Easy Baking Powder Substitutes

Many recipes call for baking powder, but who bakes enough to use a whole can before it expires? In fact, I learned the hard way about best-use-by-dates when we tried baking a cake with an old can of baking powder. I’ll bet you can guess what happened — we ended up with a flat cake. So, if you want to avoid flat cookies and cakes in the future and you’ve got expired baking soda, here are 12 substitutes to consider.

Why you need baking powder

Here are a few reasons why you need baking powder when you bake. For starters, like eggs, baking powder acts as a leavening agent. It helps baked goods rise — you know, unlike Passover matzah. That’s supposed to be unleavened for the holiday.

Baking powder also gives cookies, cakes and quick breads a fluffy, light and porous structure. And if you want those baked goods to have an airy, light texture, then you need to not skip the baking powder in a recipe.

Inactive or expired baking powder won’t work correctly in your recipes. Baked goods will end up dense and tough because they won’t rise. While you should take note of the expiration date on a can of baking powder, you can try this homemade, DIY method for testing whether or not baking powder is still good.

Take a half a teaspoon of baking powder and stir it into a cup of hot water. If it starts to fizz, it’s still good. If nothing happens, it is expired and inactive and therefore needs to be thrown out.

Common baking powder substitutes

Baking powder usually contains cream of tartar, which is a dry acid that will produce carbon dioxide bubbles when added. It is usually called for in recipes that don’t have an acidic ingredient like buttermilk or molasses. Substitutes must contain an acid to create the same effect.

Here are 12 baking powder substitutes. Note: most require baking soda, so make sure you have a fresh box on hand. You definitely don’t want to try to make a baking powder alternative with expired baking soda. Then it definitely won’t work.

Homemade baking powder

Homemade baking powder has baking soda, cream of tartar, and cornstarch. To replace 1 teaspoon of baking powder, mix the following:

• 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar
• 1/4 teaspoon of cornstarch

Cream of tartar and baking soda

Cream of tartar is the acid that is typically in baking powder, so if you combine it with baking soda, you are good to go. To get a substitute for one teaspoon of baking powder, combine one-quarter teaspoon of baking soda plus five-eighths of a teaspoon of cream of tartar. That’s what Michelle Price of Honest and Truly does when she realizes she’s out of baking powder.

“It works for things like muffins and quick breads without changing the taste,” she says. “Though it isn’t quite as effective as traditional baking powder, it works in a pinch.”

Baking soda and yogurt

Yogurt is slightly acidic, so that is where the acid comes from in this substitution. One-quarter teaspoon of baking soda plus one-half cup of yogurt replaces one teaspoon of baking powder. Reduce the wet ingredients in your recipe by about one-half cup to maintain the right ratios.

Vinegar and baking soda

White vinegar has the most neutral flavor, but any type of vinegar can be used. It will still add a little flavor to your cake, muffins or other baked goods. To replace one teaspoon of baking powder, mix one teaspoon of vinegar plus one-quarter teaspoon of baking soda.

Baking soda and buttermilk

Buttermilk is acidic, so it can be combined with baking soda to substitute baking powder. One-half cup buttermilk plus one-quarter teaspoon baking soda replaces one teaspoon of baking powder. To maintain the correct consistency in your recipe, reduce the other liquids by one-half cup.

Baking soda and sour milk

Here’s a way to use milk that has started to go bad. That is, it smells off but hasn’t curdled yet, meaning it is starting to go through fermentation. It contains lactic acid, which will activate baking soda.

One-half cup of sour milk plus one-quarter teaspoon of baking soda replaces one teaspoon of baking powder. Reduce the other liquids in your recipe by one-half cup to maintain the correct consistency.

Lemon juice and baking soda

Lemon juice will alter the flavor of your dish, so only use this if you don’t mind some lemon flavor or have no other options. To replace one teaspoon of baking powder, you’ll need one teaspoon of lemon juice plus one-quarter teaspoon of baking soda.

Baking soda and molasses

Molasses has enough acid to create carbon dioxide when combined with baking soda. One-quarter cup of molasses plus one-quarter teaspoon of baking soda replaces one teaspoon of baking powder. Molasses has a strong flavor, so only use it if you don’t mind changing the flavor of what you are making.

Self-rising flour

Self-rising flour is made from all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt, so it has everything needed to make baked goods, like cookies, rise. Replace the regular flour in your recipe with self-rising flour without adding baking powder or baking soda, and you’ll be good to go.

Whipped egg whites

Whipping egg whites creates air bubbles which help increase the volume and lightness of baked goods. This method doesn’t add much volume, so it is best when making pancakes or waffles because they don’t need much height. One egg white replaces one teaspoon of baking powder.

Club soda

Club soda adds bubbles, which is what baking powder creates. It doesn’t have much sodium bicarbonate, so it works best in baked goods that don’t need much added volume like pancakes or waffles. For best results, replace all of the liquid in your recipe with club soda — unless the other liquids added flavor.

Soft drinks

Soda pop is very sweet, so this one works best in cakes or cupcakes. They won’t rise as much as normal, though. When choosing the soft drink you want to use as a baking powder substitute, keep colors in mind. That is, clear sodas such as Sprite and 7-Up are best in yellow cakes. On the other hand, Coke and Pepsi are best in chocolate cakes.

Just like with club soda, replace all of the liquid in your recipe with the soda pop. Because soft drinks tend to be very sweet, you may want to add less sugar than your recipe calls for so it doesn’t end up overwhelmingly and sickly sweet when baked.

Final thoughts

When using a substitute, it’s important to remember that your recipe may not turn out exactly like the original. Baking powder substitutes will help your baked goods rise, but not as well as baking powder itself. However, if you find yourself in the middle of a recipe and realize you don’t have baking powder on hand, at least now you have a dozen different ways to create a substitute you can use easily.

Portions of this article originally appeared on Food Drink Life.