Here's What You Can Substitute For Ginger

Ginger powder is dried and ground ginger root, which most likely hails from China and India and is actually closely related to turmeric and cardamom (via Spices Inc). Ginger is often used in baking and cooking, but it is also used in other ways such as stirred into drinks to help alleviate nausea or motion sickness. Whether you're reaching for the spice jar to make salad dressing, spice up sautéed vegetables, or to add a dash to a golden milk latte, there are plenty of substitutes in the spice rack that are suitable alternatives.

Since ginger is so closely related to cardamom and the two have a similar spice flavor, they can be interchanged in equal proportions. Allspice, mace, nutmeg, and cinnamon can also be substituted in equal amounts to most recipes. Pumpkin pie spice can also work well as it is usually a blend of ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice (via The Spruce Eats).

Ground ginger is quite concentrated, so it is much more potent than crystallized ginger or even fresh ginger. Should you have fresh ginger on hand or in the freezer where it keeps very well for long periods of time, consider grating some to use in place of ground ginger. For every 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger that a recipe calls for, The Spruce Eats recommends using 1 tablespoon of freshly grated ginger. Ginger root has a stronger bite, so keep that in mind when you make this substitution. If you have it on hand, young fresh ginger can be a better alternative as it is typically milder.

Even crystallized ginger, which is a candied ginger root that has been cooked in sugar water and rolled in sugar crystals, can be replaced by ground ginger. Simply mince the crystallized ginger and add it to the recipe swapping out 1/2 cup of crystallized ginger for every 1 teaspoon of ground ginger.