KITCHEN · SUBSTITUTES
Ingredient Substitution Calculator
Missing something halfway through a recipe? Search for the ingredient, enter how much your recipe needs, and get substitutes scaled to that amount.
Find a substitute
e.g. buttermilk, cake flour, heavy cream
Popular
Common substitutions
| Instead of | Use |
|---|---|
| 1 cup buttermilk | 1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice + milk to make 1 cup in total |
| 1 cup cake flour | 7/8 cup all-purpose flour (1 cup minus 2 tbsp) |
| 1 tsp baking powder | 1/4 tsp baking soda + 5/8 tsp cream of tartar |
| 1 cup brown sugar | 1 cup granulated sugar + 1/4 cup molasses |
| 1 cup heavy cream | 3/4 cup milk + 1/3 cup melted butter |
How to use the substitution calculator
Type the ingredient you are out of, or tap a popular one. Choose it, enter the amount your recipe calls for, and press Calculate. Each substitute is scaled to that amount and shown with any notes about when it works.
Measuring
Amounts use US cups (about 240 ml), tablespoons (15 ml) and teaspoons (5 ml). When a scaled amount does not land on a common fraction, it is shown as “about” the nearest one.
Allergies
If you are substituting because of a food allergy, read the label of the replacement: some products are made in facilities that also handle nuts, milk or eggs.
Frequently asked questions
What can I use instead of buttermilk?
Put 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice in a measuring cup, add milk to make 1 cup, stir and let it stand for 5 minutes. Plain yogurt also works cup for cup.
How do I make cake flour from all-purpose flour?
Use 7/8 cup of all-purpose flour (1 cup minus 2 tablespoons) for each cup of cake flour. The cake will be slightly less tender because all-purpose flour has more gluten.
Can I replace butter with oil?
In recipes that use melted butter, use 7/8 cup of vegetable oil plus 1/2 teaspoon of salt per cup of butter. Do not use oil for cookies or pound cakes where butter is creamed with sugar; they will not rise the same way.
Will a substitute taste the same?
Not always. Substitutes keep a recipe working, but color, flavor and texture can change, especially in baking. Where a substitute only works for certain uses, the result says so.
More tools
Sources and last updated
- Colorado State University Extension, Ingredient Substitutions (P. Kendall; reviewed August 2025)
- Utah State University Extension, List of Ingredient Substitutions for Cooking and Baking
- New Mexico State University, In a Pinch Ingredient Substitution Guide (E-131)
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