So it’s been a wild couple of weeks full of food craftiness and delicious treats! It’s been awhile since we’ve covered handy kitchen tips, so that’s what’s up! Don’t worry, we won’t be completely boring while Sara’s gone; something yummy is cooking up for Friday!
I think everyone has a cookbook that they keep coming back to for good, basic recipes–you know, the Betty Crocker or the Better Homes and Gardens cookbooks, the ones they got from their moms when they got married. Mine is The Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook (I originally typed that out as The Ultimate Southern Luving Cookbook. That would be a completely different set of instructions that would probably not fit our family-friendly reader demographic…) When I was learning to cook, I read it cover-to-cover countless times and even now, sometimes I’ll bring it to bed with me just to look at the gorgeous pictures and think of all the amazing things in it that I haven’t made.
Anyway, one of the things I really love about it is that it’s got some awesome appendices in the back. There is an extensive list of substitutions and I always find myself flipping back there when I suddenly find myself without rum. I mean baking powder.
I haven’t included the entire list because some of the things are so obscure that I doubt you’ll ever cross a recipe that needs them. But now you can bookmark this page and the next time you need 1 cup of miniature marshmallows but only have 10 large ones, you’ll know where to turn!
Handy Substitutions
Click here to print text only
Baking Products
- Baking powder, 1 tsp.: 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar + 1/4 tsp. baking soda
- Semisweet chocolate, 1 oz.: 1 oz. unsweetened chocolate + 1 Tbsp. sugar
- Unsweetened chocolate, 1 oz. or square: 3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa + 1 Tbsp. butter, margarine, shortening, or oil
- Semisweet chocolate chips, 6 oz., melted: 2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, 2 Tbsp. shortening, + 1/2 c. sugar
- Unsweetened cocoa, 1/4 c.: 1 oz. unsweetened chocolate (decrease fat in recipe by 1/2 Tbsp.)
- Corn syrup, light, 1 c.: 1 c. sugar heated to a syrupy consistency with 1/4 c. water (GENIUS!!)
- Cornstarch, 1 Tbsp.: 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
- See flour substitutions here
- Marshmallow cream, 7-oz. jar: 16 oz. package marshmallows, melted, plus 3 1/2 Tbsp. light corn syrup
- Marshmallows, miniature, 1 c.: 10 large marshmallows
- Pecans, chopped, 1 c.: 1 c. regular oats, toasted (in baked products); this is another smart one, especially for people with nut allergies!
- Powdered sugar, 1 c.: 1 c. sugar + 1 Tbsp. cornstarch, processed in food processor
- White sugar, 1 c.: 1 c. corn syrup; decrease liquid in recipe by 1/3 c.
Dairy Products
- Buttermilk, 1 c.: 1 Tbsp. vinegar or lemon juice, plus milk to make 1 c. (let stand 10 minutes); 1 c. milk + 1 3/4 tsp. cream of tartar
- Sweetened condensed milk, 14 ounces: Heat 1/3 c. +2 Tbsp. evaporated milk, 1 c. sugar, 3 Tbsp. butter or margarine until sugar and butter dissolve
- Sour cream: Plain yogurt
Miscellaneous
- Tomato sauce, 2 c.: 3/4 c. tomato paste + 1 c. water
- Chili sauce, 1 c: 1 c. tomato sauce, 1/4 c. brown sugar, 2 Tbsp. vinegar, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, dash of grown cloves, dash of allspice
- Ketchup (for cooking): 1 c. tomato sauce, 1/2 c. sugar, 2 Tbsp. vinegar
Spices
- Allspice, ground, 1 tsp.: 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon + 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
- Apple pie spice, 1 tsp.: 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg, 1/8 tsp. ground cardamom
- Bay leaf, 1 whole: 1/4 tsp. crushed bay leaf
- Chives, chopped, 1 Tbsp.: 1 Tbsp. chopped green onion tops
- Garlic, 1 small clove: 1/8 tsp. garlic powder or dried garlic
- Garlic salt, 1 tsp: 1/8 tsp. garlic powder plus 7/8 tsp. salt
- Herbs, fresh, 1 Tbsp.: 1 tsp. dried herbs or 1/4 tsp. ground herbs
- Mustard, dry, 1 tsp.: 1 Tbsp. prepared mustard
- Onion powder, 1 Tbsp.: 1 medium onion, chopped or 1 Tbsp. dried minced onion
- Parsley, dry, 1 tsp.: 1 Tbsp. fresh parsley
- Pumpkin pie spice: 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. ground ginger, 1/8 tsp. ground allspice, 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
- Vanilla bean, 1: 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp.: 1 tsp. bottled steak sauce
Alcohol (use water, white grape, or apple juice to make up the rest of the amount of liquid called for in the recipe)
- Amaretto, 2 Tbsp.: 1/4-1/2 tsp. almond extract
- Bourbon or Sherry, 2 Tbsp.: 1-2 tsp. vanilla extract
- Brandy, fruit-flavored liqueur, port wine, rum, or sweet cherry, 1/4 c. or more: Equal amount of unsweetened orange or apple juice plus 1 tsp. vanilla extract or corresponding flavor
- Brandy or rum, 2 Tbsp.: 1/2-1 tsp. brandy or rum extract
- Grand Marnier, 2 Tbsp.: 2 Tbsp. unsweetened orange juice concentrate
- Kahlua, 2 Tbsp.: 1/2-1 tsp. chocolate extract plus 1/2-1 tsp. instant coffee dissolved in 2 Tbsp. water
- Red wine: Equal amount of red grape or cranberry juice
- White wine: Equal amount of white grape or apple juice
Whew! That’s a lot to get through! So tell me, those of you who have made it–what’s YOUR cookbook that you keep going back to for the basics?
Questions & Reviews
Wow – I just found your blog through pinterest…and am in LOVE. Thanks for this amazing list! I am a missionary in Africa, so I often have to find substitutes. These are SO helpful!!
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I have to agree with the first commenter, Amy S- I’m living overseas and fall back on your website (and others) for everything! I love living in a place where you can’t buy “instant” or “pre-made” anything. I’m experimenting all the time and learning to make EVERYTHING from scratch- so fun!!
So handy! thanks for posting this. I just learned recently that you can sub in a banana instead of egg in baked goods (to make it vegan, or if you are just out of eggs)
I know this is an old post but I can still comment right?
I use my better homes and gardens cookbook that we got for our wedding. It took me several years to figure out how great it was but once I figured out that so many of questions could be answered in it I started using it all the time.
Lately I have looked up this page a lot though.
This is very helpful. Thanks
The internet!
Thanks for all the helpful info!
~ingrid
i LOVE this list! finally all the substitutions i’m always looking for in one place!!! you guys rock 🙂
as for my cookbook of choice, i’d have to go with my betty crocker circa 1990s cookbook (i don’t like the newer additions).
Such a handy list–this sounds like a cookbook I need!
When I first got married, my go to was the Better Homes and Garden Cookbook, but lately, I’ve been loving my Gourmet Collection Cookbook.
Thanks so much. This list is great! I really needed something like this. I am going to post it on my fridge!
Thanks for the list that is awesome!!! My go to cook book is “Cheap, Fast, Good” and “Desperation Dinners” by Beverly Mills and Alicia Ross. They have all kinds of awesome tips and recipes that are delicious.
I have an old Orange Betty Crocker cookbook that has been loved for 35years! I also like the Lion House Cookbooks. Living in Utah we have ‘altitude’ issues so local cookbooks are helpful. The Southern Living Cookbook sounds fun–if only they would give suggestions for ‘high altitudes’!
Love your blog!!
Thank you for all this info. I’ve got to print and put it with all my cookbooks. Last week I need corn syrup and I knew there had to be away to make it and I was right. Thanks!
This is awesome! Thanks!
Lately, my go-to place for recipes is allrecipes.com. In my early married days before we had internet, I got the Quick Cooking magazines and mostly cooked out of them.
Michelle–Nah, it’s not a big deal at all. In fact, I think most recipes that call for brown sugar are calling for light brown sugar because dark brown sugar has become harder and harder to find.
OH my lanta. This is great! I’m a new cook and there have been plenty of times when I’ve thought; ” I dont have “that”, I wonder what else I can use!”. haha. One question. Is it a big deal to use brown sugar if the recipe calls for LIGHT brown sugar?!
Oooh, Lolly, you’re a creative genius! 🙂
P.S. My word verification is “hagmeet.” As in, “I came in second at last week’s hagmeet.” Or “I can’t go to the movies with you, Brian, because I’m socializing with others of my kind at a hagmeet this weekend.”
These would turn into beautiful handy kitchen reference cards.. 😀
I have totally worn out my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. It’s been my cooking bible since I got married 13 years ago!
Thank you so much for this great list of substitutes. You Rock!
Well, when I moved overseas I couldn’t bring a SINGLE cookbook with me. No room 🙁 So I use the internet constantly. So I guess you and Sara are my fall-back cookbook! 🙂
By the way, this list is AWESOME. I will use it again and again, I am sure. The spice and alcohol substitutions will be a lifesaver. Oh, and I also love the corn syrup substitution!