Baking Powder Substitute
Out of baking powder? Make your own with baking soda and an acid, using the exact ratios that keep biscuits, cakes and pancakes rising.
One Spoon, Two Jobs
Most swaps fail because people reach for baking soda straight across, spoon for spoon. Baking soda is about three times stronger than baking powder and it has no acid in it, so you get a big rush of lift, then a flat middle and a soapy, metallic aftertaste.
Baking powder is already two things in one can: baking soda plus a dry acid to wake it up. Copy that and you are fine — 1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar equals 1 teaspoon baking powder.
The Best Swap
For every 1 teaspoon of baking powder, whisk 1/4 teaspoon baking soda with 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar and use it right where the powder went.
Soda Alone Does Nothing
Baking soda needs an acid to react, so plain soda with no acid in the batter gives you a dense, bitter result no matter how much you use.
The Buttermilk Route
No cream of tartar? Use 1/2 cup buttermilk plus 1/4 teaspoon baking soda per teaspoon of powder, and take 1/2 cup out of the other liquid.
Homemade Is Single Acting
Store-bought powder gets a second rise from oven heat, so a homemade swap needs to go in the oven within about 15 minutes or the bubbles are gone.
The method
- 1
Count what the recipe needs
Add up the total baking powder called for. Every 1 teaspoon gets replaced separately, so 2 teaspoons means doubling your swap.
- 2
Mix soda and cream of tartar
Whisk 1/4 teaspoon baking soda with 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar for each teaspoon of powder. Stir it into the flour and other dry ingredients so it spreads evenly.
- 3
Or go with a liquid acid
If you have no cream of tartar, use 1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/2 cup buttermilk, plain yogurt or sour milk per teaspoon of powder. Reduce the recipe's other liquid by that same 1/2 cup.
- 4
Check self-rising flour first
If you have self-rising flour, swap it cup for cup for the plain flour. Then leave out all the baking powder and cut 1/4 teaspoon of salt per cup of flour.
- 5
Mix fast and bake fast
Combine wet and dry with a light hand, just until no dry streaks are left. Get the pan into a preheated oven or onto a hot griddle right away.
- 6
Read the batter
You should see small bubbles at the surface within a minute or two of mixing. No bubbles means the acid and soda are not talking, and the batter will bake up flat.
Show what you know
Three questions. See if you could pull this off mid-recipe with no baking powder in the house.
Question 1 of 3
You swap in soda and lemon juice for pancakes, then the batter sits 30 minutes while you get everyone dressed. What happens?
Put it to work
Four teaspoons of baking powder do all the lifting here, so any swap you make shows up immediately in how high and flaky these biscuits rise.
★ breakfast
breakfast
Ingredients
- 4 cups All Purpose Flour
- 4 t Baking Powder
- 1 t Baking Soda
- 1 1/2 t Salt
- 1 t Sugar
- 1 cup, very cold Butter
- 2 cups Buttermilk
Instructions
- 1Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. Cut butter in small pieces or grate on box grater. Add to flour and gently mix with hands until it resembles course crumbs. Add buttermilk and stir vigorously until just mixed. Don’t over mix. Turn out onto floured surface and gently pat into a ball then flatten to 1/2 inch. Cut with biscuit cutter or water glass. Don’t twist!! Place on parchment lined sheet and bake at 400 for 15 minutes.
- 2If you don’t have buttermilk, measure just shy of 2 cups milk and top off with vinegar. Let sit 5 minutes and stir
P.S. Pepper keeps the recipe, the timings and your own notes in one place — so the next time you cook it, you're not starting from a search box.
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