We have all been there, missing an ingredient. As I was searching for a recipe on my computer I came across this list of ingredient substitutions that I had gotten from somewhere long ago (I would give credit but I don’t remember where it came from). I thought it might be useful to others so here ya go! Personally, I have this list taped up in my cabinet, and use it when needed instead of running to Google every time I don’t want to run to the store!
You can download the file here: 
Ingredient Substitutions
| Ingredient | Amount | Substitution |
| Allspice | 1 teaspoon | 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon cloves |
| Arrowroot starch | 1 teaspoon | 1 tablespoon flour, OR 1 teaspoon cornstarch |
| Baking mix | 1 cup | 1 cup pancake mix |
| Baking powder | 1 teaspoon | 1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar OR 1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/2 cup buttermilk (decrease liquid in recipe by 1/2 cup) |
| Beer | 1 cup | 1 cup nonalcoholic beer OR 1 cup chicken broth |
| Brandy | 1/4 cup | 1 teaspoon imitation brandy extract plus enough water to make 1/4 cup |
| Bread crumbs | 1 cup | 1 cup cracker crumbs OR 1 cup matzo meal OR 1 cup ground oats |
| Broth: beef or chicken | 1 cup | 1 bouillon cube plus 1 cup boiling water OR 1 tablespoon soy sauce plus enough water to make 1 cup OR 1 cup vegetable broth |
| Brown sugar | 1 cup, packed | 1 cup white sugar plus 1/4 cup molasses and decrease the liquid in recipe by 1/4 cup OR 1 cup white sugar OR 1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar |
| Butter (salted) | 1 cup | 1 cup margarine OR 1 cup shortening plus 1/2 teaspoon salt OR 7/8 cup vegetable oil plus 1/2 teaspoon salt OR 7/8 cup lard plus 1/2 teaspoon salt |
| Butter (unsalted) | 1 cup | 1 cup shortening OR 7/8 cup vegetable oil OR 7/8 cup lard |
| Buttermilk | 1 cup | 1 cup yogurt OR 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar plus enough milk to make 1 cup |
| Cheddar cheese | 1 cup shredded | 1 cup shredded Colby cheddar OR 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese |
| Chervil | 1 tablespoon chopped fresh | 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley |
| Chicken base | 1 tablespoon | 1 cup canned or homemade chicken broth or stock. Reduce liquid in recipe by 1 cup |
| Chocolate(semisweet) | 1 ounce | 1 (1-ounce) square of unsweetened chocolate plus 4 teaspoons sugar OR 1 ounce semisweet chocolate chips plus 1 teaspoon shortening |
| Chocolate (unsweetened) | 1 ounce | 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa plus 1 tablespoon shortening or vegetable oil |
| Cocoa | 1/4 cup | 1 (1-ounce) square unsweetened chocolate |
| Condensed cream of mushroom soup | 1 (10.75-ounce) can | 1 (10.75-ounce) can condensed cream of celery, cream of chicken, OR golden mushroom soup |
| Corn syrup | 1 cup | 1 1/4 cup white sugar plus 1/3 cup water OR 1 cup honey OR 1 cup light treacle syrup |
| Cottage cheese | 1 cup | 1 cup farmer’s cheese OR 1 cup ricotta cheese |
| Cracker crumbs | 1 cup | 1 cup bread crumbs OR 1 cup matzo meal OR 1 cup ground oats |
| Cream (half and half) | 1 cup | 7/8 cup milk plus 1 tablespoon butter |
| Cream (heavy) | 1 cup | 1 cup evaporated milk OR 3/4 cup milk plus 1/3 cup butter |
| Cream (light) | 1 cup | 1 cup evaporated milk OR 3/4 cup milk plus 3 tablespoons butter |
| Cream (whipped) | 1 cup | 1 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed |
| Cream cheese | 1 cup | 1 cup pureed cottage cheese OR 1 cup plain yogurt, strained overnight in a cheesecloth |
| Cream of tartar | 1 teaspoon | 2 teaspoons lemon juice or vinegar |
| Crème fraiche | 1 cup | Combine 1 cup of heavy cream and 1 tablespoon of plain yogurt. Let stand for 6 hours at room temperature |
| Egg | 1 whole (3 tablespoons or 1.7 oz) | 2 1/2 tablespoons of powdered egg substitute plus 2 1/2 tablespoons water OR 1/4 cup liquid egg substitute OR 1/4 cup silken tofu pureed OR 3 tablespoons mayonnaise OR half a banana mashed with 1/2 teaspoon baking powder OR 1 tablespoon powdered flax seed soaked in 3 tablespoons water |
| Evaporated milk | 1 cup | 1 cup light cream |
| Farmer’s cheese | 8 ounces | 8 ounces dry cottage cheese OR 8 ounces creamed cottage cheese, drained |
| Fats for baking | 1 cup | 1 cup applesauce OR 1 cup fruit puree |
| Flour–Bread | 1 cup | 1 cup all-purpose flour plus 1 teaspoon wheat gluten (available at health food stores & some supermarkets) |
| Flour–Cake | 1 cup | 1 cup all-purpose flour minus 2 tablespoons |
| Flour–Self-Rising | 1 cup | 7/8 cup all-purpose flour plus 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt |
| Garlic | 1 clove | 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder OR 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic OR 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt–reduce salt in recipe |
| Gelatin | 1 tablespoon, granulated | 2 teaspoons agar agar |
| Ginger–dry | 1 teaspoon | 2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger |
| Ginger–fresh | 1 teaspoon, minced | 1/2 teaspoon ground dried ginger |
| Green onion | 1/2 cup , chopped | 1/2 cup chopped onion, OR 1/2 cup chopped leek OR 1/2 cup chopped shallots |
| Hazelnuts | 1 cup whole | 1 cup macadamia nuts OR 1 cup almonds |
| Herbs–fresh | 1 tablespoon chopped fresh | 1 teaspoon (chopped or whole leaf) dried herbs |
| Herring | 8 ounces | 8 ounces of sardines |
| Honey | 1 cup | 1 1/4 cup white sugar plus 1/3 cup water OR 1 cup corn syrup OR 1 cup light treacle syrup |
| Hot pepper sauce | 1 teaspoon | 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper plus 1 teaspoon vinegar |
| Ketchup | 1 cup | 1 cup tomato sauce plus 1 teaspoon vinegar plus 1 tablespoon sugar |
| Lard | 1 cup | 1 cup shortening OR 7/8 cup vegetable oil OR 1 cup butter |
| Lemon grass | 2 fresh stalks | 1 tablespoon lemon zest |
| Lemon juice | 1 teaspoon | 1/2 teaspoon vinegar OR 1 teaspoon white wine OR 1 teaspoon lime juice |
| Lemon zest | 1 teaspoon | 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract OR 2 tablespoons lemon juice |
| Lime juice | 1 teaspoon | 1 teaspoon vinegar OR 1 teaspoon white wine OR 1 teaspoon lemon juice |
| Lime zest | 1 teaspoon | 1 teaspoon lemon zest |
| Macadamia nuts | 1 cup | 1 cup almonds OR 1 cup hazelnuts |
| Mace | 1 teaspoon | 1 teaspoon nutmeg |
| Margarine | 1 cup | 1 cup shortening plus 1/2 teaspoon salt OR 1 cup butter OR 7/8 cup vegetable oil plus 1/2 teaspoon salt OR 7/8 cup lard plus 1/2 teaspoon salt |
| Mayonnaise | 1 cup | 1 cup sour cream OR 1 cup plain yogurt |
| Milk–whole | 1 cup | 1 cup soy milk OR 1 cup rice milk OR 1 cup water or juice OR 1/4 cup dry milk powder plus 1 cup water OR 2/3 cup evaporated milk plus 1/3 cup water |
| Mint–fresh | 1/4 cup chopped | 1 tablespoon dried mint leaves |
| Molasses | 1 cup | Mix 3/4 cup brown sugar and 1 teaspoon cream of tartar |
| Mustard–prepared | 1 tablespoon | Mix together 1 tablespoon dried mustard, 1 teaspoon water, 1 teaspoon vinegar and 1 teaspoon sugar |
| Onion | 1 cup, chopped | 1 cup chopped green onions OR 1 cup chopped shallots OR 1 cup chopped leeks OR 1/4 cup dried minced onion OR 1/4 cup onion powder |
| Orange juice | 1 tablespoon | 1 tablespoon other citrus juice |
| Orange zest | 1 tablespoon | 1/2 teaspoon orange extract OR 1 teaspoon lemon juice |
| Parmesan cheese | 1/2 cup, grated | 1/2 cup grated Asiago cheese OR 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese |
| Parsley | 1 tablespoon chopped fresh | 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chervil OR 1 teaspoon dried parsley |
| Pepperoni | 1 ounce | 1 ounce salami |
| Raisin | 1 cup | 1 cup dried currants OR 1 cup dried cranberries OR 1 cup chopped pitted prunes |
| Rice–white | 1 cup, cooked | 1 cup cooked barley OR 1 cup cooked bulgur OR 1 cup cooked brown or wild rice |
| Ricotta | 1 cup | 1 cup dry cottage cheese OR 1 cup silken tofu |
| Rum | 1 tablespoon | 1/2 teaspoon rum extract, plus enough water to make 1 tablespoon |
| Saffron | 1/4 teaspoon | 1/4 teaspoon turmeric |
| Salami | 1 ounce | 1 ounce pepperoni |
| Semisweet chocolate chips | 1 cup | 1 cup chocolate candies OR 1 cup peanut butter or other flavored chips OR 1 cup chopped nuts OR 1 cup chopped dried fruit |
| Shallots, chopped | 1/2 cup | 1/2 cup chopped onion, OR 1/2 cup chopped leek OR 1/2 cup chopped green onion |
| Shortening | 1 cup | 1 cup butter OR 1 cup margarine minus 1/2 teaspoon salt from recipe |
| Sour cream | 1 cup | 1 cup plain yogurt OR 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar plus enough cream to make 1 cup OR 3/4 cup buttermilk mixed with 1/3 cup butter |
| Sour milk | 1 cup | 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice mixed with enough milk to make 1 cup: Let stand 5 minutes to thicken |
| Soy sauce | 1/2 cup | 4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce mixed with 1 tablespoon water |
| Stock–beef or chicken | 1 cup | 1 cube beef or chicken bouillon dissolved in 1 cup water |
| Sweetened condensed milk | 1 (14-ounce) can | 3/4 cup white sugar mixed with 1/2 cup water and 1 1/8 cups dry powdered milk: Bring to a boil and cook, stirring frequently, until thickened, about 20 minutes |
| Vegetable oil–for baking | 1 cup | 1 cup applesauce OR 1 cup fruit puree |
| Vegetable oil–for frying | 1 cup | 1 cup lard OR 1 cup vegetable shortening |
| Vinegar | 1 teaspoon | 1 teaspoon lemon or lime juice OR 2 teaspoons white wine |
| White sugar | 1 cup | 1 cup brown sugar OR 1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar OR 3/4 cup honey OR 3/4 cup corn syrup |
| Wine | 1 cup | 1 cup chicken or beef broth OR 1 cup fruit juice mixed with 2 teaspoons vinegar OR 1 cup water |
| Yeast-active dry | 1 (.25-ounce) package | 1 cake compressed yeast OR 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast OR 2 1/2 teaspoonsrapid rise yeast |
| Yogurt | 1 cup | 1 cup sour cream OR 1 cup buttermilk OR 1 cup sour milk |
You can download the file here: Ingredient Substitutions