Substitutions and Equivalents

Have you ever started to make a recipe and suddenly realized you were out of a critical ingredient? Don’t panic … I’ve got you covered! Below are some easy swaps to help you avoid a mid-recipe dash to the store.

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Ingredient Emergency Substitutions
Food Weight and Volume Equivalents
Weight and Measurement Equivalents
Fahrenheit to Celsius Conversions

Ingredient Emergency Substitutions

Missing IngredientSubstitution / Equivalent
Apple Pie Spice mix (1 teaspoon)1/2 teaspoon cinnamon + 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg + 1/8 teaspoon allspice + 1/8 teaspoon ginger + pinch cloves
Bacon, cooked & crumbled (1 slice)1 Tablespoon cooked bacon pieces
Baking powder (1 teaspoon)1/2 teaspoon baking soda + 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
Balsamic vinegar (1 Tablespoon)1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar + 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
Broth, Beef or chicken (1 cup)1 cup hot water plus 1 teaspoon (r 1 cube) instant beef or chicken bouillon
Brown Sugar (1 cup packed)1 cup granulated sugar + 2 Tablespoons molasses, mixed well
Buttermilk (1 cup)1 cup milk + 1 Tablespoon white vinegar; or lemon juice (mix and let stand 5 mins)
Chocolate, semi sweet (1 ounce)3 Tablespoons semisweet chocolate pieces;
or 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate + 1 Tablespoon sugar;
or 1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder + 2 teaspoons sugar + 2 teaspoons vegetable oil or melted shortening
Chocolate, unsweetened (1 ounce)3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder + 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or melted shortening
Cornstarch (1 Tablespoon)
(for thickening)		2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
Egg (1 egg – for baking)1 Tablespoon flax seed + 3 Tablespoons water (mix and let stand 5 mins);
or 2 egg whites;
or 2 egg yolks
Flour, cake (1 cup)1 cup all purpose flour minus 2 Tablespoons
Flour, self-rising (1 cup)1 cup all-purpose flour + 1 teaspoon baking powder + 1/2 teaspoon
salt + 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, sifted together
Garlic (1 fresh clove)1/2 teaspoon jarred minced or crushed garlic;
or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Ginger (1 Tablespoon fresh grated)1 teaspoon ground ginger
Half-and-half or light cream (1 cup)1 cup while milk + 1 Tablespoon melted butter
Herbs, chopped fresh (1 Tablespoon)1 teaspoon dried crushed herb;
or 1/2 teaspoon ground herb
Italian seasoning mix (1 teaspoon)1/2 teaspoon basil + 1/4 teaspoon oregano + 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder + 1/8 teaspoon fennel seed
Lemon juice (1 Tablespoon)
(for acid, not flavor)		1 1/2 teaspoons white or apple cider vinegar
Molasses (1 cup)1 cup honey
Onion, chopped (1/2 cup)2 Tablespoons dried minced onion;
or 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Poultry Seasoning (1 teaspoon)3/4 teaspoon sage + 1/4 teaspoon thyme + pinch marjoram
Pumpkin Pie Seasoning (1 teaspoon)1/2 teaspoon cinnamon + 1/4 teaspoon ginger + 1/8 teaspoon allspice + 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
Sour Cream (1 cup)1 cup plain Greek yogurt or regular yogurt (strain in cheesecloth as needed to thicken)
Sugar (1 cup)1 cup brown sugar
Tomato Sauce (1 cup)1/2 cup tomato paste + 1/2 cup water
Wine – red (1 cup)1 cup broth (beef, chicken, vegetable) + 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
Wine – white (1 cup)1 cup chicken broth + 1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
Yeast, active dry (1 package)2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

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Ingredient Emergency Substitutions
Food Weight and Volume Equivalents
Weight and Measurement Equivalents
Fahrenheit to Celsius Conversions

Food weight and volume equivalents

FoodWeightVolume
Butter1 pound2 cups
Cheese, shredded1 pound4 cups
Chocolate1 ounce1 square
Cornmeal1 pound3 cups
Eggs, extra large4 eggs1 cup (approx)
Flour, all purpose1 pound2 1/2 cups
Rice, uncooked1 pound2 cups
Fruit:
– Apples1 pound whole fruits3 cups, pared & sliced
– Bananas1 pound whole fruits1 3/4 cups, mashed
– Lemon1 large lemon2 – 4 Tablespoons juice
– Lime1 medium lime1 1/2 – 2 Tablespoons juice
– Peaches1 pound whole fruits2 cups, sliced
– Pears1 pound whole fruits2 cups, slices
– Rhubarb1 pound fresh1 cups, sliced
Nuts:
– Almonds (whole)1 pound3 1/3 cups
– Almonds (ground)1 pound2 2/3 cups
– Peanuts1 pound3 cups
– Pecans1 pound4 cups
– Walnuts1 pound3 cups
Sugar:
– Brown, lightly packed1 pound2 3/4 cups
– Granulated1 pound2 1/3 cups
– Icing or Confectioners1 pound3 2/3 cups

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Ingredient Emergency Substitutions
Food Weight and Volume Equivalents
Weight and Measurement Equivalents
Fahrenheit to Celsius Conversions

Common Weight and Measurement Equivalents

US/Imperial WeightMetric
1/2 ounce15 g
1 ounce25 g – 30 g
4 ounces (1/4 pound)115 g – 125 g
8 ounces (1/2 pound)225 g – 250 g
16 ounces (1 pound)450 g – 500 g
2 pounds1000 g or 1 Kg
1/8 teaspoon0.5 ml
1/4 teaspoon1 ml
1/2 teaspoon2 ml
1 teaspoon5 ml
1 Tablespoon15 ml;
or 3 teaspoons
1/4 cup50 ml;
or 2 fluid ounces;
or 4 Tablespoons
1/3 cup75 ml;
or 3 fluid ounces;
or 5 1/2 Tablespoons
1/2 cup125 ml;
or 4 fluid ounces;
or 8 Tablespoons
3/4 cup175 ml;
or 6 fluid ounces;
or 12 Tablespoons
1 cup250 ml; or
or 8 fluid ounces;
or 16 Tablespoons
2 cups500 ml; or
1 pint
4 cups1000 ml;
or 1 litre;
or 1 quart
16 cups1 gallon

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Ingredient Emergency Substitutions
Food Weight and Volume Equivalents
Weight and Measurement Equivalents
Fahrenheit to Celsius Conversions

Fahrenheit to Celsius

FahrenheitMetric
300°F150°C
325°F160°C
350°F180°C
375°F190°C
400°F200°C
425°F220°C
450°F230°C
475°F240°C
500°F260°C

Jump to:
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Ingredient Emergency Substitutions
Food Weight and Volume Equivalents
Weight and Measurement Equivalents
Fahrenheit to Celsius Conversions