Cooking Substitutions: What to Use When You're Out of an Ingredient

This guide is for mid-recipe moments. You are halfway through a recipe, the butter is browned and waiting, and you have just discovered there is no buttermilk in the refrigerator. The dish is not abandoned. The buttermilk is replaced. The recipe continues.

Every substitution in this collection comes with the explanation of what the original ingredient was doing - because understanding the function of an ingredient makes its substitute obvious. Buttermilk is acid + fat. Its substitute is milk + acid. Wine in a braise provides alcohol (which dissolves certain flavour compounds) + acid + flavour. Its substitutes vary depending on which of these functions matters most in the specific preparation.

The substitutions are organised by category. Use Ctrl+F or your browser's search to find the specific ingredient you need.

Dairy Substitutions

Buttermilk

1 cup / 240ml buttermilk →

• 240ml whole milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar. Stir; leave 5 minutes until slightly curdled. The acid curdles the milk proteins into a texture close to buttermilk and provides the acidity that activates baking soda in recipes.
• 240ml plain yogurt (thinned with a splash of milk if needed). Full-fat produces the best result.
• 240ml soured cream (thinned with milk to pourable consistency).

What it does in recipes: Provides acid (which activates baking soda), fat, and a tangy flavour. It tenderises gluten - the acid partially breaks protein bonds, producing a more tender crumb.

Soured Cream

100g soured cream →

• 100g full-fat Greek yogurt. Closest substitute - similar fat content and acidity.
• 100g crème fraîche. Slightly less acidic, slightly richer.
• 100g cream cheese + a splash of lemon juice (for a dip or topping application).

Crème Fraîche

100ml crème fraîche →

• 100ml soured cream. Similar fat content and acidity; the closest substitute.
• 100ml Greek yogurt. Lower fat, slightly more acidic.
• 100ml heavy cream + 1 tsp white wine vinegar. Whisked together, left for 30 minutes to thicken.

Heavy (Double) Cream

100ml double cream →

• 100ml full-fat coconut cream (refrigerated, the solid layer). Best for plant-based applications or where a coconut flavour is welcome.
• 100ml soured cream or crème fraîche for finishing sauces and enriching soups.
• 70ml whole milk + 30ml melted butter, whisked together. This approximates cream's fat content but lacks the body of real cream in reduced sauces.

Whole Milk

240ml whole milk →

• 240ml semi-skimmed milk (minimal difference in most recipes).
• 200ml full-fat oat milk, almond milk, or soy milk. Fat-enriched versions produce closer results in baking.
• 180ml skimmed milk + 1 tbsp melted butter (compensates for missing fat content).

Butter (in Cooking and Sauces)

100g unsalted butter →

• 80–90ml neutral oil (sunflower, vegetable). Oil has higher fat content than butter (butter is 80% fat; oil is 100%). Use slightly less oil than the butter amount.
• 90ml olive oil for Mediterranean applications.
• 100g coconut oil for baking - produces a slightly different flavour.
• 100g vegan butter (most are 1:1 substitutes for butter in baking and cooking).

Note: Butter in creamed cake recipes (where the creaming incorporates air) cannot be replaced with oil directly - oil doesn't cream. See Vegan Lasagne with Cashew Béchamel for dairy-free approaches.

Butter (in Baking - Melted Applications)

100g melted butter →

• 80ml neutral oil + 15ml milk. Most closely replicates butter's composition for baking.
• 80ml coconut oil (adds coconut flavour).

Egg Substitutions

Whole Egg (in Baking - Binding and Structure)

1 large egg →

• 1 flax egg: 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water, left for 5 minutes to gel. Best for: dense baked goods (banana bread, brownies, muffins). Does not provide leavening.
• 1 chia egg: 1 tbsp ground chia seeds + 3 tbsp water, left for 10 minutes. Similar to flax egg.
• 60ml aquafaba (chickpea liquid) - 3 tablespoons. Best for: recipes needing both binding and some leavening. Also works for meringue when whipped.
• 60g mashed banana or apple sauce. Adds sweetness and moisture; best for fruit-forward baked goods.

Egg Yolk (in Sauces)

2 egg yolks →

• No direct substitute for the emulsifying function in hollandaise or béarnaise.
• In custards: use a cornflour slurry (2 tbsp cornflour dissolved in 3 tbsp cold milk) as a thickener only - no emulsification.

Wine and Alcohol Substitutions

Red Wine (in Braises, Pan Sauces)

150ml red wine →

• 150ml beef or chicken stock + 1 tbsp red wine vinegar. The stock provides body; the vinegar provides acid. Most effective for long braises.
• 150ml pomegranate juice + 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar. Provides depth and acidity for beef-based preparations.
• 150ml tomato juice for rich braises.
• 150ml dark grape juice + 1 tbsp vinegar.

White Wine (in Sauces, Risotto, Seafood)

150ml white wine →

• 150ml chicken or vegetable stock + 1 tbsp white wine vinegar. The vinegar provides the acid; the stock provides body.
• 150ml dry apple cider. Best for pork and chicken preparations - the apple complements both.
• 150ml verjuice (verjus). The closest non-alcoholic substitute - unfermented grape juice with the acidity of wine without the alcohol or flavour.

Brandy or Cognac (in Pâtés, Pan Sauces, Flambéed Preparations)

50ml brandy →

• 50ml apple or grape juice + ½ tsp vanilla extract. Provides sweetness and some of the fruity complexity.
• 50ml chicken or beef stock for purely functional purposes where the flavour isn't the point.

Beer (in Batter, Braises)

330ml beer →

• 330ml sparkling water in batter applications - the carbonation provides the same leavening effect as beer's CO₂. No flavour from the beer.
• 330ml ginger beer (non-alcoholic) for a slightly flavoured substitute.
• 330ml beef stock for braising applications.

Stock and Broth Substitutions

Chicken Stock

500ml chicken stock →

• 500ml vegetable stock (slightly less flavour complexity, appropriate for most applications).
• 500ml water + ½ chicken stock pot or cube (an imperfect but practical substitute - much better than water alone).
• 500ml water + 1 tbsp soy sauce + 1 tsp white miso for depth without the stock pot processed flavour.

Beef Stock

500ml beef stock →

• 500ml chicken stock + 1 tsp soy sauce for added depth.
• 500ml mushroom stock (made from dried porcini or shiitake rehydrated in water) - very good depth.
• 500ml water + 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce + ½ tsp tomato purée.

Vegetable Stock

500ml vegetable stock →

• 500ml water + dried mushrooms + a few peppercorns + a bay leaf, simmered 20 minutes.
• 500ml water - for most mildly flavoured soups and grains, water is a passable substitute.

Herb Substitutions

Fresh Herbs to Dried (General Rule)

1 tbsp fresh herbs → ½ to 1 tsp dried herbs

Dried herbs are more concentrated in flavour than fresh because the water has been removed. Use approximately one-third the volume.

Add dried herbs earlier in cooking than you would fresh - dried herbs need time in heat to rehydrate and release their flavour; fresh herbs added at the end retain more volatile aroma.

Specific Herb Substitutions

Fresh basil → Fresh mint (in salads) or fresh flat-leaf parsley (in cooked applications). No dried substitute.

Fresh dill → Fresh fennel fronds + a little fresh tarragon.

Fresh tarragon → A mix of fresh chervil and fresh basil approximates the anise note.

Garlic Substitutions

Fresh Garlic

1 clove fresh garlic →

• ¼ tsp garlic powder. Milder, less complex - garlic powder lacks the allicin produced when a fresh clove is cut (the compound responsible for pungent raw garlic flavour).
• ½ tsp garlic paste (from a tube or jar). Closer to fresh than powder.
• A few drops of good garlic oil in raw applications.

Acid Substitutions

Lemon Juice

1 tbsp lemon juice →

• 1 tbsp lime juice (slightly more tropical, more floral; works in most applications).
• ½-1 tbsp white wine vinegar (sharper, less aromatic; use slightly less).
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar (fruity; works well in salad dressings).

White Wine Vinegar

1 tbsp white wine vinegar →

• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar (slightly fruitier - acceptable in most applications).
• ½ tbsp lemon juice (less sharp, more aromatic).
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar (milder and slightly sweet - good for Asian-inflected applications).

Flour and Thickener Substitutions

Plain Flour (as Thickener)

1 tbsp plain flour (in a roux or sauce) →

• ½ tbsp cornflour (cornstarch). More powerful thickener - use half the amount. Mix with cold liquid before adding to the sauce (cornflour must be dissolved before adding to a hot liquid or it clumps).
• ½ tbsp arrowroot powder. Similar to cornflour but produces a clearer sauce. Does not hold thickening well at boiling point - add at the end of cooking.
• 1 tbsp ground almonds for grain-free preparations (produces thicker texture with almond flavour).

Self-Raising Flour

200g self-raising flour →

• 200g plain flour + 2 tsp baking powder + ½ tsp fine salt.

Sugar Substitutions

Caster Sugar (in Baking)

100g caster sugar →

• 100g granulated sugar - produces slightly coarser texture in creamed cakes; acceptable in most applications.
• 80-90ml honey or maple syrup - liquid sweeteners; reduce other liquids in the recipe by 20ml per 100g of honey/syrup used. These also add their own flavour.

Brown Sugar

100g soft light brown sugar →

• 100g caster or granulated sugar + 1 tbsp treacle or molasses. Mix together - this approximates brown sugar's molasses content and produces similar moisture retention.
• 100g coconut sugar - similar moisture retention, slightly caramel-adjacent flavour.

Condensed and Specialist Ingredient Substitutions

Tomato Purée (Paste)

1 tbsp tomato purée →

• 3 tbsp tomato passata (reduced in a small pan for 2-3 minutes to concentrate).
• 2 tbsp tomato ketchup (sweeter and more acidic - use with restraint).

Soy Sauce

1 tbsp soy sauce →

• 1 tbsp tamari (gluten-free soy sauce - essentially identical in most applications).
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (more complex, slightly more acidic).
• 1 tsp miso paste dissolved in 1 tbsp water (provides umami depth without the specific soy flavour).

Breadcrumbs (as Coating or Binder)

Breadcrumbs →

• Panko breadcrumbs (1:1 - produces crispier coating).
• Ground almonds or almond flour for gluten-free coating.
• Crushed crackers or cornflakes as a coating.
• Oats (blended to rough flour) as a binder in burgers and meatballs.

Pro Tips

• The function determines the substitute. Before choosing a substitute, identify what the original ingredient was doing in the recipe (providing acid, fat, binding, leavening, flavour, moisture). The best substitute provides the same function.
• Taste and adjust. Substitutions change flavour. Taste the dish at each stage and adjust seasoning, acid, and sweetness accordingly.
• Note what you changed. If the dish turns out well with a substitution, note it. Many substitutions produce slightly different but equally valid results - the dish you made is not inferior to the recipe's version, just different.

🔗 Related Reference Posts

• Cooking Temperatures: The Complete Internal Temperature Guide
• The Art of Seasoning: Salt, Acid, Fat, and Heat
• Flour, Butter, Eggs, Sugar: What Every Baking Ingredient Actually Does
• Knife Skills & Kitchen Techniques: The Complete Guide