You Can Totally DIY Baking Powder With These Common Kitchen Ingredients

Whether you're setting out on a day-long bread-baking adventure or whipping up a quick batch of cookies to pair with the latest episode of Real Housewives, baking yourself something delicious is a great way to unwind and cozy up at home.

That said, making ~all the baked goods~ requires a well-stocked pantry, especially when it comes to staples like baking powder.

Though you may have never thought too much about what baking powder is (or how it actually works), it plays a pretty important role in making your recipes Pinterest-worthy. In short, baking powder is a chemical leavening agent, meaning “it’s what gives our baked goods a rise, and the ‘puff’ in our cakes, cookies, breads, and more,” says Tracy Wilk, lead chef at the Institute of Culinary Education.

“Baking powder contains sodium bicarbonate (more commonly known as baking soda) and an acid, which together releases carbon dioxide, which is what then leavens the baked good,” she explains.

Though baking powder has a unique chemistry, other ingredients can give you a similar (if not the exact same) result in a pinch. Your best bet: a combination of baking soda and some sort of acid. “The easiest way to break that down is to work in tablespoons," Wilk says. The rule: For every one tablespoon of baking powder a recipe calls for, sub in one teaspoon of baking soda, plus two teaspoons of an acid.

Ready to hack your next baking escapade? Here are the different ingredients you can use to DIY your own baking powder substitute.