However, baking soda is much stronger than baking powder. Swapping baking powder for baking soda won’t require additional ingredients. Though substituting baking powder for baking soda isn’t widely recommended, you may be able to make it work in a pinch. Substituting baking powder for baking soda

While it’s possible to interchange baking soda and baking powder in recipes, it’s not as straightforward as simply replacing one for the other. It’s available as a single- or double-acting agent, though double-acting powders are more widely used. Summaryīaking powder is a complete leavening agent, meaning it contains both sodium bicarbonate and an acidic ingredient. This means the powder creates two separate reactions: initially, when combined with liquid at room temperature, and secondly, once the mixture is heated.įor many recipes, an extended reaction is favorable, so the leavening, or rising, doesn’t happen all at once. When a recipe calls for baking powder, it’s most likely referring to the double-acting kind. Single- and double-acting baking powders are available, though single-acting varieties are typically only used by food manufacturers and not usually available for household use ( 5).

Similarly to how baking soda reacts with water and an acidic ingredient, the acid in baking powder reacts with sodium bicarbonate and releases carbon dioxide once it’s combined with a liquid ( 4). It’s added as a buffer to prevent the acid and base from activating during storage. Unlike baking soda, baking powder is a complete leavening agent, meaning it contains both the base ( sodium bicarbonate) and acid needed for the product to rise.Ĭornstarch is also typically found in baking powder.

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