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 Automat
