12 Nov Cooking and Baking Substitutes for the Holidays
Looking for ways to make your favorite holiday meals that are allergy-friendly? Try some of the substitutions for common allergens below.
Milk
- Equal amounts of water or fruit juice
- Enriched or fortified soy, rice, and almond milks
- Milk free margarine in place of butter
- Soy yogurts
- Soy cheese
Eggs
For each egg, substitute one of the following in recipes. These substitutes work well when baking from scratch and substituting 1 to 3 eggs.
- 1 tsp. baking powder, 1 T. liquid, 1 T. vinegar
- 1 tsp. yeast dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water
- 1 1/2 T. water, 1 1/2 T. oil, 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 packet gelatin, 2 T. warm water. Do not mix until ready to use.
Wheat
When baking with wheat-free flours, a combination of flours usually works best. Experiment with different blends to find one that will give you the texture you are trying to achieve. Try substituting 1 cup wheat flour with one of the following:
- 7/8 cup rice flour
- 5/8 cup potato starch flour
- 1 cup soy flour plus 1/4 cup potato starch flour
- 1 cup corn flour
You can make your own flour mixture using the following recipe:
½ cup millet
¼ cup potato starch
¼ cup oat flour
For everyday cooking, experiment with wheat-free sides and entrees. There are many wheat-free grains on the market, such as: rice, corn, millet, potato, tapioca, and quinoa.
Many wheat free flours are lower in: iron, folic acid, other B vitamins and flour. Try using more nutritious flours like brown rice flour, quinoa flour, or chick pea flour.
Peanuts and Tree Nuts
- Mix seeds with raisins or other dried fruits.
- Dry cereal or allergen-free chocolate chips to create your own trail mix.
- Sunflower or soy nut butter as peanut butter substitutes.
