Have you ever been mid-way through baking a batch of brownies only to realise you are fresh out of the butter required? Don’t worry, us too. But rather than panic and make a haphazard dash to the nearest corner store, there are a handful of baking substitutes you can turn to. For any avid baker, the following ten should be in your repertoire stat:

1. Butter
Substitute: If you are out of butter try substituting up to half of the amount required with canola oil. As added benefit, replacing butter with oil helps to reduce the amount of saturated fat in the recipe.

2. Eggs
Substitute: For 1 large egg use 2 large egg whites or ½ mashed banana combined with ½ teaspoon of baking powder.

3. Brown sugar
Substitute: For one cup of brown sugar you can combine 1 cup of caster sugar combined with 2 tablespoons of maple syrup or golden syrup.

4. Baking powder
Substitute: Replace 1 teaspoon of baking powder with ½ teaspoon of cream of tartar, combined with ¼ teaspoon of baking soda.

5. Vanilla beans
Substitute: 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract is the equivalent of a single vanilla bean.

6. Buttermilk
Substitute: 1 cup of buttermilk is equivalent to 1 cup of non-fat or low-fat milk mixed with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vanilla. Alternatively, you can use plain Greek yoghurt.

7. Caster sugar
Substitute: For 1 cup of caster substitute 1 cup of brown sugar or ½-⅔ of a cup or honey. Alternatively, you can choose to use ⅔ cup of agave nectar.

8. Chocolate
Substitute: For every 30g of chocolate use 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder, combined with 2 teaspoons of sugar and 2 teaspoons of butter.

9. Sour cream
Substitute: Sour cream can be replaced with normal plain Greek yoghurt. Swap a cup for a cup.

10. Corn starch
Substitute: 1 teaspoon of corn starch (in recipes where it is needed as a thickener) with 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour.