Out of Milk, one case
Can you substitute water for milk?
4 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use Water + butter
1 cup water + 1 tbsp butter for every cup of milk
Yes in most baking and box mixes: use the same amount of water and add 1 tablespoon of melted butter per cup to replace the fat. Pancakes, cornbread, biscuits and boxed mac and cheese all work. The result is a little less rich, less tender and paler. Water does not work in pudding, custard or cream sauces.
- Verdict —
- Tweak it
- The tweak —
- Melt the butter and stir it into the water, or add it with the other fat in the recipe.
- Best for —
- pancakes, waffles and muffins
- Pantry —
- Likely in your cupboard
One casethe full milk card
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of 1 cup milk | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Water + butterpancakes, waffles and muffins | 1 cup water + 1 tbsp butterTweak it | Tweak it |
| 2 | Plain waterbox cake and pancake mix | 1 cupYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| 3 | Dry milk powder + waterany recipe that calls for milk | 1/3 cup powder + 1 cup waterWorks | Works |
| 4 | Evaporated milk + waterbaking | ½ cup + ½ cup waterWorks | Works |
Water + butter
plainer; slightly less tender and less browned
Water replaces the liquid; butter replaces the fat that keeps a crumb tender.
- Best for
- pancakes, waffles and muffins, cornbread and biscuits, boxed mac and cheese and mashed potatoes
- Prep
- Melt the butter and stir it into the water, or add it with the other fat in the recipe.
- Contains
- dairy
- Where it fails
- Pudding, custard, bechamel and cream soups, where milk is the body of the dish.
Plain water
flatter in flavor; a crisper crust and a paler crumb
Works where milk is a small part of the recipe. Many box mixes are written to accept either.
- Best for
- box cake and pancake mix, yeast bread, boxed mac and cheese in a pinch
- Where it fails
- Instant pudding, which will not set with water, and anything that should taste creamy.
Dry milk powder + water
the same as milk in cooked dishes
Reconstituted milk. If there is milk powder in the cupboard, this is real milk again.
- Best for
- any recipe that calls for milk, bread machine loaves, sauces and puddings
- Prep
- Whisk the powder into the water until smooth, or add the powder to the dry ingredients and the water to the wet.
- Contains
- dairy
- Where it fails
- Drinking straight, where some people notice a cooked taste.
Evaporated milk + water
slightly caramel
Canned milk diluted back to normal strength.
- Best for
- baking, creamy soups and sauces, mac and cheese
- Contains
- dairy
- Where it fails
- Cold cereal and drinking, where the cooked flavor shows.
Tips for substituting milk
4 tips- For ½ cup milk use ½ cup water + 1 ½ tsp butter; for ¼ cup, water alone is fine.
- Milk sugars brown a crust. With water, brush the top of biscuits or bread with melted butter for color.
- In yeast bread, water gives a chewier loaf with a crisper crust. That is a different result, not a worse one.
- For boxed mac and cheese, use the same ¼ cup of water where the box says ¼ cup milk, or a little less, and keep the full amount of butter so the sauce does not turn thin.
Questions
4 questionsCan I use water instead of milk in cornbread?
Yes. Use the same amount and add 1 tablespoon of melted butter per cup. The cornbread is a little less tender and less sweet-tasting. With a boxed mix such as Jiffy, water alone works.
Can I use water instead of milk in pancakes?
Yes. They are slightly thinner and less rich. Add 1 tablespoon of melted butter per cup of water, or an extra spoonful of sugar for browning.
Can I use water instead of milk in biscuits?
Yes, though they will be less tender and paler. Keep the butter cold, add 1 tablespoon more of it per cup of water, and brush the tops with butter before baking.
Can I use water instead of milk in instant pudding?
No. Instant pudding needs milk to set; with water it stays thin. Use reconstituted dry milk or evaporated milk mixed half and half with water.