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Baking powder substitute

Baking powder is baking soda with its acid already mixed in (plus starch to keep it dry). To replace it, supply both halves yourself: a little soda and a matching acid.

The recipe calls for

of baking powder. Every swap below is sized for that amount.

  1. Baking soda + cream of tartar

    Closest match
    • ¼ tsp baking soda
    • ½ tsp cream of tartar

    Mix with the dry ingredients. Bake soon after mixing; this blend is single-acting.

    Best for: Cakes, cookies, muffins.

  2. Baking soda + buttermilk or yogurt

    • ¼ tsp baking soda
    • ½ cup buttermilk or plain yogurt (reduce other liquid by the same amount)

    Replace the same volume of the recipe’s milk or water with the buttermilk or yogurt.

    Best for: Pancakes, quick breads, biscuits.

  3. Baking soda + lemon juice or vinegar

    • ¼ tsp baking soda
    • ½ tsp lemon juice or white vinegar

    Add the acid with the wet ingredients and the soda with the dry. Get it in the oven quickly.

    Best for: Muffins and cakes in a pinch.

  4. Self-rising flour

    • ⅔ cup self-rising flour (in place of the same amount of plain flour)

    Self-rising flour carries about 1½ tsp baking powder per cup; swap flour accordingly and cut the salt slightly.

    Best for: Biscuits and simple cakes.

Choosing the right swap

Baking soda is about three to four times stronger than baking powder, so you only need a quarter as much, balanced with enough acid to use it all up.

Baking soda needs an acid partner

Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) only releases carbon dioxide, the bubbles that lift a batter, when it meets an acid. Choose what goes in the bowl and see what happens.

Flat and soapy. Milk is barely acidic, so most of the soda never reacts. The bake stays dense and the leftover soda tastes bitter or metallic.

Missing baking powder? Ask about your dish

Tell us what you’re making and what you’re missing. You’ll get a swap sized for your dish and a note on how it will change the result.

0/600 · answers come from an AI model, so double-check anything safety-related with a thermometer.

Questions cooks ask

Can I just use baking soda instead of baking powder?

Only with an acid. Use a quarter of the amount of soda and add cream of tartar, lemon juice, vinegar, buttermilk or yogurt; soda on its own tastes soapy and won’t lift properly.

How do I test if my baking powder still works?

Stir ½ tsp into ¼ cup hot water. Lively fizzing means it’s fine; weak bubbles mean replace it.

What does double-acting mean?

It releases gas twice: once when wet, again in the oven’s heat. Homemade soda-and-acid mixes release almost everything at once, so bake promptly.