Ingredient Substitutions

Spice Substitutes Guide

Allspice, ground: ground cinnamon, dash ground nutmeg, or dash ground cloves

Anise seed: fennel seed or a few drops anise extract

Apple pie spice: For 1 teaspoon, substitute 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon plus
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice, and dash ground
cloves or ground ginger.

Cardamom, ground: ground ginger

Cinnamon, ground: For 1 teaspoon, substitue 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg or

ground allspice.

Chili powder: dash bottled hot pepper sauce plus a combination of dried oregano
and ground cumin

Cloves, ground: ground allspice, ground cinnamon, or ground nutmeg

Cumin, ground: chili powder

Curry powder: Mix ground tumeric, ground ginger, ground black pepper, ground
coriander, ground cumin, and chili powder.

Ginger, ground: ground allspice, ground cinnamon, ground mace, or ground

nutmeg (more ground ginger substitutions)

Gingerroot, grated: For 1 teaspoon, substitute 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger.

Mace, ground: ground allspice, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, or ground

nutmeg

Nutmeg, ground: ground cinnamon, ground ginger, or ground mace

Poultry seasoning: For 1 teaspoon, substitute 3/4 teaspoon dried sage plus a
1/4 teaspoon blend of any of these: dried thyme, dried marjoram, dried savory,
ground black pepper, and dried rosemary.

Pumpkin pie spice: For 1 teaspoon, substitute 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
plus 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice, and 1/8 teaspoon
ground nutmeg.
Saffron, ground: dash ground turmeric (for color)

Seasoning salt: equal amount of snipped fresh herbs or equal amount of salt-
free seasoning blend

Spice blends: garlic powder instead of garlic salt

Thai seasoning: For 1 tablespoon, mix 1 teaspoon ground coriander, 1 teaspoon

crushed red pepper, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon
garlic powder, and 1/4 teaspoon onion powder.
Baking powder: For 1 teaspoon baking powder, substitute 1/2 teaspoon cream
of tartar plus 1/4 teaspoon baking soda. Healthy Baking Powder Substitute:
For 1 teaspoon baking powder, substitute 1 teaspoon sodium-free or reduced-
sodium baking powder.
Regular baking powder has about 1,500 mg sodium per tablespoon. Low-sodium
or sodium-free baking powder has about 0 to 15 mg sodium per tablespoon.
Bread crumbs, fine dry: For 1/4 cup fine, dried bread crumbs, substitute 3/4 cup
soft bread crumbs, 1/4 cup cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup cornflake crumbs, or 2/3 cup
rolled oats. Healthy Bread Crumbs Substitutes
For 1 cup bread crumbs, substitute 1 cup rolled oats or 1 cup crushed bran cereal.
Rolled oats have about 75 percent less calories, 30 percent less carbs, no
sodium, and two times the amount of fiber than regular bread crumbs.
Bran cereal has about 75 percent less calories, 83 percent less fat, almost 70
percent less carbs, 75 percent less sodium, and up to twice the amount of fiber of
regular bread crumbs.
How to Make Bread Crumbs

Dried cracker, bread, and cookie crumbs can be made by processing them to a
fine consistency in a blender or food processor.

You can also place the ingredient in a heavy plastic bag and crush it to a fine
consistency with a rolling pin. Leave one end of the bag open a bit so air can
escape during rolling.

To make one cup of crumbs you'll need about 28 saltine crackers, 14 graham
cracker squares, 22 vanilla wafers, 19 chocolate wafers, 15 gingersnaps, or 24
rich round crackers.
Broth, beef or chicken: Chicken Broth Substitute
For 1 cup broth, substitute 1 bouillon cube or 1 teaspoon instant bouillon granules
per 1 cup water.Healthy Broth SubstituteCanned broths and bouillon cubes are
usually saltier than homemade stocks. Try a canned reduced-sodium broth or one
of our tasty homemade broth recipes, below.
Brown sugar: For 1 cup brown sugar, substitute white sugar in an equal amount.
Note: This will cause cookies to be a little crispier. To fix the crispiness, add 2
tablespoons molasses for every cup of white sugar.Healthy Brown Sugar
Substitutes

For 1 cup brown sugar, substitute 1 cup organic brown sugar, coconut sugar, or
date sugar, or substitute up to half of the sugar with agave nectar in baking.
Sugar substitutes replace sugar and omit carbs and added sugar. Sugar
substitute blends replace half of the sugar and reduce added carbs and added
sugars by half.
Butter:

Salted Butter Substitutes:

For 1 cup salted butter, substitute 1 cup margarine; 1 cup shortening plus 1/2
teaspoon salt; 7/8 cup vegetable oil plus 1/2 teaspoon salt; or 7/8 cup lard plus
1/2 teaspoon salt.

Unsalted Butter Substitutes:

For 1 cup unsalted butter, substitute 1 cup shortening, 7/8 cup vegetable oil, or
7/8 cup lard.

More Butter Substitutes:

For half of the called-for butter, substitute applesauce, shortening, oil, or butter
spreads and shortenings specially formulated for baking that don't have trans
fats.

For half of the called-for butter, substitute tofu or pureed white beans (cannellini,
black beans, lentils).

For one-quarter of the called-for butter, substitute flaxseed meal.

Baking with Butter Substitutes:

To avoid dense, soggy, or flat baked goods, do not substitute oil for butter or
shortening. Also, do not substitute diet, whipped, or tub-style margarine for
regular margarine.

Healthy Butter Substitutes:

For half of the called-for butter, substitute baby food prunes.

Cup for cup, prunes have about 85 percent less calories than butter. Using prunes
to replace half the butter cuts cholesterol, sodium, fat, and saturated fat. One cup
of prunes has about 6 grams of fiber, whereas butter has no fiber. Prunes add
natural sugars and carbohydrates.
For half of the called-for butter, substitute mashed tofu.
Ounce per ounce, tofu has about 90 percent less calories and 88 percent less fat
than butter. Using tofu to replace half the butter reduces calories, fat, saturated
fat, cholesterol, and sodium by about half.
For half of the called-for butter, substitute pureed white beans (cannellini, black
beans, lentils).
1 cup of rinsed and drained canned beans is equal to 3/4 cup mashed beans.
Cup for cup, beans have 84 percent less calories, 98 percent less fat, and 70
percent less sodium than salted butter. Replacing half the butter with beans
reduces calories, fat, cholesterol, and saturated fat. One cup of beans has about
12 grams of fiber plus folate and iron, whereas butter has none.
For 1 tablespoon butter, substitute a 1/3-second spray of cooking spray for
coating baking pans and sauteing.
Using cooking spray omits virtually all added fat for cooking. Adding more than
one serving (a 1/3-second spray) will start adding fat. For example, three servings
(a 1-second spray) have about 1 gram of fat.
For one-quarter of the called-for butter, substitute flaxseed meal.
Flaxseed reduces calories added by salted butter by 90 percent and fat by 93
percent. It also omits cholesterol and virtually all saturated fat and sodium.
Flaxseed meal has nearly twice the amount of calcium than butter plus 8 grams
of fiber.
However, flaxseed meal will increase carbohydrates.
For half of the called-for butter, substitute unsweetened applesauce.
Unsweetened applesauce has about 94 percent less calories and 99 percent less
fat than butter. It has 0 grams cholesterol and saturated fat, plus 98 percent less
sodium than salted butter.
Applesauce has 3 grams fiber per cup.
Using applesauce to replace half the butter reduces calories, fat, saturated fat,
cholesterol, and sodium.
However, applesauce will increase carbohydrates.