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Common ingredient alternatives

It can be fun and easy to adapt recipes to mix things up when you don't have all of the ingredients! Whether you have a food allergy or intolerance, don't have the ingredients or just don't care for an ingredient try using these instead:

Baking Flours

Use the following flours interchangeably in recipes using a 1:1 ratio:

  • Almond flour: substitute hazelnut flour or sunflower seed flour
  • Oat flour: substitute any all-purpose baking flour

If you don't have almond or oat flour on hand, you can create your own by pulsing almonds/oats in a high-speed blender or food processor until a fine flour forms.

Sweeteners

Liquid sweeteners to use in a 1:1 ratio:

  • Date paste
  • Maple syrup
  • Coconut nectar

Dry sweeteners to use in a 1:1 ratio:

  • Coconut sugar
  • Any sugar you have on hand!

Non-dairy Milks

Use the following non-dairy milks interchangeably in recipes using a 1:1 ratio:

  • Unsweetened almond milk
  • Coconut milk
  • Cashew milk
  • Oat milk

The only exception is canned coconut milk. Canned coconut milk has a higher fat content and is irreplaceable if you want to achieve a creamy consistency in your recipes.

Eggs

The best way to mimic eggs is with a flax "egg." For one egg: mix 1 tablespoon ground flax with 3 tablespoons water and let sit for 5 minutes until a gelled mixture forms. Don't have ground flaxseed? Try using ground chia or hemp hearts.

Nuts & Seeds

Use the following nut and seed butters interchangeably in a 1:1 ratio:

  • Peanut butter: substitute any nut or seed butter
  • Almond butter: substitute sunflower seed butter, cashew butter
  • Cashews: substitute almonds, walnuts or peanuts
  • Sunflower seeds: substitute pumpkin seeds
  • Hemp hearts: substitute chia seeds or ground flaxseed

Binders

Use the following purées interchangeably in recipes using a 1:1 ratio:

  • Pumpkin purée: butternut squash purée, winter squash purée or sweet potato purée
  • Unsweetened applesauce
  • Mashed banana
  • Mashed avocado

Oils

Use the following oils interchangeably in recipes using a 1:1 ratio:

  • Avocado oil: substitute any high-heat cooking or baking oil
  • Olive oil: substitute any medium-heat cooking or baking oil
  • Coconut oil: substitute any low-heat cooking or baking oil

Oil Replacements for baking

  • Tahini
  • Any nut or seed butter
  • Yogurt (dairy or dairy-free works)
  • Avocado
  • Unsweetened almond milk

Legumes

Use the following beans interchangeably in recipes using a 1:1 ratio:

  • White beans to use interchangeably in recipes: chickpeas, cannellini beans, navy beans, etc.
  • Black beans to use interchangeably in recipes: Black beans, kidney beans, lentils, etc.
  • Red beans to use interchangeably: small red beans, adzuki beans, pinto beans, etc.

Grains

Use the following grains interchangeably in recipes using a 1:1 ratio:

  • Quinoa
  • Rice
  • Millet

Soy

Use tofu and tempeh interchangeably for a meat alternative.

  • Tofu: swap out tempeh
  • Tempeh: swap out tofu

If you're avoiding soy altogether, try using your favorite legumes or grains instead.

Herbs

If you don't have fresh herbs on hand you can easily swap them out for dried herbs using a 1:3 ratio. Dried herbs are much more concentrated than fresh so be sure to use 1/3 the amount.

  • Fresh herbs: swap out dried herbs using a 1:3 ratio

For example, if a recipe calls for fresh parsley, use one-third of the amount listed when using dried parsley.

Thickeners

  • Cornstarch: swap out arrowroot starch using a 1:1 ratio
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