Learn how to easily make homemade baking powder paleo, aluminum free, and without any corn using arrowroot powder! This paleo baking powder is naturally gluten free and perfect for any grain-free diet!
These days, this paleo pancake recipe is requested daily in our home, so I have been making my own homemade baking powder to fit our grain-free breakfast. This is a great recipe to add to any paleo baked goods or if you have a food allergy to corn.
Baking Powder vs. Baking Soda
Baking powder is a dry powder leavening agent for baked goods that is a mixture of baking soda and a weak acid (such as cream of tartar). Most commonly it is used in recipes that are alkaline instead of acidic (think lemon, lime and vinegar). Baking powder works well in foods that do not use yeast, and are fabulous for quick breads like this cranberry nut bread and eggless (vegan) banana bread! Baking is such a chemistry!
Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is an alkaline leavening agent. Picture grade school and experimenting with baking soda mixed with vinegar. When mixed you get major fizzy bubbling action overflowing from cups or out of volcanoes. When baking soda is paired with an acid (such as cream of tartar) it expands the batter for pancakes, waffles, cakes, soda bread and other baked goods.
How to make this paleo homemade baking powder recipe
Three simple ingredients make paleo baking powder and still provides the fluffiness that baked goods need to satisfy your taste buds. Do you want your pancakes to rise? How about that delicious cake your dying to make? This recipe is perfect is you ran out of baking powder and/or if you want it aluminum free and paleo😊.
Baking Powder Formula: an acid, a base and a filler
- 4 tablespoons cream of tartar – the acid.
- 2 tablespoons baking soda – the alkaline base.
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot flour – the filler (I’ve seen recipes using tapioca flour, but I prefer arrowroot which worked better for me).
You can use the above baking powder ratio or cut it in half, and see how many teaspoons in a tablespoon if you do not have a tablespoon available for measuring. I do not recommend making a larger batch than this. You do not want moisture getting into the container as it sets, which would activate the ingredients before it gets used.
Mix the ingredients together and store in an airtight container in a dry place for easy use wherever baking powder is called in a recipe. This is a standard universal recipe with the proper ratio. Cream of tartar is always double the amount of baking soda. Arrowroot powder (flour or starch) is always equal amounts of baking soda. Baking is such a chemistry and this one works!
Baking Powder Uses
Use this baking powder in quick breads (in place of yeast to rise), biscuits, cakes, muffins, and soda breads. Not only is baking powder good for baked goods, it also makes meats more tender and crab cakes fluffier when added as it sets before cooking!
Another thing to note about baking powder is that some store-bought baking powders contains aluminum. Have you ever bitten into a delicious muffin and noticed a little metal aftertaste? That is most commonly from aluminum used in the baking powder. This recipe contains no metal aftertaste!
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Finding out I do not have enough baking powder on-hand has happened far too frequently and now we can all be better prepared😊. Use this recipe in place of store-bought and for any food allergies and grain-free and paleo diets!
Homemade Baking Powder (Paleo)
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons cream of tartar
- 2 tablespoons baking soda
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot flour (also called starch or powder)
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a bowl or jar. Mix well. Store in an airtight container in a dry place.
Christy says
If a recipe calls for baking soda and baking powder, do I use the above recipe that includes baking soda PLUS the baking soda listed in the recipe?
Danielle Fahrenkrug says
The recipe formula is this:
4 tablespoons cream of tartar, 2 tablespoons baking soda, 2 tablespoons arrowroot flour (or for non-paleo use cornstarch).
Then mix them in a bowl and it is ready! Store in a sealed jar in a cool dry place.