Clever Food Substitutions When Cooking with a Bare Pantry

Missing an ingredient? Here is our list of the most common food substitutions for when you just can’t find exactly what you need.

Baking Powder (1 tsp) – ¼ tsp Baking Soda plus ½ tsp cream of tartar or Baking Soda plus ½ cup of buttermilk (subtract ½ cup of liquid from the recipe)

Food Substitutions for Dry Ingredients

Baking Soda (1 tsp) – Baking Powder (4 tsp) or Potassium Bicarbonate (1 tsp) plus salt (⅓ tsp)

Food Substitutions for Dry Ingredients

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Butter (1 cup) – Margarine (1 cup) or Vegetable Oil (⅞ cup) or Lard (⅞ cup) or Shortening (1 cup) (If your recipe calls for Salted Butter, add ½ tsp salt except if substituting margarine) 

Food Substitutions for Wet Ingredients

©Kirsten Nunez

Buttermilk (1 cup) – Plain Yogurt (1 cup) or Milk (slightly less than 1 cup) plus 1 tbsp vinegar/lemon juice

Food Substitutions for Wet Ingredients

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Allspice (1 tbs) – Cinnamon (½ tsp) plus Cloves (¼ tsp) plus Ginger (¼ tsp) Garlic (1 clove) – Garlic Powder (⅛ tsp) or Garlic Salt (½ tsp, use ¼ tsp less salt in the recipe)

Spice and Flavoring Substitutions

©Kirsten Nunez

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