Food Tips & Info > SubstitutionsNovember 27, 2006

I keep this list inside my cookbook in case I am ever in a pinch for alternative ingredients.

Easy Substitutions

If the recipe calls for:

Cheese

• cream cheese: cottage cheese blended with butter or milk.
• ricotta cheese: cottage cheese.
• romano cheese: Parmesan cheese

Flour

• sifted all-purpose flour (1 cup): 1 cup less 2 Tbsp. unsifted all-purpose flour.
• sifted cake flour (1 cup): 1 cup less 2 Tbsp. sifted all-purpose flour.
• self rising flour (1 cup): 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour plus 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder and a pinch of salt.

Milk/Cream

• buttermilk (1 cup): 1 cup plain yogurt, or 1 Tbsp. lemon juice or vinegar plus enough milk to make 1 cup, let stand 5 minutes before using.
• heavy cream or half and half (1 cup): 7/8 cup whole milk plus 1 1/2 Tbsp. butter.
• sour cream (1 cup): 1 cup plain yogurt.
• whole milk (1 cup): 1 cup skim or non-fat milk plus 2 tablespoons butter or margarine.

Sugar

• confectioners' sugar (1 cup): 1/2 cup plus one Tbsp. granulated sugar.
• granulated sugar (1 cup): 1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar, or 1 cup packed light brown sugar, or 3/4 cup honey.
• brown sugar (1/2 cup): 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 2 Tbsp. molasses.

Other

• lemon juice (1 Tbsp.): 1/2 Tbsp. vinegar.
• chopped apples (1 cup): 1 cup chopped pears plus 1 Tbsp. lemon juice.
• double-acting baking powder (1 tsp.): 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar plus 1/4 tsp. baking soda.
• dark corn syrup (1 cup): 3/4 cup light corn syrup plus 1/4 cup molasses.
• dry bread crumbs (1 cup): 3/4 cup cracker crumbs or 1 cup corn flake crumbs.
• unsweetened chocolate (1 oz.): 3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder plus 1 Tbsp. butter.

By Paula from Christmas, MI

By Persnickety Paula

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