We've all faced ingredient conundrums and last-minute shortages in the kitchen. Oh no! Out of eggs! No crème fraîche! Need a buttermilk substitute! Thankfully, there are a few tried-and-true substitutions you can turn to in a pinch. These can also be helpful if you're trying to modify a recipe out of dietary necessity (shifting it to be dairy or gluten-free, for example). This guide will help get you started.
BAKING SUBSTITUTIONS
EGGS
- Substitute flax seed for eggs in baking.
- All about vegan egg substitutes.
FLOUR:
- The best gluten-free flour substitute.
- On substituting white whole wheat flour for white flour.
- Substitute a bit of corn starch and flour for cake flour.
- How to make a cake flour substitute.
- Substitute gluten-free teff for rye flour.
SUGAR
- Tips for substituting agave nectar for sugar in baking.
- Quick and easy sugar substitutes.
- On substituting regular sugar for superfine.
- How to make a substitute for cane syrup.
MILK + DAIRY:
- On substitutes for for buttermilk in baking. (And for more see here and here.)
- Vegan substitutions for 8 common baking ingredients.
- On substitutes for dairy and coconut milk.
- Substitute macadamia nut butter and cream for dairy in baking.
SAVORY SUBSTITUTIONS
- Substitute toasted bread crumbs for parmesan.
- Substitute yogurt for sour cream.
- Substitute yogurt or sour cream for crème fraîche.
- Substitute fish sauce for anchovies.
- Substitute jicama for water chestnuts.
- Substitute avocado for mayonnaise.
- Substitute spaghetti squash for pasta.
- On substituting tubed tomato paste for canned.
- On substitutes for lemon and vinegar.
- On substitutes for bananas in smoothies.
- On substitutes for espresso powder.
- A soy-free substitute for soy sauce.
- What to substitute for nuts in pesto.
Do you have any go-to ingredient substitutes you rely on for convenience (when you're out of the called-for ingredient) or health issues (vegan, dairy- or- gluten-free)?
Related: Substitutions: A Handy Kitchen App for iPhones and iPads
(Image: Faith Durand)
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A tablespoon of water and a tablespoon of soy flour for an egg, when baking quick breads or cookies and such.
A lot of the substitutes seem less likely to be in my fridge or pantry than the actual ingredients. The buttermilk one is good though as I rather not buy a 1L carton of buttermilk for one cup in a recipe.
Nutritional yeast is another great sub for parmesan, it has some of that "funkiness" you expect from cheese. Try it on popcorn!
Half a banana works instead of an egg.
Applesauce for eggs in baking is a great substitute and often makes things very moist... especially in GF recipes!
what about subs for wine or other alcohol in savory dishes?
Picked up a magazine from BH&G (Good&Fresh? Something like that) and they had brownies with chia seed instead of butter. Reduced the calories by nearly a third, plus the obvious chia seed goodness - I imagine it would work in other baked goods, too!
I keep a tube of anchovy paste in the fridge. It's easy to squeeze into salad dressing or compound butter, or as a substitute for smashed anchovies.
Awesome vegan egg substitute for baking or many savory preparations (meatballs, etc.): 1 egg= 1TB ground flax seed + 3TB water. Combine and let sit for a few minutes to allow the flax to absorb the water.
Also, mayonnaise can make a good substitute for eggs in a pretty wide range of preparations. My grandpa made some amazing pancakes when one day he ran out of eggs and decided to use mayonnaise instead- it became his "secret recipe." Not exactly healthy, but great when you're in a pinch! I've used it in meatballs with good results.
Is there a good substitute for cilantro in recipes? Cilantro tastes like soap to me and even a small amount will ruin a dish for me. I've just been leaving it out of recipes that call for it, but is there another herb that makes a decent substitute?
"toasted bread crumbs for parmesan."
yes, because toasted brad famously tastes like parmigiano... °_°
one needs very dead taste buds....
I wonder why people do eat toasted bread with cheese...they should eat toasted bread pure then.
@turketron
What about cook one of the other millions of millions of recipes that don't have cilantro/coriander in it?
Otherwise you could use parsley, does obviously taste different but looks similar.
@turketron
What about cook one of the other millions of millions of recipes that don't have cilantro/coriander in it?
Otherwise you could use parsley, does obviously taste different but looks similar.
@ IzzyIzzy
Mayonnaise IS egg and oil or at least should be...
Fish sauce as a substitute for anchovies is a lovely idea, except that Fish sauce CONTAINS anchovies. What's a good substitution for those of us who are allergic to anchovies (in all forms, sauce or otherwise?)