You’re elbows deep in your pre-dinner prep only to realize you’re out of fresh garlic. Don’t throw in the towel on that recipe just yet!
It’s easy to substitute fresh garlic with a number of other garlic products, including garlic powder. Even if you’re plum out of garlic in all forms, not all hope is lost.
Keep reading to find out how much garlic powder equals one clove, what other ingredients you can use to substitute for fresh garlic, and even how to make homemade garlic powder at home!
Table of Contents
How Much Garlic Powder Equals One Clove?
One-eighth teaspoon of garlic powder is equal to one standard-sized garlic clove. If you’re using this garlic powder to clove ratio, make sure the powder you’re using is pure garlic and not garlic salt, which requires a different substitution ratio.
How Many Cloves of Garlic In a Teaspoon of Garlic Powder?
If your recipe calls for garlic powder and you’re out or would rather use fresh garlic, you can substitute 8 fresh garlic cloves for one teaspoon of powdered garlic. Make sure to mince and add fresh garlic cloves earlier in the process so they have time to cook.
Fresh Garlic Substitutes
Need more substitute options for fresh garlic? Don’t worry, you can substitute any form of garlic in place of fresh cloves so long as you have the right ratios.
| Fresh Clove Substitute | Ratio Per 1 Clove | Notes |
| Garlic Powder | ⅛ tsp | Add along with other spices; No need to saute. |
| Jarred Minced Garlic | ½ tsp | Add as you would fresh garlic. |
| Garlic Flakes | ½ tsp | Add along with liquid to soups/stews. For non-liquid dishes, add flakes to 1 tsp water and allow to sit for 5 minutes before adding to recipe as you would fresh garlic. |
| Granulated Garlic | ¼ tsp | Add along with other spices; No need to saute. |
| Garlic Salt | ½ tsp | Add along with other spices; Omit ⅜ tsp of salt from recipe. |
Garlic powder, granulated garlic, and jarred minced garlic all make great substitutes for fresh garlic cloves.
Garlic flakes, which are dehydrated garlic in minced form, are another great choice but require some prep. In liquidy dishes like stews, soups, and watery sauces, this substitute should be added along with the liquid and given plenty of time to cook so it can soften.
If there isn’t a lot of liquid in the dish, pre-soak the flakes in a little water to rehydrate them. You can do this by mixing 1/2 teaspoon of garlic flakes with 1 teaspoon of water and letting sit for about five to ten minutes. Once rehydrated, treat them as you would fresh minced garlic.
Garlic salt is the least optimal garlic substitute because it comes with a heavy dose of sodium.
Each teaspoon of garlic salt has about ¼ teaspoon garlic powder and ¾ teaspoon salt. If your recipe calls for salt, you can easily offset this added sodium by omitting ¾ teaspoon of straight salt.
If there is no additional salt in the recipe to cut, try adding a dash of vinegar or lemon juice to the dish. Acids cut the saltiness of foods and can help rebalance the flavor profile to hide that extra sodium.
Non-Garlic Fresh Garlic Substitutes
Plum out of garlic in all forms? You have a few options to try and salvage your dish.
Chives–especially garlic chives–are a good substitute for fresh garlic. These allium greens have a sharp, spicy flavor that is more garlic-like than other substitutes. Use 1 teaspoon minced chives in place of 1 clove of garlic.
Shallots also make a pretty decent garlic substitute. They have a delicately sharp spice that is less overpowering than regular onion. Use 1 tablespoon of minced shallot in place of 1 clove of garlic.
Cumin is another possible substitute when all other options have been exhausted. This spice doesn’t necessarily emulate the flavor of garlic, but it does add its own slightly-spicy intensity that will help deepen the flavor profile the way garlic is meant to. Add ⅛ teaspoon cumin in place of one clove.
Homemade Garlic Powder Recipe
Have an excess of fresh garlic stored away in your handy dandy garlic keeper? Why not make your own garlic powder!
If you have a dehydrator and a food processor or coffee grinder, you can easily make this pantry staple at home. And by doing so, you’ll know your garlic powder is made with only pure, fresh garlic. I promise it’s going to taste a lot better than the powder you get at the store, too.
To make your own homemade garlic powder:
- Gather your fresh heads of garlic (bulbs). Six heads or bulbs of garlic will make about ½ cup of garlic powder.
- Peel the papery skin off the garlic heads and separate the cloves.
- Thinly slice each clove with your favorite knife or garlic press.
- Place the slices on screens on your dehydrator racks. Be sure the slices are not overlapping.
- Dehydrate at 125 degrees for about 12 hours. Slices will easily crumble apart when fully dried.
- Place the dried slices into your food processor or a clean coffee grinder and process until the desired consistency is reached.
- Place in a labeled jar.
You can use your garlic powder to flavor pasta sauce, add to salad dressings, or elevate any savory recipe. Or you can set it aside for those emergencies when you find yourself in the midst of a recipe with no fresh garlic in sight.
If you use lots of garlic in your cooking, don’t miss our guides on how to chop it and the best garlic keepers to help your garlic last.
How to Make Garlic Powder
Ingredients
- 6 heads fresh garlic
Instructions
- Separate the cloves from the papery skin and thinly slice each clove.
- Place the slices on screens on your dehydrator racks. Be sure the slices are not overlapping. Dehydrate at 125 degrees for about 12 hours. Slices will easily crumble apart when fully dried.
- Place the dried slices into your food processor or a clean coffee grinder and process until the desired consistency is reached.
- Place in a labeled jar and enjoy!
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