Ingredient Substitutions That Can Change Baking Results
What sugar, fat, eggs, flour, and leaveners each do in baking, which swaps work well, and how each one changes texture, rise, and browning.
In Baking, Every Ingredient Has a Job
In a stew, swapping shallots for onions just changes the flavor a little. In baking, each ingredient also does a structural job, so swaps can change the texture. Before you substitute, ask what the ingredient is doing: building structure, tenderizing, making the bake rise, adding moisture, or adding flavor. Then pick a substitute that does the same job.
Sugar
Sugar isn't only a sweetener. It holds onto moisture, slows gluten formation, and raises the temperature at which eggs set, all of which keep cakes tender. It also helps cookies spread and brown. Cut the sugar in half in a sponge cake and it will be drier and tougher, not just less sweet. Reducing sugar by up to about a quarter usually works in muffins, quick breads, and cookies.
Honey in place of sugar adds water, a little acid, and fructose, which browns at a lower temperature than table sugar. The National Honey Board's suggested adjustments: for each cup of honey, use 1/4 cup less of other liquids, add about 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, and lower the oven by 25°F. Honey is sweeter than sugar, so many bakers use about 3/4 cup honey per cup of sugar, or start by replacing only half the sugar.
Fats
Butter adds flavor, and when creamed with sugar it traps air that helps cakes rise. Oil makes moister, softer cakes that stay tender longer but don't rise quite as much from creaming.
- Oil for melted butter: swap 1:1 by volume, or use about 3/4 the amount of oil since butter is about 18% water.
- Butter for oil: use melted butter, about 1 1/4 times the oil, to make up for butter's water content.
- Applesauce or mashed banana can replace up to half the fat in muffins and quick breads. The result is moister but denser and more cake-like.
Eggs
Eggs bind, add moisture, help with rise, and set the structure as they cook. Swaps work best in recipes with only one or two eggs:
- Flax "egg": 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons water, rested 5-10 minutes. Good for binding in muffins, cookies, and pancakes.
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce or mashed banana per egg: adds moisture and some binding, with a slightly denser result.
- Commercial egg replacers: follow the package directions.
- None of these replace eggs in recipes that rely on them for lift, such as sponge cakes, soufflés, and meringues.
Flours
Swapping flours changes how much water is absorbed and how much gluten forms:
- Cake flour: 1 cup all-purpose flour minus 2 tablespoons, plus 2 tablespoons cornstarch. Sift well.
- Whole wheat for all-purpose: start by replacing about a quarter to a half. Whole wheat absorbs more water, so add a little more liquid or let the batter rest 10 minutes.
- Gluten-free flour blends: use one labeled as a cup-for-cup or 1:1 replacement, since it includes a binder such as xanthan gum.
Leaveners and Acids
Baking soda needs an acid (buttermilk, yogurt, brown sugar, lemon juice, natural cocoa) to react and make carbon dioxide. Baking powder contains its own acid. They aren't interchangeable one for one:
- Baking powder substitute: 1/4 teaspoon baking soda + 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar = 1 teaspoon baking powder. It reacts as soon as it's wet, so bake right away.
- Buttermilk substitute: 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar, plus milk to make 1 cup. Let it stand 5 minutes.
- Baking soda is about 3-4 times stronger than baking powder. Too much leaves a soapy, metallic taste.
Common questions
Can I use baking soda instead of baking powder?
Only with an acid. Mix 1/4 teaspoon baking soda with 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar to replace 1 teaspoon of baking powder.