If you're out of baking soda, baking powder can sometimes fill in at three times the volume. For 1 teaspoon of soda, that means 3 teaspoons of powder, or 1 tablespoon. It is a fallback, not a promise of an identical bake.
Baking soda to baking powder chart
| Baking soda needed | Baking powder instead |
|---|---|
| 1/4 teaspoon | 3/4 teaspoon |
| 1/2 teaspoon | 1 1/2 teaspoons |
| 3/4 teaspoon | 2 1/4 teaspoons |
| 1 teaspoon | 3 teaspoons (1 tablespoon) |
The three-to-one rule is described by McCormick. Use measuring spoons, not an ordinary spoon from the drawer.
If the recipe already has baking powder
Keep track of the total. A recipe with 1 teaspoon of powder and 1/4 teaspoon of soda would have 1 3/4 teaspoons of powder after this substitution: the original teaspoon plus the extra 3/4 teaspoon.
That arithmetic only calculates the replacement. It doesn't guarantee the same flavor, browning, or spread, because the recipe now has a different acid balance.
When to choose another recipe
King Arthur warns that the larger powder quantity can give an off flavor. If soda is doing much of the work, or the bake matters enough that you can't risk a changed result, use the specified ingredient or a recipe developed with powder.
Don't start changing the buttermilk, lemon juice, and sugar at the same time to compensate. Those ingredients do more than supply acid. Our soda versus powder guide explains why recipes sometimes need both.
Can I leave the soda out?
Omitting it removes both its leavening contribution and its effect on acidity. The result depends on the recipe, so there isn't one reliable instruction to simply skip it.
If the missing ingredient is actually baking powder, use the baking powder substitute guide. Reversing the swap requires a different ratio and an acid source.
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