By Better Living | Created at 2026-08-01 23:49:41 | Updated at 2026-08-02 18:25:36
19 hours ago
You are ready to bake a batch of biscuits and the baking powder tin is empty. Or you used the last of it in yesterday’s pancakes and forgot to restock. Or you only keep baking soda in the pantry and don’t want a second jar taking up space. Whatever the reason, baking powder is easy to recreate. It is really just baking soda paired with an acid. You can rebuild that pairing with several things you probably already have.
What can you use instead of baking powder?
The short answer: Baking soda mixed with cream of tartar, vinegar, lemon juice, buttermilk, yogurt, or molasses can all stand in for baking powder. Self-rising flour and whipped egg whites work too, in the right recipes. The most common fix is 1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar per teaspoon of baking powder. Most homemade versions react as soon as they hit liquid. Get the batter into the oven quickly.
For full storage guidance on baking powder itself, see our companion post: does baking powder go bad. For a complete pantry reference, see our Food Storage Guide.
📋 Baking Powder Substitutes at a Glance
| 🧪 Baking soda and cream of tartar | 1/4 tsp soda plus 1/2 tsp cream of tartar per 1 tsp baking powder |
| 🍋 Baking soda and vinegar or lemon juice | 1/4 tsp soda plus 1/2 tsp acid per 1 tsp baking powder |
| 🥛 Baking soda and buttermilk, yogurt, or sour milk | 1/4 tsp soda plus 1/2 cup dairy per 1 tsp baking powder |
| 🍯 Baking soda and molasses | 1/4 tsp soda plus 1/4 cup molasses per 1 tsp baking powder |
| 🌾 Self-rising flour | Swap 1:1, omit added baking powder and salt |
| 🥚 Whipped egg whites | No fixed ratio, fold in gently at the end |
| ⚗️ Baking soda alone | About 1/4 the amount, only if the recipe has natural acid |
| 🫧 Club soda or sparkling water | 1:1 swap for some of the liquid |
🔑 Key Takeaways
- Baking powder is baking soda plus a built-in acid and a starch filler. Rebuilding it at home means adding both the soda and an acid back in.
- Most store-bought baking powder is double-acting, releasing gas once when wet and again with oven heat. Homemade combinations are single-acting, so bake them right away.
- Cream of tartar is the most neutral acid to pair with baking soda. Vinegar, lemon juice, buttermilk, and yogurt all work too, but each adds a little of its own flavor.
- Self-rising flour already has baking powder and salt mixed in. It can replace both the flour and the baking powder in one step.
- Baking soda alone is the least reliable substitute. It only works if the recipe already has enough natural acid, and results can still vary.
Understanding What Baking Powder Actually Does
Before choosing a substitute, it helps to know what baking powder actually is. It is not a single ingredient. It’s a premixed blend of baking soda, a dry acid, and a bit of cornstarch. That cornstarch keeps the soda and acid apart until they hit liquid. That’s why baking powder can leaven a recipe on its own, while plain baking soda needs an acid added separately.
🔬 Two Things a Homemade Mix Won’t Automatically Match
The first is timing. Most baking powder sold in stores is double-acting. It releases a little gas as soon as it gets wet. Most of its lift comes once the batter hits oven heat. That gives you a window to mix, scoop, and get everything into the oven without losing lift. A homemade mix of baking soda and an acid is single-acting. It reacts fully the moment it touches liquid. Bake it as soon as it’s mixed, ideally in a preheated oven.
The second is flavor. Cream of tartar has almost no taste of its own, so it’s the closest match to store-bought baking powder. Vinegar and lemon juice both add a bit of tang, which works well in some recipes and clashes in others. Buttermilk, yogurt, and molasses bring their own flavor and moisture too. You may need to adjust the recipe’s other liquid to compensate.
Not every substitute even involves an acid. Self-rising flour has the leavening built into the flour itself. Whipped egg whites and carbonated water lift a batter through trapped air or bubbles, not a chemical reaction. They work a bit differently from the rest of this list.
The Best Baking Powder Substitutes
1. Baking Soda and Cream of Tartar (Best All-Purpose Substitute)
Cream of tartar is the most common acid paired with baking soda. It’s also the closest match to what’s already inside a can of baking powder. Whisk 1/4 teaspoon baking soda with 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar per teaspoon of baking powder called for. Add it to your dry ingredients as usual.
Because cream of tartar has almost no flavor, it won’t change the taste of the final dish. This combination is single-acting, so mix it into the batter right before baking rather than ahead of time.
✅ Best for: Any recipe calling for baking powder, especially cakes, cookies, and biscuits where flavor should stay neutral.
Ratio: 1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar per 1 teaspoon baking powder
Note: Single-acting. Mix in just before baking. See our guide on how long cream of tartar lasts.
2. Baking Soda and Vinegar or Lemon Juice (Best When You’re Out of Cream of Tartar)
White vinegar and lemon juice both react with baking soda the same way cream of tartar does. Use 1/4 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar or lemon juice per teaspoon of baking powder needed. Mix the baking soda into the dry ingredients. Add the vinegar or lemon juice with the wet ingredients.
Both add a faint tang. This works best in recipes with bold flavors, like spice cakes or citrus baked goods, where a little extra brightness won’t stand out. Apple cider vinegar works too, though it carries a bit more flavor than plain white vinegar. See our guide on apple cider vinegar storage if that’s what you keep on hand.
✅ Best for: Spice cakes, citrus baked goods, savory quick breads.
Ratio: 1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/2 teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice per 1 teaspoon baking powder
Note: Reacts immediately. Keep the vinegar or lemon juice separate from the baking soda until you’re ready to bake.
3. Baking Soda and Buttermilk, Yogurt, or Sour Milk (Best When You’re Already Baking With Dairy)
Buttermilk, plain yogurt, and sour milk are all acidic enough to activate baking soda on their own. Use 1/4 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 cup buttermilk, thinned yogurt, or sour milk in place of 1 teaspoon baking powder. This adds a lot of liquid. Reduce another liquid in the recipe by that same 1/2 cup.
Don’t have buttermilk on hand? You can sour regular milk yourself. Or see our full guide on what to use instead of buttermilk for more options.
✅ Best for: Pancakes, waffles, biscuits, and any recipe that already uses milk or cream.
Ratio: 1/4 tsp baking soda plus 1/2 cup buttermilk, yogurt, or sour milk per tsp baking powder
Note: Reduce another liquid in the recipe by 1/2 cup. See our guides on buttermilk storage and yogurt storage.
4. Baking Soda and Molasses (Best for Gingerbread and Spice Cakes)
Molasses is acidic enough to react with baking soda. It brings a deep, warm flavor that suits gingerbread, spice cakes, and barbecue sauce. Use 1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/4 cup molasses in place of 1 teaspoon baking powder.
Molasses adds both liquid and sugar. Cut back on another liquid in the recipe, and trim the sugar slightly to keep the sweetness balanced. This combination works best in recipes where a little molasses flavor is already welcome.
✅ Best for: Gingerbread, spice cakes, barbecue sauce, dark and hearty baked goods.
Ratio: 1/4 tsp baking soda plus 1/4 cup molasses per tsp baking powder
Note: Reduce another liquid and a little sugar to compensate. See our guide on molasses storage.
5. Self-Rising Flour (Best One-Step Swap)
Self-rising flour already has baking powder and salt mixed into it. It can replace both the flour and the baking powder in one move. Swap it in for the all-purpose flour, cup for cup. Skip any added baking powder and salt.
This only works if your recipe’s flour and baking powder amounts roughly match what’s already blended into self-rising flour. It won’t work for recipes built on a different flour, like whole wheat or almond flour. It also won’t work for recipes that need a stronger rise than a standard cup provides.
✅ Best for: Biscuits, pancakes, quick breads, and simple cakes built on all-purpose flour.
Ratio: Substitute 1:1 for the all-purpose flour, and omit the added baking powder and salt.
Note: Won’t work for recipes needing extra-strong leavening. See our guide on flour storage.
6. Whipped Egg Whites (Best for Cakes and Soufflés)
Whipped egg whites lift a batter physically instead of chemically. Beat egg whites until they hold soft or stiff peaks. Gently fold them into the batter last, after everything else is mixed. The trapped air bubbles expand in the oven’s heat and lift the batter. It’s the same lift you’d see in a soufflé or a sponge cake.
This technique doesn’t have a fixed ratio to match against baking powder. It shifts the texture of the finished dish toward something lighter and airier. It works best in recipes already built around eggs, rather than as a drop-in fix for a dense batter.
✅ Best for: Soufflés, sponge cakes, angel food cake, and other egg-forward recipes.
Ratio: No fixed measurement, fold in whipped whites gently at the end.
Note: Shifts texture toward light and airy. Best suited to recipes already built around eggs. See our guide on egg storage.
7. Baking Soda Alone (Best When the Recipe Already Has an Acidic Ingredient)
If your recipe already contains a natural acid, like brown sugar, honey, cocoa powder, citrus, buttermilk, or yogurt, you may be able to add baking soda by itself. You can skip the extra acid. Baking soda has roughly 4 times the leavening power of baking powder by volume. Start with about 1/4 the amount of baking powder the recipe calls for.
This is the least predictable substitute on this list. Recipes are usually balanced around baking powder’s built-in acid. The leftover acidity in other ingredients may not be enough to fully activate the soda. If the result falls short, the combinations above are more reliable.
✅ Best for: Recipes already rich in natural acid, as a last resort when nothing else is on hand.
Ratio: About 1/4 teaspoon baking soda per 1 teaspoon baking powder called for.
Note: Less reliable than pairing baking soda with a measured acid. Test a small batch first if you can.
8. Club Soda or Sparkling Water (Best Quick Lift for Pancakes and Waffles)
Club soda and sparkling water are both carbonated. That trapped carbon dioxide gives batters a light lift without any chemical reaction at all. Swap some of the recipe’s liquid for an equal amount of cold club soda or sparkling water. Add it right before cooking so the bubbles don’t escape.
This works best as a boost alongside another substitute rather than a full replacement for baking powder’s rise. It’s especially popular in pancake and waffle batters and beer-battered fried foods.
See also
✅ Best for: Pancakes, waffles, tempura, and beer-battered fried foods.
Ratio: Swap in for some of the recipe’s liquid, 1:1.
Note: Best combined with another substitute rather than used alone. Add right before cooking.
Substitute Comparison by Use Case
| Everyday cakes and cookies | Baking soda and cream of tartar | 1/4 tsp soda plus 1/2 tsp cream of tartar per 1 tsp baking powder | Neutral flavor, closest match to store-bought |
| Pancakes, waffles, biscuits | Baking soda and buttermilk or yogurt | 1/4 tsp soda plus 1/2 cup dairy per 1 tsp baking powder | Reduce another liquid by 1/2 cup |
| Gingerbread and spice cakes | Baking soda and molasses | 1/4 tsp soda plus 1/4 cup molasses per 1 tsp baking powder | Adds flavor, reduce liquid and sugar |
| Quick, one-step swap | Self-rising flour | 1:1 for the flour, omit added baking powder and salt | Only if the recipe uses plain all-purpose flour |
| Soufflés and sponge cakes | Whipped egg whites | No fixed ratio, fold in gently | Changes texture toward light and airy |
| Recipe already has natural acid | Baking soda alone | About 1/4 tsp per 1 tsp baking powder | Least predictable, test first |
| Pancake or waffle batter boost | Club soda or sparkling water | 1:1 swap for some liquid | Best combined with another substitute |
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I use instead of baking powder for pancakes?
Baking soda mixed with buttermilk, yogurt, or sour milk works especially well in pancakes, since the batter already calls for a liquid dairy ingredient. Use 1/4 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 cup buttermilk or yogurt in place of 1 teaspoon baking powder. Reduce another liquid in the recipe by that same amount. Baking soda and cream of tartar also works if you’d rather not change the batter’s liquid.
Can I use baking soda instead of baking powder?
Not on its own in most cases. Baking soda needs an acid to react, and baking powder already has one built in. If you only have baking soda, combine 1/4 teaspoon of it with 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar, vinegar, or lemon juice. Match that to every teaspoon of baking powder the recipe calls for.
What is the difference between baking soda and baking powder?
Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate. It needs an acidic ingredient, like buttermilk, yogurt, or citrus, already in the recipe to react and produce lift. Baking powder already contains both the sodium bicarbonate and a dry acid, plus a starch that keeps them apart until they get wet. That’s why baking powder can leaven a recipe on its own, while baking soda cannot.
Can I make my own baking powder at home?
Yes. Combine 1 part baking soda with 2 parts cream of tartar, and store the mix in a sealed, airtight container. Adding 1 part cornstarch helps absorb moisture and keeps the mixture from clumping or reacting early in storage. Use it the same way you would store-bought baking powder, measure for measure. See our guide on what to use instead of cornstarch if you’d rather skip that part too.
How do I know if my baking powder is still good?
Add about 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder to a few tablespoons of hot water. If it fizzes energetically, it’s still active. If the reaction is weak or there’s little to no bubbling, it’s time to replace it. See our guide on how long baking powder lasts for more on storage and shelf life.
Can I use self-rising flour instead of all-purpose flour and baking powder?
Yes, as long as your recipe uses all-purpose flour as its base. Substitute self-rising flour cup for cup. Skip the baking powder and salt the recipe calls for separately, since self-rising flour already has both. This won’t work for recipes built on a different flour, like whole wheat or a gluten-free blend.
What can I use instead of baking powder in cookies?
Baking soda and cream of tartar is the most reliable substitute for cookies, since it keeps the dough’s flavor neutral. Use 1/4 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar per teaspoon of baking powder called for. Mix it in right before baking.
What can I use instead of baking powder for biscuits?
Self-rising flour is the simplest fix for biscuits, since it already has both leavening and salt built in. If you only have all-purpose flour, baking soda mixed with buttermilk works especially well. Traditional biscuit recipes often already lean on buttermilk for tenderness and flavor.
Is homemade baking powder as good as store-bought?
It works well, with one difference to plan around. Most store-bought baking powder is double-acting, releasing gas once when it gets wet and again when it hits oven heat. A homemade mix of baking soda and an acid is single-acting, reacting fully as soon as it’s wet. Get homemade versions into the oven quickly rather than letting the batter sit.
Can I substitute baking powder for baking soda?
Yes, but you’ll need much more of it, and it can affect the flavor. Baking powder has roughly a quarter of baking soda’s leavening strength. Use about 3 teaspoons of baking powder for every 1 teaspoon of baking soda called for. That much extra sodium bicarbonate and acid can read as a slightly salty, mineral flavor, so consider cutting back on any added salt in the recipe to balance it out.
What is a low-sodium substitute for baking powder?
Regular baking powder is a source of sodium, which matters if you’re watching blood pressure or heart health. Swap in potassium bicarbonate for the baking soda in any of the combinations above, most often 1 part potassium bicarbonate to 2 parts cream of tartar. It leavens the same way baking soda does, just without the added sodium.
What is a dairy-free substitute for baking powder?
Baking soda and cream of tartar is naturally dairy-free, and so is baking soda mixed with vinegar, lemon juice, or molasses. If a recipe leans on buttermilk or yogurt for the acid, swap in an unsweetened plant-based yogurt, like soy or almond, at the same 1/2 cup measurement. It’s acidic enough to activate the baking soda the same way dairy does.
For more on keeping baking powder fresh, see our guide on how long baking powder lasts. Working through the rest of your pantry substitutes today? Check out our guides on what to use instead of breadcrumbs and what to use instead of buttermilk. There’s also what to use instead of cornstarch. Or see our guide on egg substitutes for cooking and baking.
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