Substitute for Baking Soda in Cookies: Chewy Results
When making cookies, the best substitute for baking soda is Baking Powder. Use triple the amount. Cookies will be slightly puffier and less flat since baking powder gives a different kind of rise. Browning will be slightly less, but the cookies will still taste great. Baking soda helps cookies spread, brown, and develop their characteristic chewy or crispy texture. It neutralizes acid in the dough and creates an alkaline environment that promotes browning. The substitute must provide leavening and ideally some browning.
Best Substitute
Baking Powder
1 tbsp baking powder per 1 tsp baking soda
Use triple the amount. Cookies will be slightly puffier and less flat since baking powder gives a different kind of rise. Browning will be slightly less, but the cookies will still taste great.
What else can I use instead of baking soda in cookies?
Potassium Bicarbonate
1 tsp potassium bicarbonate per tsp of baking soda
Works identically to baking soda but sodium-free. Cookies will spread and brown the same way. Add a pinch of salt.
Self-Rising Flour (swap the flour)
Replace AP flour with self-rising flour and skip baking soda
Self-rising flour contains baking powder. Cookies will be slightly puffier. Omit salt from recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I use instead of baking soda in cookies?
Use baking powder at triple the amount (1 tablespoon per teaspoon of baking soda). Cookies will be slightly puffier and cake-like rather than flat and chewy. Potassium bicarbonate works identically at a 1:1 ratio.
What does baking soda do in cookies?
Baking soda causes cookies to spread, brown, and develop chewy texture. It creates an alkaline environment that accelerates the Maillard reaction (browning). Without it, cookies will be paler, puffier, and more cake-like.