This blog was updated March 15, 2020.
You're right smack in the middle of baking your favorite holiday cookies, probably up to your elbows in flour, when you realize you're missing a key ingredient. Doh! You're out of sugar, someone ate the eggs or drank the last of the milk. You're missing a spice. We've all been there. Here's a list holiday baking substitutions for common ingredients as well as a few tips for healthy alternatives. Happy Baking!
Allspice (teaspoon) = 1/2 tsp cinnamon + 1/4 tsp ground ginger + 1/4 tsp ground cloves
Baking Powder (1 tsp) = 1/4 tsp baking soda + 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
Baking Soda (1 tsp) = 4 tsp baking powder
Brown Sugar (1 cup) = 1 cup white sugar or 1 1/4 cup confectioners sugar. For flavor consistency mix 1 cup granulated sugar with 1 TBSP molasses for light brown sugar or with 2 TBSP molasses for dark brown sugar.
Butter (1 cup) = 7/8 cup vegetable oil; Note: Add 1/2 tsp salt if substituting salted butter.
Buttermilk (cup) = 1 Tbsp lemon juice or vinegar + enough milk to equal 1 cup
Cake Flour (1 cup) = 1 cup all purpose flour minus 2 Tbsp
Chocolate (1 oz semisweet) = 1 oz unsweetened + 4 tsp sugar
Chocolate (1 oz unsweetened) = 3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder + 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
Coca (1/4 cup) = 1 oz unsweetened chocolate
Egg (1 whole) = 1/2 mashed banana mixed with 1/2 tsp baking powder. Healthy swap: 1 Tbsp flax meal soaked in 3 Tbsp water
Flour (1 cup) - Healthy swap: 1 cup whole wheat flour; 1 cup oat flour (buy or grind up oats in your food processor), 1 cup bean puree (e.g. black beans, chickpeas) and many others…
Ginger (1 tsp dried) = 2 teaspoons chopped fresh
Ginger (1 tsp fresh) = 1/2 tsp ground
Honey (1 cup) = 1 1/4 cups white sugar + 1/3 cup water or 1 cup corn syrup
Lemon/Lime/Orange Juice or Zest = They're all interchangeable in baking.
Margarine (1 cup) = 1 cup butter or 7/8 cup vegetable oil + 1/2 tsp salt
Molasses (1 cup) = 3/4 cup brown sugar + 1 tsp cream of tartar
Shortening (1 cup) = 1 cup butter
Sour Cream (1 cup) = 1 Tbsp lemon juice or vinegar + plus enough heavy cream to equal 1 cup. Healthy Swap = 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
Vegetable Oil (1 cup) = 1 cup butter. Healthy Swap = 1 cup applesauce or mashed banana or coconut oil or Greek Yogurt
White Sugar (1 cup) = 1 cup brown sugar or 1 1/4 cup confectioners sugar or 3/4 cup corn syrup. Healthy Swap = 3/4 cup honey (though it's still sugar!)