Running out of kitchen staples, especially when you need them most, is certainly something we’ve all experienced. And when you don’t have time to go to the market, all you can do is use alternatives. Good thing there are substitutes for cocoa powder, sugar, egg, and other ingredients we regularly use. Just keep reading to learn more about them.
Baking soda
Baking soda has so many uses it’s easy to run out of!
And it’s such an important part of any recipe that you can’t just skip over it and hope for the best. But if you can’t find it in your pantry, there are alternatives. For a recipe that calls for 1 teaspoon of baking soda you can use:
4 teaspoons baking powder or
1 teaspoon potassium bicarbonate and 1/3 teaspoon salt
If the recipe requires any acidic ingredients like citrus juice, vinegar, yogurt, buttermilk, sour cream, or molasses, replace it with the same amount of whole milk instead.
White sugar
If you’re starting a baking project, you’ll probably want to make sure you’ve got this key ingredient in your pantry.
And unfortunately, times have changed and it’s not as socially acceptable to run to your neighbor’s house and ask to borrow a cup of sugar if you don’t!
So if you find yourself without it and have no way to get your hands on some, you can turn to these alternatives. To replace 1 cup of white sugar:
1 cup brown sugar (the texture will change but the sweetness will remain the same) or
1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar or
3/4 cup honey or
3/4 cup corn syrup
Substitutes for Cocoa Powder
Do you want to know what’s a good substitute for cocoa powder?
Well, there are a lot of recipes that call for cocoa but it’s not necessarily something everyone has stocked at home.
Luckily, you can use unsweetened chocolate for the same effect. To replace 1/4 cup of cocoa, use 1 ounce of unsweetened chocolate.
Corn syrup
If you prefer a more holistic ingredient than corn syrup, you can use these three options instead to get the same effect.
To replace 1 cup of corn syrup try:
1 1/4 cup white sugar mixed with 1/3 cup water, a cup of honey, or a cup of light treacle syrup.
Egg
We often use eggs when cooking and it’s a bit difficult when you don’t have any on hand.
What if you need to cook pancakes for breakfast? The good news is there are tons of egg substitute options!
You’ll surely love these egg substitutes for pancakes and many other dishes. Something to suit everyone’s taste. Some are also a great way to accommodate any vegans or anyone with an egg allergy.
2 1/2 tablespoons of powdered egg substitute and equal parts water or
1/4 cup of liquid egg substitute, silken tofu pureed or
3 tablespoons of mayonnaise or
1/2 a banana mashed with 1/2 teaspoon baking powder or
1 tablespoon powdered flax seed soaked in 3 tablespoons water
Substitution for Salted Butter
The difference is that using salted or unsalted butter in baking can be drastic.
If you only have unsalted butter at home, you can still be sure to achieve the most flavorful results with these alternatives. To replace 1 cup of salted butter, use:
1 cup of margarine or
1 cup of shortening mixed with just a 1/2 teaspoon of salt or
7/8 cup of vegetable oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt or
7/8 cup of lard plus 1/2 teaspoon salt
Cheddar cheese
If you don’t have cheddar, there are a plethora of other cheeses you could use to substitute, but many will change the texture, taste, or have another effect. For the exact same result as using 1 cup of cheddar cheese, replace with:
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Green/spring onion
There are so many different varieties of onions, and you can’t be expected to keep all of them on hand at all times! However, you are more than likely to have one of the following substitutions in your kitchen.
You can replace a recipe that calls for 1/2 chopped green onions with You can replace a recipe that calls for 1/2 chopped green onions with the same amount of chopped yellow onions, chopped leeks, or chopped shallots.
Honey
In case you’ve run out of honey, there are other sticky ingredients to get you out of the sticky situation. Here’s what you need to do to achieve this perfect substitute for honey in cooking:
Mix 1 1/4 cups white sugar with 1/3 cup water or
1 cup corn syrup or
1 cup light treacle syrup
Beer
Every now and then a recipe will call for some beer, but if you’re feeding kids or anyone who doesn’t drink, you may want to opt for a non-alcoholic version.
You can easily swap it out for the same amount of either a non-alcoholic beer or chicken broth.
Beef or chicken broth
To avoid opening an entire box or tin of liquid broth, or making it from scratch, you can use these quick alternatives. To replace 1 cup of broth:
Mix 1 bouillon cube in a cup of boiling water or
Place 1 tablespoon of soy sauce in a cup and top it up with water or
1 cup of vegetable broth
Chervil
Chervil is not as common to have stocked as parsley, and luckily, it can be used as a replacement.
1 tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley is equivalent to 1 tablespoon of chopped chervil
Takeaway
Cooking recipes with substitutions is not easy. However, we hope that the information you read here will be useful to you in the future in case you run out of kitchen essentials. From substitutes for cocoa powder to substitutes for savory ingredients, there are many different options to try.
Also, in order to create almost the same texture and flavor of the items you need, be certain to stick to the exact measurements of each ingredient mentioned above.
Source: All Recipes, The Gardening Cook