A list of ingredient substitutions for both baking and cooking to help guide you when you are out of a certain ingredient or need an alternative in a pinch.
Notes about substitutions of ingredients
These ingredient substitutions are just a general guide. Below are a few more tips for if you’re in a pinch:
- Flours: Bread flour is a high-gluten flour so is not suitable for baking cakes, cookies and muffins. Cake flour is a very finely milled flour and can be used for baking bread in a pinch. The result will just likely be softer and might not rise quite as much. For most commercial brands, bread and cake flours are pretty interchangeable. Stoneground flours have more texture and this is where the biggest texture difference will come in. Health flours like coconut flour, almond flour, oat flour, etc. aren’t interchangeable with wheat flour 1:1 as they lack the protein (gluten) to hold structure well. This doesn’t mean you can’t bake with them, the end result and accompanying ingredients will just be different.
- Eggs: Specifically in healthy recipes, eggs can be substituted with applesauce, ground flax seeds or chia seeds, a “flax-egg” or commercial egg substitutes. Aqua Faba (the liquid from canned chickpeas) can be used in stead of egg whites.
- Baking powder: ¼tsp baking soda + ½tsp cream of tartar.
- Baking paper/parchment paper: If using to line a baking sheet, foil can be used HOWEVER foil will conduct heat so it might make the cookies/bread bake differently or darken quickly on the bottom. Cooking spray can be used in a pinch but make sure to grease the pan very well.
- Soy sauce: Tamari (gluten free) and Coconut Aminos can be used instead.
Is it ok to use almond milk instead of regular milk for the buttermilk?
Unfortunately almond milk won’t react in the same way cow’s milk will.