Keto-Friendly Baking Powder Substitute

Baking powder is an important ingredient in low carb and keto baking. Truth be told, it’s an important ingredient in any kind of baking. What happens if you discover yours has expired or you are simply out of it? You can use a baking powder substitute. Read on to discover everyday pantry items that can act as a baking powder alternative.

Why You Need Baking Powder

You need baking powder because it acts as a leavening agent. Put simply, it helps baked goods rise.

Baking powder provides cookies, quick breads and even mug cakes with a fluffy, light and porous structure. If you want your baked goods to have an airy texture, it’s essential not to skip the baking powder in your recipe.

And you need to make sure it is fresh. Inactive or expired baking powder won’t work correctly in your recipes. Baked goods simply won’t rise. In the photo here, the low-carb bread on the left used fresh baking powder. The low carb bread on the right used expired baking powder. See the difference?

Testing Baking Powder for Freshness

While it’s important to pay attention to the expiration date on a can of baking powder, you can also use this homemade method to test whether your baking powder is still good — regardless of what the date on the can says.

1. Take a half a teaspoon of baking powder.
2. Stir it into a cup of hot water.
3. If it starts to fizz, it’s still good.
4. If nothing happens, it is expired and inactive and therefore needs to be thrown out.

I should have used this hack before trying to bake the flat loaf shown above. And I’ll try to remember to do this in the future, if I’m uncertain if my baking powder is still good. Nonetheless, I went out to the grocery store and bought more because I have more baking to do for this blog in the coming days and weeks.

Baking Powder Substitute Suggestions

Anyway, what if you can’t run out to the store? Or, you find yourself in the middle of a recipe and realize you’re out of baking powder or yours has gone bad? Here are a handful of substitutes to consider — many of which you might already have in your pantry or refrigerator. I’ve only suggested alternatives that won’t add unnecessary sugar or carbs to your recipes.

One note: most of these alternatives require baking soda, so make sure you have a fresh box on hand. You definitely don’t want to try to make a baking powder alternative with expired baking soda. Then it definitely won’t work.

Baking Soda and Buttermilk

Buttermilk is acidic, making it a great combination with baking soda to substitute for baking powder. To replace one teaspoon of baking powder, use one-half cup of buttermilk and one-quarter teaspoon of baking soda. To maintain the correct consistency in your recipe, reduce the other liquids by one-half cup.

Homemade baking powder

Homemade baking powder has baking soda, cream of tartar, and cornstarch. To replace 1 teaspoon of baking powder, mix the following:

• 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar
• 1/4 teaspoon of cornstarch

Both cornstarch and cream of tartar are supposed to have a long shelf life. However, like with many things, it all depends on how it is stored. Recently, I learned that cream of tartar can become deactivated if it isn’t stored properly in a dry place or in an airtight container where it is safe from humidity.

Cream of tartar and baking soda

Cream of tartar is the acid that is typically in baking powder, so if you combine it with baking soda, you are good to go. To get a substitute for one teaspoon of baking powder, combine one-quarter teaspoon of baking soda plus five-eighths of a teaspoon of cream of tartar. Again, caveat emptor only if you know your cream of tartar is still good. You can test this by adding a small amount of cream of tartar and baking soda to warm water. As long as it starts foaming, then you know they’re both still good to use and acting as they should as leavening agents.

Baking soda and yogurt

Yogurt is slightly acidic, which provides the necessary acid for this substitution. To replace one teaspoon of baking powder, use one-quarter teaspoon of baking soda combined with one-half cup of yogurt. To maintain the right ratios in your recipe, reduce the wet ingredients by about one-half cup. Also, make sure you watch the carbs.

Vinegar and baking soda

It might seem like a mistake to use vinegar and baking soda because, well, science experiments. But it does work. Also, since vinegar can have a strong flavor and might affect your recipe, use white vinegar only. To replace one teaspoon of baking powder, mix one teaspoon of vinegar plus one-quarter teaspoon of baking soda. You will have some foaming.

Baking soda and sour milk

Here’s a way to use milk that has started to go bad but hasn’t curdled yet, indicating it is beginning to ferment. This milk contains lactic acid, which can activate baking soda. Using milk in any form will add some carbs to your recipe. So keep that in mind.

To replace one teaspoon of baking powder, use one-half cup of sour milk combined with one-quarter teaspoon of baking soda. To maintain the correct consistency in your recipe, reduce the other liquids by one-half cup.

Lemon juice and baking soda

Lemon juice will alter the flavor of your dish, so only use this if you don’t mind some lemon flavor or have no other options. To replace one teaspoon of baking powder, you’ll need one teaspoon of lemon juice plus one-quarter teaspoon of baking soda.

Egg whites

Whipping egg whites creates air bubbles that help increase the volume and lightness of baked goods. This method doesn’t add significant height, making it ideal for pancakes or waffles that don’t require much elevation. One egg white can replace one teaspoon of baking powder. What’s crazy is the flat bread I referenced at the top of this post did included whipped egg whites. So imagine how flat it really would have been without that ingredient in it.

Club soda

Club soda adds bubbles, which is what baking powder creates. It doesn’t have much sodium bicarbonate, so it works best in baked goods that don’t need much added volume like pancakes or waffles. For best results, replace all of the liquid in your recipe with club soda — unless you have other liquids in the recipe to add flavor, such as vanilla extract. Don’t replace them. With regards to other carbonated beverages, you could use soda, too. But oh the carbs and sugar. Probably not worth it.

Discover the differences and similarities between baking powder vs baking soda. Bottom line: one needs an acid to activate, the other needs heat.