Looking for an allergen-free or vegan alternative to change up an existing recipe? Or perhaps you ran out of an ingredient while mixing up a batch of gluten-free treats and you need a quick fix? Either way, this cheat sheet is packed with options to help you in a pinch!

 1 cup milk

•  1 cup rice, coconut, hemp, almond or soy milk
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup rice milk or water + 1 egg yolk for each cup (for replacement of full-fat milk)

1 cup buttermilk

• 1 cup plain dairy-free milk or yogurt + 1 tablespoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar (allow to sit for 5 minutes to “sour” before using)                                     

1 cup yogurt

• 1 cup dairy-free yogurt (made with coconut, rice or soy milk)
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce or fruit puree

8 tablespoons butter (1 stick)

• 8 tablespoons dairy-free butter alternative, vegetable shortening, or margarine, such as Earth Balance, Spectrum, or Fleischmann’s
• ⅓ cup organic canola or coconut oil
• ⅓ cup olive oil (not for baking)

1 cup cheese

• 1 cup vegan cheese alternative, such as Cheezly, Teese, or Follow Your Heart
• 1 cup Daiya Vegan Cheese (also soy-free)
• 1 cup Parma! Vegan Parmesan (contains tree nuts)

8 ounces cream cheese

• 8 ounces cream cheese alternative, such as Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese or Follow Your Heart

1 cup sour cream

• 1 cup sour cream alternative, such as Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream or Follow Your Heart

1 cup heavy cream

• 1 cup dairy-free creamer, such as Silk, Mocha Mix, or So Delicious
• cup full-fat coconut milk
• ⅔ cup dairy-free milk of choice + ⅓ cup melted dairy-free butter substitute of choice

1 cup light cream

• 1 cup dairy-free creamer, such as Silk, Mocha Mix, or So Delicious
• 1 cup light coconut milk

1 egg

• 3 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce or fruit puree + 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon flax meal + 3 tablespoons hot water (mix together and let sit for 5 minutes to set and become “gel-like”)
• 1½ teaspoons egg replacer, such as Ener-G, PaneRiso Foods, or Orgran + 2 tablespoons water or milk (whisk until foamy before use)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1½ tablespoons water, and 1½ tablespoons oil
• 3 tablespoons mashed bananas
• 4 tablespoons silken tofu (pureed in a blender) + 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3½ tablespoons prepared gelatin (following directions on box)
• 3 tablespoons aquafaba (the liquid from canned legume seeds such as chickpeas)

1 egg white

• 1 tablespoon plain agar powder dissolved in 1 tablespoon water. Beat, chill for 15 minutes, then beat again.
• 2 tablespoons aquafaba (the liquid from canned legume seeds such as chickpeas)

1 cup mayonnaise

• 1 cup vegan mayonnaise, such as Mindful Mayo by Earth Balance, Spectrum Light Canola Mayonnaise, or Vegenaise (all are free of multiple allergens)

Peanuts or tree nuts (Use equal amounts)

• Toasted coconut
• Sunflower or pumpkin seeds
• Crushed cornflakes
• Crushed crispy rice cereal
• Crushed potato chips

1 cup peanut butter, almond butter, or cashew butter

• 1 cup sunflower seed butter

1 cup corn syrup

• 1 cup honey
• 1 cup agave nectar
• 1 cup maple syrup

1 cup refined white or brown cane sugar

• 1 cup coconut palm sugar
• 1 cup panela/rapadura or Sucanat
• 1 cup erythritol or xylitol
• ½-1 cup monk fruit sweetener (amount varies because some brands are mixed with erythritol or other ingredients)

Xanthan gum

• Ground or whole chia seeds (use equal amounts, in weight, as you would xanthan gum)
• Ground flax seeds (use equal amounts, in weight, and combine with twice the amount of water to form a slurry before using)
• Psyllium husk (use 1 part psyllium to 19 parts flour)
• Agar powder (use twice the amount as xanthan gum called for in the recipe)

1 tablespoon soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon coconut aminos
• 1 tablespoon No Soy Tamari

1 tablespoon miso

• 1 tablespoon soy-free miso alternative, such as Miso Master, South River, or Organicville (these are usually made with chickpeas or adzuki beans)