Leavening · Checked against 1 source · Updated November 4, 2026
Quick answer
Baking soda needs an acid to work. Baking powder carries its own. To replace 1 teaspoon of baking soda, use 3 teaspoons of baking powder, though the taste can turn slightly bitter. To replace 1 teaspoon of baking powder, use a quarter teaspoon of baking soda with half a teaspoon of cream of tartar.
How much do you need?
Fractions work: 1 1/2, ¾, 0.5. The amounts below update as you type.
Type a number, like 1 or 1 1/2.
What to use
No option here matches every box you ticked. Untick one to see more.
Baking powder in place of baking soda
Vegan
Dairy-free
Gluten-free
Nut-free
Egg-free
1 tbsp15 mlbaking powder
Best for
Recipes with little acid, or when you have no soda.
What changes
Three times the amount. Too much leaves a slightly bitter taste.
Skip it when
Recipes with a lot of acid to balance, like buttermilk-heavy cakes, where the acid goes unused and tastes sharp.
Diet labels describe the ingredients as normally made. Check packages for gluten and allergens. Some refined sugar is filtered with bone char, which matters if you eat vegan.
Side by side
Baking soda
Baking powder
What it is
A base that makes gas only when it meets an acid.
Soda plus a dry acid, so it works with no other acid.
Acids that wake it up
Buttermilk, yogurt, sour cream, lemon juice, vinegar, honey, maple syrup, brown sugar, natural cocoa.
Not needed.
Strength
About 3 times stronger.
Weaker, so recipes use more.
Telling them apart
No fizz in water.
Stir 1 teaspoon into 1 tablespoon of water. It fizzes.
Which swap for which job
Use
Pick
Why
Soda in place of powder
A quarter teaspoon of soda, half a teaspoon of cream of tartar and a quarter teaspoon of cornstarch per teaspoon of powder
See the baking powder page.
Powder in place of soda
3 times the amount
Weaker, but it carries its own acid.
Do not substitute here
Dutch-process cocoa recipes that rely on soda for lift. Soda alone. Dutch-process cocoa does not supply enough acid to react.
One for one swaps either way. Equal amounts. They are not interchangeable.
Questions
Can I use both?
Yes. Many recipes do, using soda to balance acid and powder for extra lift.
Ratios come from these sources, in our words. Where they disagree, we say so or pick the amount that matches tested results. Ratios are a starting point. Taste and adjust.