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Sneaky Substitutions: Baking with Wholesome Ingredients You Already Have in Your Pantry

Sneaky Substitutions: Baking with Wholesome Ingredients You Already Have in Your Pantry

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If you’re new to baking, you might think you need to buy the exact ingredients your recipe calls for and follow the instructions to the teeth.

While that’s true to an extent, baking is a more versatile endeavor than you think. In other words, you have the freedom to tweak the ingredients to suit your personal preferences.

How? That’s what I’m here for. In this post, I’ll show how to substitute most baking components in your house with wholesome ingredients you already have in your pantry.

1 – Egg Substitute

Eggs might be the easiest ingredient to substitute, as you have plenty of options to choose from. The most common alternative you can use is mashed bananas.

At first glance, the two might seem like the most unrelated ingredients in the kitchen, but you’d be surprised. Not only do mashed bananas add a lot of moisture to your pastries, but they also have excellent binding properties, helping you make a homogenous batter.

These are two of eggs’ primary roles in baking. So, don’t count bananas out before you try them.

Of course, bananas aren’t a perfect substitute, as they don’t have the leavening properties that come with eggs.

That’s not a problem you can’t fix, though. How? Simple! A sprinkle of baking powder should do the trick.

Note that bananas will add a sweet flavor to your recipe. So, adjust the sugar levels accordingly.

To substitute eggs for mashed bananas, use half a large banana for each egg.

2 – Milk Substitutes

I can dedicate an entire post to milk substitutes, but I’ll try to make this short. Ultimately, the role of milk in baking is to hydrate the dry ingredients and add a creamy flavor.

Well, you can achieve that with heavy cream. Here’s the thing: Heavy cream has a higher fat content than milk, so you’ll want to dilute it a bit.

The perfect substitution formula is to use ½ cup of water and ½ cup of heavy cream to replace one cup of milk.

I understand that heavy cream isn’t a common ingredient in every household, though. If you don’t have it, you can always go with yogurt.

It has a more tangy flavor than regular milk, but it’ll still add the moisture and creamy flavor you’re looking for. To replace one cup of milk, add ¼ cup of yogurt and ¾ cup of water.

Worst-case scenario, you can replace milk with water. Yes, it’s unconventional, but water adds a lot of moisture to your pastries.

They won’t be as rich as when you use a milk substitute, though.

3 – Sugar Substitute

Sugar might have the most accessible substitutes on this list. I think most houses have at least one jar of honey in the kitchen.

The thing about honey is that it doesn’t just add a sweet taste to your pastries. It also offers diverse flavors.

You see, honey’s flavor differs depending on the nectar source. That means you never know how the honey will affect your recipe.

It’ll still be sweet, but I’ll have different levels of richness. I know some of you won’t find that inconsistency appealing, but don’t you think it’s a bit exciting, at least?

So, how do you substitute sugar with honey? For each cup of sugar your recipe requires, add ⅔ cup of honey.

You don’t want to use honey? Well, you can always go with fruit concentrates.

As the name suggests, they’re just fruit juice without water. It’s the perfect way to add natural sweetness to your pastries without worrying about processed chemicals.

To use fruit concentrates, add ¾ cup for every cup of sugar your recipe requires and reduce the liquid ingredients by three tablespoons.

4 – Butter Substitute

With butter, you want an alternative that adds richness and structure to your pastries. I can’t think of a more effective and accessible ingredient than full-fat mayonnaise.

I know mayonnaise is commonly used in savory food, but you’d be surprised what it can do to pastries. It enhances their flavor, texture, and richness.

Unfortunately, using full-fat mayonnaise comes with a setback: You can’t use it for all pastries. You see, that variant makes baked goodies a bit too dense and moist.

That’s why I recommend using it for scones and shortcakes. It won’t be as effective for croissants.

Replacing butter with mayonnaise is as straightforward as it gets. Just use a 1:1 ratio, and you’ll get the texture and flavor you want.

5 – Baking Powder

Baking powder is a tricky component to substitute, as you won’t find one ingredient that has all its properties.

So, you need to combine several components to achieve the desired effects. How? It’s time for a chemistry lesson.

At its core, baking powder consists of three ingredients: A base (baking soda), an acidic agent (like cream of tartar), and a stabilizer (like cornstarch).

So, if you don’t have baking powder in your house, you can mix these three components, and you’ll get the perfect leavening agent.

To make baking powder at home, add ½ teaspoon of cream of tartar, ¼ teaspoon of cornstarch, and ¼ teaspoon of baking soda.

Final Thoughts

Congratulations! You’ve become a baking wizard, capable of substituting most baking components in your house with wholesome ingredients you already have in your pantry.

You won’t find a substitute that offers the exact same effect as the original ingredient without a setback. But they’ll still give you incredible pastries with rich flavors, and that’s what counts.

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