Sometimes a recipe calls for an ingredient that you may not have on hand. Or, you may prefer to make a substitution based on personal taste or for dietary reasons. This helpful list shows you some of the most common cooking ingredients and their substitutes.
| When a recipe calls for: |
In most cases, you may substitute: |
| 1 cup fresh whole milk |
1 cup 2%, 1% or skim milk, or 1/2 cup evaporated milk plus 1/2 cup water |
| 1 cup half-and-half |
1 cup less 2 tablespoons whole milk plus 2 tablespoons melted margarine or butter |
| 1 clove garlic |
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder or minced dried garlic |
| 1 small onion |
1 teaspoon onion powder or 1 tablespoon minced dried onion, rehydrated |
| 1 teaspoon dry mustard |
1 tablespoon prepared mustard |
| 1 tablespoon cornstarch |
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour or (for thickening) |
| 1 cup sour cream |
1 cup plain yogurt |
| 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs |
1 teaspoon dried herbs, crushed |
| 1/2 cup granulated sugar |
1/2 cup packed brown sugar |
| 1/4 cup honey |
1/4 cup light corn syrup |
| 1 cup buttermilk |
1 cup milk to which has been added 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar |
| 1 egg whole |
2 egg yolks or 3 1/2 tablespoons egg substitute |
| 1 egg white |
2 tablespoons egg white substitute |
| 1 teaspoon baking powder |
1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 3/8 teaspoon cream of tartar |
| 1 cup butter |
1 cup margarine or 7/8 cup vegetable oil, lard or vegetable shortening |
| 1 teaspoon vinegar |
2 teaspoons lemon juice |