Home › Substitutions
Baking Substitutions
Out of something? These swaps use widely published ratios from extension services and King Arthur Baking.
Buttermilk substitute
For 1 cup buttermilk, use:
- 1 cup minus 1 tbsp milk plus 1 tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar; stir and let stand 5 minutes.
- 1 cup milk plus 1 1/4–1 3/4 tsp cream of tartar.
- 1 cup plain yogurt.
Acidic buttermilk reacts with baking soda, so the substitute needs to be acidic too.
Source: Colorado State University Extension — Ingredient Substitutions
Egg (large) substitute
For 1 large egg egg, use:
- 1/4 cup commercial liquid egg substitute.
- 2 1/2 tbsp dried (powdered) egg plus 2 1/2 tbsp water.
- In baking, 1 egg out of every 3 can be replaced with 1 tbsp cornstarch.
Eggs bind, leaven and add moisture; no single swap does all three, so results change most in egg-heavy recipes.
Source: Colorado State University Extension — Ingredient Substitutions
Baking powder (double-acting) substitute
For 1 tsp baking powder, use:
- 1/4 tsp baking soda plus 1/2 tsp cream of tartar plus 1/4 tsp cornstarch.
- 1/4 tsp baking soda plus 5/8 tsp cream of tartar (mix just before using).
- 1/4 tsp baking soda plus 1/2 cup buttermilk or yogurt, reducing the recipe's other liquid by 1/2 cup.
Baking powder is baking soda plus a powdered acid, so you can rebuild it from those parts.
Source: Colorado State University Extension — Ingredient Substitutions
Cake flour substitute
For 1 cup cake flour, use:
- 3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp (105 g) all-purpose flour plus 2 tbsp (14 g) cornstarch, whisked together; use by equal volume or weight.
- Or simply 1 cup minus 2 tbsp (7/8 cup) all-purpose flour.
Cornstarch lowers the protein content, for a more tender crumb.
Source: King Arthur Baking — How to make cake flour · Colorado State University Extension — Ingredient Substitutions
Brown sugar substitute
For 1 cup brown sugar, use:
- 1 cup granulated sugar plus 1/4 cup (unsulphured) molasses.
- 1 cup granulated sugar alone (less moist and less caramel flavor).
Brown sugar is white sugar with molasses, which also adds moisture and a little acidity.
Source: Colorado State University Extension — Ingredient Substitutions
Self-rising flour substitute
For 1 cup self-rising flour, use:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour plus 1 1/4 tsp baking powder plus 1/4 tsp salt.
- Going the other way? If a recipe calls for all-purpose flour with about 1/2–1 tsp baking powder per cup, you can use self-rising flour and leave out the baking powder and salt.
Self-rising flour is all-purpose flour with leavening and salt already mixed in.
Source: Colorado State University Extension — Ingredient Substitutions · King Arthur Baking — How to substitute self-rising flour
Heavy cream (36–40% fat) substitute
For 1 cup heavy cream, use:
- 3/4 cup milk plus 1/3 cup melted butter — for baking and cooking only; it will not whip.
Melted butter restores the fat that milk lacks; for whipped cream, there's no equivalent swap.
Source: Colorado State University Extension — Ingredient Substitutions
Sour cream substitute
For 1 cup sour cream, use:
- 1 cup plain yogurt.
- 7/8 cup buttermilk or soured milk.
- 7/8 cup milk plus 1 tbsp lemon juice plus 2 tbsp butter.
Plain yogurt is the closest match; full-fat yogurt behaves most like sour cream.
Source: Colorado State University Extension — Ingredient Substitutions
Whole milk substitute
For 1 cup whole milk, use:
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk plus 1/2 cup water.
- 1 cup skim or 2% milk (slightly less rich).
- In baking: 1 cup water plus 1 1/2 tsp butter.
Swaps change richness more than structure.
Source: Colorado State University Extension — Ingredient Substitutions
Cornstarch (as a thickener) substitute
For 1 tbsp cornstarch, use:
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour.
- 1 tbsp arrowroot.
Flour thickens about half as strongly as cornstarch and makes sauces less glossy.
Source: Colorado State University Extension — Ingredient Substitutions
Unsweetened chocolate substitute
For 1 oz unsweetened chocolate, use:
- 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa plus 1 tbsp butter or other fat.
Cocoa supplies the chocolate solids; the fat replaces the cocoa butter.
Source: Colorado State University Extension — Ingredient Substitutions
Honey substitute
For 1 cup honey, use:
- 1 1/4 cups sugar plus 1/4 cup of the liquid already in the recipe.
Honey is sweeter than sugar and adds liquid, hence the extra liquid.
Source: Colorado State University Extension — Ingredient Substitutions
A word of caution
Substitutes get you close, not identical. Expect small differences in rise, texture and flavor, especially when swapping more than one ingredient in a recipe. Need weights? See our cups-to-grams pages.