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I have never written a post like this before and to be honest… I’m a little scared. I’m about to say a few things that most bloggers never would.
I’ve been blogging for over 10 years (!) and in that time I’ve been asked thousands of questions and have received a lot of comments about baking and recipes.
The most frustrating question I get is definitely about baking substitutions: swapping out ingredients, techniques, or equipment.
It’s even more frustrating when the comment isn’t posed as a question but instead goes a little something like this:
“I made this recipe and followed it to a T except [insert substitution here] and it didn’t turn out. Disappointed.”
Granted, this is more rare. Luckily the amount of positive comments I receive far outweighs these ones.
But I’ve refrained from speaking my true feelings on this subject for fear of offending someone. Or fear of bringing even a hint of negativity to my usually joyful corner of the internet.
But as my audience grows (which I’m eternally grateful for) this theme has become increasingly common.
So I want to say once and for all…
I HATE BAKING SUBSTITUTIONS.
They drive me crazy.
They simply won’t achieve the same taste and texture as the original ingredient, equipment, or technique called for in the recipe 90% of the time. They basically just waste YOUR time, money, and food!
DISCLAIMER: I realize some of you are working with serious food allergies and I understand that substitutions can’t be avoided in those cases. For those of you dealing with that, you probably know what will work, what won’t, and how the results will be different than the original. You don’t expect identical results without using identical ingredients unless you undergo rigorous testing with trial & error.
I feel the need to underscore something because it’s a question I get asked often: I don’t publish allergen-free recipes. I don’t publish diet recipes.
Why?
Because right now at this time in my career I don’t want to. I only publish recipes and content I’m actually passionate about and excited to share.
I don’t have much experience with these other topics. There are PLENTY of bloggers and publishers online who do and have far more expertise and their advice would be much better for you than my educated guesses.
But I also simply can’t accommodate every recipe for every allergen or diet.
One – because I simply don’t have the resources.
Two – because I know baking is a science. And swapping out even one ingredient can completely alter the chemistry of the recipe, often with less than stellar results. Just check out my infamous Guide to Chocolate Chip Cookies.
This is something I address specifically and in depth in my Magic of Baking online class. Take a peek at a few baking substitutions side by side below:
(Learn more about Cake Flour here, and why the DIY sub doesn’t really work.)
(From my Ultimate Muffin Guide.)
Once you understand how baking ingredients work you’ll understand that something as simple as reducing the sugar in a recipe, for example, doesn’t just reduce the sweetness or calories.
Sugar can also contribute moisture, tenderness, lightness, and is involved in complex chemical reactions that give us flavors and textures that are essential to some sweets.
Occasionally you can reduce the sugar (typically by no more than 20%), but sometimes even a small reduction will completely compromise the integrity of the recipe.
Often someone comes along and reduces the sugar then complains the cake turned out dry and doesn’t understand the connection. Which of course is frustrating for both of us! This is just one example.
I’ll say it again: Baking is a science. The more you understand that the more you can customize recipes and tweak them with success.
But when you come to me asking about subtitutions, it’s disheartening.
I work tirelessly on developing my recipes. I have a whole process that involves a lot of time and effort to make sure I’m creating recipes that will be successful for my readers.
When you want to change something to a creation that I’ve worked so hard on, and when I know the result likely won’t be as good, it’s hard not to get disappointed.
Especially since it’s a challenge to keep up with the amount of comments and questions I get on ALL the platforms at all hours every day.
That’s why I’m enacting a NO SUBSTITUTION POLICY.
Moving forward, if I know a substitution will work because I have personal experience with it, I will include that information in the recipe post.
However, if I haven’t personally tested that substitution then I can’t in good conscience give an answer to your question because I can’t guarantee it will be accurate.
It would simply be my educated guess and would likely require you to trial and error your way through it which takes time and ingredients.
So when I say “no subs” I simply mean I won’t be making it a habit of attempting to answer questions on this topic.
You, of course, are free to bake my recipes any way you want and use Google as your tool to get possible answers to your specific questions!
It would be impossible for me to test every recipe to see if it would work without eggs, gluten, or dairy, or to try out a vegan, keto, or other dietary version.
Luckily I have a few seasoned readers in my community who like to share the results of their allergen-free or special dietary baking. Join my Facebook group if you’d like to see their tips and posts.
I also have a baking substitutions guide you can download here.
However, as I mentioned, I can’t guarantee any substitution will work as well as the original ingredient.
Little details are what makes the difference between average desserts and stellar desserts. That’s what the experts know. So when you don’t want to go back to the store to get an ingredient in the recipe and try to make something else work instead, just keep that in mind.
You can also search the comments of a recipe to see if anyone has reported success using a substitution.
TIP: use Control+F, or Command+F on a Mac to bring up the Find feature so you can pinpoint any mention of “gluten free” or whatever you’re looking for on the page.
If that’s a problem for you, I’m sorry. There are PLENTY of bloggers focused on creating content that might be a better fit for you.
My hope is that enacting this policy will allow us to continue to cultivate a positive and joyful community of people who love traditional baking.
LOVE YOU!
Tessa
First image by Constance Mariena. Portraits by Lauren Hansen.
Well said Tessa! x
Tessa, thank you for saying what I truly believe when making a recipe. it’s a big source of aggravation when at the end of a recipe, the comments will say I substituted this for that and that for this and I never listen to them.
I am 76 years old and have been baking for many, many, many years. There are a million recipes in this world , so just find one that fits your lifestyle and leave the perfect ones alone..
You go girl! I’m proud of you!
Hi Tessa – Thank you so much for your recent post WHY I HATE BAKING SUBSTITUTIONS. I couldn’t agree with you more and this needed to be said. Your recipes are tested over and over again, and written in a way that pretty much guarantees an excellent final product. This requires not only scientific knowledge as to how ingredients work or don’t work together, as well as a lot of time and money for ingredients used. Thanks for all the work you do in providing us with delicious recipes.
Agree completely and thank you much
Love you and what you do to
Bill
Tessa – I totally understand where you are coming from! Your blog, your rules! I know how upset I get when something bombs and I’ve wasted money on something that is going in the trash. I can’t imagine doing it over and over – on purpose to create a recipe! I also am a yarn crafter, and when I use a pattern, I make it exactly as written. I don’t add random stitches and then complain when the sweater or hat doesn’t fit.
I love your blog and recipes and you are my first go-to for baking recipes.
Hugs,
Sue
Amen! As a chef and recipe developer, I find these questions equally frustrating and a lot of culinary recipes offer a lot more bandwidth for substitutions than baking ones. Good for you for taking a stand! What you do is wonderful and it doesn’t have to work for everyone. Keep up the good work!
Good for you for being true to yourself and the integrity of your recipes. If I choose to “embellish” a recipe with changes, then that is on you. Not the recipe which is clear, concise, and should be followed.
tessa,
I admire your courage at speaking your thoughts…You said what needed to be said in a thoughtful and pleasant manner. It is a shame that some people are not happy being happy!
There are many recipes that you share that I cannot make due to lack of stand mixer or whatever..however, I enjoy reading each one, and filing it away for a someday.
Thank you for standing up for yourself in todays, “offended” world.
Keep up the great work, we do appreciate it and you.
Hugs
A Baker at heart.
Thanks for this article on no substitutes! I love your recipes and follow them exactly. I have learned so much from you. I now measure by grams, sift my flours and confectioner’s sugar, bought better pans, and use an oven thermometer, etc. all because of your great advice. What a difference it has made In my baking! I appreciate your opinion on substitutions. There are no shortcuts to great baking!
I agree with you 100%. It makes me so mad to read a recipe then see a post “well i make this with ____”. That is great but NOT what the original post of recipe was about. IF you follow a recipe to the T and it still fails then ask questions…
Thanks for being true to your blog!!!!
This is wonderful!! As a baker I have always did what a recipe said, but have been on the curious side if I did this or that to it. How would that come out. But later stepped back and said to myself, “If the recipe didnt called for that then it would say it in the recipe.” Lol!! People ask me to do things that is sometimes not possible. Me and my face says it all when I’m in that person face. “I’m sorry you asking me to do what again?” So you dont what no flour, eggs, sugar, or flavor! Hmmmm, so you want no cake, right!! Lol!!
Love your site and totally agree with you. You take a lot of time developing a recipe and the results are great. If we want to substitute any ingredient, we all should give it a try. Pretending to get everything solved, is not fair or fun.
Cheers and keep up with that awesome work.
Claudia