Ingredient substitutes
Halfway through a recipe and one thing short? Pick it below for tested swaps with a calculator, or ask the AI about anything else.
- ButtermilkMilk + lemon juice or vinegar
- Heavy creamMilk + melted butter
- Baking powderBaking soda + cream of tartar
- EggFlax egg
- CornstarchAll-purpose flour
- Sour creamPlain Greek yogurt
- Brown sugarWhite sugar + molasses (light)
- ButterVegetable or olive oil
- MilkUnsweetened plant milk
Missing something else?
How to judge any swap
Ask what the ingredient is doing in the recipe. Buttermilk in pancakes is there for acid. Heavy cream in a sauce is there for fat. An egg in meatballs is glue. Replace the job, not the name, and most swaps work.
Baking is less forgiving than cooking because leavening is chemistry: baking soda needs an acid to react, and the amounts matter. The buttermilk page has a hands-on demo of that balance.