Pure alkali. It produces carbon dioxide only when it meets an acid, which is why recipes using it always contain buttermilk, yogurt, vinegar, brown sugar, honey, molasses or natural cocoa.
What it does in a recipe: Alkaline leavening, plus browning - it raises pH, which speeds up Maillard reactions. Pick the swap that covers that job - the ratios below are written so you can act on them without doing any arithmetic.
Also called: Bicarbonate of soda, Sodium bicarbonate
3substitutes
In a pinchbest available
Baking staplescategory
Quick answer
Baking powder
1 tsp baking soda = 3 tsp (1 tbsp) baking powder
All substitutes, best first
3 ways to replace baking soda
Baking powder
In a pinch
1 tsp baking soda = 3 tsp (1 tbsp) baking powder
Baking powder is only about a quarter to a third baking soda by weight, with the rest acid and starch, so it takes roughly three times as much to deliver the same lift.
MethodBecause baking powder brings its own acid, cut back on the recipe's acidic ingredient if you can, or the batter ends up over-acidified and flat-tasting.
Trade-offThree teaspoons of anything is a lot of powder in a small batter and can leave a metallic, salty aftertaste. It also browns less, since the pH does not rise the way soda raises it.
Replace the recipe's flour with self-rising flour and omit the baking soda and salt entirely
Self-rising flour already carries baking powder and salt, so it takes over the leavening job rather than substituting into it.
Trade-offOnly works where the soda's role is lift alone. If the recipe uses soda to neutralise a lot of acid or to drive browning, this will not replicate it.
Allergen checkSelf-rising flour is wheat-based and contains gluten.
Worth knowing
Baking soda and baking powder are not interchangeable in either direction without adjustment, and this is the most common baking mistake there is. Soda needs an acid in the recipe; powder brings its own.
At a glance
Baking soda in summary
Baking soda at a glance: category, its job in a recipe, the diets it suits, the diets its substitutes can satisfy, and how many substitutes there are.
1 tsp baking soda = 3 tsp (1 tbsp) baking powder. Baking powder is only about a quarter to a third baking soda by weight, with the rest acid and starch, so it takes roughly three times as much to deliver the same lift. Three teaspoons of anything is a lot of powder in a small batter and can leave a metallic, salty aftertaste. It also browns less, since the pH does not rise the way soda raises it.
Can I use baker's ammonia instead of baking soda?
1 tsp baking soda = 1 tsp baker's ammonia (ammonium bicarbonate), in thin dry bakes only. It decomposes entirely into gas on heating, leaving no residue at all, which is why it makes traditional cookies and crackers exceptionally crisp. Only for thin, dry items. In anything moist or thick the ammonia cannot escape and the finished bake smells and tastes unmistakably of it.
Can I use self-rising flour instead of baking soda?
Replace the recipe's flour with self-rising flour and omit the baking soda and salt entirely. Self-rising flour already carries baking powder and salt, so it takes over the leavening job rather than substituting into it. Only works where the soda's role is lift alone. If the recipe uses soda to neutralise a lot of acid or to drive browning, this will not replicate it.
Cooking around an allergy? Diet tags here describe the ingredient itself, not any particular brand. Processed products change formulation without notice and shared production lines are common, so read the label on everything you use. A severe allergy is a medical matter - confirm with the manufacturer or your clinician rather than relying on a substitution chart.