5 Baking Powder Substitutes Bakers Swear By

baking powder substitutes

Baking for every baker can be a very interesting task especially when you have all the ingredients to make it turn out right but making is not limited to bakers alone, you might find the task thrilling and enjoyable.

Baking powder is a common ingredient in baking for lightening and adding volume to the texture of baked goods and oftentimes you might wonder if you can find a good substitute for baking powder.

Baking powder might not always be readily available so knowing about other substitutes that bakers confirmed works perfectly would definitely come in handy.

Whether you are an acclaimed pastry chef or home cook, more knowledge can’t be wasted, this post would enlighten you on how you can substitute baking powder with other ingredients and some other interesting facts about baking.

What Is Baking Powder?

Knowing what baking powder is and what exactly it does to your baked goods might help decide how they can be substituted without ruining the normal texture of your baked goods. Baking powder is a dry chemical leavening agent that is frequently used in baking, it is used to increase the volume and lighten the texture of baked goods (1).

Baking powder has also been known to be substituted for yeast in fermenting but an excess of baking powder might enlarge the bubbles and cause them to fall.

Baking powder is usually a common baking ingredient but recently more bakers and cooks are substituting it for more interesting ingredients that give your baking goods more interesting taste and look.

Can I Use Baking Soda Instead Of Baking Powder?

baking flour

The closest substitute for baking powder is definitely baking soda, although the two might be similar but required in a different amount, baking soda offers the same thing to your cookies just like baking powder, 3 tsp of baking powder means 1 tsp of baking soda.

Baking soda just pure sodium bicarbonate so unless you are adding other acid components like buttermilk, brown sugar or chocolate in order for your goods to rise, if not then you might want to use baking powder (2).

Baking sod might be another leavening agent that replaces baking powder but they are not the same chemical and baking soda does require some experimentation to get it right before actuially baking with it. Baking needs less of baking soda than it does of baking powder and baking soda can be mixed with other baking powder substitute although in very little quantity.

What happens If I Don’t Use Baking Powder?

A lot of people would say it’s the addition of baking powder that makes baking odds especially muffins rise and not adding it would give you a flat and somewhat hard baked goods, baking powder really did help any baked goods to rise in the oven and also contribute to its smooth texture and taste, this does not all apply to all baked goods though as flatbreads, tortillas and crackers can do without it (3).

Baking powder is leavening acid which makes your baked good to rise, such as muffins but as long as you are substituting it with another acidic leavening with the same ph level, you would get the same effect but all baking powder sunstitute works differently and choosing a replacement for baking powder depends on the taste you plan to achieve.

Can Using Of Other Baking Substitute Cause Your Baking To Go Bad?

This solely depends on what you are baking but frankly there are some bicarbonate that would make your baking turn out just as fine as using a baking powder would do (4), not using any leavening agent at all for your baking is when you should worry but if you did get a nice substitute that still increases the volume and soften the texture of your cake then you should go for it.

It is also important to know how to choose the right substitute for baking, every baked good as it’s a different reaction to the leavening agent you use.

5 Baking Powder Substitute Bakers Swear By

It is paramount to keep in mind that any substitute you choose for baking powder depends on what you are baking and how you want it to taste. Here are 5 baking powder substitute you can trust in baking almost anything.

1. Whipped Egg White

Baking powder substitutes

Just as baking powder can give your baked goods tiny light bubbles, whipped egg white can do that which makes it a perfect substitute for baking, you can baking soda to give it the right texture, it also increases the volume of your baked goods and gives it smooth texture just as baking powder would (7). An egg is also very easy to use as a substitute.

The amount of egg you need depends on what you are baking, beat the eggs lightly until it becomes foamy then gently increase the speed until soft peaks are forming, after this, you can add the baking ingredients into your egg white.

2. Buttermilk

Buttermilk is one of the perfect substitute to baking powder because of it’s acidity it is also a perfect match with baking soda and it produces the same leavening effect baking powder would give you, buttermilk is a fermented product with a slightly sour taste and is often compared to plain yogurt (5). You might want to decrease the quantity of other liquid ingredients you are adding in order to maintain your desired texture.

Bakers advised ½ a cup of buttermilk plus ¼ teaspoon of baking soda to make up for lack of baking powder, this will also maintain the texture and consistency of the baked good.

Store-bought buttermilk might be better in this regard as they are more tangier, thicker and more acidic than homemade buttermilk. Another good thing about buttermilk is you can freeze it till the next time you need it which gives it another subtle taste (6).

3.  Plain Yogurt

greek yogurt

Just like buttermilk plain yogurt serves well in place of baking powder, plain yogurt might not leave any special flavor so it is best to add some other leavening agent to it, plain does have an acidic Ph which makes it more suiting as a replacement for baking powder, it’s plain taste might make you want to use the natural one but the plain yogurt is more suitable due to its ph level which is highly needed to increase the volume and texture (8).

Using plain yogurt is a lot easier to, all you need to do is mix your dry ingredient in a bowl with 1 teaspoon of baking soda and add ½ cup of yogurt to the mixture, reduce the amount of other liquid to make up for the yogurt added.

4. Lemon Juice

lemon juice benefits
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Lemon juice is very easy to find and anytime you can’t find a baking powder nearby, you can easily switch to using lemon juice, it contains a high level of citric acid which makes it even more perfect, a minimum amount might be required then as too much might give your baked good a strong sour taste or you can best go for recipes that require less of baking powder (9).

½ teaspoon of lemon coupled with ¼ teaspoon of baking soda would do just fine. Lemon can be very acidic hence is best to use very little of it.

5. Vinegar

vaginal cysts home remedies

Vinegar is a popular replacement for baking powder, vinegar can be easily found in the kitchen,  it is produced through fermentation which makes the flavor strong and distinctive more than lemon juice, it’s acidity level also makes it perfect for replacing baking powder and makes baking turn out twice as nice as baking powder would. Vinegar also contributes to making your cake rise in the oven but just like lemon, you need very little of it (10).

1 teaspoon of baking powder equals ½ teaspoon of vinegar and ½ teaspoon of baking soda.

How To Choose The Best Baking Powder Substitute

Before you start baking, you need to decide the kind of flavor you are aiming for,  some type of baking powder substitute might taste well in a cake but give an entirely different taste for a muffin. The taste you desire for your baked goods will help determine what baking powder substitute you might want to use for instance vinegar does have a sour, sharp distinctive taste and is best suited for baking goods that require less of it (11).

If you also plan to use more liquid baking powder substitute, it would require reducing other liquid ingredients in it so as to maintain a firm texture of your bakings. The ingredients in your recipe also need to be adjusted to blend in with your desired substitute for baking powder.

Baking can be really interesting and turn out just the way you want if the right baking powder substitute is used and accuracy and the right measurement of all ingredients are also important.


Irrespective of the substitute you are using, it’s important not to use too much of it in order not to ruin the texture or make the batter too soft, the purpose of it all is to make your baking more interesting, tasty and if you can’t find a baking powder close by. Baking gets even more fun when there is something to experiment with.

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