Out of something the recipe needs? Pick it below and choose how much the recipe calls for. You get the swap with amounts you can measure, and the chart it came from.
Pick an ingredient and the swaps appear here, with amounts. The full chart is below.
The substitution chart
| Out of | Use instead |
|---|---|
| 1 cup buttermilk | 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar, plus milk to make 1 cup (stand 5 to 10 minutes); or 1 cup plain yogurt |
| 1 cup heavy cream | ¾ cup milk plus ⅓ cup melted butter (cooking and baking only; it won’t whip) |
| 1 cup half-and-half | ⅞ cup milk plus 1½ tbsp melted butter; or 1 cup evaporated milk |
| 1 cup evaporated milk | 2 cups milk simmered down to 1 cup; or 1 cup half-and-half |
| 1 cup sweetened condensed milk | 1 cup plus 2 tbsp nonfat dry milk, ½ cup warm water and ¾ cup sugar |
| 1 cup sour cream | 1 cup plain yogurt |
| 1 can cream of mushroom soup | 3 tbsp butter, 3 tbsp flour and 1 cup milk cooked until thick, with ¼ cup chopped mushrooms |
| 1 large egg, in baking | ¼ cup liquid egg substitute |
| 1 cup brown sugar | 1 cup white sugar plus ¼ cup molasses |
| 1 cup self-rising flour | 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1¼ tsp baking powder and ¼ tsp salt |
| 1 cup cake flour | 1 cup all-purpose flour less 2 tbsp |
| 1 tsp baking powder | ¼ tsp baking soda plus ⅝ tsp cream of tartar |
| 1 tbsp cornstarch, to thicken | 2 tbsp all-purpose flour |
| 1 small garlic clove | ⅛ tsp garlic powder |
| 1 small onion | 1 tsp onion powder |
| 1 tbsp fresh herbs | 1 tsp dried herbs |
| 1 cup broth | 1 bouillon cube or 1 tsp granules in 1 cup water |
| 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice | ½ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp ginger, ⅛ tsp allspice, ⅛ tsp nutmeg |
| 1 can tomato soup | 1 cup tomato sauce plus ¼ cup water |
Substitutes, one ingredient at a time
- Buttermilk substitute
- Heavy cream substitute
- Evaporated milk substitute
- Sour cream substitute
- Cream of mushroom soup substitute
- Egg substitute for baking
Before you swap
A substitute gets you close, not identical. Taste, moisture, texture and weight can all change a little. Casseroles, soups and sauces forgive almost any swap. Baking is fussier: cakes, biscuits and cookies depend on exact amounts of fat, acid and leavening, so measure carefully and expect a slightly different result.
Use the recipe converter first if you’re also making a smaller batch.
Ratios from Colorado State University Extension, Ingredient Substitutions (reviewed August 2025), and New Mexico State University Extension, In a Pinch Ingredient Substitution, guide E-131. Checked on October 30, 2026.