25 Ingredients You Never Have to Buy Again

Twenty-five Ingredients you can permanently cross off your shopping list. Start making these ingredients at home, inexpensive kitchen staples that save you money.

Hello everyone, and welcome back to Serving Up Sweetness. Today I’m here to help you save some money. In today’s post, I’m sharing a roundup of recipes from my favorite recipe developers and cookbook authors to teach you how to make these popular ingredients at home.

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Having a well-stocked pantry is the best way to eliminate frequent trips to the supermarket from your schedule. After testing out simple recipes, I figured out how to stock budget-friendly ingredients in my kitchen.

Tomato Sauce

So many dinner recipes are made with tomato sauce. Meals like spaghetti, pasta, and pizza, just to name a few. You’ll be surprised at how easy it is to make. With fewer than 10 ingredients, you can make tomato sauce with a slow cooker and a blender. It’s fresh with zero preservatives. Plus, it makes over one quart of sauce. I make recipe creator, Laura Fuentes’s (2024) tomato sauce with organic diced tomatoes (you can use canned or fresh if they’re in season). Once it’s blended, I store it in the freezer until I need to use it again.

Lemon Curd

Lemon curd frequently appears in culinary dishes on baking show competitions. It’s also a delicious filling for pastries. This acidic, tangy spread adds a delightful burst of flavor to your breakfast or dessert. And at around $15-$30 per jar, you can keep that money in your pocket. Make lemon curd at home with freshly squeezed lemons. Sally’s Baking Recipes (2025) has a beginner-friendly lemon curd recipe you can make at home.

My plain croissant is filled with homemade lemon curd and dusted with confectioners' sugar.

Oat Flour

Keeping up with the multitude of flour options is no small task. However, making oat flour is rather simple. In fact, Bright Eyed Baker (2023) shares several methods for making homemade oat flour. Fortunately, blenders are one of the most popular kitchen gadgets, which you can use to pulverize oats into a flour-like texture.

Hot Fudge

Chocolate makes everything taste better. If you’re tired of buying premade hot fudge, you’ll probably want to learn how to make it in five minutes. Chocolate chips, a classic cookie mix-in, and heavy cream are core ingredients in Broma Bakery’s six-ingredient hot fudge recipe. I’ve made this recipe several times, and it’s an easy, last-minute topping to serve with your ice cream.

Homemade hot fudge

Pumpkin Pie Spice

One spice that gets everyone excited for fall is pumpkin pie spice. Everything from pumpkin spice lattes to muffins. Combine a blend of warm spices to create your own homemade pumpkin pie spice. Sally’s Baking Recipes (2022) homemade pumpkin spice blend is simple, and you can add it to all sorts of baked goods.

Chai Spice

Another popular latte flavor is Chai. Whether you enjoy it iced, dirty, or hot, chai spice makes a delicious morning beverage. Chai spiced granola is my favorite snack this autumn. Mix it into a bowl of Greek yogurt, apples, and honey, and you have a healthy breakfast that’s fit for the season.

Hot Cocoa Mix

In 2024, hot cocoa bars were a trend that received a lot of buzz. Who can resist a steaming mug of rich, hot chocolate filled with chewy marshmallows? Unfortunately, the price of chocolate is rising. A canister of hot cocoa can start at 30 cents per ounce; it gets pricier with premium brands. Salt and Baker’s (2024) Homemade hot cocoa mix is easy to whip up and store in your cabinet, and costs less than store-bought options. Remember to add an expiration date label, dated with the earliest expiration in the list of ingredients.

Photo by Hanna Balan on Unsplash

Caster Sugar

Buying caster sugar (superfine sugar) may be a challenge in the States. So it’s far more economical to make your own with granulated sugar. Run it through your food processor and it’s ready in a few minutes. And it’s easy to make the exact amount you need, to avoid waste.

Sourdough Starter

In 2020, many people rediscovered their love for homemade bread. Specifically, the popularity of sourdough has been rising over the years. For less than $15 per one ounce (28 grams) of fresh starter, it’s easier for novice bread makers to buy sourdough starter. However, if you’ve mastered the art of keeping your sourdough starter alive, making your own is a bargain. Pastry chef and author Zoë François (2024) shared a YouTube tutorial that teaches you how to make sourdough starter from scratch.

Jam

When you buy jam from the grocery store, unless it’s organic, odds are that it’s filled with preservatives and artificial sweeteners. When you make jam at home, it’s fresh and has a brighter flavor. This makes a huge difference with cake fillings or any dish where jam is the star ingredient. According to recipe developer, Whitney (2022), a jar of jam generally keeps in the fridge for up to 3 weeks and in the freezer for 1 year. Salt and Baker’s raspberry jam recipe only takes 30 minutes!

Photo by Ana Tavares on Unsplash

Self-rising Flour

Self-rising flour is featured in some southern recipes. This flour already contains baking powder and salt. King Arthur Baking is a great resource for beginner bakers. I had a positive experience using King Arthur Baking’s homemade self-rising flour. My baked goods turned out well following their simple instructions.

Almond Butter

Almond butter is just as popular, if not more popular, than peanut butter. Homemade almond butter is simple. Made with whole almonds and avocado oil. This nut butter is so beloved that it’s found in smoothie bowls, oatmeal, and even granola.

At times, including healthy fats in our diets can be difficult. However, having the option to make this in less than 15 minutes is game changing. Sally’s Baking Recipes (2025) guide for making almond butter is incredibly easy. Homemade almond butter can be inexpensive if you purchase your almonds in bulk.

Simple Syrup

Simple syrup is a fan favorite of latte lovers and bakers alike. The people who make their coffee at home know that simple syrup can be the difference between standard brewed coffee and a latte crafted by a seasoned barista. With rich, aromatic coffee beans, a latte is a wonderful way to start the day. Despite its everlasting presence in coffee shops, simple syrup is valuable to bakers too. It adds moisture to layer cakes, preventing them from drying out. Bright eyed Baker’s simple syrup recipe combines two ingredients and provides three different methods for making it at home.

Whipped Cream

When it comes to whipped cream, the best version is made from scratch. Whipped cream has a very short shelf life. You can buy a tub of whipped cream, and it may grow mold the next day. Homemade whipped cream tastes better and is more stable — I’ve tried the Perfect Whipped Cream from Zoë Bakes Cakes (François, 2021, p. 227). It’s not too sweet and is the perfect addition to hot chocolate.

Photo by Paul Rottmann on Unsplash

Espresso Powder

Having espresso powder in your pantry is ideal if you need a secret ingredient to intensify chocolate’s rich flavor. You can make budget-friendly espresso powder using an oven, coffee grinder, and espresso grounds. Espresso powder for baking is typically found at speciality stores at around $26 for 2.26 oz./64g. For a bag of ground espresso at $10 for 14oz. I made 12 ounces of espresso powder using Bright Eyed Baker’s (2021) instructions and still had leftover grounds to make more. Got a recipe for chocolate cake? Try adding a teaspoon of espresso powder with the dry ingredients to transform your cake from simple to decadent.

Buttermilk

It’s probably not an item on your shopping list, especially if you’re vegan, but anyone can make a DIY version of buttermilk. Consider using plant-based milk or lactose-free milk, depending on your dietary needs. Also, try Bright Eyed Baker’s buttermilk recipe (2021) to make as much buttermilk as you need for your recipe. And because a carton of buttermilk can be expensive, especially since it tends to go to waste, making DIY buttermilk can be beneficial.

Tahini

Tahini is sometimes used in baking. It’s a challenge to find at a grocery store. However, Trader Joe’s recently started carrying it. Here’s an easy two-ingredient Tahini recipe from AllRecipes (2025) that you can make at home.

Brown Sugar

Keep granulated sugar in bulk. Because if you’re in a pinch, you can make your own brown sugar. Combine granulated sugar with molasses. Store it in a container. Light or dark brown sugar is dependent on the ratio of molasses to sugar. AllRecipes (2023) shares guidance on how to keep it moist and how to make homemade brown sugar.

Photo by Kairi Kaljo on Unsplash

Vanilla Sugar

Vanilla sugar infuses two of the most common flavor enhancers into your favorite beverage. Substitute the sweetener in your coffee for vanilla sugar to get those sweet, floral flavors. The shelf life is relatively long. It lasts for two years. Check out this Vanilla Sugar Recipe from Bright Eyed Baker and print your vanilla sugar labels to match.

Taco Seasoning

Like buttermilk, taco seasoning is yet another ingredient that’s often wasted. Odds are, if you use it minimally throughout the years, your store-bought taco seasoning will expire before you get your use out of it. Add a small batch of homemade taco seasoning to your spice collection. I use this easy recipe from Natasha’s Kitchen to season ground turkey or beef.

Pesto

Fresh basil and a blend of flavorful ingredients are all you need to make a jar of pesto. For a longer shelf life, store it in the freezer. It’s a nutritious spread that’s good on pasta or even sandwiches. Everyday Family Eats’ recipe uses a blender to grind leafy greens and fresh herbs into a delicious batch of pesto.

Pistachio Paste

Buying pistachio paste is no small task. Like espresso powder, pistachio paste is another novelty item that can be found at specialty stores. You’ll have more savings making it at home with boiling water, pistachios, and a food processor. I add a splash of honey to Pies and Tacos’ pistachio paste recipe (2020) to make pistachio cream cheese frosting.

Candied Walnuts

During the holidays, candied nuts are a tasty, protein-rich snack. They’re crunchy, sweet, and roasted. Because they’re such an easy treat to make, candied walnuts are a bargain when you’re tired of trail mix or granola. That said, a canister of candied walnuts can be an expensive addition to your shopping cart. Now you can substitute that expensive snack with Browned Eye Baker’s (2021) candied walnuts.

Sweet or Savory Cream Cheese

Fresh herbs make every bite of cream cheese worth savoring. Spread it onto your bagels, a sandwich, or use it as a side for a charcuterie board. AllRecipes garlic and herb cream cheese is here to add some flavor to your favorite spread. If you’re spending money on flavored cream cheese, try adding some herbs and Parmesan cheese instead for an inexpensive condiment.

Caramel

Proceed with caution. The main ingredient in caramel is attention. With that in mind, cook caramel when you can keep your full attention on it. You don’t want to suffer from hot caramel burns. Broma Bakery (2023) shared how to make homemade caramel along with detailed tips and instructions.