Instead · 1
cashews
one for one
- What it gets you
- A soft, sweet, roastable nut with the same crunch in a stir fry or a noodle bowl.
- What it costs you
- The specific roasted-peanut smell, and cashews are sweeter and less salty.
Substitutions · 4 dishes here use it
Out of peanuts
Crunch and fat, and roasting them yourself is a noticeable improvement over the bag. They go soft the moment they meet liquid, so they go on last or not at all.
Everything below is judged against that job. A swap that covers it is a swap; one that only looks similar is not.
50% of the 4 dishes here that mention peanuts already list it as optional. Before you look for a replacement, check whether you are in one of them.
Functional substitution system
Replace the job, then correct the side effects
For peanuts, the page's working definition is: Crunch and fat, and roasting them yourself is a noticeable improvement over the bag. They go soft the moment they meet liquid, so they go on last or not at all. The swap cards below are judged against that job rather than visual resemblance.
1 · Job
What is the missing ingredient doing?
2 · Candidate
Choose the shelf item that replaces that function.
3 · Side effects
Check water, fat, salt, acid, sweetness, and texture.
4 · Small test
Change a spoonful or small portion first when possible.
5 · Correct
Taste again and move only the axis that is still wrong.
What to reach for
Instead · 2
sunflower or pumpkin seeds, toasted
one for one
- What it gets you
- Crunch and fat with no tree nut and no peanut in the building.
- What it costs you
- Size and richness. Seeds read as a garnish rather than an ingredient.
Instead · 3
toasted chickpeas
one for one by volume
- What it gets you
- Something crunchy and savory to scatter over a bowl.
- What it costs you
- The fat, which was carrying flavor. Oil them well before roasting.
Where you can just leave it out · 2
These dishes list peanuts as optional. They were written to work without it, so no ratio is needed and nothing has to be bought.
Check what else is in the pan
The company peanuts keeps in this library, counted off required ingredients. A swap that argues with the top two is the wrong swap, whatever a chart says.