Ingredient Substitution Calculator

For 1 cup buttermilk, mix 1 cup milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar and let it sit for 5 minutes. The acid will curdle the milk and create a buttermilk-like tang that works for baking, pancakes, and biscuits.

Yes — use 3/4 the amount of oil for the butter called for (so 3/4 cup oil for 1 cup butter). The texture will be slightly denser and less flaky, but it works well in cakes, muffins, and quick breads. Avoid in cookies, pie crusts, or anything where butter's structure matters.

Common 1-egg substitutes: 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce, 1/4 cup mashed banana, 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons water (sit 5 min), or 3 tablespoons aquafaba (chickpea liquid). Applesauce and banana add sweetness; flax and aquafaba are neutral.

No. Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate and needs an acidic ingredient (buttermilk, lemon, vinegar) to react. Baking powder contains baking soda plus an acid, so it works on its own. To substitute, use 3 times more baking powder than baking soda — but you'll also need to remove acidic ingredients.

For cooking, mix 3/4 cup whole milk with 1/4 cup melted butter to replace 1 cup heavy cream. For whipping, this won't work — you need at least 30% fat. Evaporated milk or coconut cream can sub for whipping in a pinch.

Yes, 1:1 in most cases — dips, baked goods, dollops on tacos. Full-fat plain Greek yogurt is closest in texture and tang. In hot dishes, add it off the heat or at the end so it doesn't curdle.

Instant yeast is finer and can be mixed straight into flour. Active dry yeast needs to be proofed in warm water first. To substitute, use 25% less instant yeast than the active dry called for, or 25% more active dry than instant.

For 1 cup self-rising flour, use 1 cup all-purpose flour + 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder + 1/4 teaspoon salt. Going the other way: just leave out the baking powder and salt in the recipe.