Baking Powder Substitute

Last updated on June 29th, 2023 at 08:11 pm

So you Just found out you used your last teaspoon of baking powder on those homemade flaky biscuits, and now you have to bake a another batch for the meeting tomorrow. Don’t worry I got you covered!

What Does Baking Powder Do in a Recipe?

Lets get started at the beginning, baking powder is a leavening agent this helps your baked goods rise. It also can lighten the texture of what you are baking.

Mixing baking powder with water causes the dry acid base reaction to releases carbon dioxide gas. This carbon dioxide gas make small air pockets in the baked good and makes them rise.

This is why your baked goods rise with baking powder, due to the expansion of the chemical reaction. So baking powder plays a huge part in many recipes.

Especially in place of other leavening agents like yeast which is a huge part in most of the rest of the world baking recipes.

While that is great to know, how is it going to help you make those flaky biscuits you need done in no time! And worst of all baking powder is the key ingredient to making them fluffy!

Now lets get into the substitute for baking powder.

Can you leave out the baking powder?

It depends on the recipe but, some of the time you might not be able to.

Baking powder is how most recipes rise, and while some recipes you can get away with not having a leavening agent like baking powder. It will drastically affect the baking, likely making the end product hard and very thick.

You might able to substitute it with another of the leavening agents on this list. Or you could use yeast in a pinch on a few recipes, but then you will get a fermented flavor from the yeast which might not work with the flavor profile of some recipes.

Can you use Baking Soda as a Substitute?

Yes you defiantly can and a few of the list I have made below will show you ways to use baking soda with another ingredient to make a great baking powder substitute.

What is the Difference between Baking Powder and Baking Soda?

While it might not sound like it they are very different, and mixing them up could leave your recipe in trouble. So lets look at them individually.

Using Baking powder

Baking powder is a mix of baking soda and a dry acid with some kind of a buffer between the two (usually which is cornstarch).

This means that all you need to do is mix it in like normal, and complete the recipe for the chemical reaction to start but it doesn’t really start until later.

When you start baking with it in the oven, the baking powder will release carbon dioxide in the baked goods causing them to rise as if yeast was in the recipe.

Using Baking soda

Baking soda is a base, so it reacts with acid and causes whatever your baking to start rising through the carbon dioxide that the chemical reaction is releasing. Baking soda is also known as sodium bicarbonate, and is effectively a mineral.

While there are a number of things that can start this chemical reaction all of them are in the list below, so lets start there.

The Best Baking Powder Substitutes

1. Lemon Juice + Baking Soda

Lemon juice is a very acidic ingredient containing a high amount of citric acid. This starts the the baking soda and is a great way to replace baking powder. Just be aware that it can affect the flavor of what you are baking with, giving it a slightly acidic flavor of the lemon juice itself.

It is best to use this substitute when you only need a small amount of baking powder in the recipe, due to this flavor shift that the lemon juice will have on it, so it only has a small affect on the baking.

Summary:

Replace up to 1 teaspoon of baking powder with a 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice and 1/4 of a teaspoon of baking soda.

Lemon juice will affect the flavor of you baked goods, but if only a small amount is used you shouldn’t be to notice it. If you use too much it will change the flavor profile, so just be aware.

2. Buttermilk + Baking Soda

Buttermilk is a by product of churned butter making it slightly sour milk in the end. while that might seem like a terrible thing to add to any baked goods, for our need it will work perfectly. The sour milk is a acid and reacts with the baking soda we add to give us the same leavening effect we are looking for.

Make sure you keep track of how much wet ingredients the recipe calls for though. the desired consistency the recipe calls for with the wet ingredients. While a cup of butter milk with add a nice flavor to most recipes, just be aware that it will change the flavor.

Summary:

To substitute for 1 teaspoon baking powder use 1/2 cup of buttermilk and 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda. Make sure to keep track of the extra liquid you are adding and make sure you keep it within what the recipe calls for.

3. Use Self-Rising Flour

if your recipe has all purpose flour or regular flour and it calls for baking powder, substitute self rising flour cup for cup with the flour and it will rise like it should. With this you won’t need to make sure you have extra baking powder when you have this flour in your pantry!

While all purpose flour is common everywhere, in some places it might be hard to pick up some self rising flour, so don’t expect every smaller grocery store to have it.

Summary:

All purpose flour can be substituted with self rising flour on a 1:1 basis in recipes where baking powder is needed.

4. White Vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar

Lemon juice or vinegar both have their own drawbacks when using them. They will both will have the same leavening agent we are looking for when added with baking soda. But the main problem is that they will likely add a sour taste to the baked good.

While in most larger recipes the amount of affect they will have will be minimal. In smaller recipes where they might not have as much of a strong flavor to mask the acidic ingredient of the apple cider vinegar.

With the flavor of the lemon juice adding to a sweetness of the baked goods it might just be a nice twist on the flavor.

White vinegar on the other hand has a more neutral flavor so it might be the best option for when you aren’t sure how it will affect the desired flavor.

The problem with vinegar is the need to add in more sweetener to cover of strong nature of the acidic ingredient of the vinegar.

Summary:

To replace 1 tsp of baking powder use 1/4 of baking soda and 1/2 of apple cider vinegar or white vinegar. Be aware the vinegars will likely affect the flavor of the baked goods depending on the amount of baking powder the recipe calls for.

White vinegar is a better substitute than apple vinegar cider for baking powder due to the more neutral flavor of the two vinegars.

5. Plain Yogurt + baking soda

Plain yogurt and baking soda is one of the great baking powder substitutes.

Both yogurt and buttermilk are produced through a fermentation process. This increases the concentration of lactic acid in both of them, which makes them perfect for mixing with baking soda to create same leavening effect we are looking for.

You can replace 1 teaspoon of baking powder with 1/2 cups of yogurt and 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda. You also have to reduce the amount of liquid in the recipe though to compensate for how much yogurt you need.

Summary:

Per 1 teaspoon for baking powder substitute 1/4 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 cup of plain yogurt (plain Greek yogurt works the same) Compensate for how much liquid the yogurt adds into the recipe.

6. Whipped Egg whites

This one is a special one for a few recipes, if don’t have baking soda or baking powder and eggs are already in the recipe, than this will work.

Whipped egg whites can act as the leavening agent to keep your baked goods fluffier. While this may seem strange compared to the other options on the list, for a few recipes like angel food cake, soufflé and chiffon cake this is required.

So to replace baking powder in recipes that have eggs, whip the whites until you have medium peaks. This will introduce air into the mixture and keep your baked good airier and fluffy just from having introduced so much air into the batter itself.

But be careful with the egg whites, be very delicate when adding them to the batter itself. Since there is no chemical reaction we can rely upon when we bake it, only the air bubbles in it so adding it so the batter we might lose some of the air bubbles in the whites. So gently fold the egg whites into the batter when you do.

Summary:

If the recipe already has eggs separate the whites and whip the egg whites until they form medium peaks. we are introducing air bubbles itself to the batter itself so be careful when adding it back into the mix because if you aren’t careful the air in the egg whites will deflate.

The Best Baking Powder Substitute: Molasses + baking soda

The best baking powder substitute is molasses with some baking soda.

The great sugary taste and the wonderful flavor makes molasses a clear winner for me. I make bread with it whenever I get the chance due to it being the best yeast substitute in addition to the best baking powder substitute as well.

This is with all the same leavening effect that bread needs to rise at all. I also love using multiple types of heavier flours to add in hints of wonderful flavors through the loaf.

If you didn’t know molasses is actually acidic in nature. So Molasses and baking soda is a great alternative in a number of recipes where they are naturally sweet or caramelly.

It will also act as a as a liquid as well so you can leave out 1/4 cup of liquid out of the recipe you are using. As well as some of the sweetener in the recipe since molasses is about 3/4 sugar, per 100 grams.

Summary:

Mix 1/4 cup of molasses and 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda into the wet and dry ingredients separately to equal 1 teaspoon of baking powder. Also lessen the amount of liquid the recipe has normally by 1/4 of a cup per teaspoon of baking powder, also reduce the sweetener in the recipe as well due to molasses being very sweet naturally.

This is why molasse and baking soda is the best substitute for baking powder. it adds a number useful things into a recipe with the only side effect being changing the color of the recipe and adding in a caramelly texture.

How to make homemade baking powder

Another option is to make homemade baking powder yourself. You only need three ingredients for it. Cream of tartar which is a powdered acid, baking powder which is a base and cornstarch which is a thickening agent. Making your own baking powder is also very convenient.

To replace one teaspoon of baking powder you need 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon of cornstarch and 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar.

How to store homemade baking powder

Home made baking powder should be stored in a airtight container, at room temperature and out of the sun. This means it will have the longest shelf life possible so you don’t have to worry about it going bad as quickly, and it will be there when you need it!

How to Choose the Best Substitute?

It depends heavily on the kind of recipe you are using. If you are making sugary cookies and don’t mind a bit of more of a caramelly flavor being added, than molasses and baking soda would be a good fit.

For other options like a cake buttermilk would be a good solution by giving it a little bit of added creaminess.

If you need any recipe that you could uses some of the baking powder substitutes or just want to have a tasty treat, try these recipes!

Like my pumpkin pancake recipe.

Or if you want some tasty treats try my pumpkin pie recipe!

Or my New York style pumpkin cheesecake all of them are delicious.

Thank you for reading my list and I hope you found the substitution you were looking for!