| ¼ cup plain yogurt | Cakes and muffins |
| ½ mashed ripe banana | Pancakes, banana bread (adds banana flavour) |
| You need | Use instead |
|---|---|
| 1 cup self-raising flour | 1 cup all-purpose flour + 1½ tsp baking powder + ¼ tsp salt |
| 1 cup cake flour | 1 cup all-purpose flour minus 2 tbsp, then add 2 tbsp cornstarch |
| 1 tsp baking powder | ¼ tsp baking soda + ½ tsp cream of tartar |
| 1 tbsp cornstarch (as a thickener) | 2 tbsp all-purpose flour |
| Active dry yeast | Instant yeast, about ¾ of the amount |
| You need | Use instead |
|---|---|
| 1 cup light brown sugar | 1 cup white sugar + 1 tbsp molasses |
| 1 cup dark brown sugar | 1 cup white sugar + 2 tbsp molasses |
| 1 cup powdered (icing) sugar | 1 cup granulated sugar + 1 tbsp cornstarch, blended until fine |
| 1 cup honey | 1¼ cups sugar + ¼ cup extra liquid from the recipe |
| You need | Use instead |
|---|---|
| 1 tbsp fresh herbs | 1 tsp dried herbs |
| 1 garlic clove | ⅛ tsp garlic powder |
| 1 tsp vanilla extract | 1 tsp maple syrup |
Stir 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar into a measuring cup, add milk up to the 1 cup line, and let it stand 5 to 10 minutes. Plain yogurt thinned with milk (¾ cup yogurt + ¼ cup milk) also works.
Per egg, use 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons water, ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce, ¼ cup plain yogurt, or half a mashed ripe banana. They work best in muffins, quick breads and pancakes.
Mix 1 cup of white sugar with 1 tablespoon of molasses for light brown sugar, or 2 tablespoons for dark brown sugar, until evenly combined.
For each cup, mix 1 cup of all-purpose flour with 1½ teaspoons of baking powder and ¼ teaspoon of salt.
Mix ¼ teaspoon of baking soda with ½ teaspoon of cream of tartar to replace 1 teaspoon of baking powder.
See also: Cups to grams · Butter conversion chart · Cooking measurement converter · Gallon, quart, pint, cup · Oven temperatures · All converters · All tools