Buttermilk, plain yogurt, sour milk, molasses, cream of tartar, lemon juice and vinegar are some of the best baking powder substitute in your kitchen.

Baking powder is used in baking goods to help them rise properly. Without it or a substitute for it, your bread and other baked goods will be flat, without the presence of the light and fluffy texture which is the hallmark of baking. Baking powder has sodium bicarbonate in it, which is a “base,” as opposed to an “acid.” It’s mixed with an acid, such as cornstarch or cream of tartar to counteract it. When baking, it gets combined with water and the cream of tartar or the cornstarch in it gets together for a chemical reaction.

This process forms and releases carbon dioxide. That’s where you get bubbles in the baked goods, which cause it to rise, giving the light texture. ¹ Baking soda, then, can’t be used to replace baking powder, because it doesn’t have the “acid” component (cream of tartar or corn starch) to cause the baked goods to rise appropriately. In recipes, you will notice that you will mix the baking powder into the flour and other ingredients, adding the liquid at the end. This is to ensure the process of rising at the proper time.

Baking powder is extremely low in carbohydrates, with only 1.3 grams per tablespoon of total carbohydrates, zero fat and only a little over 2 calories. The worst part about it, though, is the high sodium or salt content which can be close to 500 mg per tablespoon. Whether you have diabetes or are out of the traditional baking powder, you may want to consider substituting baking powder due to its high salt content. The question, however, is: what can you substitute it with so that your baked goods will still rise properly and also have the desired texture? The good news is that there are many options. In this article, we will discuss seven such options:

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7 Must Know Best Baking Powder Substitute

Buttermilk

Buttermilk is fermented. It has a sour taste similar to yogurt and is made when cream is churned. Bacteria is added when it’s manufactured commercially, which allows the product to ferment. Fermenting the cream turns it from mostly sugar to an acid. You can get your baked goods to rise by using buttermilk mixed with baking soda. For any recipes, you will want to add a half cup of buttermilk and a quarter teaspoon of baking soda to your mixture. This will be a great and equal substitute to one teaspoon of baking powder. You will have to reconsider the amount of the other liquids called in your recipe. If you were to use a cup of milk in the recipe, reduce that amount by half, to one half cup of liquid.

Plain yogurt

Plain greek yogurt can also be used to substitute baking powder in your baked goods. It is similarly manufactured as the buttermilk where a fermentation process is used to turn it to an acid. The sugars get broken down which increases the release of lactic acid. ⁵ you will want to use the plain variety, as flavored varieties can move the ph of the mixture to a more “basic” level. You can use plain yogurt in your baked goods by swapping out one teaspoon of baking powder with one quarter teaspoon of baking soda and one half cup of yogurt. You will also want to account for any extra liquids in your recipe by reducing them by the amount of yogurt (one half cup).

Watch Video: 7 Baking Powder Substitutes You Must Have in Your Kitchen

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Sour milk

This may sound strange, but you can use soured milk in your recipes in the place of baking powder. Why? Because soured milk already contains the bacteria in it that turns it to an acid chemically. You will get the same rising ability in baked goods as you would with baking powder. Again, reduce the amount of liquids in the recipe like you would do when substituting buttermilk or plain yogurt. It’s still a half cup of sour milk that you will use to substitute for one teaspoon of baking powder, plus a fourth or quarter teaspoon of baking soda.

Molasses

A thick, syrupy natural sweetener, molasses is an old-timer baking secret for sweetening cakes, cookies, breads and other baked goods. It’s also good for using when you’re out of baking powder, or when your doctor doesn’t want you to have all the sodium or salt. If you have diabetes, you need to account for the carbohydrates in molasses. It is sugar, after all. When added to baking soda, molasses combines to chemically form an acid. For baking, put in about a fourth or quarter cup of molasses along with a fourth or quarter teaspoon of baking soda. That will replace one teaspoon of your baking powder. It’s a liquid sugar, so adjust the amount of liquids that your recipe calls for.

Cream of tartar

Another acidic ingredient, cream of tartar is a powdery white substance that occurs after wine has been made. It’s used in other baking techniques, such as making meringue to keep the egg whites fluffy. You can use it as a substitute for your baking needs when you don’t have baking powder, by using twice as much cream of tartar to baking soda. Replace one teaspoon of baking powder with one quarter or one fourth baking soda and a half teaspoon of cream of tartar.

Lemon juice

Another acidy option is lemon juice. It will help to start off the rising process in your baked goods. Lemons are strong in taste and flavor due to the citric acid in them. If you want to use it in recipes, then use it in those that only call for a little bit of baking powder. For no more than one teaspoon of baking powder, substitute one quarter or one fourth teaspoon lemon juice plus a half teaspoon of baking soda. If you don’t like the strong taste it gives your baked goods, try one of our other options here.

Vinegar

Vinegar is by nature an acid, so you can use it as a substitute for baking powder. If used in small amounts, you won’t notice the taste of it in your baking. It will help cookies, cakes and breads rise if you use the white variety of vinegar, and not the apple cider kind. The white vinegar is clear, and apple cider vinegar is yellowish brown, so be sure to get the white kind. Apple cider vinegar gives too strong of a taste for use in baking. Use one quarter or fourth teaspoon of baking soda mixed with one half teaspoon of white vinegar to replace one teaspoon of baking powder.

Therefore, you can safely use these baking powder substitutes without the fear of any side effects. Always remember that more often than not, nature has some magical substitutes for artificial things, so it is always better to use the natural things.