What do you do when you realize gremlins raided your pantry overnight (or maybe you just forgot to go grocery shopping) and now you’re out of everything from butter to yeast?

If you’re in a bind and looking for an ingredient substitute, don’t worry, we’ve got you, boo.  Whether you’re out of eggsflouryeast, or butter — or need an inventive alternative to fresh herbsolive oil, or even mayo — fear no more.

Below is a (by no means exhaustive, but still pretty darn expansive) list of common ingredients, along with ideas for possible substitution of ingredients. The suggested substitutes will vary depending on the particular recipe or technique you’re using, but in a pinch, these should prove super helpful. Think of it like an alphabetical list to bookmark for when you need it.

Coconut oil replacing butter in an ingredient swapShare on Pinterest
Illustration by Brittany England

B

What you need: Baking powder — 1 teaspoon

What you can use instead:

  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar (prepare right before using)
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/2 cup yogurt, butter, buttercream, or sour cream

What you need: Baking soda — 1 teaspoon

What you can use instead:

  • 3 teaspoons baking powder (but omit or reduce the salt in your recipe)
  • 1 teaspoon of stiffly whipped egg whites — (be sure to remove an equal amount of liquid from the recipe, like the milk or oil)

What you need: Breadcrumbs — 1 cup

What you can use instead:

  • 1 cup cracker crumbs
  • 1 cup matzo meal
  • 1 cup crushed cereal

What you need: Broth, chicken — 1 cup

What you can use instead:

  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • 1 cup water, well seasoned with salt (you can add a little melted butter for richness)
  • 1 tablespoon or cube of chicken bouillon whisked into 1 cup boiling water (or refer to package directions on your particular brand)

What you need: Broth, beef — 1 cup

What you can use instead:

  • 1 cup water, well seasoned with soy sauce or coconut aminos (this adds more flavor than just salt)
  • 1 tablespoon or cube of beef bouillon whisked into 1 cup boiling water (or refer to package directions on your particular brand)

What you need: Broth, vegetable — 1 cup

What you can use instead:

  • 1 cup water, well seasoned with salt
  • You can also add seasonings and chopped celery, onion, or another vegetable on hand, depending on your recipe.

What you need: Butter, clarified — 1 tablespoon

What you can use instead:

What you need: Butter, unsalted — 1 cup

What you can use instead:

  • 1 cup unsalted margarine
  • 1 cup vegetable or canola oil (you might need to cut down on other liquid in the recipe)
  • 1 cup lard
  • 1 cup coconut oil
  • 1 cup applesauce (for some baked goods)

What you need: Buttermilk — 1 cup

What you can use instead:

  • 3/4 cup whole milk or low fat yogurt plus 1/4 cup milk (for baked goods, not savory dishes)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice or distilled white vinegar plus 1 cup whole milk, let stand 10 minutes before using (similar to buttermilk in sour flavor but not in thickness)

C

What you need: Cheese, Parmesan (grated) — as a garnish to finish dishes

What you can use instead:

What you need: Cheese, cheddar (or fontina, mozzarella, feta, etc.), grated or crumbled — 1 cup

What you can use instead:

  • The world of cheese is vast, and possible substitution of ingredients for even just a handful of common varieties could be its own guide — but in general, pay attention to both the flavor and texture of the cheese you need and use your best judgment (or the internet) to discern an appropriate swap (colby for cheddar, say, or Gruyere for fontina).
  • If you’re looking for a dairy-free cheese substitute, that depends on exactly how you’re using it — but see our healthy mac and cheese recipes for ideas ranging from cashew puree to blended butternut squash.

What you need: Cheese, cream — 8 ounces

What you can use instead:

  • 1/2 cup ricotta blended with 1/2 cup plain yogurt
  • 8 ounces cottage cheese (puree if you’re worried about texture)
  • 8 ounces plain Greek yogurt
  • 8 ounces hummus (in spreads, but not in sweet items)
  • 1 cup kefir plus 1/4 cup chia seeds (let the mixture thicken 10 to 20 minutes before using) — note that chia seeds will be visible as tiny black dots like poppy seeds, in case you don’t want that in your recipe

What you need: Chocolate, bittersweet or semisweet — 1 ounce

What you can use instead:

What you need: Chocolate, unsweetened — 1 ounce

What you can use instead:

  • 3 tablespoons unsweetened natural cocoa powder plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, vegetable oil, or shortening (best for small-quantity substitutions)
  • 1 1/2 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate and subtract 1 tablespoon granulated sugar from the recipe

What you need: Cocoa powder, Dutch-process — 3 tablespoons

What you can use instead:

  • 3 tablespoons unsweetened natural cocoa powder plus 1/8 teaspoon baking soda

What you need: Coconut, fresh — 1 cup

What you can use instead:

  • 1 cup dried, flaked coconut (unsweetened)
  • 3/4 cup dried, shredded coconut (unsweetened)

What you need: Corn syrup, dark — 1 cup

What you can use instead:

  • 3/4 cup light corn syrup plus 1/4 cup molasses
  • 1 cup dark treacle

What you need: Corn syrup, light — 1 cup

What you can use instead:

  • 1 cup dark corn syrup (gives a more pronounced flavor)
  • 1 cup light treacle (also known as golden syrup or cane syrup)
  • 1 cup honey

What you need: Cornmeal, stone-ground — 1 cup

What you can use instead:

  • 1 cup regular milled cornmeal
  • 1 cup corn grits
  • 1 cup dry polenta

What you need: Cornstarch — 1 tablespoon

What you can use instead:

  • 2 1/2 teaspoons arrowroot powder
  • 1 tablespoon potato starch
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons instant tapioca

What you need: Cracker crumbs — 1 cup

What you can use instead:

  • 1 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1 cup matzo meal

What you need: Cream, heavy — 1 cup

What you can use instead:

  • 1 cup light cream
  • 1 cup half-and-half
  • 1 cup evaporated milk
  • 3/4 cup whole milk plus 1/3 cup melted butter

What you need: Cream of tartar (for beating with egg whites) — 1/2 teaspoon

What you can use instead:

  • 1/2 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

What you need: Cream of tartar (for baking) — 1/2 teaspoon

What you can use instead:

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar (just be careful that the additional liquid doesn’t throw off the recipe)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice (just be careful that the additional liquid doesn’t throw off the recipe)

What you need: Creme fraiche — 1 cup

What you can use instead:

  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream plus 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup mascarpone
  • 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt

E

What you need: Egg, whole (for baking) — 1

What you can use instead:

  • 1/4 cup liquid egg substitute
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons powdered egg substitute plus 2 1/2 tablespoons water
  • 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed plus 3 tablespoons water (chill in the fridge until thickened, about 15 minutes)
  • 1 tablespoon ground chia seeds plus 3 tablespoons water
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/4 cup mashed ripe banana
  • 3 tablespoons aquafaba (this works better when whipped in place of egg whites for vegan meringue and cocktails, as opposed to simply mixed into batters for baking)
  • 2 tablespoons water plus 2 teaspoons baking powder and 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup pureed plain tofu plus 1 tablespoon flour

What you need: Eggs (for use in savory dishes)

What you can use instead:

  • chickpeas or firm tofu for scrambles and egg salad (try adding black salt for egg flavor)
  • silken tofu for poached eggs (try adding black salt for egg flavor)

What you need: Espresso powder, instant (for baking) — 1 tablespoon

What you can use instead:

  • 1 tablespoon instant coffee

F

What you need: Fish sauce — 1 teaspoon

What you can use instead:

  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce plus 1/2 teaspoon rice vinegar
  • You can also add a tiny bit of anchovies, blended into the other liquid ingredients, to more closely approximate the flavor of fish sauce.

What you need: Flour, all-purpose — 1 cup

What you can use instead:

  • 1 cup bread flour
  • 1/2 cup cake flour plus 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
  • 1 cup gluten-free flour blend (marked as 1-to-1 or cup-for-cup)
  • If your recipe calls for a smaller amount of flour for thickening a soup or sauce, use a cornstarch slurry instead.

What you need: Flour, bread — 1 cup

What you can use instead:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

What you need: Flour, cake — 1 cup

What you can use instead:

What you need: Flour, rice — 1 cup

What you can use instead:

  • 1 cup cake flour
  • 1 cup potato flour
  • 1 cup tapioca flour

What you need: Flour, self-rising — 1 cup

What you can use instead:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour plus 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, plus 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

G

What you need: Garlic, minced — 1 teaspoon

What you can use instead:

  • Honestly, there is no perfect substitute of ingredients for fresh garlic (sorry), but in a pinch, you can use garlic powder to taste (not garlic salt unless you make sure to adjust the rest of the salt in the dish), or some minced scallions, shallots, chives, or onion for an allium flavor.

What you need: Gelatin, leaf or sheet — 4 leaves (4 inches by 9 inches)

What you can use instead:

  • 1 (1/4-ounce) envelope powdered gelatin (about 2 1/2 teaspoons)
  • 2 teaspoons agar-agar

What you need: Green onions, chopped — 1 tablespoon

What you can use instead:

H

What you need: Herbs, fresh — 1 tablespoon

What you can use instead:

What you need: Honey — 1 cup

What you can use instead:

K

What you need: Key lime juice — 1/2 cup

What you can use instead:

  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice plus 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (but you should use less than the full amount of Key lime juice called for)

L

What you need: Lemon juice — 1 teaspoon

What you can use instead:

  • 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon lime juice

What you need: Liquid smoke — 1/4 teaspoon

What you can use instead:

  • 1/4 teaspoon (or to taste) smoked Spanish paprika, chipotle (canned in adobo or powdered), smoked salt, or smoky tea like lapsang souchong

M

What you need: Mayonnaise — 1 cup

What you can use instead:

  • 1 cup homemade mayo or aioli (made from oil, eggs, vinegar, and mustard)
  • 1 cup full-fat yogurt (season to taste with salt)
  • Depending on the specific use, you can also substitute mashed avocado, hummus, and more — see mayo-free egg salad recipes for some ideas.

What you need: Marshmallows — 8 regular

What you can use instead:

  • 1 cup miniature marshmallows
  • 2 1/2 ounces marshmallow creme

What you need: Mascarpone — 1 cup

What you can use instead:

  • 1 cup creme fraiche
  • 3/4 cup cream cheese plus 1/4 cup heavy cream

What you need: Milk, condensed — 1 cup

What you can use instead:

  • 1 cup whole milk boiled with 1 1/2 tablespoons plus 3/4 teaspoons sugar (you can also swap in coconut milk for a vegan version of homemade condensed milk)

What you need: Milk, evaporated whole — 1 cup

What you can use instead:

  • 1 cup half-and-half
  • 1 cup light cream
  • 1 cup heavy cream

What you need: Milk, skim (aka, nonfat) — 1 cup

What you can use instead:

  • 1/4 cup instant nonfat dry milk plus 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water
  • 1/2 cup evaporated skim milk plus 1/2 cup water

What you need: Milk, whole — 1 cup

What you can use instead:

  • 1/2 cup evaporated whole milk plus 1/2 cup water
  • 2/3 cup 1 percent milk plus 1/3 cup half-and-half
  • 3/4 cup 2 percent milk plus 1/4 cup half-and-half
  • 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons skim milk plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 2/3 cup skim milk plus 1/3 cup half-and-half
  • 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
  • 1 cup plain yogurt (thin the consistency with water if using Greek yogurt)

What you need: Molasses

What you can use instead:

  • 1 cup honey
  • 1 cup dark corn syrup
  • 1 cup maple syrup
  • 1 cup agave nectar

What you need: Mustard, ground — 1 teaspoon

What you can use instead:

  • 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds, lightly toasted
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric

O

What you need: Oil, olive — 1 tablespoon

What you can use instead:

  • 1 tablespoon mildly-flavored oil

What You need: Onion, chopped — 1 cup

What you can use Instead:

  • You can substitute red, white, or yellow onions 1-to-1. Otherwise, try:
  • 1 cup chopped shallots
  • 1 cup chopped leeks
  • 1 cup chopped scallions
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder or 4 tablespoons dried minced onion equals about 1 medium fresh onion

P

What you need: Pancetta — 1 cup (sliced, diced, or chopped)

What you can use instead:

  • 1 cup sliced, diced, or chopped and blanched (i.e., boiled for about 2 minutes to remove the smoke) bacon

What you need: Panko breadcrumbs — 1 cup

What you can use instead:

  • 1 cup crushed Rice Chex (often used as a gluten-free panko alternative)
  • Other ingredients as listed under breadcrumb substitutes above will also work, but will not yield quite the same texture.

What you need: Pasta, cooked — 1 package

What you can use instead:

  • cooked rice, quinoa, or other grains (in most cases, they’re just as delicious with your pasta sauce of choice spooned on top)
  • cooked polenta or grits (ditto)
  • zucchini noodles, squash noodles, palmini, or other veggie noodles
  • commercial gluten-free pasta, cooked according to package directions
  • homemade pasta (though if you don’t dry your pasta, the texture will be far more delicate, so choose your sauce accordingly)

What you need: Polenta, dry — 1 cup

What you can use instead:

R

What you need: Rice, Arborio or Carnaroli for risotto (raw) — 1 cup

What you can use instead:

  • 1 cup any other short- or medium-grain rice (including sticky rice), but not long-grain rice or quick-cooking rice (also, don’t rinse your rice since the starch makes risotto creamy)

What you need: Rice, cooked — 1 cup

What you can use instead:

  • 1 cup cooked orzo (a rice-shaped pasta that can work in its place in many side dishes like pilafs)
  • 1 cup cooked polenta (when using as a mild side dish or base for soaking up saucy recipes)
  • 1 cup cooked whole grains like quinoa or couscous
  • 1 cup cooked cauliflower rice

S

What you need: Salt, kosher (Diamond Crystal) — 1 teaspoon

What you can use instead:

  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon Morton kosher salt

What you need: Salt, kosher (Morton) — 1 teaspoon

What you can use instead:

  • 3/4 teaspoon fine salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt

What you need: Salt, fine — 1 teaspoon

What you can use instead:

  • 1 3/4 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons Morton kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt

What you need: Scallions, chopped — 1 tablespoon

What you can use instead:

What you need: Shortening (for baking) — 1 cup

What you can use instead:

  • 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons lard
  • 1 cup unsalted butter or margarine
  • 1 cup coconut oil
  • 1 cup applesauce

What you need: Sour cream — 1 cup

What you can use instead:

  • 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
  • 1 cup creme fraiche
  • 1 cup Mexican crema

What you need: Soy sauce — 1 teaspoon

What you can use instead:

What you need: Sugar, light brown — 1 cup

What you can use instead:

  • 1 cup granulated sugar plus 1 tablespoon molasses pulsed in a food processor

What you need: Sugar, dark brown — 1 cup

What you can use instead:

  • 1 cup granulated sugar plus 2 tablespoons molasses pulsed in a food processor
  • 1 cup coconut sugar (this may make baked goods slightly drier, so add a bit more moisture)

What you need: Sugar, granulated — 1 cup

What you can use instead:

  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
  • 3/4 cup honey (use a lighter honey like clover and reduce the liquid in the recipe by a quarter; if the recipe doesn’t call for baking soda already, add 1/4 teaspoon)
  • 1 cup maple syrup (and reduce the liquid in the recipe by a quarter)
  • 1 cup cane syrup, also known as light treacle or golden syrup (and reduce the liquid in the recipe by a quarter)
  • 1 cup light corn syrup (and reduce the liquid in the recipe by a quarter)
  • There are also several artificial sweeteners that can work in place of sugar.

What you need: Sugar, powdered — 1 cup

What you can use instead:

  • 1 cup granulated sugar plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch, blitzed in a coffee or spice grinder until powdery

T

What you need: Tahini — 1 tablespoon

What you can use instead:

  • 1 tablespoon all-natural nut butter or seed butter
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil, plus more to taste (for hummus)
  • You can also make homemade tahini from sesame seeds and sesame or olive oil.

What you need: Tomato paste — 1 tablespoon

What you can use instead:

  • 1 tablespoon reduced tomato puree or tomato sauce (boil 1/4 cup of either until reduced down to 1 tablespoon; adjust ratio as needed for recipe)

What you need: Tomato puree — 1 cup

What you can use instead:

  • 1 cup diced, whole, or crushed tomatoes, pureed in a blender or food processor and strained through a fine-mesh strainer

What you need: Tomato sauce — 1 cup

What you can use instead:

  • 1/2 cup tomato paste plus 1/2 cup water and seasonings like pepper, basil, etc. to taste

V

What you need: Vinegar, white — 1 tablespoon

What you can use instead:

  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon malt vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • Other types of vinegar may also work in some applications (like in a vinaigrette or marinade), but the flavor profile will change, of course, so always taste the vinegar by itself before using.

W

What you need: Wine, red (for cooking) — 1 cup

What you can use instead:

  • 1 cup beef broth plus 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar or lemon juice
  • 1 cup grape juice (red), cranberry juice, or pomegranate juice plus 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or lemon juice
  • 1 cup cooking sherry

What you need: Wine, white (for cooking) — 1 cup

What you can use instead:

  • 1 cup vegetable or chicken broth plus 2 teaspoons wine vinegar or lemon juice
  • 1 cup dry vermouth
  • 1 cup white grape juice plus 1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice

Y

What you need: Yeast, active dry — 1 (1/4-ounce) envelope

What you can use instead:

  • 1 scant tablespoon rapid-rise instant dry yeast
  • If you can’t find yeast in stores or online, make sourdough starter (which uses the wild yeast in your environment!)

What you need: Yogurt, plain (whole milk) — 1 cup

What you can use instead:

  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup creme fraiche or crema
  • 1 cup heavy cream plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Takeaway

There are loads of ways to make a recipe work with the right ingredient substitute. Save this list for when an impromptu movie night happens and you need something fab to serve.