The short answer is yes, you can make cookies without baking soda. When you use baking soda in a cookie batter it reacts chemically with the other ingredients and causes the browning of the dough during baking to occur faster.
As a result, some people find that one or two teaspoons of baking soda in a cookie recipe will bake into their desired finished texture after just ten minutes or so of cooking time–but not always.
That means some batches will come out over-browned while others will be under-browned after following instructions from a recipe that calls for “1 teaspoon” or “2 teaspoons” of baking powder.
Easy Ways to Make Cookies Without Baking Soda
To bake cookies without baking powder, try these alternatives:
> Use large eggs instead of smaller ones and then add additional yolks to the recipe. This can work with a recipe that calls for two yolks per cup of flour, but it won’t work with recipes that call for one egg white per cup of flour.
Some people prefer using more eggs as a substitute for baking soda when they want to avoid the possibility of over-baking.
For this reason, feel free to try adding in up to three additional large eggs into a recipe that calls for two eggs.
> Add in additional sugar to help counteract the lack of baking powder. Some people like to use granulated sugar instead of powdered sugar or even honey in place of plain white or brown sugar and then add a tablespoon or two extra into their baking powder-free recipe if they want a more sweet-tasting cookie.
> Use cream cheese instead of butter as an ingredient. Although cream cheese doesn’t have the same browning powers that baking soda does, it also has a more subtle taste.
It will come out more like a cookie than a brownie with these substitution ideas.
> Replace half of the butter you normally use in a recipe with olive oil or melted coconut oil.
Although neither oil will brown as quickly as baking powder, they can create a smoother and softer overall flavor when used in place of butter in cookie recipes that call for butter
If you’re still not sure how to make cookies without baking soda or baking powder, try this recipe for Buttery Biscuit Cookies.
They’re a classic treat that doesn’t call for either ingredient, and they are completely delicious.
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Can you substitute other items for the baking soda?
I often use a baking powder made from arrowroot and cream of tartar to make cookies. Baking powder is a great alternative to baking soda.
The cream of tartar helps prevent the cookies from going soft or hard, and it also produces a thicker crust that’s easier to eat.
Here are a few ingredients you can use to replace baking soda:
1. Potassium Bicarbonate and Salt
they are two items that can help you make cookies without baking soda.
Potassium bicarbonate is the main ingredient in baking powder. It helps cookies rise, giving them a nice crunch.
Combine 3 parts potassium bicarbonate with 1 part salt in a bowl and mix thoroughly.
Use this same recipe to make your own homemade baking powder by combining 1 part kosher salt with 2 parts baking soda, stirring together until it forms a thick paste.
2. Self-Rising Flour
Self-rising flour is great as a substitute for baking soda because it contains both baking soda and leavening. It’s made of starch and baking powder, which makes the flour rise when you bake with it.
You can use 1 teaspoon of regular self-rising flour for every one teaspoon of baking soda that you want to replace or mix regular and self-rising flours if you think the taste will turn out well.
If you don’t like so much saltiness in your cookies, then you might want to make sure only half a teaspoon of the regular salt is used in place of the whole amount of the potassium bicarbonate/salt mixture.
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3. Baker’s Ammonia
Some people are fortunate enough to have baker’s ammonia lying around the house. The potatoes in the house can be used as an alternative.
According to the recipe, you can substitute a quarter teaspoon of potato for every one teaspoon of baking soda that you want to replace.
The only thing that might give it away is its strong odor. So if you want to make cookies without anyone knowing, perhaps this isn’t the right method for you.
If you know someone who uses it and has some on hand, then take advantage of their generosity!
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4. Baking Powder
You can always use baking powder as a substitute for baking soda. You just have to make sure it’s the kind made from cream of tartar and arrowroot, not the regular or self-rising kind.
It should be able to do an excellent job in any recipe that calls for baking soda, such as chocolate chip cookies.
All you have to do is replace two teaspoons of the regular baking powder with two teaspoons of the cream of tartar and arrowroot mixture.
5. Vinegar
If you’re feeling adventurous, you can try making cookies without any baking soda or baking powder.
All you have to do is replace the two teaspoons of both with a quarter cup of vinegar. The water and the vinegar will react to create carbon dioxide, which is what causes the baked good to rise.
However, it may take a little longer for your cookie dough to rise this way, so don’t be surprised if it takes a little longer to bake than usual.
Buttery Biscuit Cookies Recipe
Ingredients:
1 cup white sugar 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened 2 large eggs 3 tablespoons milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a large bowl, cream together the sugar and margarine. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the milk and vanilla.
Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; stir into creamed mixture just until blended.
Drop by rounded tablespoon onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until lightly browned. Makes about 3 dozen.
Note: If you want a softer cookie, use vegetable shortening in place of butter or margarine instead of softened margarine; this will give the cookies just a little more chewiness than they would have with only margarine.
Of course, you can always add more eggs to your recipe if you don’t care too much about what their consistency is after baking. Play around with the recipe however you like and see what happens.
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Conclusion
Making cookies without baking soda is possible. All you have to do is substitute them with the above ingredients.
You’ll still end up with delicious cookies, so there are no doubts about that! If you want something a little more sophisticated, try making your own self-rising flour by mixing cornstarch, cream of tartar, and salt together.
You can use this mixture in any recipe that calls for baking soda or baking powder and replace two teaspoons of either one with two teaspoons of self-rising flour.