Best Equivalent of Baking Soda for Every Recipe
For most cakes, muffins, pancakes and quick breads, use 3 teaspoons of baking powder for every 1 teaspoon of baking soda. Expect slightly paler, puffier results. In cookies, gingerbread and chocolate cakes that rely on baking soda for spread and browning, no substitute is perfect, so it is often better to wait until you can buy baking soda.
Baking soda substitutes at a glance
| Substitute | For 1 tsp baking soda | Works best in | What changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baking powder | 3 tsp | Cakes, muffins, pancakes, waffles, quick breads | Less browning, less spread, more neutral flavor |
| Potassium bicarbonate | 1 tsp, plus a pinch of extra salt | Any recipe, including low-sodium baking | Very close match; flavor is slightly flatter |
| Self-rising flour | Replace the recipe’s flour; leave out its salt and baking powder | Biscuits, simple cakes, scones | Changes the whole formula, so it is not a precise swap |
| Baker’s ammonia | 1 tsp | Thin, crisp cookies and crackers only | Very crisp texture; gives off an ammonia smell in thick bakes |
| Whipped egg whites | Fold in 1–2 beaten whites | Pancakes, waffles, sponge-style batters | Lift from air, not chemistry; fragile if overmixed |
Why there is no perfect equivalent
Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) does three jobs at once. It reacts with acidic ingredients such as buttermilk, yogurt, brown sugar, honey or natural cocoa to release carbon dioxide. It raises the pH of the dough, which speeds browning and weakens gluten, so cookies spread more. And it neutralises some of the acid, which softens tangy flavors.
Baking powder is baking soda with the acid already mixed in, plus starch to keep it dry. It is about one-third as strong, which is why the ratio is 3:1. Because it carries its own acid, it gives lift but does not raise the pH the same way. That is the browning and spread you lose.
Which substitute to use, by recipe
Cakes, muffins and quick breads
Baking powder works well here. Use the 3:1 ratio and bake as soon as the batter is mixed. If the recipe already calls for both baking soda and baking powder, add the converted amount on top of the baking powder that is already listed. Banana bread and buttermilk muffins come out a little paler and a little more domed, but most people will not notice.
Pancakes and waffles
Baking powder is again the easy fix. If your batter is made with buttermilk, it will taste a bit more tangy, because nothing is neutralising the acid. For extra lightness, separate one egg, whip the white to soft peaks and fold it in just before cooking.
Cookies and bars
This is where substitution is weakest. Chocolate chip cookies made with baking powder instead of soda bake up thicker, cakier and lighter in color. If you want that, fine. If you want chewy, spread-out, caramelised cookies, use potassium bicarbonate at 1:1 or postpone the bake. For thin, snappy cookies such as Scandinavian ginger thins, baker’s ammonia is the traditional choice.
Chocolate cakes, gingerbread and molasses bakes
These recipes depend on baking soda reacting with natural cocoa or molasses, and that reaction is what gives them their deep color. Baking powder will make them rise, but they will look brown-grey rather than dark, and taste more bitter. Potassium bicarbonate is the only close match.
Sauces, beans, meat and frosting
When baking soda is used for pH, for example a pinch in tomato sauce, in soaking water for beans, or to tenderise meat, baking powder is not a useful replacement. Its built-in acid cancels the effect, and the starch can cloud a sauce. Leave it out instead.
Small adjustments that help
- Salt: Self-rising flour already contains about ¼ tsp salt per cup, so remove the recipe’s salt. Potassium bicarbonate contains no sodium, so add a pinch of extra salt.
- Acid: Do not add extra lemon juice or vinegar to “activate” baking powder. It already has its own acid, and extra acid makes the crumb gummy.
- Timing: Bake right away. Most supermarket baking powder is double-acting, but the first reaction still starts as soon as the liquid goes in.
- Freshness: Test baking powder by stirring ½ tsp into ¼ cup of hot water. It should fizz strongly at once. If it barely bubbles, replace it.
Common mistakes
Using a 1:1 ratio. One teaspoon of baking powder in place of one teaspoon of soda gives you only about a third of the lift, and the bake comes out dense.
Going the other way without acid. Swapping baking soda in for baking powder only works if the recipe has an acidic ingredient. Otherwise the result tastes soapy and metallic. A rough rule is ¼ tsp baking soda plus ½ tsp cream of tartar for every 1 tsp baking powder. See our cream of tartar substitute guide.
Doubling up “to be safe”. Too much leavener makes the batter rise fast and then collapse. It also leaves a bitter aftertaste.
Related guides
- Can baking powder be used instead of baking soda?
- Baking soda and vinegar as a baking powder substitute
- Does baking soda expire?
Frequently Asked Questions
About 3 teaspoons. Baking powder is roughly one-third as strong as baking soda.
Potassium bicarbonate is chemically the closest and swaps 1:1. Baking powder is the most practical substitute, since most kitchens already have it.
Baking soda raises the dough’s pH, and that is what makes cookies spread and brown. Baking powder does not raise the pH as much, so the cookies stay thick and pale.
In sauces, beans or meat, yes. In baked goods, no. Without a leavener, cakes and quick breads come out dense and flat.