Find a substitute and the exact amount to use
You are halfway through a recipe and the buttermilk, the cake flour or the cream of tartar is missing. An ingredient substitution finder answers the question in seconds, and just as importantly it scales the answer: ask for 2½ cups of buttermilk and the lemon-juice-and-milk version tells you 2½ tablespoons of lemon juice, with milk to make 2½ cups, instead of leaving you to multiply fractions with flour on your hands.
The table covers thirty common baking and cooking ingredients: buttermilk, cake, bread and self-rising flour, baking powder and soda, cream of tartar, eggs, butter, brown and icing sugar, milk and cream, yogurt, cornstarch, wine, tomato paste, garlic, herbs and spices. Tick egg-free, dairy-free or vegan and the list narrows to the options that fit. Everything is calculated in your browser.
How to use the Ingredient Substitution Finder
- Type a word in Search an ingredient to narrow the list, then pick the ingredient you are missing.
- Enter the amount your recipe asks for, in the unit shown (fractions such as 1/2 or 1 1/2 are fine).
- Tick Egg-free, Dairy-free or Vegan if you need to.
- Read the substitutes, already scaled, and the note under them. Copy the list if you want it on your phone.
Ingredient Substitution Finder features
Scaled to your amount
Every quantity is multiplied and tidied into kitchen units (tsp, tbsp, cups and common fractions).
Dietary filters
Egg-free, dairy-free and vegan filters, with badges on each option.
Many names
Search by alternative names such as curd, cornflour, double cream, bicarb or icing sugar.
Butter to oil
Includes oil, margarine, shortening and coconut oil swaps with the situations they suit.
Honest limits
Notes say when a swap changes the texture or only works in some recipes.
The swaps people ask for most
| You need (1 unit) | Use instead |
|---|---|
| 1 cup buttermilk | 1 tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar + milk to make 1 cup; leave 5 minutes |
| 1 cup cake flour | 14 tbsp all-purpose flour + 2 tbsp cornstarch, sifted |
| 1 tsp baking powder | ¼ tsp baking soda + ⅝ tsp cream of tartar |
| 1 tsp cream of tartar | 2 tsp lemon juice or white vinegar |
| 1 egg (baking) | ¼ cup applesauce, or 1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water |
| 1 cup brown sugar | 1 cup white sugar + 1 tbsp molasses |
Where the ratios come from
The ratios were checked against public university-extension substitution charts, including the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Utah State University Extension and New Mexico State University, and written up in our own words. Where those charts agree, the table follows them; where they disagree (for example how much flour to remove for self-rising flour), the note says so. A few items, such as aquafaba, flax eggs and dried herbs, are widely repeated cooking conversions rather than extension-service figures, so treat them as starting points.
Getting good results
- Substitute one thing at a time. Two swaps in the same recipe multiply the risk.
- Match the job. Eggs bind, moisten, leaven or set; pick a replacement for the job the egg is doing in that recipe.
- Know what oil cannot do. Oil works where the recipe wants melted fat; it will not cream with sugar to trap air, so keep butter for creamed cookies and flaky pastry.
- Allergies need care. The filters are a guide, not a guarantee: always check labels, especially margarine, broth and plant milks.
- To scale the whole recipe, use the recipe scaler; for tins and pans, the cake pan converter; for sweeteners, the sugar substitute converter.
Ingredient Substitution Finder FAQ
What can I use instead of buttermilk?
For each cup, stir 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar into a measuring cup, add milk to make 1 cup, and leave it for 5 minutes. Thinned plain yogurt or milk with cream of tartar also work; for a vegan version use soy, oat or almond milk.
What is a good egg substitute for baking?
For each egg, try ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce, ¼ cup mashed banana, 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons of water, or 3 tablespoons of aquafaba. These suit muffins, quick breads and brownies better than sponge cakes or meringues.
What can I use instead of cream of tartar?
Use 2 teaspoons of lemon juice or white vinegar for each teaspoon of cream of tartar, mainly to stabilise whipped egg whites. In a recipe where it only supplies acid for baking soda, lemon juice or buttermilk also work.
How do I make cake flour at home?
Remove 2 tablespoons from each cup of all-purpose flour and add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, then sift the mixture at least twice. The result is lower in protein, so the cake is softer.
Can I replace butter with oil?
In many recipes that use melted butter or are cake-like, such as muffins, brownies and quick breads, use about three-quarters of the amount as oil. Do not use oil where butter is creamed with sugar or rubbed into pastry.
Are these substitutes safe for allergies?
The filters help you narrow the options, but they are not a guarantee. Read the label of every product, and ask your doctor or dietitian about serious allergies.