Almost all baked goods you consume regularly use baking powder. I say "almost" because nowadays, having your favorite cupcake is possible without getting your hands on this ingredient.
Don't trust me yet? I fully understand. Baking powder works like magic and makes our desserts fluffy and tasty. How can something so unreal be replaceable?
Whether you've run out of this ingredient or are simply trying something new, the best baking powder substitute is all you need.
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Learning About Baking Powder
Think of your favorite baked goodie. I can almost guarantee that every recipe you find online for that specific food includes baking powder.
It makes you ask, what exactly is this ingredient? Why is it so common in recipes? How can we replace a staple ingredient in baked goods?
What's Baking Powder?
During the early 1700s, baking powder didn't exist yet. Bakers used yeast to provide a leavening effect to their doughs.
However, yeast brings a slightly bitter taste to the table. On top of that, it's quite unpredictable, leading to unexpected fermentation that causes unwanted aroma and flavor.
This brought about the invention of baking powder. Even though baking powder is an ingredient in and of itself, it also has its own sub-ingredients.
Baking powder consists of a base (sodium bicarbonate), an acid (cream of tartar), and a filler (cornstarch).
Through this combination of ingredients, baking powder functions as a leavening agent, which means it makes baked goods rise.
The Role of Baking Powder in Recipes
As I've mentioned earlier, the main role of baking powder is to help dough or batters rise upon baking. This occurs when you introduce water into the mix.
As soon as the water comes into contact with the sodium bicarbonate in baking powder, it creates bicarbonate ions.
These ions would then come into contact with the acidic ingredient in baking powder (cream of tartar), releasing carbon dioxide gas (which makes air bubbles in the dough).
This chemical reaction causes the dough or batter to rise, thus providing us with fluffy baked goods.
Baking Powder vs. Baking Soda
It's common for people (especially beginners) to assume that baking powder and baking soda are the same. Well, it's true to a certain extent.
Earlier, I said baking powder consists of sodium bicarbonate, an acid, and a filler. Baking soda, on the other hand, is just sodium bicarbonate (base).
This means baking soda is still a leavening agent, but you must introduce an acidic ingredient to initiate an acid-base reaction.
Best Baking Powder Substitutes (with Baking Soda)
Now that we got that out of the way, let's talk about what you can substitute for baking powder if you ever run out of it or just don't want to use it.
Here are some of my top picks that involve baking soda.
1. Cream of Tartar (Homemade Baking Powder)
Cream of tartar is a by-product when making wine. It's an acidic white powder widely available in grocery stores and sold in jars or packets.
It's one of the best substitutes because it provides the same leavening effect as a baking powder (since cream of tartar and baking soda are the main ingredients of baking powder).
Essentially, you're making your own baking powder with these ingredients.
To efficiently activate baking soda, you need to add twice as much cream of tartar (1:2 ratio). So, ¼ teaspoon of baking soda plus ½ teaspoon of cream of tartar replaces one teaspoon of baking powder.
Here's an Easy Blueberry Bread recipe to get you started.
2. Buttermilk
Buttermilk is one of the most popular liquid substitutes for baking powder. There are two types of buttermilk you can use to replace baking powder.
The first is commercial buttermilk. It's milk with bacterial cultures that ferment the milk's sugar content into acid. You can find this in numerous stores nationwide.
On the other hand, you can also make your buttermilk at home by combining regular milk with white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or lemon juice.
This provides you with an acidic ingredient, which means you need to add baking soda as the base to have a baking powder substitute.
Since buttermilk is a liquid, you must compensate for the extra moisture by reducing the proportions of other liquids in the recipe.
Use ½ cup of buttermilk and ¼ teaspoon baking soda to replace 1 teaspoon of baking powder.
3. Plain Yogurt
Plain yogurt is almost identical to buttermilk since both come from fermenting milk. The only difference is the bacterial culture and method used in the production.
However, despite having a thicker consistency than buttermilk, plain yogurt is still a liquid substitute, so you must compensate by reducing the portions of other liquid ingredients.
Mix ½ cup of plain yogurt with ¼ teaspoon baking soda to replace 1 teaspoon of baking powder.
Try this substitute on a Banana Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Frosting recipe.
4. White Vinegar
Weirdly enough, white vinegar is a regular ingredient in baked goods, even though it has a sour taste.
Despite having a lower acidic pH than cream of tartar, white vinegar combined with baking soda makes an excellent substitute for baking powder.
Don't worry. You may use any type of vinegar (even apple cider vinegar) for this. It's just that white vinegar has a more neutral taste, meaning it won't alter the flavor profile of your baked goods.
Besides, you only need small amounts of it to initiate the same leavening effect provided by baking powder. Mix ½ teaspoon of white vinegar with ¼ teaspoon of baking soda to replace 1 teaspoon of baking powder.
5. Lemon Juice
When talking about acidic ingredients, we can't leave lemon juice behind. Its high acidic pH levels can trigger a chemical reaction with baking soda, allowing it to emulsify your dough.
However, unlike white vinegar, lemon juice has a strong flavor that can significantly affect the taste of your baked goods.
Because of this, I can only recommend it on recipes that require small portions of baking powder unless you're making lemon cakes or cookies.
Mix ½ teaspoon of lemon juice and ¼ teaspoon baking soda to replace 1 teaspoon baking powder.
Lemon juice should work really great on this Lemon Blueberry Cake recipe.
6. Molasses
Molasses is a great baking powder substitute because it's a sweetener (perfect for baked goodies!). It's a by-product of sugar production and contains around 40 to 60% sugar.
However, when combined with baking soda, its high acidic pH level is enough to cause an acid-base reaction.
But since it's a liquid ingredient and incredibly sweet, consider reducing the portions of other liquids and sweeteners in the recipe.
Combine ¼ cup of molasses with ¼ teaspoon baking soda to replace 1 teaspoon of baking powder.
7. Sour Milk
There's a small window between fresh and bad milk where you get sour milk. At this point, the milk has just undergone acidification which lowers the pH levels of the substance.
You can use this to replace baking powder in your recipe since sour milk reacts with baking soda, allowing your batter to rise upon baking.
If you prefer not to wait for the milk to spoil (and turn into sour milk), you can make it with basic ingredients instead.
Mix 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar with 1 cup of milk and wait 15 minutes. You can then combine ½ cup of this with ¼ teaspoon of baking soda to replace each teaspoon of baking powder in the recipe.
Remember that sour milk is a liquid ingredient, so you must reduce the portions of other liquids in the recipe to compensate for the extra moisture.
Still doubtful? Here's an Air Fryer Vanilla Cake recipe to test it out!
Best Baking Powder Substitutes (Without Baking Soda)
It's not yet a lost cause, even if you run out of baking powder and baking soda. There are several substitutes that will help produce fluffy pancakes, cupcakes, and other baked goods without these ingredients.
1. Self-Rising Flour
If you're near a supermarket or grocery store and want the most convenient substitute baking powder, grab a packet of self-rising flour.
The name itself is a dead giveaway as to what this substitute can do (although this might be considered cheating since it contains baking powder).
Aside from baking powder, self-rising flour includes salt and all-purpose flour. Ergo, you have everything you need to make fluffy and flavorful baked goodies.
You can substitute baking powder with self-raising flour in a 1:1 ratio (just follow the recipe!).
2. Soda Pop
Coca-Cola, Sprite, and 7-Up. These are all carbonated beverages, which means they can provide the same leavening effect you get from baking powder.
It's not among the best substitutes for baking powder since you can't use it in all recipes, but you can use it nonetheless.
Colorless soda beverages will work great with yellow or white cakes, while darker soda pops like Coke should be perfect for chocolate cakes.
Use the same portions above (1:1) to replace milk or water in the recipe. However, since soda pops are sweeter, reduce the portions of sugar or other sweeteners in the recipe.
Try using Coca-Cola on this Air Fryer Chocolate Cake recipe.
3. Club Soda
If you like mixing cocktails at home, you probably have one or two bottles of club soda left on your shelves. Good news! You may use this as a substitute for baking powder.
Club soda is simply water and baking soda. However, the amount of sodium bicarbonate in this carbonated drink is very low, so you should only use it in recipes where you don't need too much volume (like cookies or pancakes).
Instead of following the portions of baking powder, use club soda as a substitute for milk or water in the recipe. Use the same amount of club soda as the recipe calls for (1:1).
4. Whipped Egg Whites
If you don't have time to buy a replacement at the grocery store, just grab one or two eggs from the fridge.
In fact, you're better off using whipped egg whites rather than baking powder if you want a light, airy, and fluffy pancake or baked good.
Whipped egg whites produce air bubbles, so you don't need the carbon dioxide gas from the chemical reaction in baking powder.
However, using these as baking powder substitutes can be tricky since they vary from one recipe to another.
I suggest you begin by using one whipped egg white to replace a teaspoon of baking powder and adjust the portion based on your desired consistency.
You may also want to reduce the portions of other liquid ingredients since egg whites are liquid substitutes.
Satisfy your sweet tooth with this Air Fryer Donuts recipe!
How to Replace Baking Powder
You only need to consider three factors when choosing a leavening agent to replace baking powder; flavor, form, and efficiency.
The Flavor
Several substitutes above have a neutral taste. However, some of them will affect the flavor of your finished product.
For instance, vinegar, molasses, lemon juice, sour milk, and soda pops will add sweetness or tanginess to your baked good.
Therefore, you should only use them in recipes where the additional flavor blends well with the final flavor profile.
The Form
Next, you need to consider the form, or essentially, liquid vs. solid. You probably don't have to worry about this when dealing with solid substitutes.
However, for liquid substitutes, you must think of the extra moisture they add to the recipe. Otherwise, you'll end up with a soggy baked good.
It's all about adjusting the portions of other liquid ingredients or sticking to solid substitutes if you have that option.
The Efficiency
Lastly, consider the efficiency of each leavening agent. For instance, club soda and soda pop weren't intentionally made to be leavening agents.
We're simply borrowing the chemical reaction they provide to our batters. As such, use low-efficiency leavening agents on recipes that require small amounts of baking powder.
If your recipe needs volume, fluff, and air, stick to highly-efficient substitutes like whipped egg whites, self-rising flour, and buttermilk.
Baking Powder Substitute FAQs
If you don't have baking powder and don't use any leavening agent at all, you will not achieve the consistency you want for your baked good.
Nonetheless, you can use baking soda and an acidic ingredient to trigger an acid-base reaction and help the batter rise.
Baking powder is a leavening agent, while cornstarch is a thickening agent. So, the simple answer is no, cornstarch is not a direct substitute for baking powder as it will not provide a rising effect for your batter.
To make your own baking powder, you just need to mix baking soda, cornstarch, and cream of tartar in a 1:1:2 ratio, respectively.
For Your Next Baked Goodies
Save your recipe for your next baked goodies by using a baking powder substitute. I even encourage you to try a substitute even if you have baking powder in stock.
This will help you better understand how each substitute affects your recipe and maybe prepare you for the future if the undesirable happens.
To be more ready for these kinds of emergencies, check out Also The Crumbs, Please. There are lots of other substitutes you can use to replace common and rare ingredients in the kitchen.
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Best Egg Substitute for Cornbread
Recipe
Homemade Baking Powder
Ingredients
- 1 cup baking soda
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 2 cups cream of tartar
Instructions
- Mix baking soda and cream of tartar in a small bowl.
- Add cornstarch to prevent the mixture from clumping. Adjust the proportions based on necessity but stick to the appropriate ratio.
- Use immediately for maximum potency.
- Store the remaining mixture in an airtight container for future use.
Notes
You can find the video in the post above. If you don't see a video, please check your browser settings.
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