Easy baking substitutes for when you’re out of ingredients

Quarantine life is all about getting creative in the kitchen!

We don’t know about you, but being restricted to our homes makes us want to use our time baking delicious cakes, biscuits, and more. But with basic ingredients being hard to come by, and supermarkets limiting our purchases to two a piece, it can be challenging getting all of the essential ingredients we’d normally use. Don’t panic though: you can still get baking, you just have to think outside of the box. Here are some simple swaps that you can try out.

EGGS

For vegetarians, Bonne Maman recommends using three tablespoons of mayonnaise in place of one egg.

Whether or not you’re vegan, Aine Carlin’s baking swaps are useful to keep in mind. Make a flax egg by combining one tablespoon of ground flaxseed with three tablespoons of water. Set aside to create a gel-like consistency. For chewy, fudgy baked goodies like brownies, ½ mashed banana works well in place of a whole egg. Apple sauce and other puréed fruits work well, too: use ¼ cup (about 40g) in place of one egg. Don’t have either to hand? Try the equivalent amount of mashed sweet potato or black beans. For an egg white-consistency, mix a tablespoon of ground chia seeds with three tablespoons of water. Set aside for 5-10 minutes to set to a yolk-like consistency. Aquafaba can be whisked up similar to egg white, making it ideal for creating dishes like meringues, mousse, fudge and flourless cakes.

CHOCOLATE

We’re probably all craving a bit of chocolatey goodness right now, just to make ourselves feel a bit better about life. If you can’t get your hands on it though, Bonne Maman suggests replacing 25g of chocolate with three tablespoons of cocoa powder and one tablespoon of softened butter.

BUTTER

Try using puréed cooked apple, mashed banana or puréed prunes. For the best results, use an equal volume of the substitute i.e. replace ½ cup (113g) butter with ½ cup (80g) apple purée. You can also swap normal butter for a vegan, plant-based alternative if you can find it. Or, consider using olive or coconut oil in cakes, at a 1:1 ratio, but keep in mind that it will result in a denser bake.

MILK

If you can’t get your hands on plain milk, consider baking with a plant-based substitute instead. They can be swapped out at a 1:1 ratio, but keep in mind that each non-dairy milk has a unique texture and taste, so work well for different recipes. Oat milk works well for things like cookies, while soya and coconut milks work well in cakes.

BUTTERMILK

Buttermilk pancakes for breakfast? Yes please! Buttermilk lends a lovely light and fluffy texture to baked goods, but if you can’t get your hands on any, try a mixture of milk and lemon juice. Use about one tablespoon of lemon juice for every 150ml milk, then leave to stand for five minutes before using. You can also try Aine’s hack by combining a tablespoon of cider vinegar to your chosen liquid (unsweetened soya milk works best). Stir then set aside for several minutes until it begins to curdle. For every 100ml of soya milk, use abougt 10ml of vinegar. The acidity in your ‘buttermilk’ alternative basically reacts with the bicarb in your baking batter, resulting in flaky scones, pillowy pancakes and more.