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CalcChef

Spice Substitution Finder

14 spice and herb substitutes from university extension tables, such as fresh to dried herbs, allspice, pie spice and garlic, scaled to your amount. How it works

Use the Spice Substitution Finder

Item the recipe calls for
Use instead
1 tsp dried herb

Parts of the substitute
  • 1 tsp dried herb

The tables give one rule for herbs in general: 1 tablespoon fresh = 1 teaspoon dried. They give no separate factor per herb.

Ratios come from university extension substitution tables (Colorado State, New Mexico State, Missouri). They are starting points: taste and adjust. Blends such as Italian seasoning may carry other ingredients, so check labels if you avoid an allergen.

About the Spice Substitution Finder

1 tablespoon of fresh herbs equals 1 teaspoon of dried, the one fresh-to-dried rule the Colorado State and New Mexico State extension tables give for herbs in general. For blends, 1 teaspoon of allspice is 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon plus 1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves, and 1 small garlic clove is 1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder.

Spice and herb substitutes

Recipe calls forAmountUse instead
Fresh herbs (any, finely cut)1 tbsp1 tsp dried herb
Dried parsley1 tsp3 tsp fresh chopped parsley
Dried mint (peppermint or spearmint)1 tbsp4 tbsp fresh chopped mint
Chives, finely chopped1 tsp1 tsp finely chopped green onion tops
Allspice1 tsp0.5 tsp cinnamon + 0.5 tsp ground cloves
Apple pie spice1 tsp0.5 tsp cinnamon + 0.25 tsp nutmeg + 0.13 tsp cardamom
Pumpkin pie spice1 tsp0.5 tsp cinnamon + 0.25 tsp ginger + 0.13 tsp allspice + 0.13 tsp nutmeg
Italian seasoning1 tsp0.25 tsp basil + 0.67 tsp dried parsley + a pinch of oregano
Garlic1 small clove0.13 tsp garlic powder
Fresh (raw) ginger1 tbsp0.13 tsp ground ginger
Dry mustard1 tsp1 tbsp prepared mustard
White pepper1 tsp1 tsp black pepper
Dill head (fresh)1 head1 tsp dill seed
Lemon grass1 tbsp1 tbsp lemon peel

All 14 items, as the finder prints them, rounded to two decimals (0.13 tsp is 1/8 teaspoon).

Frequently asked questions

How much dried herb equals fresh?
1 tablespoon of fresh, finely cut herbs equals 1 teaspoon of dried, a 3 to 1 ratio. The extension tables give it as one rule for herbs in general, not a separate factor for basil, oregano or thyme, so the finder lists no per-herb factors.
How much fresh parsley equals 1 teaspoon of dried?
3 teaspoons (1 tablespoon) of fresh chopped parsley. For mint the ratio is 1 tablespoon of dried to 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) of fresh.
What can I use instead of allspice?
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon plus 1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves for each teaspoon of allspice, from the CSU Extension table. For 3 teaspoons the finder gives 1.5 tsp cinnamon + 1.5 tsp ground cloves.
How do I make pumpkin pie spice?
Per teaspoon: 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon of ginger, 1/8 teaspoon of allspice and 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg. For 2 teaspoons the finder gives 1 tsp cinnamon + 0.5 tsp ginger + 0.25 tsp allspice + 0.25 tsp nutmeg.
How much garlic powder equals one clove?
1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder per small clove, so 3 cloves take 0.38 tsp. CSU also lists 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of garlic salt per clove; if you use it, cut the salt elsewhere in the recipe.
Why are bay leaf and onion powder missing?
The tables disagree on them. For bay leaf, CSU gives 1 teaspoon crushed for 1 leaf while New Mexico State and Missouri give 1/4 teaspoon crushed, and for onion powder the CSU and New Mexico State figures are a factor of 3 apart. The finder lists only items without such a conflict.

What the 14 substitutes cover

Pick the item the recipe calls for and type the amount; the finder scales the substitute to it. The list is short on purpose: fresh and dried herbs (one 3 to 1 rule for all herbs, plus parsley, mint and chives), allspice, apple and pumpkin pie spice, Italian seasoning, garlic, fresh ginger, dry mustard, white pepper, dill and lemon grass.

There is no separate factor for basil, oregano or thyme, and no entry for cumin, paprika or bay leaf. Ground spices lose strength with age, so an old jar of cinnamon or cloves may need a little more than the ratio says.

Ratios from extension tables

substitute = amount in the recipe × ratio. The 14 ratios come from the university extension substitution tables of Colorado State, New Mexico State and Missouri. Bay leaf and onion powder were left out because the tables give figures for them that disagree.

Example: 2 tablespoons of fresh herbs take 2 tsp dried herb. 2 teaspoons of apple pie spice are 1 tsp cinnamon, 0.5 tsp nutmeg and 0.25 tsp cardamom.

Amounts are rounded to two decimals, so 1/8 teaspoon shows as 0.13 tsp, 1/4 as 0.25 and 2/3 as 0.67, and a positive amount never shows as 0.

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