List of Baking Ingredient Substitutes

We've all been there before. In the middle of following a recipe, you realize that you are out of a specific ingredient. In a pinch, I have used substitutes to save the day. It has saved me an extra trip to the store (which saves time and gas money), and my recipes usually turn out fabulous despite using a substitute. I thought I would do a post on common baking ingredient substitutions for a reference to use when you are caught off guard in the middle of a recipe.

1 tsp baking powder = 1/2 tsp cream of tarter + 1/4 tsp baking soda + 1/4 tsp cornstarch

1 cup buttermilk = 1 tsp vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup milk

1 tsp allspice = 1/4 tsp ground cloves + 1/4 tsp ginger + 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 square baking chocolate = 3 tbsp cocoa and 1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp cornstarch = 2 tbsp all purpose flour

1 cup self-rising flour = 1 cup all purpose flour + 1-1/2 tsp baking powder + 1/4 tsp salt

1 cup sour cream = 1 cup plain unsweetened yogurt

1/4 cup cocoa = 1 square unsweetened baking chocolate (1 ounce)

1 tsp cream of tarter = 2 tsp lemon juice or vinegar

Also, most of your baking fats (butter, margarine, oil, etc.) can be interchanged in a pinch. I have substituted oil for butter many a time when I was out of butter. My recipes still turn out well.

If you need to substitute something else I don't have listed, I would suggest doing an internet search to find your answer. There are all kinds of substitute suggestions out there! I tried to stick to some pretty basic substitutes in this post, I hope you find these helpful!