When you’re busy baking up a storm the last thing you want is to reach for the next key ingredient only to discover that there’s not a skerrick of it in the house! These helpful baking substitutions could come in handy next time you’re in the kitchen.
Baking powder and baking soda
Baking soda and baking powder are both leavening ingredients, which means they help baked goods rise. While their names are very similar they are two ingredients that are not to be confused. Baking soda is an incomplete leavening ingredient, therefore it needs to be activated by another acidic ingredient; baking powder, on the other hand, is a complete leavening agent.
Baking Powder Substitute
1 teaspoon baking powder = 1/4 teaspoon baking soda + 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
Baking Soda Substitute
1 teaspoon baking soda = 3 teaspoons baking powder
Eggs
In recipes, eggs act as both a leavening agent and a binder – so they help ingredients bind together and recipes rise. If you find yourself out of eggs, have an egg allergy, or are vegan, try one of the below substitutes. Substitute one egg for:
- 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of water
- 1 tablespoon of chia seeds with 3 tablespoons of water
- 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise
Butter
Butter is a key ingredient in most baking recipes. But whether you’re vegan or you’ve just run out of butter, there are a handful of substitutes you can use instead of butter.
Avocado
You can equal parts pureed avocado for butter in baking recipes; for example, use 1 cup of pureed avocado for one cup of butter.
Vegetable Oils
Butter in baking recipes can be switched out for various types of vegetable oil. If you don’t mind the taste of coconut oil it is a fairly simple substitution as you can substitute equal parts coconut oil for butter.
Olive oil is another common baking substitution that is used when a recipe calls for butter. If you’re switching out butter for olive oil you don’t need to use quite as much – instead, use three-quarters of the amount of butter that the recipe calls for.
Greek Yoghurt
If it’s healthy baking substitutions you’re after where butter is concerned, you could try switching out butter for yoghurt. Greek yoghurt makes a great alternative thanks to its thicker consistency. You can replace equal parts butter with greek yoghurt in your baking recipes
Flour
When it comes to baking substitutions, flour is a tough one. While there are plenty of alternatives out there, it usually takes a little bit of experimenting with your favourite recipes to get the balance just right. Here are three of our favourites.
Coconut flour
Coconut flour can’t just be simply switched in as a simple flour substitute due to its unique consistency. Coconut flour has a high absorbency and is incredibly dense which means it can dry out baked goods. If you’re baking with coconut flour consider using it in conjunction with another flour alternative or adding extra eggs or liquid to the recipe.
Almond Meal
Almond meal (or flour) is a great gluten-free substitute for standard flour as it’s packed with protein, healthy fats and vitamin E. While you can switch out a cup of standard flour for one cup of almond meal, if you use almond meal or flour in a recipe you may need to add more of your binding ingredients.
Buckwheat Flour
Don’t be fooled by its name – buckwheat isn’t wheat at all, therefore is completely gluten-free! Buckwheat works best in recipes that don’t need to rise. If you’re thinking about using it in a cake or to make bread, consider using part buckwheat flour with part lighter flour alternative.
Discover some of our favourite flourless recipes right here.
