A question I get asked a lot about and something that I think confuses a lot of people is the subject of chemical leaveners and what the differences are between baking soda and baking powder. Even experienced home bakers can benefit from knowing how they work on a deeper level! If you’d like to improve your baking and your understanding of how your favorite treats work then keep reading and watch the video below.
The first time I really demonstrated the differences between baking soda and baking powder was in my Ultimate Guide to Chocolate Chip Cookie post. I showed you how cookies turn out when they’re made with just baking soda, just baking powder, or made with both. The results were fascinating and produced so many comments and baking revelations from you guys!
So now that you’ve seen a quick peek at what the differences look like when it’s all said and done, let’s dive deeper into the science, the WHY behind those photos!
What are they?
Baking powder and baking soda are both chemical leaveners that work to create light textures in baked goods – but only when they’re fresh and accurately measured. Although baking powder actually contains baking soda, the two leaveners are very different. So, this post will clear any confusion. The most important note to remember? Baking powder and baking soda are NOT interchangeable because they require different conditions to function.
Baking Soda
Baking soda is a natural alkaline ingredient activated by liquid and acid.
Naturally acidic ingredients that will activate baking soda:
-Buttermilk
-Sour cream
-Yogurt
-Lemon juice
-Honey
-Natural cocoa powder (NOT Dutch-processed)
-Brown sugar
-Molasses
There must be some acidic ingredient in the recipe for baking soda to function. Baking soda begins to leaven as soon as it touches liquid so if you wait too long before baking you may notice a decrease in leavening effect. If you use too much baking soda, you may taste an unpleasant metallic flavor in your food. Baking soda also helps add a beautiful browned color to baked goods by elevating pH levels.
Since baking soda must be fresh to work properly, it’s important to switch out your container before the expiration date. However, baking soda can lose its effectiveness even before that date.
Test for freshness
Placing a 1/4 teaspoon baking soda in a bowl and pour 1 teaspoon of distilled vinegar on top. If the baking soda immediately bubbles violently, it is fresh. If nothing happens, throw away the baking soda and buy a new package.
Baking Powder
Baking powder is a combination of baking soda, acid, and cornstarch. Most baking powder available in the U.S. today is double acting, meaning its first reaction occurs when combined with liquid to help aerate the batter or dough and a second more slow-acting reaction occurs when heated in the oven. Unlike baking soda, baking powder doesn’t require an acid to activate, only moisture, and baking powder batters can be made ahead of time due to that double acting property.
Test for freshness
Place 1 teaspoon of baking powder in a bowl with 1 cup of hot water from the tap. If it bubbles up, the baking powder is fresh. If nothing happens, throw the baking powder away and buy a new container.
Strength
It’s important to understand that baking soda is four times stronger than baking powder. This means 1 teaspoon of baking powder will raise a cup of flour, whereas only a 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda can produce the same effect. Knowing what each leavener requires to function and the strength of each does make it technically possible to substitute baking soda for baking powder, however the reverse is not true. Either way, I do not recommend attempting any substitutions because it is complicated and may ruin your baking project. Plus, both ingredients are so cheap and readily available!
Some recipes call for both baking soda and baking powder in order to have the highest effect of acid neutralizing and leavening powers (this can be seen in the above cookie comparison photo). This works especially well for acidic dough that needs to be stored overnight, such as my favorite Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe.
I hope you found this interesting! If you’d like me to cover any more baking topics like this, just let me know in the comments below! Happy baking!
About Tessa...
I share trusted baking recipes your friends will LOVE alongside insights into the science of sweets. I'm a professionally trained chef, cookbook author, and cookie queen. I love to write about all things sweet, carb-y, and homemade. I live in Phoenix, Arizona (hence the blog name!)
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As a trained chef and cookbook author, I share trusted baking recipes your friends & family will love alongside insights into the science of sweets. I help take the luck out of baking so you *always* have delicious results! Learn more here.
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We never learned that in home ec- great article! Thank you!
Wonderful video, great info for all bakers!
Great info Tessa!
I have always wondered about the two .
Very interesting!
I’m going to have to make those cookies!
Tessa, you are my hero! I never feel confident developing baking recipes, but I’m learning so much from you.
So, correct me if I’m wrong: in the recipe down here it should be better to have baking soda instead of baking powder, or a mixture of the two agents, right? What would you recommend?
http://localmilkblog.com/2015/01/flaky-fluffy-buttermilk-biscuits-from-scratch.html
Thanks for the info.
Thanks for sharing! You learn something new every day! =)
Great explanation and video! Very helpful!
Always informative and helpful, Tessa. Thank you for sharing. I made some chocolate chip cookies tonight. 🙂
Thanks for the clarification! Love your iG and recipes.
This is great, I’m learning lots from you! If you ever need content, I always like to hear good prep tips and why they are needed (temp of ingredients, specific type of cookie sheet etc) and storage tips (like a piece of bread in with the cookie container to keep moist, how to freeze). Sometimes those tips save a whole batch! Great stuff on here, thanks!
very helpful information, but was wondering why the pic of the cookies with both baking power and soda are incredibly flat cookies compared to the slightly fluffier ones above.
Thank you for explaining it so well!
This is the first video I’ve come upon that really explains baking soda and baking powder differences so clearly! I’m always working on creating and formulating recipes, so this was SUPER helpful! Thanks for making this video!
I’m so glad you enjoyed!
I have been cooking for the better part of 40 years, and never knew the difference, nor did it matter when baking a recipe calling for one , then not having it and using the other! Now I know why it didn’t turn out. Thank you for clareyifying! ;p)
Thanks for the info on how to determine their freshness
What temp attire does baking soda and baking powder cook at? This is great information. Thank you.
When did you finish and post your website?
Hi Tessa, it’s really interesting your explanation, I’m italian since I’ve been leaving in America I’m not able to bake my usually cake because I’m not able to use and balance baking powder and baking soda. Is there any role I can refere to?
Hi, I tried to print the info regarding the difference between baking soda vs baking powder. But it won’t print any ideas what I should do? Thanks.
Oh hm, well the print function is meant for recipes and since there’s not a recipe here, it doesn’t exactly work 🙁 If you highlight the text you’d like printed, right click, and hit print, you should be able to get it done that way! Hope that helps.
Thanks Tessa for the valuable info!!
Thanks for your info,Tessa you have done justice
I hate a problem I used to make the best chocolate chip cookies, I used swans down self-rising cake flour. They stopped making it. I’ve tried regular cake flour but don’t know how much baking power to use. Can you help me Thanks Gerry
If you want the recipe I will give to you.
Thank you so much
I asked so many people what’s the difference between them & nobody have an answer
Excellent information!!!!!!! Thank you so much.
Hi! Thanks for the sharing.
I have this puzzle that quite bothers me lately–cookies don’t spread. Years ago when I was in Canada, they turned out fine. But since I moved back to Hong Kong and started baking again, the cookies just refused to spread and I had to use a stamp mid-way. I wonder if relative humidity has anything to do with it? But even in dry winter conditions, they remained stubbornly the same shape as they were dropped on the sheet. Some say granulated sugar helps, but it didn’t work either. Other trials I had: melted butter; molasses; mix of sugars; shortening…
Maybe you could enlighten me on this?
Thank you very much for the information.recently I did not known any different between soda and baking power but now i know.it is possible to use soda power in meat pie? thank you and may God bless you.
Thank you, Tessa. I substituted baking soda for baking powder easily without even thinking before I read your article. Now I will follow the recipes’ instructions strictly. I see the difference now. I used to wonder why the final bakery had such a clumsy look.
Thank you Tessa for the information. I have learnt a lot.
Thanks Tessa I never knew or understood the difference from baking soda/powder I would love to know your secrets to scratch made cakes
Thanks Tessa….you explained it so wonderfully well
Gracias, soy Mexicana vivo en México pero. aunque se algo de inglés, entendí todo, por la excelente pronunciación además de lo valioso de la información
Hi,
Thank you Tessa.. Your video was greatly helpful.
Thanks Tessa,
Your video did a great job in explaining the difference. Keep up the good work.
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Love your Videos and Recipes
On a funny note, another difference:
You can Brush your Teeth with Baking Soda
You can’t with Baking Powder
Once again, you’re recipes are wonderful
Very well explained! Thank you!
Knew most of this, but after sixty some years of baking still didn’t know there was a way to test baking powder for freshness. Bet some of my friends don’t either from listening to comments about guessing” they needed to get new. I do not use self rising flour so my powder doesn’t get a chance to get old. Thank you for the “new” information.
You are so welcome, Jeannie! I’m glad to hear you found this helpful 🙂
This is really useful info. Once I was out of baking soda so substituted baking powder in a favorite chocolate cake recipe and the flavour and texture were different. This explained why.
what am i doing here i have test tomorrow and i need to study i dont even bake
If a cookie recipe calls for 1 tsp baking soda and I wanted to use baking powder instead, how much baking powder would I use?
Thank you so much for this, always wondered the difference as I made a gorgeous chocolate cake and got the measurements the wrong way round and yes, I had to throw it out, it tasted awful! So now lesson learned and make sure I never ever confuse the two!
Very helpful.
I’m having a lot of problem with all purposes flours to make cake some time the Birthday cake is very dense or pound cake like , I have to used cake flour,even if the recipe call for all purposes flours.
Thank you, carol
Hi Tessa,
I was eating an Ultimate Chocolate Chip cookie while watching this….
LOVE that!!
New lesson/insights for me. I never pay attention to all these! Now that I begin to venture into baking, your tips/tricks/traits are really helpful and make our baking more interesting & more fulfilling. Thank You.
Thanks for the info n tips Tessa, keeo up with the sharing efforts
I’ not sure what your point was about the cookie pics. Are you saying that the anemic looking cookies with both powder and soda are the preferred ones? Maybe the picture doesn’t give a good representation. My main question is concerning the baking powder with no aluminum in it. Does it proof the same way. I have some that is a year away from its expiration date, but it did nothing when the water was added. Actually, the powder rose up and floated, but no bubbling. Any thoughts on this?
Thanks so much for that information! I will not substitute those two ingredients again because thanks to you I have a better understanding how and why they work!!
Thanks for the very informative video in South Africa we get bicarbonate of soda which I think is the same as baking soda & baking powder and the weight equivalent of a stick of butter as we do not get sticks of butter.
What a wonderful vlog on these two leaveners. You’re the first to explain in an understandable manner. I love the science of baking.
Hi Tessa,
Thanks for a great article clarifying the two baking ingredients. I have a question though. Someone told me baking powder and baking soda will keep fresh indefinitely if you store them in the freezer. Since I use Bob’s Red Mill baking powder and baking soda, they come packaged and I don’t have to worry about metal cans or boxes. However, I trust your judgement impeccably. 🙂 Could you please respond on your thoughts about this? Thanks, greatly appreciated!
Thanks for the short and informative video!
Do you lose much of the leavening effect of baking powder or baking soda when you refrigerate cookie dough?
You lose more from baking soda. Most baking powder on the market is “double acting” so it’s activated when mixed with liquid, then again when exposed to heat!
Which kind of cookie sheet do you find is best to produce a thicker cookie that is soft and chewy? Thank you for easily explaining the difference between the two.
Hi Yvonne, I think you’ll find this post really helpful: https://handletheheat.com/best-baking-pans/
Thanks for this, I never really understood the function of these two. Now I do.
Thanks Tessa..great info and very helpful indeed
Thank for the info! Really interesting!
I was taught that baking soda made cookies spread and baking powder made them rise. Is there anything factual about that?
Howdy Tessa,
Thank you for the info!!
If I am making a ton of cookies for Christmas, and need to make the dough ahead of time… would you suggest making recipes with baking powder so they will have an optimum bake with the double acting leavening? I don’t want them to come out flat after the dough being refrigerated/frozen for about a week.
Thank you in advance for your help!
Thank you for this great information. I do have a question about cutout cookies, such as Christmas shaped cookies. Because of the leavening agents, the cookies rise and the shapes are distorted. How can I keep the flavor and texture of the cookie but reduce the puffiness of the shapes?
Thanks for any help you can give.
I have a recipe for ginger cookies that calls for two teaspoons baking soda, and they come out very thin. Should I use one teaspoon each of soda and powder? The recipe does call for refrigeration.
Hi, I just stumbled across your website through reading about your cake flour article & enjoyed it. Than I came to this one & was wondering two things first what about cream of tartar? Second have you heard of the DIY baking powder? What I’ve come across is you substitute 1/2 teaspoon baking soda & a 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar for 1 teaspoon baking powder. I’ve found it works in a pinch but I’ve never done any side by side comparisons & I have noticed the baking soda flavor in some of the more delicate flavors of my baked goods. Just curious?
Thank you, Tessa. This is informative. The cookies looks soooo good!!!
May I ask if you have already tried baking with less sugar and putting in substitute like Stevia and or Erythritol?
Thanks!
(fr Bangkok)
I found your video by searching for baking soda vs. baking powder. It was exactly what I needed to know. I have a recipe for oatmeal pecan cookies that I have used for years, just as it is written. It contains brown sugar and baking soda. Never before had I realized the “acid” required to activate the soda was in the brown sugar. I should have checked before I completed the recipe, because I switched to baking powder this time, thinking that I had been doing it incorrectly for 50 years. I thought perhaps the church lady who gave me the recipe had gotten it wrong. I won’t know until the dough chills and I bake them, but I have a feeling I am going to regret my decision. But NOW, I know. Thank you for the insightful information.
Hi John – you are so welcome! Cookies without baking soda won’t spread or brown as much. How did they turn out?
I have a recipe that uses single acting baking powder. I have used Alsa baking powder which is single acting, but it gives off a weird smell. I’ve been searching on the web how to make my own single acting baking powder but the ratio of cream of tartar to baking soda was either a 2:1 or 3:1 etc, which is correct please?
Also one time, I added a bit much(forgotten and used a Tablespoon instead of teaspoon) of baking soda and baking powder, the cake came out bitter, is this due to the baking soda or baking powder?
thanks.
First of all – thank you for clearing that one up. We don’t find Baking Soda on our shelves here in South Africa but I have been told that baking soda is the same as Bicarbonate of Soda. Can you help me out on this one ???
Baking Soda is AKA bicarbonate of soda or sodium bicarbonate.
This is super helpful!
How about the taste? Will it taste bitter if only baking powder is used?
Does the acidity make rise the dough ? I don’t understand why we don’t use baking powder after using baking soda.. when the acidity is neutralized, but we don’t add any other leaveners, does it still rise evenly ?
Wonderful information, thank you so much.
Hola muchas gracias por la información, es muy valiosa
I am 78 years old and never heard of testing baking soda/baking powder. I wrote it down and will be testing these two items. (never to old to .learn). Love reading your column.
I learn so much from your baking advice! Can’t argue with chemistry. . . but it was so BORING in high school! Thank you for your generosity in sharing your expert advice with us.
Thank you !
i added 1 tsp of baking soda to the recipe instead of 1 tsp of baking powder. how can i fix this
awsome info thank you
Very much appreciated
I have two questions actually. First I wondered the proper techeneic for measuring powered sugar that calls to be sifted. Is the proper amount before or after the sifting process?
And secondly, if I want a really thick choc chip cookie that doesn’t spread how do I achieve it? Thank you
We operate a small factory in Trinidad West indies (Caterers Choice Ltd.) where we produce frozen Dumplings, but when we fry the Dumplings and Samosas, they are not crispy and fluffy we use about 100 lbs of flour to do our daily production, what can we do to make the product “fluffy and crispy after cooking”
Regards,
Jeffrey
Thanks for shearing ds topic.Pls which flour is best for cake
I love learning the science behind the ingredients. Thank you so much when you post things of this nature.
Hi Tessa,
Thank you, the tip on baking soda vs baking powder is very informative. Just a question… my red velvet cake recipe requires one to add the baking soda to the vinegar then to the batter, but by the time I add it to the batter, it stopped fizzing, no matter how quick I try to do it. Any suggestions please?
Regards,
Lynette Visagie
Thanks!
Very informative and simply explained
loved your video Learned a lot and the video was not too long which is good
This was sooooo helpful. Thanks.
Great video. Thank you. Trying to put together a gluten-free cookie recipe with oats and nut flour that is also low sugar. This info is really helpful.
I’m so impressed with all the information you have given me.
Thank you,
Jodie
I want to make cookie dough ahead of time and keep it in the freezer. It may be in the freezer a couple weeks before baking.
If the cookie recipe I use only calls for baking soda, won’t freezing the dough inactivate the baking soda?
Should I adjust the recipe to include baking powder? If so, how much baking powder?
Thank you
Do you have tricks on making the best sweet breads especially banana bread?
Thank you!!
Very interesting video. Thank you.
What is your favorite cookie cooling racks? I’m looking to get some but I wanted to have it to last a long time.
I recently made the Libby’s pumpkin roll recipe, which calls for baking soda. Other recipes, I have noticed call for both soda and powder. Is pumpkin acidic enough to activate the baking soda?
I love her videos and very informative. I’m glad I found her
Thank you so much for the kind words, Karen!
Could you please tell me, if you want to double a cake or cookie recipe. Do you double the baking soda and. THe baking powder too?
Loved your explanations on baking soda vs powder; needed to hear that chemical reaction reminder. Renewed my products for freshness after reviewing. Thanks.
5 out of 5 for the information.
So glad you found this article helpful!