What can you use instead of baking soda? If you find yourself running out of baking soda looking for an alternative to baking soda? There are many baking soda substitutes available now. But here I listed only the 3 Best and healthy substitutes for baking soda.
The baking soda is one of the principal ingredients for baking food items. But it is loaded with high sodium content than the recommended daily intake. So, most of the people would like to know is there any substitute for baking soda to limit their sodium intake.
Finding alternatives for baking soda is simple, they are in your kitchen itself. Don’t worry if there is no baking powder for pancakes, cookies, bread, muffins, banana bread, and cakes. Try the below baking soda substitutes. Yeast, fresh or dried one, is a good raising agent for bread and doughs.
How Baking Soda Works?
Baking soda is a fine white powder, acts as a quick-acting leavening agent in baking. Baking soda is the raising agent and it has to react with an acid in your recipe to activate it. Because of its extreme alkalinity, it neutralizes the acidic ingredients and causes leavening.
During its leavening process, it creates carbon dioxide in the form of air bubbles. Thus baking soda expands the baked goods. If you add baking soda into vinegar you will see it bubble up and fizz over. That is due to the acid reaction. School students use this one to create Volcano eruption.
For cooking, it makes the recipe risen up and gives the puffy appearance. The chemical name of baking soda is sodium bicarbonate. The other names are cooking soda, bread soda, and bicarbonate of soda. You need to add it in for the recipe to rise.
Note:
The baking soda substitute will not work on cookies. Since that rely heavily on acidic ingredients for flavor. But for sugar cookies and chocolate chip cookies, the baking soda substitutes work well.
Baking Soda Substitutes
Can baking soda be a substitute for baking powder? The substitutes for baking soda may differ based on what you intend to use them for. Here are the 3 best baking soda substitutes. 
1. Double-Acting Baking Powder
Can you substitute baking powder for baking soda? Yes! Baking Powder is referred by many as a baking soda substitute. It is basically baking soda mixed with an acid.
If you are run out of baking soda, then you can use baking powder. But, remember that the baking soda is four times stronger than baking powder, so the substitution should follow the below measurements. The double acting baking powder is the best substitute for baking soda.
Almost all baking powder available nowadays is double-acting baking powder. The double-acting powder means, it contains 2 different types of acids. So that it can react at 2 different times (moisture and heat).
- The first type, when contacting with any liquid or moisture, baking soda creates carbohydrates and acts as leavening agent. This helps in baking the food item.
- The second type, when exposed to overheat, baking soda creates carbohydrates in the form of gasses and bakes the food item.
How to do the substitute for baking soda?
To successfully substitute baking powder in your pancake recipe, cookies, cakes, and biscuits, try the below alternative method.
Ingredients
Double-acting baking powder.
Method
- Replace 1 teaspoon of baking soda with 4 teaspoons of Double-acting baking powder.
- The double acting baking powder is almost available in all the stores. I think there is no difficulty in getting baking powder in those stores.
- That’s all, this is one of the best substitutions for baking powder in pancakes.
Where to use this baking soda substitute?
You can use this baking powder as a substitute in almost all recipes that needs baking soda. But primarily it is useful in the below recipes to induce the taste.
- Biscuits
- Cakes
- Cookies
- Pancakes
2. Potassium Bicarbonate
Potassium Bicarbonate it’s another excellent baking soda substitute. The Potassium bicarbonate is a sodium-free leavening agent, so it is a better substitute for baking soda. It contains same leavening properties as baking soda without sodium content.
Potassium bicarbonate is a colorless and salty substance, usually available at the local drug store or any supplementary stores. It would not be available at grocery shops as like baking powder. It is available in both crystal and powdered form in the market.
The American food and drug Administration (FDA) recognized Potassium bicarbonate as safe to consume. So don’t worry about the intake. For baking cookies, you can substitute the same quantity baking soda with the same amount of potassium bicarbonate.
How to do the substitute for baking soda?
Here’s how to make the substitutions:
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon of potassium bicarbonate
- 1/3 teaspoon of salt
Method
- Take a teaspoon of potassium bicarbonate.
- Add 1/3 teaspoon of salt in it.
- Mix it well and use it as a substitute for 1 teaspoon of baking soda.
Where to use this baking soda substitute?
Substituting baking powder for baking soda is quite usual. You can use this as a substitute for the below-mentioned food items.
- Biscuits
- Cookies
- Muffins
3. Beaten Egg Whites and Cream of Tartar
Is there a substitute for baking soda other than baking powder? Yes, Beaten egg whites are the low-sodium substitute for baking soda. With this egg white, you can get the necessary amount of proteins and low fat.
The air will expand during the baking process and the hardening egg/flour mixture will trap them in the baked goods.
How to do the substitute for baking soda?
Here’s how to make the substitutions:
Ingredients
- 2 Egg whites
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar (powdered)
- 2 pinches of sugar
Method
- Separate the egg white from the whole egg and put it in a bowl.
- Gently beat the egg whites.
- While beating the egg whites, add 2 pinches of sugar to it to attain the stable volume.
- Now add 2 teaspoons cream of tartar to increase the foaming. This will provide more leavening to the egg whites.
Note: The beaten egg whites should be folded gently into a batter and not to be over-mixed. The Cream of tartar increases the acidity, so you can not use baking soda in recipes that call for baking powder.
Where to use this baking soda substitute?
This substitute is suitable for foam cakes, banana breads, and pancakes.
Are you clear about baking soda substitutes to limit the sodium intake? Next time, if you are run out of baking soda and thinking about what can you substitute for baking soda, try the above 3 alternatives to replace baking soda. east, fresh or dried, is a raising agent for pieces of bread and doughs.
FAQs
1. How to substitute baking powder for baking soda?
You can use baking powder in place of baking soda, you just need to triple the amount. For 1 teaspoon of baking soda is substituted with 3 teaspoons baking powder.
2. What can you use instead of baking soda?
You can use the below substitutes in place of baking soda.
- The double-acting baking powder.
- Potassium Bicarbonate
- Beaten Egg Whites and Cream of Tartar
3. How to make homemade baking soda?
Homemade baking soda recipe: for every 1 teaspoon of baking soda in a recipe replace it with 4 teaspoons of baking powder, so use 4 times the amount of baking powder.
4. How to substitute baking powder for baking soda?
The Same process of making homemade baking soda. You have to replace 4 teaspoons of baking powder with 1 teaspoon of baking soda.
5. Can I substitute baking soda for baking powder in cookies?
Baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) is an ingredient in nearly all substitute baking powder recipes. So you can use it as a better replacement for baking soda.
6. Can you use baking powder instead of bicarbonate of soda?
Yes, you can substitute baking powder for bicarbonate of soda/sodium bicarbonate/baking soda. The Potassium bicarbonate is a sodium-free leavening agent, so it is a better substitute for baking soda.
7. Can you substitute cream of tartar for baking powder?
Substituting cream of tartar is one of the healthy alternatives to the baking soda. If you run out of baking soda and in a need make a recipe, then try cream of tartar.
In a Nutshell,
If you find yourself running out of baking soda looking for an alternative to baking soda? Most of the people would like to know is there any substitute for sodium bicarbonate to limit their sodium intake. There are many baking soda substitutes available. But here I explained only the 3 Best and healthy substitutes for baking soda.
Finding alternatives for baking soda is simple and don’t worry if there is no baking powder for pancakes, cookies, bread, muffins, banana bread, and cakes. Try the above baking soda replacements and consume delicious dishes.
