Baking Powder Substitute: Exact Ratios With Baking Soda, Cream of Tartar or Buttermilk
Baking powder is just baking soda with a dry acid already mixed in. Supply the acid yourself and you can rebuild it, as long as you get the ratio and the timing right.
To replace 1 teaspoon of baking powder, mix 1/4 teaspoon baking soda with 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar. If you have no cream of tartar, combine 1/4 teaspoon baking soda with 1/2 cup (about 113 g) buttermilk or plain yogurt and cut the recipe’s other liquid by 1/2 cup. Either way, get the batter into the oven promptly, because homemade versions start reacting as soon as they get wet.
Why these swaps work
Baking powder is a ready-made mix of three things: baking soda (an alkali), one or more dry acids, and a little starch to keep them dry and separate in the can. When liquid is added, the acid and soda react and release carbon dioxide, which inflates the bubbles you created while mixing. Most supermarket powders are double-acting: one acid reacts in the bowl and a second reacts only with oven heat.
So a substitute needs only two parts: baking soda and an acid. Cream of tartar is a dry acid, and buttermilk, yogurt, lemon juice and vinegar are wet acids. What a homemade mix cannot copy is the second, heat-triggered reaction, which is why speed matters. For the full background, read baking powder vs baking soda.
Baking powder substitutes and ratios
| To replace 1 tsp (about 4 g) baking powder | Use | Adjust |
|---|---|---|
| Soda + cream of tartar | 1/4 tsp baking soda + 1/2 tsp cream of tartar | Nothing else; closest neutral flavor |
| Soda + buttermilk | 1/4 tsp baking soda + 1/2 cup (about 113 g) buttermilk | Reduce other liquid by 1/2 cup |
| Soda + plain yogurt | 1/4 tsp baking soda + 1/2 cup (about 113 g) yogurt | Reduce other liquid by 1/2 cup; batter will be thicker |
| Soda + lemon juice or vinegar | 1/4 tsp baking soda + 1/2 tsp lemon juice or white vinegar | Add the acid with the wet ingredients |
| Self-rising flour | Swap 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour for 1 cup self-rising | Omit about 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt per cup |
Baking powder and soda weights follow the King Arthur weight chart (baking powder 4 g per teaspoon, baking soda 3 g per 1/2 teaspoon). The soda to cream of tartar ratio of 1:2 is the standard home formula.
Method 1: Baking soda + cream of tartar
- For each teaspoon of baking powder in the recipe, measure 1/4 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar.
- Whisk them thoroughly into the flour and other dry ingredients so no pockets of soda remain. Pockets of soda can leave bitter, yellowish spots.
- Mix the batter as the recipe says, fill the pans and bake right away.
You can make a small batch ahead (for example, 1 tablespoon soda to 2 tablespoons cream of tartar), but without the starch it clumps in humid kitchens. Mixing it fresh is easier.
Method 2: Baking soda + a wet acid
This is the classic choice when the pantry has buttermilk or yogurt but no cream of tartar. The buttermilk is both the liquid and the acid, so you have to take the same amount of liquid out elsewhere.
- Work out how much baking powder the recipe uses. Each teaspoon becomes 1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/2 cup buttermilk or yogurt.
- Reduce the milk or water in the recipe by the same volume of buttermilk you are adding.
- Add the soda to the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the wet ingredients.
- Combine gently and bake immediately.
If your recipe has no other liquid to reduce, this method will thin the batter too much. Use cream of tartar or the lemon juice version instead. No buttermilk? The buttermilk substitute method (soured milk) works here too.
Lemon juice or vinegar
Lemon juice and vinegar are strong acids by volume, so only a small amount is needed: about 1/2 teaspoon with 1/4 teaspoon baking soda per teaspoon of baking powder. This works best in recipes that already have plenty of flavor (spice, chocolate, banana), where a slight tang will not stand out.
Method 3: Self-rising flour
US self-rising flour already contains baking powder and salt, commonly about 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt per cup. If your recipe uses 1 1/2–2 teaspoons baking powder per cup of flour, as many muffin recipes do, you can use self-rising flour and leave out most of the baking powder and salt. UK self-raising flour usually contains no salt, so keep the recipe’s salt. More detail is in the self-rising flour guide.
What does not work
- Baking soda alone. Without an acid, soda gives weak lift and a soapy, metallic taste. Only swap soda alone if the recipe already has enough acid (buttermilk, yogurt, brown sugar, natural cocoa, honey) and you use roughly 1/4 to 1/3 of the baking powder amount.
- Yeast. Yeast needs time and a different mixing method. It turns a muffin into a bread roll.
- Whipped egg whites can add some lift to pancakes and waffles, but they cannot replace chemical leavening in a thick muffin batter.
Is your baking powder still good?
Old baking powder is a common cause of flat muffins, and checking it takes a minute. Stir 1/2 teaspoon into 1/4 cup of hot water. Fresh powder bubbles vigorously right away; little or no fizz means it is time for a new can. Store it tightly closed, away from heat and steam, and note the date you open it. Flat tops are covered in why muffins have flat tops.
Bottom line
For every teaspoon of baking powder, use 1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar. If you only have buttermilk or yogurt, use 1/4 teaspoon soda with 1/2 cup of it and remove 1/2 cup of other liquid. Mix the soda evenly into the flour and bake right away, since a homemade mix has only one reaction to give.
FAQ
Can I use baking soda instead of baking powder?
Only with an acid. Baking soda is roughly three to four times stronger than baking powder, so use about 1/4 teaspoon per teaspoon of powder and add cream of tartar, buttermilk, yogurt or lemon juice to react with it.
Will homemade baking powder change the taste?
Soda with cream of tartar tastes close to commercial powder. Too much soda, or soda that is not mixed evenly, can taste bitter or soapy, so measure carefully and whisk it into the flour.
Why do some recipes use both baking powder and soda?
The soda neutralizes acidic ingredients such as buttermilk and helps browning, while the powder provides reliable extra lift. If you replace the powder, keep the recipe’s original soda as written.
Can I make the batter ahead with homemade baking powder?
Not ideal. A soda and acid mix reacts mostly in the bowl, so batter left standing loses lift. Bake within a few minutes of mixing.
