Never run out of baking powder again! Learn how easy it is to make homemade baking powder with a just a couple of ingredients.
One morning, while I was in the middle of mixing up some pancake batter, I ran out of baking powder. I looked on the shelf for a backup and apparently, I had forgotten to replace it. I did a little research to see if there was a substitute that I could use or a way to quickly make my own so I could get on with making breakfast.
Here’s what I found –
- Baking powder is super simple to make at home with just 3 ingredients.
- Clabber was used in the early days in similar ways as we use baking powder today.
Baking Powder and Clabber
Baking powder is a mix of ingredients that react with moisture and heat. It was invented in the 1850’s to help folks get a good rise on their baked goods.
Have you ever heard the term “clabber”? I know the first time that I heard it, I had no idea what it meant.
Clabber is naturally fermented thick, sour, raw milk. This is caused by the active good bacteria in raw milk. Raw milk does not spoil like the milk we are used to in modern-day grocery stores. When raw milk ferments it turns ‘sour’. It has a pleasant sour smell and can store in a cool area for well over a month.
This is not to be confused with what happens to our current modern-day pasteurized milk if you leave it in your fridge for too long. That’s just stinky, rotten milk! I’m not sure my chickens would even drink that, they love clabber though!
Clabber has a natural leavening agent, and old-time folks would always keep it on hand for baking. Clabber is acidic and when combined with baking soda, it would produce the most delicious fluffy cakes and quick breads.
I have a couple of older recipes that have been passed down to me that don’t include baking powder as an ingredient, but instead call for sour milk and baking soda. I never understood the need for the sour milk in these recipes, until I started learning more about Wild Milk and consuming it. Now I use raw dairy daily and have learned how to make everything from clabber, butter, yogurt, sour cream, and even cheese, from The Practical, Homemade Dairy Class.
One company that you have probably heard of and even seen at the grocery store used the name Clabber Girl on their baking powder product. Baking powder to replace clabber -pretty neat huh?! I bet you will never look at that brand of baking powder the same. I for one know that I was pretty amazed when I learned all of this!
Now that you got a short history lesson about leavening agents, lets mix some up!
Homemade Baking Powder Recipe
Baking powder is now a staple ingredient in our modern-day pantries. So many recipes use baking powder, because it reacts when it comes into contact with a liquid, by releasing carbon dioxide gas. This is what causes muffins, biscuits, and cakes to rise.
4 Reasons to Make Baking Powder at Home
Here are some of my favorite reasons that I continue to make baking powder at home time and time again.
- Convenience – If at any time I use all of my baking powder (which happens regularly), all I have to do is grab 3 ingredients, a small bowl, and some measuring spoons. I can make baking powder in under 5 minutes.
- Shelf Life – Once baking powder is mixed together; it has a one-year shelf life. By keeping the ingredients separate, I have a lot longer shelf life for each separate ingredient. This means that I can purchase the individual ingredients in bulk and save a lot of money.
- Aluminum Free – A lot of baking powder brands on the market contain aluminum, and that is something that I do not want in my baking powder.
- GMO-Free – By choosing arrowroot powder or a GMO-free cornstarch, I have control to keep GMO’s out of my home.
The Difference Between Baking Powder and Baking Soda
While these might look almost identical, they are in fact very different.
Baking Powder vs. Baking Soda
Baking Powder
- leavening agent
- helps baked goods to rise when baked
- contains an acid and a base
- relies on heat and moisture to react
Baking Soda
- alkaline powder
- requires the addition of an acidic ingredient to react (clabber, lemon juice, vinegar, buttermilk, etc.)
- also known as sodium bicarbonate
Ingredients
Let’s quickly cover everything that you will need to make baking powder at home. You can find the full ingredients list with measurements in the printable recipe card at the end of the post.
- Baking Soda – Baking soda is the alkaline base.
- Cream of Tartar – Cream of Tartar is the acid. Cream of Tartar is actually the byproduct of fermenting grapes into wine. This is sometimes called potassium acid tartrate or tartaric acid and has an indefinite shelf life.
- Cornstarch or Arrowroot Powder – Non-GMO Cornstarch or Arrowroot Powder are the starches used to keep the baking powder from clumping.
Supplies Needed to Make Baking Powder
You only need a couple of supplies to make your own baking powder.
- Bowl – You will need a small bowl to mix the ingredients in. Your favorite soup bowl will work perfectly for this.
- Measuring Spoons – I have a set of heavy metal measuring spoons that I use multiple times a day.
- Storage Container – Choose a container with a tight-fitting lid. I like to store mine in a canning jar.
- Canning Funnel – I use a canning funnel to transfer the baking powder from the bowl to my storage jar.
Instructions to Make Homemade Baking Powder
Well, it’s time to start making homemade baking powder. Remember that you can find all of the ingredients and instructions in the printable recipe card at the end of the post.
- Measure the baking soda, cream of tartar, and cornstarch or arrowroot powder and put them into the bowl.
- Mix together thoroughly. Break up any chunks with the back of your spoon.
- Use a funnel to pour it into your airtight storage container.
- Use it the same as you would store bought baking powder.
Homemade Baking Powder FAQs
Nope! You can use arrowroot powder instead. Use it at a 1:1 ratio in place of cornstarch.
These ingredients will store individually on your shelf for years. Once they are mixed together, the shelf life is 6 months to 1 year.
Absolutely! I go through a lot of baking powder with all of the from scratch baking that I do. I always make a large batch. See the printable recipe card for the larger recipe.
Just remember:
1 part baking soda
1 part cornstarch or arrowroot powder
2 parts cream of tartar
Take 1 teaspoon of baking powder and mix in 1/3 cup cool water. If it fizzes, then it is good and ready for your baking needs.
More Homemade Pantry Staples to Try Next
Homemade Baking Powder
Equipment
- Small Mixing Bowl
- Measuring Spoons
- Airtight Storage Container
- Canning Funnel
Ingredients
Smaller Recipe – Makes 4 teaspoons
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 2 tsp Cream of Tartar
- 1 tsp Cornstarch or Arrowroot Powder
Larger Recipe – Makes 1 Cup
- 4 tbsp Baking Soda
- ½ cup Cream of Tartar
- 4 tbsp Cornstarch or Arrowroot Powder
Instructions
- Measure all ingredients and put them into the mixing bowl.
- Mix together thoroughly. Break up any chunks with the back of your spoon.
- Use a funnel to pour it into your airtight storage container.
- Use it the same as you would store bought baking powder.
Notes
- 1 part baking soda
- 1 part cornstarch or arrowroot powder
- 2 parts cream of tartar
Baking powder is a pretty amazing ingredient and I know it will remain one of my top pantry staples for years to come. I hope that you give it a try. Leave me a comment below to let me know your thoughts.
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