Ingredient Substitutions

In place of peanut butter in baked goods, sandwiches or whatever there are many good replacements such as Sunbutter (sunflower), and Soy Nut Butter. If you’re looking for something closer to Nutella, I.M. Healthy makes a chocolate flavored soy butter. All of these options are available in local grocery stores. **Note: baking with Sunbutter occasionally activates the chlorophyll in the sunflower seeds and can turn the baked good slightly green. This will not affect the flavor! However, if you wish to avoid this tinting you can cut back on the baking powder/baking soda by 1/3. Adding a small amount of acid, like lemon juice, might help also.

Instead of using whole peanuts for baked goods, peanut brittle, stir fry, or just for snacking: roasted soy nuts are safe and similar in taste. Look for them in natural food stores or in the natural or special needs section of your local grocery store. Toasted peas or toasted garbanzo beans also work well, but the taste isn’t quite as close.

You can make something slightly different but just as good as peanuts and tree-nuts in baked goods by substituting for another ingredient. Some things that work well are sunflower seeds, flax seeds, dried fruit, chocolate chips, toasted coconut, pumpkin seeds, and Rice Krispies.

The most common substitute for almond extract is vanilla extract. The almond has a much stronger flavor, so you generally use up to twice as much vanilla. 

Walnut oil can usually be substituted with olive oil. Peanut oil is most similar to corn or canola oil. 

Nutmeg can usually be replaced with allspice.

Please be aware of hidden ingredients. Many commercial items contain peanut, walnut or almond flour, almond extract, were cooked in peanut oil, etc. Please read packages because these ingredients hide in places you might not expect!

Suggestions for additional allergens

Gluten Free Safe Replacement Flours and Starches

Grains flours/ starches: Rice, Corn, Sorghum

Legume flours : Soy, Chickpeas, Fava bean

Seed flours: Flaxseed, Millet, Buckwheat, Amaranth, Quinoa

Tuber flours/ starches: Potato, Tapioca, Arrowroot, Sweet potato

Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Blend 

Makes 9 cups

Use this blend cup for cup in recipes calling for all-purpose flour.

41/2 cups white rice flour

2 cups potato starch

1 1/2 cups brown rice flour

1 cup tapioca starch/flour

Mix until well combined. Refrigerate unused portion in a tightly covered container.

Safe Sugar Substitutes for People With Diabetes

Saccharin. This is the granddaddy of artificial sweeteners, first developed in 1879. It’s sold under the brand name Sweet’N Low and is 200 to 700 times sweeter than sugar. Many diet colas and other diet foods contain saccharin. It also is sold in packets for sweetening individual meals and in bulk for use in cooking.

Aspartame. This sweetener is sold under the brand names Equal and NutraSweet and is 180 to 200 times sweeter than sugar. It is sold in packet and bulk form, but is not considered as useful in cooking because high heat reduces its sweetness. 

Sucralose. Sold under the brand name Splenda, this artificial sweetener is 600 times sweeter than sugar and is very useful in baking because granulated Splenda can be directly substituted for sugar in recipes.

Acesulfame K (Sunett, Sweet One). This sweetener, which can be used for baking, can be found in many packaged goods and is 200 times sweeter than sugar.

Stevia: Sold as Truvia, PureVia, SweetLeaf, and Stevia in the Raw, the stevia plant is the basis of this all-natural sweetener, which is 250 to 300 times sweeter than sugar.

Egg-Free 

Egg: Silken tofu, mashed banana, and applesauce can all be used in place of egg in baking (Generally 1/4 cup of these items = 1 egg). 

There are also frozen, fresh and powdered commercial egg-substitutes available in most grocery stores. 

Or 1 ½ tablespoon water + 1 ½ tablespoon oil +1 teaspoon baking powder = about 1 large egg.

Dairy Free

Dairy: Butter can be replaced with margarine or soy-based butter. 

You can also replace butter with applesauce in most baked goods (the applesauce will make things fluffier and more likely to stick to pans).

Coconut oil also works in place of butter in most recipes.

There are many milk & Cream substitutes available now including soy, rice, and coconut.

Keep in mind, many types of chocolate contain milk. Read labels before choosing a chocolate to include in a dairy-free recipe.