There is nothing more frustrating than having your heart set on baking/cooking something delicious at home just to discover you are out of one (or more) of the ingredients! Or, even worse, when you just got back from the store….and discover you forgot the main thing you went there for!  I might have done that a time or two….or a million.

…that can save the day in an ingredient emergency!

I was just going to post one list I found that I thought was fairly comprehensive, but leave it to me to complicate things! There were several things on the list I thought were somewhat unnecessary (does anyone cook with arrowroot powder, beau monde seasoning, powdered mushrooms, or rennet??  What IS rennet anyway??) and many more I felt needed to be on the list that weren’t. So, I edited (and re-edited) several lists together to come up with this one that works for me, and I hope will work for you too. Feel free to let me know if there are any glaring omissions!

Oh how many trips to the store this list could have saved me over the years!!!  Especially at Thanksgiving and Christmastime! Hopefully having this list handy will take some of the stress out of your holiday bakingthis year (or at least save you some gas money!)

 

Apple cider vinegar (1/4 cup)
1/4 cup white vinegar

Apple pie spice   1 teaspoon
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg and 1/8 teaspoon cardamom

Balsamic vinegar (1 Tbs.)
1 Tbs. sherry or cider vinegar

Beer (1 cup)
1 cup non-alcoholic beer, beef broth, or apple cider

Baking powder 1 teaspoon
1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar OR 1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/2 cup buttermilk (decrease liquid in recipe by 1/2 cup)

Baking Soda
There is no substitute for baking soda

Barbecue Sauce
Substitute 1 cup ketchup and 1/2 to 1 teaspoon liquid smoke seasoning for 1 cup barbecue sauce.

Bread crumbs 1 cup
1 cup cracker crumbs OR 1 cup matzo meal OR 1 cup ground oats

Broth, beef or chicken   1 cup
1 bouillon cube dissolved in 1 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon powdered broth base dissolved in 1 cup boiling water

Butter (salted) 1 cup
1 cup margarine OR
1 cup shortening plus 1/2 teaspoon salt OR
7/8 cup vegetable oil plus 1/2 teaspoon salt OR
7/8 cup lard plus 1/2 teaspoon salt

Buttermilk 1 cup
1 cup yogurt OR 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar plus enough milk to make 1 cup

Cheddar cheese 1 cup shredded
1 cup shredded Colby cheddar OR 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Chicken stock     1 tablespoon  base, instant
1 cup canned or homemade chicken dissolved in broth or stock
1 cup water

Chili sauce       1 cup
1 cup tomato sauce, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, dash of ground cloves and dash of allspice

Chives, finely    2 teaspoons chopped
2 teaspoons finely chopped green onion tops

Chocolate chips  1 ounce semisweet
1 ounce sweet cooking chocolate OR
1 cup chocolate candies OR
1 cup peanut butter OR
other flavored chips OR

Cocoa 1/4 cup
1 (1-ounce) square unsweetened chocolate

Condensed cream of mushroom soup 1 (10.75-ounce) can
1 (10.75-ounce) can condensed cream of celery, cream of chicken, OR golden mushroom soup

Cooking Sprays, No-stick
Substitute for shortening to prepare baking sheets and baking pans.

Corn Syrup  1 cup
1 cup sugar plus 1/4 cup liquid (use whatever liquid is called for in the  recipe)
1 cup honey

Cornstarch  1 tablespoon
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (for thickening)

Cracker crumbs 1 cup
1 cup bread crumbs OR 1 cup matzo meal OR 1 cup ground oats

Cream cheese
Part skim milk ricotta cheese or lowfat cottage cheese beaten until smooth

Cream, half and half (1 cup)7/8 cup whole milk + 2 Tbs. melted unsalted butter

Cream, heavy (1 cup) (not for whipping)
2/3 cup whole milk + 1/3 cup melted unsalted butter

Crème fraiche 1 cup
Combine 1 cup of heavy cream and 1 tablespoon of plain yogurt. Let stand for 6 hours at room temperature

Cream, sour       1 cup
3 tablespoons butter plus 7/8 cup sour  milk
7/8 cup buttermilk plus 3 tablespoons butter

Cream of tartar 1 teaspoon
2 teaspoons lemon juice or vinegar

Egg 1 whole
Substitute 1/4 cup refrigerated egg product for 1 whole egg.

Espresso Instant Coffee Powder
Substitute 2 to 3 teaspoons instant coffee granules for 1 tablespoon espresso coffee powder.
Substitute 2 1/2 tablespoons instant cappuccino drink mix for 1 tablespoon espresso coffee powder.



Extracts 1 teaspoon
1/4 teaspoon oil of similar flavor

Flavor-based oil 1/4 teaspoon
1 teaspoon extract of same flavor

Flour, all-purpose (1 cup) 1 cup + 2 Tbs. cake flour

Flour, cake (1 cup) 1 cup minus 2 Tbs. all-purpose flour

Flour, self rising (1 cup) 1 cup all-purpose flour + 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder + 1/2 tsp. salt

Garlic 1 clove, small
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder or 1/4 teaspoon instant minced garlic

Garlic salt 3/4 teaspoon
1 medium size clove or 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh

Ginger–dry 1 teaspoon
2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger

Ginger–fresh 1 teaspoon, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground dried ginger

Green onion 1/2 cup chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion, OR
1/2 cup chopped leek OR
1/2 cup chopped shallots

Herbs, dried      1 teaspoon
1 tablespoon fresh, finely cut

Herbs, fresh      1 tablespoon,
1 teaspoon dried herbs

Honey  1 cup
1 1/4 cups sugar plus 1/4 cup liquid (use liquid called for in recipe)

Hot pepper sauce 1 teaspoon
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper plus 1 teaspoon vinegar

Italian Seasoning
Substitute 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, 1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves and 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves for 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning.

Ketchup 1 cup
1 cup tomato sauce plus 1 teaspoon vinegar plus 1 tablespoon sugar

Lemon juice (1 Tbs.)1 Tbs. bottled lemon juice, lime juice or white vinegar

Lemon zest (1 tsp.)1 tsp. lime or orange zest or 1/2 tsp. lemon extract chopped

Macaroni        
2 cups,   (4 cups cooked)   uncooked
2 cups spaghetti, uncooked, (2 inch pieces)
4 cups noodles, uncooked

Marshmallows     1 cup
10 large miniature

Marshmallow Creme
Substitute 16 large or 160 miniature marshmallows plus 2 teaspoons light corn syrup for 1 cup marshmallow creme. Place in double boiler or stainless steel bowl over simmering water; stir until smooth.

Mayonnaise 1 cup
1 cup sour cream OR
1 cup plain yogurt

Milk, buttermilk  1 cup
1 cup plain yogurt

Milk, evaporated  1 can (about 12 ounces)
Whip until smooth: 1 cup nonfat dry milk; 1 3/4 cups warm water. Keep refrigerated

Milk, nonfat (1 cup)
1/3 cup powdered milk + 3/4 cup water

Milk, whole (1 cup)
1/2 cup evaporated milk + 1/2 cup water or 1 cup skim milk + 1 Tbs. melted butter

Molasses 1 cup
Mix 3/4 cup brown sugar and 1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Mustard–prepared 1 tablespoon
Mix together 1 tablespoon dried mustard, 1 teaspoon water, 1 teaspoon vinegar and 1 teaspoon sugar

Oil  (1 cup)1 cup melted butter, margarine, or shortening depending on the recipe

Onion   1 small
1/4 cup chopped, fresh onion
1-1/3 teaspoons onion salt
1 to 2 tablespoons minced onion
1 teaspoon onion powder

Orange Juice
Substitute 3/4 cup water plus 1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate for 1 cup orange juice.

Orange zest (1 tsp.)
1 tsp. lemon or lime zest or 1 tsp. finely chopped candied orange peel

Poultry seasoning (1 tsp.)
1/2 tsp. ground sage + 1/4 tsp. ground thyme + 1/4 tsp. ground rosemary

Pumpkin pie spice (1 tsp.)
1/2 tsp. cinnamon + 1/4 tsp. ginger + 1/8 tsp. nutmeg + 1/8 tsp. cloves-

Shortening (1 cup)
1 cup butter or margarine. Do not substitute oil for shortening.

Sour cream, 1 cup
1 cup plain yogurt OR
1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar plus enough cream to make 1 cup OR
3/4 cup buttermilk mixed with 1/3 cup butter

Soy sauce 1/2 cup
4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce mixed with 1 tablespoon water

Sugar, brown      1 cup, firmly packed
1 cup granular sugar
1 cup granulated sugar plus 1/4 cup molasses

Sugar, white  1 cup
1 cup brown sugar OR
1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar OR
3/4 cup honey OR
3/4 cup corn syrup

Tomato juice (1 cup)
1/2 cup tomato sauce + 1/2 cup water

Tomato paste (1/2 cup)
1 cup tomato sauce cooked until reduced by 1/2

Tomato sauce (2 cups)
3/4 cup tomato paste + 1 cup water

Tomatoes, canned (1 cup)
1 1/3 cup fresh cut-up tomatoes; simmered 10 minutes

Vanilla Bean
Substitute 2 to 3 teaspoons vanilla extract for 1 8-inch vanilla bean.

Vanilla extract
1 teaspoon, 1-inch vanilla bean split and simmered in liquid of recipe

Vegetable Oil
Substitute equal amounts melted butter or margarine for vegetable oil.



White vinegar (1/4 cup)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar or 1/3 cup lemon juice

Wine, red (1 cup)
1 cup non-alcoholic wine, apple cider, beef broth, tomato juice or water

Wine, white (1 cup)
1 cup non-alcoholic wine, white grape juice, apple juice, chicken broth or water

Worcestershire    1 teaspoon
1 teaspoon bottled steak sauce

Yogurt, plain (1 cup) 
1 cup sour cream, buttermilk, or creme fresh or
1 cup heavy whipping cream + 1 Tbs. lemon juice

 

Commonly used equivalent measures: