Healthy Living
Ingredients Exchange
Use the chart below to help find substitution ingredients.
| Ingredient | Substitution |
| Active Dry Yeast, 1 package | 2 1/2 teaspoons dry or 1/3 cake yeast, crumbled |
| Allspice | Cinnamon - cassia - dash of nutmeg or mace or dash of cloves |
| Allspice, 1 teaspoon ground | 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon plus 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves |
| Amaretto | Almond extract. |
| Aniseed | Fennel seed or a few drops anise extract |
| Apple Pie Spice, 1 teaspoon | 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon plus 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg plus 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom |
| Amaretto, 2 tablespoons | 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon almond extract |
| Asiago | Parmesan cheese |
| Asian Basil | equal amount any fresh basil variety |
| Baking Mix (if you're out of Bisquick®) 2 Cups | Mix 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour, 2-1/2 teaspoon baking powder and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Cut in 1/3 cup shortening until mixture looks like fine crumbs. |
| Baking Powder 1 tsp double acting | 1/4 tsp baking soda + 1/2 cup buttermilk or |
| Baking Powder 1 teaspoon | 1 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar |
| Baking Soda | There is NO substitute for baking soda |
| Balsamic Vinegar 1 Tablespoon | 1 Tablespoon sherry or cider vinegar |
| Banana Leaves (as wrappers) | foil, fresh corn husks, ti leaves, or parchment paper |
| Basil | Oregano or thyme |
| Beer or ale Various types. | For light beers, substitute chicken broth, ginger ale or white grape juice. For heavier beers, use a stronger beef, chicken or mushroom broth or stock. Non-alcoholic beers may also be substituted. |
| Bread Crumbs Dry 1/4 cup | 1/4 cup finely crushed cracker crumbs, corn flakes or quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats |
| Broth, Chicken, Beef or Vegetable 1 cup | 1 teaspoon chicken, beef or vegetable bouillon granules (or 1 cube) dissolved in 1 cup boiling water |
| Butter 1 cup | 1 cup margarine or |
| Butter 1 cup | 7/8 cup lard + 1/2 tsp salt |
| Butter, 1 cup | 1 cup margarine -OR- 1 cup vegetable shortening (for baking only) |
| Buttermilk 1 cup | 1 Tbsp vinegar + sweet milk to make 1 cup |
| Buttermilk 1 cup | 2/3 cup plain yogurt + 1/3 cup sweet milk |
| Buttermilk, 1 cup | 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon plus enough milk to make 1 cup. Let mixture stand for 5 minutes before using. |
| Buttermilk or Sour Milk | 1 Tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar plus enough milk to make 1 cup. Let stand 5 minutes. Or use 1 cup plain yogurt. |
| Brandy | Scotch or bourbon. If a particular flavor is specified, use the corresponding fruit juice, such as apple, apricot, cherry, peach, raspberry etc. or grape juice. Corresponding flavored extracts can be used for small amounts. |
| Candlenuts | raw Brazil or macadamia nuts |
| Cake flour, 1 cup | 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour |
| Capers 1 Tablespoon | 1 Tablespoon chopped green olives. |
| Cardamom | Ginger |
| Chambord | Raspberry juice, syrup or extract. |
| Champagne | Sparkling white grape juice, ginger ale, white wine. |
| Chervil | Tarragon or parsley |
| Chili Powder | Dash bottled hot pepper sauce plus a combination of oregano and cumin |
| Chili Sauce, 1 cup | 1 cup tomato sauce, 1/8 cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons vinegar (White or Apple), 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, dash of allspice and a dash of fresh ground cloves |
| Chinese or Thai Bean Sauce | Vietnamese soybean sauce |
| Chive | Green onion, onion or leek |
| Chocolate 1 ounce | 3 Tbsp cocoa + 1 Tbsp shortening |
| Chocolate Semisweet baking 1 ounce | 1 ounce unsweetened baking chocolate plus 1 Tablespoon sugar |
| Chocolate Semisweet 1 ounce | 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate plus 1 tablespoon sugar |
| Chocolate chips Semisweet 1 cup | 6 ounces semisweet baking chocolate, chopped |
| Chocolate Unsweetened baking 1 ounce | 3 Tablespoon baking cocoa plus 1 Tablespoon shortening or margarine |
| Chocolate Unsweetened 1 ounce | 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa plus 1 tablespoon margarine |
| Cilantro | Parsley |
| Cinnamon | Nutmeg or allspice (use only 1/4 of the amount) |
| Claret Light red wine or Bordeaux. | Non-alcoholic wine, diluted currant or grape juice, cherry cider syrup. |
| Cloves | Allspice; cinnamon; or nutmeg |
| Cognac | Other less expensive brandies may be substituted, as well as Scotch or whiskey, or use peach, apricot or pear juice. |
| Cointreau | Orange juice concentrate or regular orange juice that has been reduced to a thicker consistency. |
| Corn Starch (for thickening) 1 Tbsp | 2 Tbsp flour |
| Cornstarch 1 Tablespoon | 2 Tablespoon all-purpose flour or 4 teaspoon quick-cooking tapioca. |
| Cornstarch, 1 tablespoon | 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour - Simmer about 3 minutes AFTER it has thickened |
| Corn Syrup Light 1 cup | 1 cup sugar plus 1/4 cup water. |
| Corn Syrup Dark 1 cup | 1 cup light corn syrup; 3/4 cup light corn syrup plus 1/4 cup molasses; or 1 cup maple-flavored syrup. |
| Cottage cheese - pureed, 1 cup | 1 cup Sour Cream |
| Cream 1 cup | 1/2 cup butter + 3/4 cup milk |
| Cream Light 1 cup | 2 tablespoons butter, plus 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons milk |
| Cream of Tartar, 1 teaspoon | 3 teaspoons of lemon juice -OR- 3 teaspoons of vinegar |
| Creme de menthe | Mix spearmint extract or oil with a little water or grapefruit juice. Use a drop of food coloring if you need the green color. |
| Cumin | Chili powder |
| Curacao | Orange juice frozen concentrate or reduced fresh orange juice. |
| Eggs 1 large | 2 egg whites; 1/4 cup cholesterol-free egg product; 2 egg yolks (for custard or puddings); or 2 egg yolks plus 1 Tablespoon water (for cookies or bars) |
| Eggs, 2 large | 3 small eggs |
| Fish sauce | Worcestershire sauce or light soy sauce with salt |
| Flour, 1 tablespoon (for thickening) | 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch |
| Flour all-purpose 1 cup | 1 cup plus 2 Tablespoon cake flour |
| Flour - Cake, 1 cup | 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour - sifted |
| Flour Self-rising 1 cup | 1 cup all-purpose flour plus 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda |
| Flour Self Rising 1 cup | 1 cup all-purpose flour plus 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder plus 1/2 teaspoons salt |
| Flour Softasilk® cake 1 cup | 1 cup minus 2 Tablespoon Gold Medal® all-purpose flour |
| Framboise | Raspberry juice or syrup. |
| Frangelico | Hazelnut or almond extract. |
| Galanga | Fresh Ginger |
| Galliano | Licorice extract. |
| Garlic 1 small clove | 1/8 tsp garlic powder |
| Garlic (finely chopped) 1 medium clove | 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder or 1/4 teaspoon instant minced garlic |
| Garlic, 1 clove | 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder or minced dried garlic |
| Gingerroot (grated or finely chopped) 1 teaspoon | 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger. |
| Gingerroot, 1 tablespoon | 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger |
| Ginger | Allspice; cinnamon; mace; or nutmeg |
| Grand Marnier | Orange juice frozen concentrate or reduced fresh orange juice. |
| Grappa | Grape juice or reduced red wine. |
| Grenadine | Pomegranate syrup or juice. |
| Half-and-Half 1 cup | 7/8 cup milk plus 3 tablespoons butter |
| Hard Cider | Apple cider or juice. |
| Herbs 1 Tbsp fresh | 1 tsp dried |
| Herbs (chopped fresh) 1 Tablespoon | 3/4 to 1 teaspoon dried herbs |
| Honey 1 cup | 1-1/4cups sugar plus 1/4 cup water or apple juice. |
| Italian Seasoning | Blend of any of these: basil, oregano, rosemary, and ground red pepper |
| Jasmine Essence | banana essence or rose or orange flower water or extract |
| Kaffir Lime Leaves Domestic lime or lemon leaves or equal amount of grated lemon zest | moistened with a bit of fresh lemon juice |
| Kahlua | Strong coffee or espresso with a touch of cocoa powder. |
| Kirsch (Kirchwasser) | Black cherry, raspberry, boysenberry, currant, or grape juice or syrup, or cherry cider. |
| Leeks (sliced) 1/2 cup | 1/2 cup sliced shallots or green onions. |
| Lemon, 1 medium (fresh juice) | 2 to 3 tablespoons bottled lemon juice |
| Lemon Juice (fresh) 1 Tablespoon | 1 Tablespoon bottled lemon juice or white vinegar |
| Lemon Peel (grated) 1 teaspoon | 1 teaspoon dried lemon peel |
| Lemon Peel (Zest), 1 teaspoon | 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract |
| Lemon Grass | Equal amount of grated lemon zest moistened with a bit of fresh lemon juice |
| Mace | Allspice; cinnamon; ginger; or nutmeg |
| Maple Syrup, 1 tablespoon | 2 teaspoons of maple sugar -AND- 1 teaspoon of water |
| Marjoram | Basil; thyme; or savory |
| Marsala, 1/4 cup | 1/4 cup dry wine plus 1 teaspoon brandy |
| Marshmallows, Mini, 1 cup | 8 to 10 regular marshmallows |
| Mayonnaise (for salad dressings), 1 cup | 1/2 cup plain yogurt and 1/2 cup mayonnaise -OR- 1 cup sour cream -OR- 1 cup cottage cheese, pureed |
| Milk (regular or low-fat) 1 cup | 1/2 cup evaporated milk plus 1/2 cup water; or nonfat dry milk prepared as directed on package |
| Milk, fresh whole 1 cup | 1 cup reconstituted dry milk + 2 tsp butter |
| Milk, whole 1 cup | 1/2 cup evaporated milk + 1/2 cup water |
| Milk, sour 1 cup | 1 Tbsp lemon juice or vinegar + sweet milk to make 1 cup |
| Mint | Basil; marjoram; or rosemary |
| Molasses 1 cup | 1/2 cup honey (flavor will be milder). |
| Molasses 1 cup | 1 cup honey |
| Mushrooms (fresh) 1 cup cooked sliced | 1 can (4 ounces) mushroom stems and pieces, drained. |
| Mustard 1 Tablespoon | 1 teaspoon ground mustard (dry) |
| Mustard, dry, 1 teaspoon | 1 tablespoon prepared mustard |
| Mustard, prepared 1 Tbsp | 1 tsp dry mustard |
| Nutmeg | Cinnamon; ginger; or mace |
| Oil For cake and cookie recipes 1 cup | 1 cup applesauce |
| Onion Minced (rehydrated) 1 Tbsp instant | 1 small fresh onion |
| Onion, 1 small | 1 teaspoon onion powder or 1 tablespoon minced dried onion, rehydrated |
| Orange, 1 medium (fresh juice) | 1/4 to 1/3 cup orange juice |
| Orange Peel (grated) 1 teaspoon | 1 teaspoon dried orange peel. |
| Oregano | Thyme or basil |
| Palm Sugar | Maple sugar or brown sugar blended with a little maple syrup to moisten |
| Pandan Essence | Screwpine Leaves |
| Parsley | Chervil or cilantro |
| Poultry Seasoning 1 teaspoon | 1/4 teaspoon ground thyme plus 3/4 teaspoon ground sage |
| Poultry Seasoning | Sage plus a blend of any of these: thyme, marjoram, savory, black pepper, and rosemary |
| Pumpkin or Apple Pie Spice 1 teaspoon | Mix 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice and 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg. |
| Red Burgundy | Non-alcoholic wine, red wine vinegar, grape juice. |
| Red Pepper | Dash bottled hot pepper sauce or black pepper |
| Red Pepper Sauce 3 or 4 drops | 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne) |
| Red Wine | Non-alcoholic wine, beef or chicken broth or stock, diluted red wine vinegar, red grape juice diluted with red wine vinegar or rice vinegar, tomato juice, liquid from canned mushrooms, plain water. |
| Red Wine, 1/4 cup | 1 tablespoon balsamic or red wine vinegar |
| Red Wine - Sweet | Bottled Grape Juice or Cranberry Juice |
| Rice Paper Wrappers | Freshly made thin crepes |
| Ricotta Cheese 1 cup | 1 cup cottage cheese + 1 Tbsp skim milk |
| Ricotta | Cottage cheese |
| Rosemary | Thyme; tarragon; or savory |
| Rum | For light rum, use pineapple juice flavored with almond extract. For dark rum, use molasses thinned with pineapple juice and flavored with almond extract. Or use rum extract flavoring. |
| Saffron 1/8 teaspoon | 1/2 teaspoon turmeric |
| Sage | Poultry seasoning; savory; marjoram; or rosemary |
| Sake | Rice vinegar. |
| Savory | Thyme; marjoram; or sage |
| Schnapps | Use corresponding flavored extract such as peppermint, peach, etc. |
| Screwpine Leaves | Pandan Essence (use very sparingly) |
| Sesame Seed 1 Tablespoon | 1 Tablespoon finely chopped blanched almonds. |
| Shallots, 1/2 dozen | Red Spanish Onion or 1 tablespoon minced dried onion, rehydrated |
| Sherry, 2 tablespoons | 1 to 2 teaspoons vanilla extract |
| Sherry | Orange or pineapple juice. |
| Shortening, 1 cup | 1 cup softened butter OR 1 cup margarine minus 1/2 teaspoon salt from the recipe. |
| Shrimp Paste | Anchovy Paste |
| Sour Cream 1 cup | 1 cup plain yogurt |
| Southern Comfort | Peach nectar mixed with a little cider vinegar. |
| Spearmint, Dried, 1 tablespoon | 1/4 cup fresh chopped mint |
| Sweet Soy Sauce | 1 part soy sauce to 2 parts palm sugar boiled until syrupy, then cooled |
| Sugar, Brown (packed) 1 cup | 1 cup granulated sugar plus 2 Tablespoons molasses or dark corn syrup |
| Sugar, Brown 1 cup | 3/4 cup granulated sugar + 1/4 cup molasses |
| Sugar, Granulated (packed) 1 cup | 1 cup light brown sugar (packed) or 2 cups powdered sugar |
| Sugar, Powdered 1 cup | Mix 1 cup granulated sugar in blender |
| Sugar, Powdered 1 1/3 cups | 1 cup granulated sugar |
| Sugar Powdered 1 cup | 1 cup sugar plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch processed in food processor |
| Thai Chiles | Bottled chile sauce, ground dried chile, or dried chile flakes |
| Tapioca, 1 tablespoon | 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour |
| Tarragon | Chervil; dash fennel seed; or dash aniseed |
| Tequila | Cactus nectar or juice. |
| Thyme | Basil; marjoram; oregano; or savory |
| Tomatoes (canned) 1 cup | About 1-1/3 cups cut-up fresh tomatoes, simmered 10 minutes |
| Tomato Juice, 1 cup | 1/2 cup tomato sauce plus 1/2 cup water |
| Tomato Paste 1/2 cup | 1 cup tomato sauce cooked uncovered to reduced to l/2 cup |
| Tomato Sauce 2 cups | 3/4 cup tomato paste plus 1 cup water |
| Triple Sec | Orange juice frozen concentrate or reduced fresh orange juice. |
| Vanilla Bean, 1 inch | 1 teaspoon vanilla extract |
| Vermouth | For sweet, use non-alcoholic sweet wine, apple or grape juice or balsamic vinegar. For dry, use non-alcoholic white wine, white grape juice or white wine vinegar. |
| Wine, Red 1 cup | 1 cup apple cider or beef broth |
| Whipping Cream (whipped) 1 cup | 1 cup frozen (thawed) whipped topping or 1 cup prepared whipped topping mix. |
| Whiskey | Bourbon, Scotch and whiskey may be used interchangably. Small amounts may be eliminated. Large amounts cannot be effectively substituted. |
| White Burgundy | Non-alcoholic wine, white grape juice diluted with white wine vinegar. |
| White Wine | Non-alcoholic wine, chicken broth or stock, diluted white wine vinegar or cider vinegar,white grape juice diluted with white wine vinegar, ginger ale, canned mushroom liquid, water. For marinades, substitute 1/4 cup vinegar plus 1 Tbsp sugar plus 1/4 cup water. |
| Worcestershire Sauce | Bottled Steak Sauce |
| Yeast (regular or quick active dry) 1 package (1/4 ounce) | 2-1/4 teaspoon regular or quick active dry or 1 package (0.6 ounce) compressed cake yeast. |
| Yogurt (plain), 1 cup | 1 cup sour cream or buttermilk |