When cooking or baking at home, few things can prove as frustrating as preparing a dish only to realize you’re missing a key item from the ingredients list. Such realizations often force cooks to stop what they’re doing and make emergency trips to a nearby grocery store. That can delay dinner time or make cooks feel rushed when they ultimately return from the store. But what if there was a way to substitute ingredients without risking flavor? Thankfully, there is.

Many substitutions won’t be direct, meaning 1 tablespoon of a particular ingredient will not always translate to 1 tablespoon of a substitute ingredient. The following substitution guide can help cooks overcome the last-minute surprises regarding missing ingredients.

Ingredient: Allspice
Amount: 1 teaspoon
Substitute: 1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1⁄4 teaspoon ginger and 1⁄4 teaspoon cloves

Ingredient: Baking Powder
Amount: 1 teaspoon
Substitute: 1⁄4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1⁄2 teaspoon of cream tartar OR 1⁄4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1⁄2 cup buttermilk (decrease liquid in recipe by 1⁄2 cup)

Ingredient: Brown sugar
Amount: I cup, packed
Substitute: 1 cup white sugar plus 1⁄4 cup molasses and decrease the liquid in the recipe by 1⁄4 cup OR 1 cup white sugar OR 11⁄4 cup confectioners’ sugar
Ingredient: Butter (salted)
Amount: 1 cup
Substitute: I cup margarine OR 1 cup shortening plus 1⁄2 teaspoon salt OR 7⁄8 cup vegetable oil plus 1⁄2 teaspoon salt OR 7⁄8 cup lard plus 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
Ingredient: Butter (unsalted)
Amount: 1 cup
Substitute: 1 cup shortening OR 7⁄8 cup vegetable oil OR 7⁄8 cup lard

Ingredient: Cocoa
Amount: 1⁄4 cup
Substitute: 1 1-ounce square unsweetened chocolate

Ingredient: Egg
Amount: 1 whole (3 tablespoons or 1.7 ounces)
Substitute: 21⁄2 tablespoons of powdered egg substitute plus 21⁄2 tablespoons water OR 1⁄4 cup liquid egg substitute OR 1⁄4 cup silken tofu pureed OR 3 tablespoons mayonnaise OR half a banana mashed with 1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder OR 1 tablespoon powdered flax seed soaked in 3 tablespoons water

Ingredient: Garlic
Amount: 1 clove
Substitute: 1⁄8 teaspoon garlic powder OR 1⁄2 teaspoon granulated garlic OR 1⁄2 teaspoon garlic salt (reduce salt in recipe)

Ingredient: Lemon/Lime juice
Amount: 1 teaspoon
Substitute: 1⁄2 teaspoon vinegar OR 1 teaspoon white wine OR 1 teaspoon lemon/lime juice

Ingredient: Mayonnaise
Amount: 1 cup
Substitute: 1 cup sour cream OR 1 cup plain yogurt

Ingredient: Onion
Amount: 1 cup, chopped
Substitute: 1 cup chopped green onions OR 1 cup chopped shallots OR 1 cup chopped leeks OR 1⁄4 cup dried minced onion OR 1⁄4 cup onion powder

Ingredient: Semisweet chocolate chips
Amount: 1 cup
Substitute: 1 cup chocolate candies OR 1 cup peanut butter or other flavored chips OR 1 cup chopped nuts OR 1 cup chopped dried fruit

Ingredient: Stock — beef or chicken
Amount: 1 cup
Substitute: 1 cube beef or chicken bouillon dissolved in 1 cup water

Ingredient: Vegetable oil (for baking)
Amount: 1 cup
Substitute: 1 cup applesauce OR 1 cup fruit puree