Baking Substitutions: The Complete Ingredient Swap Guide
The most reliable baking substitutions are: ¼ tsp baking soda + ½ tsp cream of tartar for 1 tsp baking powder; about 25% less instant yeast in place of active dry; salted for unsalted butter (cut the recipe’s salt by ¼ tsp per stick); and ½ cup plain yogurt thinned with milk for ½ cup buttermilk. Always match by function, not just flavour.
Run out of an ingredient mid-bake? This guide to baking substitutions gives the swap and the exact ratio for the ingredients home bakers get stuck on most — leaveners, yeast, butter, sugar, flour, eggs and buttermilk — so your bake still works.
- Substitute by function (lift, moisture, structure), not just taste.
- Leaveners and yeast are the riskiest swaps — get the ratio right.
- When a swap changes salt or liquid, adjust the rest of the recipe to match.
Leavening: baking soda vs baking powder
Baking soda is a pure base that needs an acid (buttermilk, yogurt, lemon juice) to create lift; baking powder already contains its own acid. Baking soda is roughly 3–4× stronger, so they are not a 1:1 swap. To replace 1 teaspoon of baking powder, use ¼ teaspoon baking soda plus ½ teaspoon cream of tartar. Full method and ratios are in our baking soda to baking powder converter.
Yeast: fresh, active dry and instant
The three yeasts are interchangeable if you adjust the amount. By weight, fresh yeast ≈ 2× active dry ≈ 3× instant. When swapping active dry for instant, use about 25% less; going the other way, use about 25% more. Instant yeast can be stirred straight into the flour, while active dry should be dissolved in warm liquid first. Convert any amount with the yeast converter, or see the dedicated fresh yeast to dried yeast guide.
Butter: salted, unsalted and oil
Most baking recipes assume unsalted butter for control over seasoning. If you only have salted, reduce the added salt in the recipe by about ¼ teaspoon per ½ cup (1 stick). In a pinch you can replace melted butter with a neutral oil at about a 3:4 ratio (use three-quarters as much oil by volume), though the crumb will be more tender and less rich. For exact weights and stick equivalents, use the butter cups to grams chart.
Sugar and flour swaps
Granulated and caster sugar are usually interchangeable by weight; icing (powdered) sugar is not, because it is far lighter and dissolves differently. Brown sugar adds moisture and a slight chew — swap it for white sugar plus a teaspoon of molasses per 100 g. For flour, you can make self-raising flour by adding 2 teaspoons of baking powder per 150 g of plain flour. Check exact weights with our sugar and flour converters.
Egg and buttermilk substitutes
To replace 1 egg for binding and moisture, use ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce, one mashed small banana, or 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons water (rested 5 minutes). For buttermilk, stir 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar into 1 cup of milk and let it sit for 5 minutes, or thin plain yogurt with a little milk. Both keep the acidity that reacts with baking soda.
| You need | Substitute | Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| 1 tsp baking powder | Baking soda + cream of tartar | ¼ tsp soda + ½ tsp cream of tartar |
| Active dry yeast | Instant yeast | Use ~25% less |
| 1 cup buttermilk | Milk + acid | 1 cup milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice/vinegar |
| 1 egg | Flax egg | 1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water |
| 1 cup self-raising flour | Plain flour + baking powder | 1 cup flour + 1½ tsp baking powder |
| ½ cup unsalted butter | Salted butter | 1:1, cut recipe salt by ¼ tsp |
New to swapping ingredients? Learn how to measure baking ingredients accurately first — a good substitution still fails if the measuring is off.
Frequently asked questions
What is the golden rule of baking substitutions? Substitute by function. Identify whether the ingredient provides lift, moisture, fat or structure, then choose a swap that does the same job — and adjust salt or liquid to match.
Can I substitute baking soda for baking powder? Not 1:1 — baking soda is 3–4 times stronger and needs an acid. Replace 1 tsp baking powder with ¼ tsp baking soda plus ½ tsp cream of tartar.
How do I replace an egg in baking? For binding and moisture, use ¼ cup applesauce, a mashed banana, or a flax egg (1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water, rested 5 minutes) per egg.
Is salted butter okay for baking? Yes, if you reduce the recipe’s added salt by about ¼ teaspoon per ½ cup (1 stick) of salted butter used.