Scroll through cookie recipes and you’ll notice one ingredient that appears again and again: baking soda. This ingredient is absolutely crucial when it comes to how to bake cookies. But what does baking soda do in cookies? How does it work and what happens if you don’t put baking soda in cookies? In this guide, we’ll cover all you need to know about baking soda in cookies.
What Is Baking Soda and How Does it Work in Cookies?
Before we look at some of the common questions people have, like “Can you substitute baking powder for baking soda in cookies?” or “What happens if I forgot baking soda in cookies?” let’s start with the basics. What exactly is baking soda, and what does baking soda do in cookies to make them so tasty and irresistible?
Baking soda, otherwise known as bicarbonate of soda or sodium bicarbonate, is a key household ingredient with many uses. It’s essentially a mineral, made up of sodium and bicarbonate ions. It’s also known as a “leavener”, which refers to an ingredient that helps dough or batter to rise.
Leaveners are just as important, if not more important than sugar in baking cookies and cakes because they’re the ingredients that make your favorite baked goods rise up and become fluffy and soft.
In other words, baking soda is crucial for cookies, because it gives them their unique texture.
How does it work? Well, in order to actually activate and produce the desired results, baking soda needs to be combined with an acid. In baking, acids like lemon juice, vinegar, or buttermilk may be used. When the two ingredients combine, the soda produces carbon dioxide, making bubbles in the batter that cause it to rise.
What Happens if You Don’t Put Baking Soda in Cookies?
We’ve seen the purpose of baking soda in cookies, but what happens if you leave it out? Many people prepare their mixture, use cookie cutters to cut the shapes, and put their cookie dough balls into the oven before they realize that they forgot baking soda in the cookies.
Well, if this happens, it’s likely that you’ll be pretty disappointed with the final result, as your cookies may end up feeling flat and even having a soapy, metallic, unpleasant taste.
Why does this happen? Well, it’s because soda is the most important ingredient for giving your cookies their texture. If you fail to add a teaspoon of baking soda or however much your recipe needs, the cookies won’t have those bubbles inside them to rise up. If you forget to add the acid, too, the baking soda won’t be able to react or produce carbon dioxide.
What Happens if you Double Baking Soda in Cookies?
Since the purpose of baking soda in cookies is to help them rise, you might think that you can just add lots of soda and get super big, fluffy cookies. However, it doesn’t quite work that way. If you add too much baking soda to cookies, they can rise too much, leading to a coarse and unpleasant texture. Even the taste can be affected, becoming soapy and unenjoyable.
So try not to use too much baking soda in cookies and always follow the recipe.
Tips to Remember When Using Baking Soda in Cookies
Now that you understand a bit more about baking soda and cookies, it should be easier to understand how and why this ingredient should be used. Next, let’s look at a few tips and tricks you can count on to get the best results in cookie recipes that use baking soda:
- Mix Quickly – When using baking soda, you have to act fast. Mix the ingredients quickly and get them in the oven as soon as you can, while the baking soda is still reacting. If you wait too long, the soda won’t have much of an effect and your cookies will end up flat.
- Add a Bit of Baking Powder – If you want really chewy, fluffy cookies, you might also want to mix a little baking powder in with the mixture. It works in a slightly different way from baking soda and the two ingredients can produce amazing results when used together.
- Follow the Recipe – Whenever you use a cookie recipe that involves baking soda, make sure you follow it precisely. Use the recommended measurements of each ingredient and don’t leave anything out, as each ingredient has a part to play.
- Baking Soda Substitute – How about if you don’t have any baking soda at home when you want to make cookies? Is there a baking soda substitute you could use? Well, it is technically possible to use baking powder instead of baking soda in some recipes and situations. However, you’ll need to know a few things before you proceed.
FAQs
You technically can leave out baking soda in certain recipes (like chocolate chip cookies or pancakes) in a pinch, but you need to understand that your finished product will not be as light and fluffy as the recipe intended. Unless you have no other option, you really should use a leavening substitute.
Does baking soda make a difference in cookies? ›
Baking soda is generally about three times stronger than baking powder, so adjust your recipe accordingly. Baking soda and baking powder can produce cookies with different textures. Baking soda is typically used for chewy cookies, while baking powder is generally used for light and airy cookies.
What does baking powder do in cutout cookies? ›
Baking powder simply adds carbon dioxide to the equation, providing a more forceful pressure that encourages a dough to spread up and out.
What happens if you put too much baking soda in cookies? ›
Too much baking soda will result in a soapy taste with a coarse, open crumb.
What can replace baking soda in cookies? ›
If you don't have baking soda on hand, you can use triple the amount of baking powder instead. Alternative substitutions include potassium bicarbonate, baker's ammonia, or self-rising powder. Baking soda is a staple ingredient found in the cupboards of both seasoned and amateur bakers.
Can I use cornstarch instead of baking soda? ›
Baking soda is a leavening agent whereas cornstarch is a thickener. These two ingredients may look similar, but they have very different purposes in cooking and cannot be used interchangeably.
Why did my cookies come out flat? ›
If your cookies come out of the oven looking flat, you may not have adequately chilled the dough before baking. Chilling times may vary depending on the cookie you're making, but you should typically chill cookie dough in the refrigerator for at least two hours before you pop it in the oven.
What does cornstarch do to cookies? ›
“You can count on [it for] a softer and more tender crumb.” “A bonus benefit is it prevents the cookie from spreading too much while baking,” he adds, noting that a more compact, thick cookie typically yields a chewier outcome. But incorporating cornstarch isn't the only tip to make a cookie more palatable.
What does old baking soda do to cookies? ›
When it "goes bad," that simply means it's lost its effectiveness as a leavening agent in baked goods, helping them rise. If you're unsure when you bought or opened your box of baking soda, you can test it to see if it's still effective for baking.
What does brown sugar do in cookies? ›
Brown sugar, meanwhile, is dense and compacts easily, creating fewer air pockets during creaming—that means that there's less opportunity to entrap gas, creating cookies that rise less and spread more. With less moisture escaping via steam, they also stay moist and chewy.
Sandwich your dough between two sheets of parchment, roll, then freeze; it makes cut-out cookies a breeze! If you plan to store it for only a few hours or days, there's no need to overwrap the baking sheet; for longer storage, wrap the entire baking sheet tightly with plastic wrap before freezing.
What does egg do in cookies? ›
Eggs promote puffiness and spreading in cookies, while also holding the cookie together during baking. The height and texture of the final product is determined by how much egg is incorporated into the batter. Substituting ingredients can make or break a recipe.
Does baking soda make cookies fluffier? ›
Baking soda
When added to dough, baking soda releases a carbon dioxide gas which helps leaven the dough, creating a soft, fluffy cookie.
Why can I taste the baking soda in my cookies? ›
However: when baking soda is heated without an acid, carbon dioxide is released slowly which leaves a yucky soapy, metallic tasting cake. This is because baking soda is a base and needs an acid to neutralise it. When it is neutralised, carbon dioxide is released faster which removes the soapy taste.
Can I add baking soda after making dough? ›
Good news: You can easily add the chemical leavener — baking powder or baking soda — in at the end of mixing. “To make sure the leavener is fully incorporated, sift and sprinkle the powder(s) over the batter and gently stir them in,” says Martina.
What happens if you forget baking soda? ›
Leaving baking soda out of the cake prevents it from rising, but you can use baking powder as a substitute. Baking soda is a salt that makes food light and fluffy. If you don't have this ingredient at hand, use a baking soda substitute. Without it, your cake won't rise and can turn out flat.
What happens to cookies without baking powder? ›
If you bake cookies without leavening agents, such as baking powder or baking soda, the cookies may not rise and will likely be dense and flat. Leavening agents help create air pockets in the dough, causing it to rise and giving the cookies a lighter texture.
Can old baking soda make cookies flat? ›
Yes, baking powder and baking soda can expire! Once they've been opened, it's best to use them within six months, so make sure to check expiration dates before you start baking. Expired leavening agents lose their effectiveness, leading to flat cookies.
