21 Helpful Baking Recipe Substitutions + Cheatsheet

I don’t know about you, but it seems like every time I go to make my favorite recipe, I’m missing an ingredient. It’s so frustrating! But not to worry, there are many helpful baking recipe substitutions that can be made when baking your favorite recipes.

There are many helpful substitutions that can be made in baking recipes. These substitutions can help to save money and make your recipes more unique. Be sure to experiment and see what works best for you and your recipes.

Be sure to PIN this one for Later!

Baking can be intimidating enough without having to worry about making substitutions, but with a little creativity, it doesn’t have to be. Using these helpful tips, you can easily make substitutions in your baking recipes. So go ahead and bake up something delicious!

Don’t be afraid to experiment and see what works best for you and your recipes.

This blog post contains affiliate links. The opinions are wholly my own from my own experience. I may earn a small commission from clicks through to the websites that end in a purchase.

Baking Recipe Substitutions Printable Graphic

DOWNLOAD A FREE PRINTABLE COPY OF THIS CHEAT SHEET HERE!

Popular Baking Recipe Substitutions

One substitution that can be made when baking is using margarine in place of butter. This is a helpful substitution because margarine is usually less expensive than butter. Additionally, margarine can be used in a recipe that calls for melted butter. Simply melt the margarine and then measure it out as you would melted butter.

Another substitution that can be made is using applesauce instead of oil. This substitution works well in recipes that call for a small amount of oil, such as muffins or quick breads. Applesauce adds moisture to the recipe, so you may need to reduce the amount of liquid called for in the recipe. Start by substituting 1/4 cup of applesauce for each 1/2 cup of oil called for in the recipe.

If you don’t have all-purpose flour on hand, self-rising flour can be used as a replacement. This type of flour already has baking powder and salt added to it, so you won’t need to add these ingredients to the recipe. Simply substitute self-rising flour for all-purpose flour in a 1:1 ratio.

Another popular substitution is using pumpkin puree in place of oil or butter. This substitution works well in recipes that call for a small amount of oil or butter, such as muffins, quick breads, and cookies. Pumpkin puree adds moisture to the recipe, so you may need to reduce the amount of liquid called for in the recipe. Start by substituting 1/4 cup of pumpkin puree for each 1/2 cup of oil or butter called for in the recipe.

Substitute oil with an equal amount of melted butter when baking. If you don’t have any oil on hand, you can use an equal amount of melted butter in its place. This substitution works well in recipes that call for a small amount of oil, such as muffins or quick breads.

Substitute yogurt for mayo, buttermilk for milk, shortening for butter, and even ripe bananas for eggs. The options are endless!

In general, when substituting yogurt for mayo, use a 1:1 ratio. This means that for every 1 cup of mayo called for in the recipe, you will use 1 cup of yogurt. Keep in mind that yogurt is thinner than mayo, so you may need to reduce the amount of liquid called for in the recipe.

Finally, when using ripe bananas as a replacement for eggs, you will need to use a 1:1 ratio. This means that if the recipe calls for 2 eggs, you will need to use 2 ripe bananas. Keep in mind that ripe bananas are much sweeter than eggs, so you may need to reduce the amount of sugar called for in the recipe.

Baking Substitutions at a Glance

Baking soda 1/4 tsp = 1 tsp baking powder
Baking powder 1 tsp = 1/2 tsp cream of tartar + 1/4 baking soda
Bread flour 1 cup = 1 cup all-purpose flour + 1 tsp wheat gluten
Butter (Salted) 1 cup = 1 cup unsalted butter OR 1 cup margarine OR 1 cup vegetable shortening + 1/2 tsp salt
Butter (Unsalted) 1 cup = 1 cup salted butter OR 1 cup vegetable shortening OR 1 cup lard minus 1/2 tsp salt from the recipe
Buttermilk 1 cup = 1 Tbs white vinegar (or lemon juice) and fill the remainder of one cup with milk and let sit for five minutes.
Cake Flour 1 cup = 1 cup of all-purpose flour minus two tablespoons
Corn syrup 1 cup = 1-1/4 cup white sugar + 1/3 cup water OR 1 cup honey
Egg = 1 1/4 cup applesauce OR 3 tablespoons mayonnaise OR 1/2 banana mashed + ½ teaspoon baking powder
Half and Half 1 cup = 1/2 cup whole milk + 1/2 cup heavy cream
Lemon 1 cup = 1 cup vinegar
Milk (whole) 1 cup = 1 cup skim milk + 2 tablespoons melted butter (or margarine)
Pumpkin pie spice = 1 tsp 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon + 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger + 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice + 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Self-rising flour 1 cup = 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour + 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder + 1/2 teaspoon of salt
Sour cream 1 cup = 1 cup plain yogurt
Vinegar 1 cup = 1 cup lemon
Yogurt 1 cup = 1 cup sour cream
Vanilla bean = 1 2-1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
Vegetable oil 1 cup = 1 cup applesauce or fruit puree
Vegetable shortening 1 cup = 1 cup of butter or margarine
Yeast (active dry) 1/4 ounce packet = 2-1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast OR 2-1/4 tsp rapid-rise yeast OR 1/2 of 2-ounce cake yeast

These are just a few examples of helpful baking substitutions. Be sure to experiment and see what works best for you and your recipes. With a little creativity, you can easily make substitutions in your baking recipes.

So next time you’re in the kitchen and realize you’re missing an ingredient, don’t panic. There’s likely a substitution that can be made. And who knows, you might end up creating a new favorite recipe in the process. Happy baking!

Be sure to come back and leave a comment below to share your favorite baking substitutions! We’re all in this together!