25 Food Substitutions That Will Save You Money & Time (2024)

Here are 25+ Healthy and Easy Food Substitutions that will save you money, time, and space in your pantry! Learn more here on stocking a real food pantry to save time and money!

I know you’ve been there. We’ve ALL been there.

At some point in time, you’ve brought home from the grocery store an oddball ingredient listed in a recipe, only to use a tiny little bit. Then as you stick the rest in the fridge or pantry, you wonder to yourself, “How in the world am I going to use up the rest of this without making this same recipe million times over?”

And then a week (or several) later, when that particular item gets moldy or expires, you kick yourself in the foot as you throw the item into the trash thinking, “Well shoot! There goes $5 (or $20!) down the drain. What a waste!”

Oh gosh. I could wish for a nickel for every time I did that, but it really wouldn’t make much of a dent in the money I know I’ve wasted!

The madness stops today. Instead of throwing away our hard-earned money, let’s be proactive and purposeful in our spending and cut out ingredients we don’t really need anyway. Surely we can be creative and find a great substitute, right? Do we REALLY need to have 50 different spices in the cabinet when we only regularly use 5-6?

This list of the top 25 frugal food substitutions will help you whittle down your cabinets so you’re only spending money on the foods and baked goods that really count and will give you the most bang for your buck.

For all the items listed below, there’s a really, really good chance you have the substitution already in your pantry. If by some chance you don’t, I’m 100% positive you can find it at a local store for an affordable price.

My small disclaimer: When you swap one ingredient in a recipe calling for another, you always run the risk of variation in taste and different behavior in cooking. However, most changes in taste are so slight that the average person doesn’t even notice. Simply use your best judgment and taste as you go.

My second small disclaimer: This is not the end-all, be-all of substitution lists. I tried to compile a comprehensive list of substitution ideas and do you know how long it was?

Nine pages.

Folks. Are you REALLY going to stick around here and read every possible substitution idea known to man… for Nine. Full. Pages?!

I think not. So I took the liberty of ignoring the common ones and sharing only the best of the best – the ones that trim your grocery bill and even help you find a way to use real food instead of the fake stuff. Let’s get to it!

25+ Easy Food Substitutions That Will Save You Money

Allspice: 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon + 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg + 1/4 tsp cloves (makes 1 tsp)

Apple Pie Spice: 1/2 tsp cinnamon + 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg + 1/8 tsp allspice + dash ground cloves OR ground ginger (makes 1 tsp)

Butter: Pureed white beans, applesauce, coconut oil (for up to half of the butter in the recipe)

Buttermilk: Find 7 substitution ideas HERE.

Cardamom: Ground ginger OR equal parts cinnamon + nutmeg

Cheese: Find 6 substitution ideas HERE.

Chervil: Tarragon OR parsley

Chili Sauce: 1 cup tomato sauce + 1/4 cup brown sugar + 2 Tbsp vinegar + 1/4 tsp cinnamon + dash ground cloves + dash allspice (makes 1 cup)

Chocolate, semisweet (chocolate chips): 1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder + 2 tsp sugar + 2 tsp butter

Corn Syrup: 1 cup granulated sugar + 1/4 cup water (makes 1 cup)

Creme Fraiche: 1 cup heavy cream + 1 Tbsp plain yogurt, sour cream or buttermilk & let stand for 6 hours at room temperature

Egg (egg whites): 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 Tbsp water OR 1/4 cup pumpkin puree OR 1 Tbsp vinegar + 1 tsp baking soda (full tutorial here + 15 more ways to make egg substitutes)

Bread Flour: 1 cup all-purpose flour + 1 Tbsp vital wheat gluten (makes 1 cup)

Flour, cake: 1 cup minus 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour (makes 1 cup)

Pastry Flour: 1/2 cup all-purpose + 1/2 cup cake flour OR 2 Tbsp corn starch + all-purpose to make 1 cup

Flour, self-rising: 1 cup all-purpose flour + 1 tsp baking powder + 1/2 tsp salt + 1/4 tsp baking soda (makes 1 cup)

Half & Half: 1 Tbsp melted butter + whole milk to make 1 cup

Heavy Cream, not whipped: 1/3 cup melted butter + 3/4 cup whole milk (makes 1 cup)

Mace: Ground allspice OR round nutmeg

Pumpkin Pie Spice: 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon + 1/4 tsp ground ginger + 1/4 tsp ground allspice + 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg (makes 1 tsp) (here’s my recipe)

Saffron: Dash ground turmeric

Savory: Thyme OR marjoram OR sage

Tarragon: Chervil OR fennel seed OR anise seed

Thai Seasoning: 1 tsp ground coriander + 1 tsp crushed red pepper + 1/4 tsp salt + 1/4 tsp ground ginger + 1/4 tsp garlic powder + 1/4 tsp onion powder (makes 1 Tbsp)

Vanilla Beans: 2 tsp vanilla extract per 1 bean (here are 15 vanilla extract substitutes)

Wow… I’m thinking you could easily save $50 right there! Who knew simple swaps could save so much?!

What Can You Use to Substitute Milk in a Recipe?

If you happen not to have milk or there is a sensitivity to milk, creamy non-dairy milk (like almond and coconut) can work 1:1 in most cases.

What Can I Replace Cream Cheese with in a Recipe?

If you happen to have equal parts cottage cheese on hand, you can drain it, then puree it with half & half or cream + a little butter for a cream cheese replacement.

More Easy Ways to Save Money on Food

• Stocking a Real Food Pantry to Save Time and Money
• Top 11 Frugal Gluten-Free Foods to Buy at Aldi
• Best Foods to Make from Scratch
• 25+ Cheap and Healthy High Protein Foods
• 5 Reasons You’re Not Saving Money on Food

What are your most common frugal substitutions?