Useful Cooking Measurement Substitutions
If This is Called For | Use This Instead |
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar | 1/4 cup white vinegar |
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar | 1 Tbsp sherry or cider vinegar |
1 cup beer | 1 cup non-alcoholic beer, beef broth, or apple cider |
1/4 cup bread crumbs, dry | 1/4 cup finely crushed cracker crumbs or corn flakes |
1 cup brown sugar, packed | 1 cup granulated sugar + 2 Tbsp molasses or dark corn syrup |
1 cup corn syrup, light | 1 cup granulated sugar + 1/4 cup water |
1 cup corn syrup, dark | 1 cup light corn syrup or 3/4 cup light corn syrup + 1/4 cup molasses or 1 cup maple-flavored syrup |
1 Tbsp cornstarch | 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour or 1 Tbsp potato or rice starch or 1 Tbsp arrowroot or 4 tsp. instant tapioca |
1 cup cream, half and half | 7/8 cup whole milk + 2 Tbsp melted unsalted butter |
1 cup cream, heavy | 2/3 cup whole milk + 1/3 cup melted unsalted butter creme fresh 1 cup sour cream or 1 cup whipping cream + 1 Tbsp buttermilk or yogurt or 1/2 cup whipping cream + 1/2 cup sour cream or 1 cup mascarpone cheese |
1 cup currants | 1 cup raisins or 1 cup chopped dates or 1 cup other dried fruit (cranberries, blueberries, cherries) |
1 cup flour, all-purpose | 1 cup + 2 Tbsp cake flour |
1 cup flour, cake | 1 cup minus 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour |
1 cup flour, self rising | 1 cup all-purpose flour + 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder + 1/2 tsp. salt |
1 clove garlic, finely chopped | 1/8 tsp. garlic powder or 1/4 tsp. instant minced garlic |
1 Tbsp ginger root, grated | 1 Tbsp candied ginger; rinsed and finely chopped or 1 1/2 tsp. dry ground ginger + 1/2 tsp. lemon juice |
1 Tbsp herbs, fresh chopped (1 Tbsp) | 1 tsp. of the same dry herb |
1 cup honey | 3/4 cup dark corn syrup + 1/2 cup granulated white sugar or 3/4 cup maple syrup + 1/2 cup granulated white sugar or 3/4 cup light molasses + 1/2 cup granulated white sugar or 1 1/4 cup sugar + 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar + 1/4 cup liquid called for in recipe |
1 Tbsp lemon juice | 1 Tbsp bottled lemon juice, lime juice or white vinegar |
1 tsp lemon zest | 1 tsp. lime or orange zest or 1/2 tsp. lemon extract |
1 Tbsp lime juice | 1 Tbsp lemon or orange juice |
1 tsp lime zest | 1 tsp. lemon or orange zest |
1 cup milk, nonfat | 1/3 cup powdered milk + 3/4 cup water |
1 cup milk, whole | 1/2 cup evaporated milk + 1/2 cup water or 1 cup skim milk + 1 Tbsp melted butter |
1 cup molasses | 1 cup honey, dark corn syrup or maple syrup or 3/4 cup brown sugar heated to dissolve in 1/4 cup liquid |
1 Tbsp mustard, yellow | 1 tsp. ground mustard |
1 cup oil | 1 cup melted butter, margarine, or shortening depending on the recipe |
1 cup orange juice | 1 cup reconstituted frozen concentrate |
1 tsp orange zest | 1 tsp. lemon or lime zest or 1 tsp. finely chopped candied orange peel |
1 tsp poultry seasoning | 1/2 tsp. ground sage + 1/4 tsp. ground thyme + 1/4 tsp. ground rosemary |
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice | 1/2 tsp. cinnamon + 1/4 tsp. ginger + 1/8 tsp. nutmeg + 1/8 tsp. cloves |
1 cup shortening | 1 cup butter or margarine. Do not substitute oil for shortening |
1 cup sour cream | 1 cup plain yogurt |
1 cup sugar, light brown | 1/2 cup dark brown sugar + 1/2 cup white sugar |
1 cup sugar, white | 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar |
1 cup tomato juice | 1/2 cup tomato sauce + 1/2 cup water |
1/2 cup tomato paste | 1 cup tomato sauce cooked until reduced by 1/2 |
2 cup tomato sauce | 3/4 cup tomato paste + 1 cup water |
1 cup tomatoes, canned | 1 1/3 cup fresh cut-up tomatoes; simmered 10 minutes |
1 cup treacle | 1 cup corn syrup (light or dark) or light molasses |
1/4 cup white vinegar | 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar or 1/3 cup lemon juice |
1 cup wine, red | 1 cup non-alcoholic wine, apple cider, beef broth, tomato juice or water |
1 cup wine, white | 1 cup non-alcoholic wine, white grape juice, apple juice, chicken broth or water |
1 cup yogurt, plain | 1 cup sour cream, buttermilk, or creme fresh or 1 cup heavy whipping cream + 1 Tbsp lemon juice |
1 Tbsp arrowroot | 1 Tbsp cornstarch, potato starch, or rice starch or 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour |
1 tsp baking powder | 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar + 1/4 tsp. baking soda + 1/4 tsp. cornstarch |
1/2 tsp baking soda | 2 tsp. baking powder (must replace the acidic liquid in recipe with non-acidic liquid) |
1 cup butter | 7/8 cup vegetable oil |
1 cup buttermilk | 1 cup plain yogurt or 1 Tbsp white vinegar or lemon juice and enough milk to equal 1 cup; let stand for a few minutes |
4 oz chocolate, unsweetened | 12 Tbsp cocoa powder + 4 Tbsp butter |
4 oz chocolate, semi-sweet | 2 oz unsweetened chocolate + 4 Tbsp sugar |
4 oz chocolate, sweet | 1/4 cup cocoa powder + 1/3 cup sugar + 3 Tbsp shortening |
chocolate chips | chop a bar of chocolate into small chunks |
1/2 tsp cream of tartar | 1/2 tsp. white vinegar or lemon juice |
1 cup Milk | 1/2 cup evaporated milk + 1/2 cup water or 1 cup reconstituted dry milk + 2 tsp margarine or butter |
1 cup Buttermilk | 1 tbs vinegar + 1 cup sweet milk, or 1/4 cup butter + 3/4 cup milk |
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch | 1 tbs all purpose flour |
1 cup Honey | 1 1/4c sugar + 1/4 cup water or other liquid |
Peas
1 cup split peas | 2 1/2 cups cooked peas |
1 cup lentils | 2 1/2 cups cooked lentils |
1 cup black beans | 2 cups cooked beans |
1 cup blackeye beans | 2 1/2 cups cooked beans |
1 cup Great Northern beans | 2 1/2 cups cooked beans |
1 cup kidney beans | 2 3/4 cups cooked beans |
2 cup large lima beans | 2 1/2 cups cooked beans |
1 cup small lima beans | 2 cups cooked beans |
1 cup pea (or navy) beans | 2 1/2 cups cooked beans |
1 cup pinto beans | 2 1/2 cups cooked beans |