Emergency Cooking Substitutes

If you like all of these great freebies and deals, make sure you sign up for my newsletter.  

If you are like me, you've had those days where you start cooking or baking something and realize you are missing an ingredient.  It is so aggravating.  I don't want to run to the store but I have to do something if I am going to finish whatever I am fixing.  Well, here are some ways you can make some substitutions for some ingredients.  Just remember that in most cases, it is better to use the ingredient that the recipe calls for.  Your final product might turn out exactly the same way.  However, I've found that most of them don't make much of a difference if any.

• 1 tsp baking powder - 1/4 tsp baking soda plus 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 pkg active dry yeast - 1 tbsp dry or 1 cake compressed yeast crumbled or 2 1/2 tsp of rapid rise bread machine yeast
• 1 c honey - 1 1/4 c sugar plus 1/4 c water or 1 c corn syrup
• 1 c bread flour - 1 c all purpose flour plus 1 tsp wheat gluten
• 1 c cake flour - 1 c sifted all purpose flour minus 2 tbsp
• 1 c self-rising flour - 7/8 c all purpose flour plus 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp of salt
• 1 c oil - 1/2 lb. butter or margarine
• 1 c brown sugar - 1 c sugar + 2tbsp molasses (use light molasses for light brown sugar or use Blackstrap molasses for dark brown sugar)
• 1 c corn syrup - 1 1/4 c white sugar + 1/3 c water or 1 c honey
• 1 c fats for baking (like vegetable oil) - 1 c applesauce or 1 c fruit puree
• 1 c shortening - 1 c butter or 1 c margarine minus 1/2 tsp salt from recipe
• 1 c evaporated milk - 1 c light cream
• 1 can (14 oz) of sweetened condensed milk - 3/4 c white sugar mixed w/ 1/2 c water and 1 1/8 c dry powdered milk.  Mix all ingredients, bring to a boil, stir frequently, it will thicken in about 20 minutes.
• 1 c white sugar -  1 c brown sugar or 1 1/4 c powdered sugar or 3/4 c honey or 3/4 c corn syrup
• 1 c molasses - mix 3/4 c brown sugar and 1 tsp cream of tartar 
• 1 oz (1 square) unsweetened chocolate -  3 tbsp cocoa + 1 tbsp shortening or margarine or vegetable oil
• 1 oz (1 square) semisweet chocolate - 1 square unsweetened chocolate plus 1 tbsp sugar or 1 oz semisweet chocolate chips plus 1 tsp shortening
• 1/4 c cocoa - 1 (1 oz) square unsweetened chocolate

• 1 c whole milk - 1/2 c evaporated milk plus 1/2 c water or 1 c reconstituted nonfat dry or skim milk plus 2 tsp butter or oil
• 1 c buttermilk or sour milk - 1 tbsp lemon juice or cider vinegar plus enough milk to equal 1 cup, let sit for 5 minutes before using
• 1 c sour cream - 1 c plain yogurt, or 1 c evaporated milk plus 1 tbsp vinegar, or 1 c cottage cheese mixed in blender with 2 tbsp milk and 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 c half and half - 7/8 c milk plus 3 tbsp butter or margarine or 1 c evaporated milk
• 1 c heavy cream - 1 c evaporated milk or 3/4 c milk plus 1/3 c butter
• 1 c cream cheese - 1 c pureed cottage cheese 
• 1 egg - half a banana mashed with 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 c ricotta - 1 c dry cottage cheese
• 1 c sour cream - 1 c plain yogurt or 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar plus enough cream to make 1 c or 3/4 c buttermilk plus 1/3 c butter
• 1 c yogurt - 1 c sour cream or 1 c buttermilk or 1 c sour milk

• 1 c canned tomatoes - 1 1/3 c cut up fresh tomatoes, simmered for 10 minutes
• 1 c tomato sauce - 8 oz can stewed tomatoes, blended in blender or 1 c tomato puree seasoned or 3/4 c tomato paste plus 1/4 c water
• 1/2 lb fresh mushrooms - 4 oz can mushrooms
• 1/2 c shallots, chopped - 1/2 c chopped onion, or 1/2 c chopped leek or 1/2 c chopped green onion
• 1 oz salami - 1 oz pepperoni
• 1 tsp hot pepper sauce - 3/4 tsp cayenne pepper plus 1 tsp vinegar
• 1 c ketchup - 1 c tomato sauce plus 1 tsp vinegar + 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp vinegar - 1 tsp lemon or lime juice or 2 tsp white wine
• 1/2 c soy sauce - 4 tbsp Worcestershire sauce mixed with 1 tbsp water

• 1 tbsp snipped fresh herbs - 1 tsp same herb, dried, or 1/4 tsp powdered or ground
• 1 tsp mustard - 2 tsp prepared mustard
• 1 tsp Dry ginger - 2 tsp chopped fresh ginger
• 1/4 tsp saffron - 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice - 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/8 tsp ground allspice, 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp allspice - 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ginger, and 1/4 tsp cloves

This post may contain affiliate links. You may check my disclosure page for more information.