One of my most favorite things is baking.  I take great pleasure in researching which yummy creation I’m going to make; a tried and true classic or maybe be adventurous and try something new.  I read each recipe very carefully and in my mind I envision each step that by the end I can actually imagine how it is going to taste.  Once I get to this step, I know if I’m going to make it or not.

But here’s the wrinkle, now that I’m trying to eat healthier I, at times, have to make substitutions in the recipe.  And this clouds my vision of how it will turn out.  It could be a huge success or an epic failure.  Believe me, I’ve had more failures than successes when it comes to making substitutions.  But I keep tweaking my measurements and substitutions until I can get it right.  Just makes a lot of not quite perfect creations that I feel I have to eat or ask my husband to put in the break room at work.  Sorry folks for dumping the imperfects on you!  Unless of course, it is one of my epic failures, in that case, it goes right into the trash.

So to make my life a little easier, I’ve researched the many resources out there and have come up with some baking substitutes that require little to no tweaking. Click here for a printable Baking Substitutes pdf.

Flour

1 c all-purpose flour =

¾ whole wheat flour (Mediterranean)

1 c almond flour, may need to increase egg or other binder (Paleo)

¼ c coconut flour, may need to adjust slightly (Paleo)

½ c almond flour + 1/3 c tapioca flour + 2 Tbs & 2 tsp coconut flour (Paleo)

Granulated Sugar

1 c white granulated sugar =

1 c coconut sugar (Paleo)

¾ c raw honey + reduce other liquids by ½ c. for every 1 c honey + decrease temperature by 25 (Paleo & Mediterranean)

¾ c pure maple syrup + reduce other liquids by 3 Tbs for every 1 c maple syrup + bake for less time or decrease temperature by 25 (Paleo & Mediterranean)

1 1/3 c Erythritol or Swerve Sweetener (Paleo & Mediterranean)

1 c Just Like Sugar Table Top (Paleo & Mediterranean)        

1 c Zsweet powdered in a food processor or use it as a 50% replacement (Paleo, Mediterranean)

Powdered Sugar Substitute:

1:1 of 1c coconut sugar + 1 Tbs arrow root powder, grind in blender or processor (Paleo)

1:1 of 1c Xylitol or Sucanat + 1 – 2 tsp arrow root powder (optional to prevent clumping) finely ground (Paleo, Mediterranean)

1:1 of 1c Erythritol or Zsweet + 1-2 tsp arrow root powder (optional) finely ground (Paleo, Mediterranean)

Baking Powder Substitute:

1 tsp baking powder = ½ tsp cream of tartar or lemon juice or vinegar + ¼ tsp baking soda (Paleo)

Sour Cream Substitute:

1:1 of 6 oz. So Delicious Non Dairy plain yogurt (liquid drained) + ¾ c lemon juice, mix & refrigerate 30 minutes (Paleo)

1:1 Plain low fat Greek yogurt (Mediterranean)

1:1 Low fat Buttermilk or buttermilk substitute (Mediterranean, Paleo)

Buttermilk Substitute:

1:1 of ½ Tbs lemon juice or vinegar + add almond/coconut milk to fill to ½ c, mix, rest 5 minutes and stir (Paleo)

1:1 of ¼ c water + ¾ c plain low fat yogurt (Mediterranean)

1:1 of Equal parts low fat sour cream or sour cream substitute & water (Mediterranean)

1:1 of 1 ¾ tsp cream of tartar + 1 c unsweetened nondairy milk (Paleo)

Cream Cheese Substitute:

1:1 of 2/3 c cashew butter + 1/3 c palm shortening + 2 tsp apple cider + ½ tsp lemon juice + ¼ tsp sea salt, blend at room temperature (Paleo)

1:1 of Low fat plain yogurt strained in cheesecloth (Mediterranean)

1:1 of Low fat cottage cheese blended smooth (Mediterranean)

Corn Syrup Substitute:

1 c corn syrup = 1 c honey (Paleo, Mediterranean)