Baking powder works best for rolled and cut cookies.
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If you've been baking for a while, you know that a key ingredient in most recipes is baking powder or baking soda. Although it's possible to make banana bread without baking powder and cookies without baking soda, the result will be dense, unless you use some other leavening agent.
It is possible to make cookies without baking soda or baking powder, but the resulting cookie will be dense. This is because carbon dioxide is not being produced by a chemical reaction that typically occurs when baking soda or powder is present in the cookie batter.
What Is Baking Powder?
If you're a regular baker, you know one ingredient that recurs in multiple baking recipes, like our Parsnip Morning Muffins, is baking powder. Baking powder, just like baking soda, is primarily made of sodium bicarbonate. However, where this substitute for baking soda differs is that it also contains two acids.
According to North Carolina State University, it is monocalcium phosphate and either sodium acid pyrophosphate or sodium aluminum sulfate that make up the remainder of baking powder. They work together to delay the occurrence of an important chemical reaction until the dough is baked. When the sodium bicarbonate, a base, comes in contact with an acid like yogurt, a chemical reaction occurs that produces carbon dioxide.
This release of carbon dioxide causes the dough or batter to rise, resulting in baked muffins and cakes that are fluffy and airy. Using just baking soda, however, will result in the chemical reaction occurring in the mixing bowl and not in the oven, explains North Carolina State University_._ This is why baking powder is typically a better substitute for baking soda in most baking recipes.
Read more: 7 Cookie Hacks and Swaps to Make Your Recipes a Little Bit Healthier
Making Cookies Without Baking Soda
According to K-State Research and Extension, baking powders are often double-acting agents. The first step occurs when baking powder is added to the wet batter and releases carbon dioxide.
The second part occurs when the batter goes into the oven — the ideal temperature is over 170 degrees Fahrenheit — and the second acid present in the baking powder reacts with the remaining sodium bicarbonate to further release carbon dioxide. This can be seen in cakes or muffins rising in the oven, explains K-State Research and Extension.
Even if you use baking powder in your recipe, your dough may not always rise in the oven. According to Michigan State University Extension, this can occur when your leavening agent is past its expiration date. Moisture can also affect baking powder, weakening its effectiveness as a leavening agent in baking recipes.
It is possible to make cookies without baking soda and banana bread without baking powder. It's important to note that your batter or dough will not rise when baked in the oven, and the resulting treats will be dense and not airy.
Read more: Substitutes for Butter When Baking Cookies
Baking Powder Alternatives
There are a number of baking powder substitutes you can use if you run out of this pantry staple or if what you have on hand is old:
- Baker's yeast as a substitute for baking soda: Baking banana bread without baking powder can be done if you use yeast as a substitute for baking soda. When baker's yeast comes into contact with sugar present in the batter, a chemical reaction occurs, releasing carbon dioxide, and causes the dough to rise.
- Self-rising flour as a baking powder alternative: Made from a mixture of baking powder, flour and salt, self-rising flour can be used as a substitute for both flour and baking powder in specific baking recipes like biscuits. This results in a light biscuit with a fluffy interior.
- Cream of tartar as a baking powder substitute: K-State Research and Extension explains that cream of tartar is often used as a leavening agent that can be substituted for baking soda in baking recipes. When used with aquafaba (the liquid created when cooking beans with water) to make a plant-based meringue, cream of tartar helps the aquafaba mousse to maintain stiff peaks.
Read more: Adding Extra Yeast to Bread
FAQs
It is possible to make cookies without baking soda and banana bread without baking powder. It's important to note that your batter or dough will not rise when baked in the oven, and the resulting treats will be dense and not airy.
What happens if you don t use baking powder or baking soda in cookies? ›
Without baking soda or baking powder, these cookies will remain a little flatter then other recipes but because of the eggs and creaming of the butter and sugars in this recipe they will still puff up a little in the oven. They will have crispy edges and a soft, chewy center.
Can I bake without baking powder and baking soda? ›
If you don't have either baking powder or baking soda, consider switching gears and relying on another type of leavener altogether: whipped egg whites. Instead of sparking a chemical reaction to produce carbon dioxide, whipped egg whites introduce air to the batter, bringing natural height to your baked goods.
What happens if you forget to put baking soda in cookies? ›
Add a Bit of Baking Powder – If you want really chewy, fluffy cookies, you might also want to mix a little baking powder in with the mixture. It works in a slightly different way from baking soda and the two ingredients can produce amazing results when used together.
What happens if baking soda is omitted? ›
Baking soda is an important ingredient in baked goods and bread. Leaving it out will change the flavor and texture of the food in an unpleasant way.
Will cookies still taste good without baking soda? ›
What happens if you forget to put baking soda in cookies? baking soda allows the ingredients to rise and become airy. Without baking soda, your cookies will be very dense, perhaps not chewy, and not as tasty.
What is a substitute for baking soda or powder in cookies? ›
There are several pantry-friendly ingredients that you can use as baking soda substitutes, including egg whites, self-rising flour and even club soda. Or, you can use baking powder - and even a couple of extremely scientific sounding items that perhaps you just happen to have lying around - baker's ammonia anyone?
What happens if I leave baking soda out of a cookie recipe? ›
For baked goods that don't require too much leavening, such as cookies or pancakes, it's actually OK to leave out the baking soda completely — they just won't be as light and fluffy. If you do go this route when making pancakes, Gan recommends pouring less batter into the pan to cover the same surface area.
Why are my cookies flat? ›
If your cookies consistently come out flat, you may have selected the wrong baking temperature. If you bake cookies using too much heat, the fats in the dough begin to melt before the other ingredients can cook together and form your cookie's rise.
What does dissolving baking soda do to cookies? ›
As the butter melts, the cookie's structure loosens, so that the water in the dough is able to combine with the baking soda, dissolving it. The baking soda then reacts to the acidic components present in brown sugar, creating gases that cause the cookie to rise.
When it "goes bad," that simply means it's lost its effectiveness as a leavening agent in baked goods, helping them rise.
What happens if you forget the baking powder? ›
Baking powder, in particular, is one of those ingredients you can easily run out of without noticing, but when it comes to baking, it does a very particular job, and can be difficult to replace. Most baked goods need a leavening agent to make them rise, and if you leave it out, your cake or your cookies will fall flat.
What is a homemade substitute for baking powder? ›
Substitute each teaspoon (5 grams) of baking powder in the recipe with 1/4 teaspoon (1 gram) baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 grams) vinegar. Summary: Each teaspoon (5 grams) of baking powder can be replaced with a 1/4 teaspoon (1 gram) baking soda and a 1/2 teaspoon vinegar.
What makes cookies rise, baking soda or baking powder? ›
Baking soda reacts with an acid to cause batters and doughs to rise and spread while baking. Baking powder reacts with liquid and heat to create a light, fluffy texture in baked goods. While they sound similar, baking soda and baking powder cannot be used interchangeably.
Why are my cookies crumbly and not chewy? ›
Too Much Flour
It doesn't take much—in this case, my mom and I added just 3/4 cup extra flour to the dough. The cookies tasted good, but were dry and definitely crumbly. To make the cookies more tender, Betty Crocker suggests adding 2 to 4 tablespoons of softened butter, or 1/4 cup of sugar, to the batter.
What ingredient makes cookies rise? ›
Baking Powder. The type of leavening you use in your cookies doesn't just help them rise while baking, it affects their texture and structure too. Baking soda in cookies yields a denser cookie with craggy tops, while baking powder causes cookies to rise higher during baking for a cakier texture.
