ven those who try to keep a well-stocked pantry, with all the basics of a good meal, run out of ingredients. When this happens, it is important not to panic—there are always substitutions for main ingredients like milk, sugar, butter, and even flour. If you understand the role that certain ingredients play in a dish, you will be able to substitute with success.

	Sugar substitutes such as Splenda® or Stevia are thousands of times sweeter per serving than plain sugar, allowing you to use much less.

Dairy Substitutes: Soy Milk, Rice Milk, and Almond Milk

People often ask me when a non-dairy substitute such as soy milk may be used in place of milk or cream. While soymilk and its ilk (rice milk, almond milk) are often used in coffee or with cereal, they have a different chemical composition than dairy and do not react to boiling, baking, and refrigeration in the same way. You can substitute a non-dairy milk for milk or cream that is added at the end of a recipe to add thickness, creaminess, and sweetness to soups or sauces. However, for dishes like crème brulee, a more chemically-precise baked custard, a non-dairy substitute lacks the same protein structure as the dairy and a soy substitution will neither firm nor set in the same manner.

Sugar Substitutes: Sugars and Low-Glycemic Sweeteners

In addition to sweetening a recipe, sugar contributes moisture and volume to baked goods. Sugar substitutes such as Splenda® or Stevia are thousands of times sweeter per serving than plain sugar, allowing you to use much less. The difference is negligible in sweetening beverages, but quite noticeable in baking. Recipes lacking the full amount of sugar often bake up to be flat or rubbery.

Butter Substitutes: Low-Fat Butters

Reduced-fat butter and butter substitutes are beaten with air so that they are less dense than regular butter. Unfortunately, neither of these perform well for baking. To reduce the fat in a recipe, I recommend replacing half of the butter with nonfat plain yogurt. For example, if the recipe calls for 1 cup of butter (2 sticks), use 1 stick of butter and ½ cup of nonfat yogurt, measured into a measuring cup.

Baking Substitutions

Superfine Sugar (also called Caster Sugar in British English)

Superfine sugar is granulated white sugar ground to a finer degree. You can make it by blending the same measured amount of white sugar in a food processor or blender for about 30 seconds.

Confectioner’s Sugar (also called Powdered or Icing Sugar)

Combine 1 cup sugar + 2 Tbsp. cornstarch (or arrowroot, potato starch, or tapioca). Blend in a food processor blender until very fine.

Brown Sugar

1 cup brown sugar = 1 cup granulated sugar + 1 ½ Tbsp. molasses

Buttermilk

1 cup buttermilk = 1 cup milk plus 1 Tbsp. of lemon juice or a (preferably) light vinegar

Cake Flour

1 cup cake flour = ¾ cup and 2 Tbsp. flour + 2 Tbsp. cornstarch

Self-Rising Flour

1 cup self-rising flour = 1 cup all-purpose flour + 1 ½ tsp. baking powder

Baking Powder

1 tsp. baking powder = ¼ tsp. baking soda + ½ tsp. cream of tartar