Don't Let a Missing Ingredient Keep You From Cooking—Bookmark This Essential Substitution Guide (2024)

Missing a certain herb, spice, or being out of a certain pantry staple doesn't need to stop you from cooking dinner tonight. With these go-to substitution guides for some of the most common ingredients and even a few kitchen tools, you'll be able to whip up that pot of creamy soup or buttermilk fried chicken recipe, without making a last minute run to the grocery store. Substitutions are always a bit of an experiment but this guide will help out in a pinch.

Dairy Substitutes

Alphabetical list of common dairy items and their substitutes.

Buttermilk

Make your own buttermilk with a combination of milk and a bit of acid (vinegar, lemon juice).

Cream Cheese

Replace cream cheese with strained yogurt, blended cottage cheese, or Neufchatel cheese.

Eggs

Depending on the recipe, savory egg replacements include silken tofu, bananas or egg substitute. Find out what to use when.

Half and Half

A combination of whole milk and heavy cream, whole milk and butter, or milk and heavy cream will all yield fantastic half and half replacements in recipes.

Milk

A comprehensive guide to baking even when you are out of milk, including how to use vegan milk alternatives or replacing milk with yogurt, sour cream, or evaporated milk in baking.

Sour Cream

The tang and creaminess of sour cream can be duplicated with a combination of yogurt and baking soda when called for in a baking recipe.

Herb and Spice Substitutes

Alphabetical list of common herbs, spices, and seasoning and their substitutes.

Coriander

Whether out of ground coriander for a recipe (where caraway, cumin, or fennel will due just fine) or someone who doesn't enjoy the taste of fresh cilantro (where dill, tarragon, and parsley can lend a hand), these substitution ideas showcase the creativity you can have in the kitchen.

Cumin

Cumin can be swapped for other dried spices such as coriander, curry powder, garam masala, chili powder, caraway seeds, or even a taco seasoning mix to impart earthy flavor to the dish.

Fresh Garlic

This conversion chart allows you to swap minced, powdered, flaked, and granulated garlic in place of the fresh stuff.

Onion

Move easily between freshly chopped onion, onion powder, or onion flakes, even if the recipe calls for a different version of onion than what you have on hand.

Red Pepper Flakes

The spice of red pepper flakes can also be achieved with other pantry staples such as chili powder, cayenne pepper, and hot sauce.

Tarragon

The slight licorice flavor that tarragon imparts to a recipe can also be captured with swaps such as fennel or anise seed, or fresh chervil or fennel fronds.

Pantry Substitutes

Alphabetical list of common ingredients and their substitutes.

Alcohol

Some juices and broths can do the trick in place of alcohol in your savory recipes.

Balsamic Vinegar

Whether for a dressing or in a marinade, the robust flavor of balsamic can be replicated with something sweet (honey or sugar) along with another vinegar, or by combining soy sauce, molasses, and citrus juice.

Bacon

The smoky and salty notes that bacon imparts to a recipe can also be achieved with salt pork, Canadian or turkey bacon.

Beer

The options are endless when looking to swap out the beer called for in a recipe, everything from broths, to stocks, juices, wine, and even a few choice sodas depending on the flavors in your recipe, will work.

Brown Sugar

A combination of molasses and white sugar will give you a homemade brown sugar substitute.

Corn Starch

Depending upon the need, corn starch's benefits can be replicated with AP Flour, instant tapioca, or arrowroot.

Lemon Zest

Alternatives to the zest of a lemon include lemon extract, lemon peel, bottled lemon juice, or the zest of an alternative citrus like grapefruit or lime.

Molasses

The sweetness and depth of flavor that molasses imparts to things like BBQ sauce, can be achieved through any swap out of sugar, brown sugar, dark corn or maple syrups, or honey.

Mustard

Use this guide to make wet mustard out of dried mustard, a bit of vinegar, and water.

Tomato Juice

Whether for a soup, sauce, or Bloody Mary recipe, tomato juice can be whipped up with the use of these ratios of tomato sauce, paste, or canned tomatoes, along with some water.

Tomato Sauce

A quick pasta and tomato sauce dinner can still come together if you have tomato soup, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, or yes, even ketchup, on hand.

Vinegar

Consider this a flow-chart of vinegar types and ways to recreate the flavor and acidity of vinegars ranging from red wine, rice, apple cider, sherry, and white vinegar.

White Wine

Deglazing a pan or creating a sauce with substitutes like broth, vinegars, and juices (like grape and apple) will still yield tasty results if white wine is not on hand or desired.

Equipment Substitutions

Alphabetical list of equipment substitutions to keep you cooking.

Cheese Cloth

Straining yogurt or tying up parcels of spices can also be accomplished with items like coffee filters, cotton fabric, or even a fresh set of pantyhose, depending on the needs of the recipe.

Parchment Paper

While parchment is a versatile tool in the kitchen, for most cooking projects, some foil for making fish packets, or a silicon mat will do the trick nicely.