Niki Bezzant has a practical guide to substituting in recipes so the whole family can enjoy your favourites.
Being diagnosed with an allergy or intolerance can be quite disorienting and confusing to start with – it can feel like meals as you know them are over!
But it doesn’t have to be this way – living free from the foods that cause you problems can be really positive and delicious as well, and it is possible to keep making some of your favourite recipes with a few small changes once you know the tricks.
Dairy
How to substitute in most recipes
| INSTEAD OF | USE |
|---|---|
| Milk in sauces | Dairy-free stock Soy milk Lactose-free milk (if it's only lactose that upsets you) |
| Milk in baking | Rice milk Soy milk Tofu – mashed or puréed Lactose-free milk (if it's only lactose that upsets you) |
| Cheese as topping | Breadcrumbs mixed with herbs and spices Puréed tofu flavoured with herbs and spices |
| Butter in most recipes | Dairy-free reduced-fat spread Oil |
| Stock powder | Dairy-free soup mix Homemade stock |
Gluten
How to substitute in main meals
| INSTEAD OF | USE |
|---|---|
| Breadcrumbs for coating | Crushed gluten-free rice crackers LSA Polenta |
| Flour for coating (eg. fish, schnitzel) | Cornflour (check it’s made from maize) Rice flour |
| Flour for thickening (eg. gravy, stew) | Arrowroot (halve quantity) Cornflour (halve quantity) |
| Couscous | Quinoa |
| Stock powder | Gluten-free soup mix Gluten-free stock powder Homemade stock |
How to substitute in baking
You can successfully substitute gluten-free varieties of flour or baking mixes for wheat flour in baking recipes. Some recipes adapt better than others.
Recipes which work well
- recipes with only small amounts of flour
- recipes with ground nuts, eg. almonds (but watch the fat)
- recipes with high fruit content, eg. carrot or banana cake
- recipes with coconut
These types of recipes tend to have a heavier, moister texture naturally, which compensates for the dryness of gluten-free flours and means substituting generally works well.
Recipes which are more difficult
- recipes with high flour content
- recipes that are traditionally light and fluffy, eg. sponge, scones
- bread
Try baking and bread mixes
Ready-made gluten-free baking mixes are especially formulated to give good results in baking recipes. They’re great for convenience and consistency, and you know there is no risk of cross-contamination.
Mixes can be substituted in the same quantities as wheat flour. It is also possible to make your own mix of flours for baking. Try this one:
- 1 part maize cornflour
- 2 parts soy flour
- 2 parts rice flour
- 3 parts potato flour
Eggs
How to substitute in main meals
| INSTEAD OF | USE |
|---|---|
| Eggs in batter: for 1 egg | Buttermilk (approx 1/4 cup) Egg replacer (eg. Orgran: 1 teaspoon + 2 tablespoons water) Yoghurt (approx 1/4 cup) |
| Eggs for binding (eg. mince mixtures): for 1 egg | 2-3 tablespoons: – arrowroot – cooked red lentils – cornflour – egg replacer (see above) – finely-crushed breadcrumbs – mashed potato or instant potato flakes – rolled oats – tomato paste – wholemeal flour 1-2 tablespoons oil |
How to substitute in baking
| INSTEAD OF | USE |
|---|---|
| Eggs for binding (eg. biscuits, loaves, muffins, denser cakes): for 1 egg | Egg replacer (eg. Orgran: 1 teaspoon + 2 tablespoons water) 1 tablespoon cornflour/custard powder + 2 tablespoons water 1/4 cup tofu blended with the liquid ingredients in the recipe 1/2 small banana, mashed 1/4 cup apple purée; mashed pumpkin; or puréed dates/prunes. *For a lighter texture, add an extra 1/2 teaspoon baking powder to the mix |
| Eggs as raising agent (eg. sponge cakes) | Above suggestions, plus extra 1/2 teaspoon baking powder for each egg |
General rule: If a recipe calls for 3 or more eggs, consider using a different recipe.
Putting it into practice
Here are some recipe examples showing ways to adapt recipes.
- dairy-free (DF)
- gluten-free (GF)
- egg-free (EF)
Beef schnitzel
4 (about 500g) beef schnitzels
2 tablespoons flour (GF: replace with cornflour or potato flour)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten (EF: use yoghurt or egg replacer)
1 cup dried breadcrumbs (GF: use gluten-free bread or fine polenta or LSA)
2 tablespoons oil
Date and walnut loaf
1 cup boiling water
1 cup (180g) dates, chopped
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons reduced-fat spread (DF: check dairy-free)
1 egg, beaten (EF: use egg replacer or puréed fruit)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups plain flour (GF: replace with 3/4 cup soy flour, 1/3 cup rice flour and 1/3 cup potato flour OR 1 1/2 cups gluten-free baking mix)
3 teaspoons baking powder (GF: use gluten-free baking powder)
Chicken curry
1 tablespoon oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon curry powder (GF: use gluten-free version)
1 teaspoon chicken stock powder (GF: use gluten-free version, or homemade, or gluten-free chicken soup)
1 cup water
500g chicken breast
1 tablespoon plain flour (GF: replace with 2 teaspoons cornflour or potato flour)
2 cups green beans (fresh or frozen)
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