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10 Best Baking Powder Substitutes Out of baking powder? These ingredients will work in a pinch. It happens to the best of us: You’re in the middle of a baking project and you realize you’re missing an ingredient. Sometimes you can just wing it, but if you’re out of baking powder, things get a little trickier—it’s not something you can just leave out of a recipe. And if you’re like Ree Drummond, you may not be able to just pop out to the supermarket—her nearest grocery store is 30 minutes away! First things first: Baking powder and baking soda are not the same, so you can’t just swap one for the other. Both are leavening agents, but they act differently in recipes.
Baking powder is actually baking soda mixed with an acid. When baking powder comes in contact with a liquid, it releases carbon dioxide bubbles, which cause baked goods to rise. Most baking powder that you buy at the store is “double-acting,” which means it’s activated once when it hits liquid and again when it’s heated. Another important thing to remember—baking powder doesn’t last forever. It’s usually good for about 12 months if stored in a cool, dry place, but, like any ingredient, it can go bad sooner.
Always check the expiration date to start. The best baking powder substitute is a mix of baking soda and cream of tartar. The cream of tartar adds acidity to the baking soda—it’s basically homemade baking powder. Use this in a pinch, or make a larger batch and store it in an airtight container for baking powder emergencies. Buttermilk is very acidic, so it works well to activate baking soda—which makes the duo a great baking powder substitute. Yogurt is another acidic ingredient that, when mixed with baking soda, can mimic the effects of baking powder. If your milk has turned sour but isn’t curdled yet, that means it has started to undergo the process of fermentation and contains lactic acid, which will activate baking soda.