With this acid, buttermilk can be mixed with baking soda which produces a very similar leavening effect as baking powder. This is then left to ferment which breaks down the sugars into acids. Unless you find traditional, old-fashioned buttermilk which is created as a by-product of sweet cream that is churned into butter, you will probably end up with the commercial kind.Ĭommercial buttermilk is generally formed by combining bacterial cultures with milk. It has a slightly tangy, sour taste that is a little like plain yogurt. This fermented dairy product is a superb alternative to baking powder. Nonetheless, if you’re worried about your pancake smelling and tasting like white vinegar, add a pinch more sugar to the recipe as this should offset any vinegar taste. This shouldn’t affect the taste much either which is always a positive. To replace 1 teaspoon of baking powder, all you need is ½ teaspoon of vinegar and ¼ teaspoon of baking soda. When you combine this with baking soda, carbon dioxide gas is released. Vinegar is, indeed, a fantastic substitute for baking powder in baked goods. Some are better than others but let’s take a look at the best 10 below so you can get baking as soon as possible. There are many substitutes for baking powder. Now that you know what baking powder is, let’s delve into the different substitutes for baking powder that you may have lying around. Put acid and salt together and this equals fluffy baked goods. In order to have an equal leavening effect as baking powder, soda has to be combined with an acid.Īs you can see, the equation is quite simple. Baking soda only consists of sodium bicarbonate and doesn’t include the vital acid component. However, while you may believe they are the same, this simply isn’t true. Many people get confused between baking powder and baking soda. So next time you are tucking into your fluffy pancakes and skyscraper muffins, thank good old baking powder because, without this ingredient, your pancakes, cakes, muffins, and more baked goods would probably be heavy and flat. You are then left with added volume for all manners of baked goods. This results in the formation of various bubbles which cause the mixture to expand. When baking powder is combined with water, its acid reacts with the sodium bicarbonate and releases carbon dioxide gas into a batter or dough through an acid-base reaction. The magic behind how baking powder makes baked goods rise is through chemistry. It can also contain a buffer/filler (i.e. It contains a mixture of sodium bicarbonate (known as a base in chemistry and baking soda to the rest of us) and an acid such as cream of tartar. This magic ingredient helps make your baked goods soft and fluffy with more volume. First, we should look at what baking powder is and how it works so well in different baking recipes.īaking powder is essentially a leavening agent that is regularly used in baking.

Recipes with baking powder