Tips for finding the healthiest baking powder at the store with optional recipe for quickly mixing it up in one minute yourself for pennies per serving.
Healthy baking powder is a must in the kitchen of a savvy cook. Used as a leavening agent, baking powder lightens the texture and increases the volume of baked goods such as muffins, cakes, pancakes, and cookies.
It works by releasing carbon dioxide bubbles into the wet batter in a chemical reaction. This process expands and helps to add optimal texture to the mixture.
Fast-Acting vs Slow-Acting
Baking powder can be fast-acting, slow-acting, or both.
Slow-acting baking powders work with the heat of the oven to provide a late rise to the dough.
Fast-acting baking powders work at room temperature and become effective immediately upon addition to the wet batter on the countertop.
Double-Acting
Most commercial baking powders are double-acting.
This means that they work both on the counter and in the oven providing an extra measure of reliability and consistency to the final product.
Baking Powder Contaminants
Many people do not realize that baking powder can contain undesirable ingredients and even toxins.
Aluminum
The problem with the double-acting baking powders is that they usually contain aluminum in the form of sodium aluminum sulfate or sodium aluminum phosphate.
Slow-acting baking powders have the same problem unless the acid salt used is sodium acid pyrophosphate.
Fast-acting, low-temperature baking powders contain just monocalcium phosphate, cream of tartar, potassium bicarbonate or sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), and starch.
This is typically the choice of health-conscious cooks trying to avoid aluminum in all its forms.
Aluminum consumption has been linked with the development of Alzheimer’s Disease.
The use of aluminum-based acid salts to leaven the dough can also sometimes give a slightly metallic taste to the final product.
Choosing an “aluminum-free” baking powder does not eliminate all health risks as is commonly thought.
GMOs and Starch
Starch is typically added to these fast-acting, aluminum-free powders to keep the baking powder from clumping over time.
Corn starch is the starch of choice which unless organic, is most likely derived from genetically modified corn.
I did a survey of baking powders at my local health food stores recently and did not find one brand that used organic corn starch.
I did find one that used nonGMO potato starch. But, if one is on a low-carb diet, this baking powder is not a great choice either.
Good news! Rumford baking powder has a new formulation using GMO-free corn starch.
Many other brands are still using GMO ingredients, however, so read ingredients carefully!
It seems the best solution all around is to make your own! Baking powder takes seconds to mix and is fresh and potent each time you need it.
How to Test Commercial Baking Powder for Potency
This eliminates another problem with store-bought baking powders that lose strength over time.
To test effectiveness, stir a teaspoon into a small cup of hot (not boiling) water.
If it fizzes it is still usable. If it does not fizz, throw it away.
Make Your Own! (aluminum-free, starch-free, nonGMO)
Check out the recipe for making healthy baking powder below. It is so simple to make yourself and cheaper too!
You might be wondering why you haven’t been doing this all along!
One important tip for making DIY baking powder.
Do not make a large amount and store it in the pantry, as it will absorb moisture and get hard.
Make only as much as you need for each recipe.
Baking Powder Recipe
How to make baking powder in less than a minute.
Ingredients
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp cream of tartar
- 2 tsp lemon juice optional. Use instead of the cream of tartar if you are on the GAPS or SCD diets.
Instructions
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Mix the baking soda and cream of tartar in a small bowl.
-
Use immediately.
Recipe Notes
Note that if your recipe includes yogurt, kefir, buttermilk, lemon juice or vinegar, there is no need to mix up baking powder. Just use baking soda alone and the acidity already included in the recipe will activate it to provide the desired dough leavening effect with no cream of tartar.
Make sure your baking powder is ALUMINUM FREE !!
Sarah – you rock!
We had to find other options after my daughter found out she had a corn sensitivity. Not to mention the major GMO issue. If you don’t want to make your own and still want the double acting BP, Bakewell makes a starch free version of their baking powder as well as a starch free Bakewell cream. No aluminum either. I used to special order it but the shipping was prohibitive since it was coming from east coast to west coast. Maybe I can get my local store to order it for me… I picked up the potato starch BP from Hain last refill since it was available locally.
Even if the recipe doesn’t include an acidic agent, you can just squeeze a little bit of fresh lemon juice in with the baking soda and it should work really well, right? That’s what I’ve been doing. I did buy some Bob’s Red Mill, but I’m guessing it has the GMO cornstarch issue.
Hi Bonny, yes that will work ok as a sub for the cream of tartar.
Bonny, Per Bob’s Red Mill via their Facebook page, all of their products are non-GMO.
Ahh great! We’re doing GAPS diet and I was about to hand on my cream of tartar as it’s not GAPS allowed but I’ll keep it now 🙂
I buy Rumford but lately it has an off flavor, very bitter, so not sure what is up with that.
Rachael I had that before with Rumford. What helped me was shaking up the can a few times mixed the powder up and it helped. I went through 2 cans a few years back when I decided to shake the 2nd can up and it worked. Hope that helps!
Clabour Girl, aluminum free
Interesting question. I have just regular old Armour. But, I’m learning as I go that I have choices. 🙂
Yay!!! Thank you! One less thing for me to buy and worry about! I am so glad for this recipe!
By the way, I really do not know why baking powder that you make yourself is not GAPS legal. If you make it yourself, the starch is removed yet Cream of Tartar is still on the no-no list which I do not understand. Perhaps in the latest edition of GAPS (I have the first edition) cream of tartar is allowed?
I have the 2010 version, and it is still on the illegal list. Cream of Tartar is a wine making byproduct (according to Wikipedia) so maybe it has some trace sugars in it.
The Cream of tartar is basically a fermented product, so some people are sensitive to that. I am looking for a cornstarch free baking powder, as cream of tartar is not tolerated either. Anybody know of a brand?
Hi Tess,
Featherweight is gluten-free and corn-free.
Carla
See my comment below, Baking Powder does not contain Cream of Tartar (and generally can’t as it reacts in a dry form).