Is Baking Powder Vegan? (And What Brands To Buy)

Is baking powder vegan? It is! I’ve included a list of brands that are verified to be vegan.

What is baking powder?

Baking powder is sometimes mistaken for baking soda which is why this explanation is important. Baking powder is a dry chemical leavening or rising agent that helps baked goods rise. Without it, baked treats would be flat, hard, and quite unpleasant.

Baking soda (bicarbonate of soda), on the other hand, is just one of the ingredients of baking powder and has a milder flavor. For every cup or so of flour, a baking recipe will normally ask for a quarter teaspoon of baking soda.

On the flipside, baking recipes will require about a teaspoon of baking powder for each cup of flour used.

Both baking powder and baking soda are leavening ingredients that make baked goods airy. Baking soda can also be used as a natural and effective cleaning agent while baking powder is mostly used in baking.

Types of baking powder:

• Single-acting baking powder

It reacts right away when used with moist ingredients that contain acid. This type of batter must be baked right away and should not be left out for an extended amount of time. I think this isn’t really sold in the US, but it’s the only kind sold in Europe!

• Double-acting baking powder

This is what you find at US grocery stores. It begins reacting when it is combined with the wet ingredients in your recipe. It also contains a “high heat” acid, which will be activated by heat while your baked goods are baking. This means that while it bakes, it undergoes a second chemical reaction, resulting in a lighter texture.

So, is baking powder vegan?

The answer is yes! Baking powder shouldn’t contain any non-vegan ingredients.

Baking powder has three main ingredients which include:

• The base, which is normally baking soda.

Baking soda is naturally vegan. I have a whole article about it here if you’re interested → Is Baking Soda Vegan?

Baking soda is a white dry powder made of sodium bicarbonate. It is manufactured using a strict scientific process known as the Solvay process. Non-vegan products aren’t involved here.

When heated over 122 °F (50 °C) and mixed with an acid, it releases carbon dioxide. And that’s what makes your batter or dough expand.

• An acid

Is the acid also vegan? Yes. Some of the acids used in baking powder are sodium aluminum sulfate, sodium aluminum phosphate, sodium acid pyrophosphate, and monocalcium phosphate.

Sometimes, people assume that the most common acid sources are tataric acid or cream, but that’s not the case. These acids are chemically synthesized, refined, and dried in a controlled laboratory setting without non-vegan ingredients.

• A filler, which is typically a form of starch

The filler prevents the acid and base from reacting to each other too early.

These days, manufacturers use regular cornstarch or potato starch to make baking powder. One brand, Alsa, uses wheat, so if you’re also gluten-free, don’t buy that one (and check out Is Baking Powder Gluten-free)?

Cross-contamination

Some brands of baking powder might be manufactured in facilities that produce non-vegan products. Some brands might even be manufactured using the same equipment as those products.

The problem is that the equipment may or may not be cleaned when they switch from product to product. This could lead to cross-contamination.

Some manufacturers are super diligent when switching from a vegan to a non-vegan product, but a lot aren’t.

Food processing equipment is extremely difficult to properly clean unless the manufacturer dismantles everything. I think we can assume that this is not usually done.

So let’s look at some brands that have been tested to be safe!

Vegan baking powder brands

While baking powder doesn’t contain any animal products or by-products, sometimes cross-contamination can be an issue. The following brands, however, have been confirmed to be vegan.

This information is true at the time of writing in January 2022, but things can always change! Check your labels.

  • Bob’s Red Mill
  • Clabber Girl
  • Argo
  • Rumford
  • David
  • Dove’s Farm (a British brand)

Vegan recipes with baking powder

Once you have yourself some vegan baking powder, try one of these delicious vegan recipes! Be sure to always choose the vegan option listed in each recipe.

That’s it! If you have any other questions, feel free to leave them below. :)

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