Common Baking Substitutions

Substitute by weight, not by volume

Substitutions work best gram for gram. Ingredients with a similar role often pack into a cup at very different weights, so a cup-for-cup swap changes the proportions while a gram-for-gram swap keeps them. The swaps below use GramChef's weights and note where the substitute changes flavour, texture or structure rather than behaving identically.

Butter to coconut oil

Coconut oil replaces butter one-to-one by weight: 227 g of butter becomes 227 g of coconut oil, a little over a cup at 218 g per cup. The swap works well in cakes, muffins and biscuits where a mild coconut note is acceptable. It does not reproduce butter's behaviour in laminated pastry, and because coconut oil contains no water or milk solids, browning and flavour are plainer than with butter.

Butter to olive oil

Olive oil is fully liquid, so less of it is needed: use about three-quarters of the volume of the butter being replaced. A cup of butter, 227 g, becomes roughly three-quarters of a cup of olive oil, about 162 g. The swap suits savoury bakes, focaccia and sturdy cakes where the oil's flavour is welcome. It fails wherever butter must be solid or creamed with sugar, such as buttercream, shortbread and laminated doughs.

Granulated sugar to caster sugar

Caster sugar replaces granulated sugar one-to-one by weight, and its finer crystals dissolve faster, which helps in meringues, sponges and drinks. By volume, though, the two differ: a cup of granulated sugar weighs 198 g while a cup of caster sugar weighs 225 g. A cup-for-cup swap would make the bake noticeably sweeter and heavier, so the scale, not the cup, should make this exchange.

Granulated sugar to brown sugar

Brown sugar also swaps one-to-one by weight. Its molasses coating adds moisture and a deeper, caramel-leaning flavour, and it tends to give biscuits a softer, chewier crumb and cakes a darker colour. The exchange is reliable in most everyday baking. One caution: a cup of packed brown sugar weighs 213 g against 198 g of granulated, so volume swaps drift unless the sugar is weighed.

Honey to maple syrup

Honey and maple syrup are both liquid sweeteners and swap one-to-one by weight: 340 g of honey becomes 340 g of maple syrup. Their cup weights differ — 340 g per cup for honey, 315 g for maple syrup — so volume measures would not match. When either syrup replaces a dry sugar in baking, many recipes also benefit from slightly reducing the other liquids, because both bring water with them. Maple's thinner consistency and distinct flavour suit pancakes, granola and spice cakes better than delicate sponges.

Sour cream to Greek yogurt

Greek yogurt replaces sour cream one-to-one by weight in batters, doughs and dressings: 230 g of sour cream becomes 230 g of Greek yogurt. A cup of each weighs differently — 230 g for sour cream, 285 g for Greek yogurt — which is another argument for the scale. The swap works in cakes, muffins and sauces served cool. It is less reliable in long-simmered sauces, where yogurt can split, and the result tastes tangier and less rich.

All-purpose flour to a cake flour blend

When cake flour is unavailable, a blend approximates it. For each cup: take 120 g of all-purpose flour, remove 2 tablespoons (15 g), add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch (14 g), and whisk or sift the mixture together. The cornstarch dilutes the protein, giving a finer, more tender crumb in sponges and layer cakes. It is not a substitute in bread, where the full protein of the flour is the point of the recipe.

Whole milk to buttermilk

In recipes leavened with bicarbonate of soda, buttermilk replaces whole milk one-to-one, and the two weigh the same at 245 g per cup, so even a volume swap is safe. The acidity is the point: buttermilk reacts with the soda to produce lift, and it adds a gentle tang. The swap belongs in soda breads, pancakes and soda-leavened cakes. In a recipe leavened only with baking powder, buttermilk still works as the liquid, but expect a tangier flavour and no extra rise.

Frequently asked questions