Ingredient Substitution Calculator

How the calculator works

Each substitution in the list is published for one standard amount, such as 1 cup of buttermilk or 1 teaspoon of baking powder. Recipes rarely call for exactly that amount, so the calculator scales it.

substitute amount = published amount x (amount you need / amount it replaces)

If a recipe needs 3/4 cup of buttermilk, the published 1 tablespoon of lemon juice becomes 3/4 tablespoon, which the calculator shows as 2 1/4 teaspoons, with milk added to reach 3/4 cup in total.

The substitutions come from the Basic Ingredient Substitutions list published by University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension. The full list, at the published amounts, is in the chart above.

Worked example

A pancake recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups of buttermilk and 2 teaspoons of baking powder, and you have neither.

Buttermilk, 1 1/2 cups:

1. 1 tablespoon of lemon juice per cup x 1.5 = 1 1/2 tablespoons.
2. Add milk until the total reaches 1 1/2 cups.
3. Stir and leave for 5 minutes.

Baking powder, 2 teaspoons:

1. Baking soda: 1/4 teaspoon x 2 = 1/2 teaspoon.
2. Cream of tartar: 5/8 teaspoon x 2 = 1 1/4 teaspoons.

How the common swaps work

Knowing why a substitute works helps you judge when it will and will not.

Buttermilk. Buttermilk is sour, and recipes that use it usually rely on that acid to react with baking soda. Milk soured with lemon juice or vinegar supplies the same acid. It will be thinner than real buttermilk, which is fine in batter.

Baking powder. Baking powder is baking soda with an acid already mixed in. Cream of tartar is that acid, so the two together do the same job.

Cake flour. Cake flour is lower in protein than all-purpose flour. Using slightly less all-purpose flour, 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons, brings the recipe closer to what the writer intended.

Self-rising flour. This is flour with the leavening and salt already added. The substitute adds them back.

Unsweetened chocolate. One ounce is replaced by 3 tablespoons of cocoa plus 1 tablespoon of butter, margarine or oil. The cocoa supplies the chocolate flavor and the fat replaces the cocoa butter.

Cornstarch for thickening. Flour thickens about half as well, so use 2 tablespoons of flour for each tablespoon of cornstarch. The sauce will be cloudier.

Substitutes change the result

A substitute gets you through the recipe. It does not make an identical dish.

• Butter. Margarine swaps cup for cup. Shortening does too in baking, but it has no water and no butter flavor, so cookies spread less and taste plainer.
• Eggs. Each egg option suits a different job, which is why the list marks mayonnaise for cake batter and the baking powder mix for baking only. None of them will make a custard or an omelet.
• Herbs. Dried herbs are stronger by volume than fresh, which is why 1 teaspoon dried stands in for 1 tablespoon fresh. Add dried herbs early in cooking and fresh ones near the end.
• Garlic. An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder stands in for one small clove. It gives the flavor without the texture.

Spice blends

Two entries in the list are blends you can mix from single spices.

• Allspice, 1 teaspoon: 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon plus 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves.
• Pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon: 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice and 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg.

For a whole pie that needs 2 teaspoons, double each amount.

Tips and common mistakes

Measure the substitute, not just the original. It is easy to scale the recipe correctly and then add the substitute by eye.

Make the buttermilk substitute first. It needs its 5 minutes, so mix it before you gather everything else.

Watch for small amounts. Scaling down can produce amounts such as 1/16 teaspoon. A pinch between two fingers is close enough.

Do not substitute in recipes you are making for the first time if you can avoid it. You will not know whether a disappointing result was the recipe or the swap.