In the middle of a recipe and just realized that you are all out of baking powder? No worries, that’s where this easy substitution for homemade Baking Powder comes in!
Homemade Baking Powder Substitute
As you might already know, I don’t live near a town so running to the nearest store to pick up a missing ingredient at all hours of the day isn’t something that I’m able to do. Substitutions are such an important skill to learn if you want to keep a frugal pantry. Not only will it save you a trip to the store (gas & time), it will save you money on the item and on whatever other items you might happen to pick up while you are there!
I recently ran out of Baking Powder while in the middle of my Pantry Challenge month and had to make my own homemade baking powder all month long. I’m happy to report that this recipe works very well in a variety of baked goods and I always had luck with using it in whatever I was making, from pancakes to quick breads.
Grab the recipe below and print it for your Recipe Binder to have it on hand when you need it!
Homemade Baking Powder Recipe
How to make your own baking powder substitute.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon Baking Soda
- 1/4 cup Cream of Tartar
Instructions
-
Combine ingredients together in a small bowl and mix until well combined.
Store in a jelly size mason jar until ready to use. You can use this as a 1:1 ratio substitute in any recipe that calls for baking powder. Example: if a recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of baking powder you can use 1 teaspoon of this blend.
I know that Cream of Tartar isn’t something that you might always have on hand, but it’s a good idea to have at least a small amount of it just in case something like this comes up! You can also use it for making Homemade Playdough for your kids! I buy mine in bulk from Azure Standard because I use it fairly often for projects like this.
You can find a full list of easy recipes substitutions on my Frugal Substitutions post. These types of recipes are always good to have on hand in your kitchen because you never know when you will be in the middle of a recipe and run out of something! Each substitution can save you a trip to the grocery store.
If you are looking for more recipes similar to this one, you can find them in my Make Your Own page.
And if you need something to make right now with this perfect baking powder substitute, here are some recipes!
- Baking Powder Biscuit Recipe
- Raspberry Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Homemade Pancake Mix
- Coffee Cake Recipe from Scratch
- Old Fashioned Sour Cream Cookies
- Sweet Potato Biscuit Recipe
This Baking Powder Substitute recipe was originally posted on Little House Living in February 2018. It has been updated as of March 2020.
Now to make sure the Cream of Tartar is around! 🙂
I’ve been making my own because all store-bought baking powder has cornstarch and we are a grain free family; however, my recipe calls for Arrowroot or tapioca powder. Does it work just as well without those?
This is the exact recipe that we’ve been using (I’ve not tried it with added cornstarch or arrowroot) and it works perfectly!
Hi Merissa,
Based on an article I picked up on-line around 10-12 years ago, this is the formulation I use:
Baking powder
A leavener containing a combination of baking soda, an acid (such as cream of tartar) and a moisture-absorber (such as cornstarch). When mixed with liquid, baking powder releases carbon dioxide gas bubbles that cause a bread or cake to rise. The most common kind is double-acting, which releases some gas when it becomes wet and the rest when exposed to oven heat. Because it’s perishable, baking powder should be kept in a cool, dry place. Always check the date on the bottom of a baking powder can before purchasing it. To test if a baking powder still packs a punch, combine 1 teaspoon of it with 1/3 cup hot water. If it bubbles enthusiastically, it’s fine.
Sift together:
2 tablespoons cream of tartar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon baking soda
🙂
I had no idea making your own baking powder was a thing. There’s nothing worse than getting ready to fix a meal and realizing you are missing something! Thanks for sharing!
I didn’t realize it was so easy to make your homemade baking powder. This will definitely come in handy when I run out of baking powder since I live 40 minutes away from town! Thank you for the post! 🙂
Nice – I never knew about this and I’m sure it will come in handy 🙂
I don’t add cornstarch either, and works just fine.
Excellent idea! During COVID-19 quarantine, I may just run out of baking powder after making a lot of bread…from whole wheat that I put through a grain grinder. So this recipe has been printed.
I’m glad you can use this!