Chocolate Chip Cookies without Baking Soda or Baking Powder
A simple chocolate chip cookie recipe without baking soda or baking powder. These cookies are soft in the middle and slightly crispy on the edges. You don’t absolutely need baking soda or baking powder to make your favorite cookie!
OVERVIEW
- Skill Level: Beginner
- Technique Used: Creaming Method for Cookies
I’ve recently been in a scenario where I didn’t have baking soda or baking powder on hand but wanted to do some baking. Can I make chocolate chip cookies without it? Turns out, you can! This recipe makes a classic chocolate chip cookie with crispy edges and a soft, chewy middle.
Let’s go over the why’s of why you don’t absolutely need baking soda or baking powder to make drop cookies!
WHY THIS RECIPE IS GOOD TO HAVE ON HAND
- You may not always have baking soda or baking powder on hand and want to make cookies!
- This recipe eliminates the stress that comes with starting a recipe and realizing you don’t have all the ingredients.
- With baking, it’s important to understand how each ingredient works so that you can substitute, eliminate, or customize!
INGREDIENT FUNCTIONS
Let’s go over the 2 ingredients left out of this recipe: baking soda and baking powder. Understanding how they work in recipes helps us to come to the conclusion that they aren’t absolutely necessary in this scenario (making chewy chocolate chip cookies).
Baking Soda (also known as Bicarbonate of Soda) is just sodium bicarbonate. In order for it to do its job, it needs an acidic component to interact with and create a chemical reaction. In baking, some common acidic ingredients include vinegar, yogurt, lemon juice (or other citrus juice), buttermilk, brown sugar, and chocolate– now you know why almost all chocolate chip cookie recipes call for baking soda as the leavening agent.
Baking Powder is baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) already mixed with an acid (usually cream of tartar). Therefore, baking powder on its own is used in baked goods that do not already contain an acid. It works in the same way baking soda does, by creating air bubbles which cause the batter to rise. If you find yourself without baking soda you can always substitute baking powder for baking soda. This is not true the other way around.
Keep in mind that baking soda is much more powerful than baking powder so when substituting you need more baking powder to equal the same strength.
HERE ARE A FEW SCENARIOS:
My recipe calls for baking soda and I don’t have any: You can substitute the baking soda in the recipe for baking powder if you have it.
The general rule of thumb is that 1 teaspoon of baking soda = 3 teaspoons (or 1 tablespoon) of baking powder
Since the original recipe called for baking soda then the recipe must already contain an acidic ingredient. And since baking powder also contains an acidic ingredient (cream of tartar) then you are all set. You do not need to add more cream of tartar.
My recipe calls for baking powder and I don’t have any: In this scenario, the recipe is asking for baking powder which is baking soda plus cream of tartar so you need to add both.
1 teaspoon baking powder = 1/4 teaspoon baking soda plus 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
It’s important to use this conversion and not add too much baking soda. Too much can cause your baked goods to have a metallic or soapy flavor to them.
I don’t have either baking soda or baking powder: Determine how important it is for your baked good to rise. Is it very important, like a cake? Or is it okay if they are a little flat, like cookies? Are there eggs in the recipe? Eggs can help a baked good to rise. If there are eggs in the recipe and it isn’t that important for the baked good to rise, then you can probably leave out the baking soda and baking powder.
I do not suggest this for cakes, muffins, biscuits, etc. To date, I have only successfully tried this with drop cookies.
How to make chocolate chip cookies without baking soda or baking powder
Without baking soda or baking powder, these cookies will remain a little flatter then other recipes but because of the eggs and creaming of the butter and sugars in this recipe they will still puff up a little in the oven. They will have crispy edges and a soft, chewy center.
STEP 1: Cream butter and sugars
Using the paddle attachment in a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, cream together the soft butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Creaming them together for several minutes will help lighten and leaven the cookies.
Add eggs and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
STEP 2: ADD THE DRY INGREDIENTS
Stir in the salt and flour. Scrape down the bowl and mix until you no longer see any streaks of white flour. Stir for an additional 30 seconds to develop the gluten to make chewy cookies but then stop. Do not overmix.
STEP 3: ADD THE CHOCOLATE CHIPS
Add the chocolate chips to the bowl and fold them in until evenly distributed.
STEP 4: SCOOP THE DOUGH
Using a cookie scoop or spoon, scoop dough balls onto a cookie sheet. Scoop about 2-3 tablespoons per cookie. If desired, top each cookie with a few extra chocolate chips and flaky, coarse salt.
STEP 5: BAKE
Bake cookies until the edges are set but the middle looks slightly underdone. They will continue to set as they cool. Let cool completely.
MORE articles FROM BAKER BETTIE!
If you love to learn the why’s of baking, you might like to read about other baking science topics!
Chocolate Chip Cookies without Baking Soda or Baking Powder
This recipe is for simple chocolate chip cookie recipe without baking soda or baking powder. These cookies are soft in the middle and slightly crispy on the edges.
Ingredients
- 113 grams (½ cup, 1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 100 grams (½ cup) granulated sugar
- 50 grams (¼ cup) brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 150 grams (1 ¼ cup) all-purpose flour
- 150 grams (1 cup) chocolate chips (I prefer at least 60% dark chocolate)
- coarse salt for sprinkling if desired
Instructions
PREP:
- At least 30 minutes before making, remove the butter (113 grams, ½ cup) and egg (1 large) from the refrigerator to come to room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (175ºC). Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
TO MAKE THE COOKIES:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fit with the paddle attachment, or a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar (100 grams, ½ cup), and brown sugar (50 grams, ¼ cup) until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes on medium-high speed.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract (2 teaspoons) and mix until combined.
- Add the salt (½ teaspoon) and flour (150 grams, 1 ¼ cup) to the mixing bowl. Mix until incorporated. Scrape down the bowl and mix until to make sure the ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Add the chocolate chips (150 grams, 1 cup) into the mixing bowl and mix with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.
- Scoop large rounded mounds of dough onto baking sheets, about 2 tablespoons in size. Do not overcrowd the pan.
- Bake for 8-12 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers are still slightly underdone. Let the cookies sit on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool further.
- Sprinkle the warm cookies with coarse salt if desired.
- For best results, store cooled cookies in an airtight container for 3-4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
*If you do have baking soda on hand, here is a recipe for the best chocolate chip cookies with baking soda.
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165 Comments on “Chocolate Chip Cookies without Baking Soda or Baking Powder”
So informative! Thanks, Kristin!
Love this, thank you for the science lesson! If it weren’t for your amazing cookies, I would have never known how delicious browned butter makes them! I’d say your teaching is a success! I’m sure this post will help many!
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These cookies look so good! I often don’t use bicarb or baking powder in cookies unless I’m making vegan ones. I loved your science bit, it’s fascinating! I think once you can get to grips with some of the science baking becomes so much easier and instinctive. X x x
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I have ALWAYS wondered what the difference was. Thanks for clearing that up! And I’m excited to try browning the butter next time I make cookies!
You’re so smart with all the sciencey talk 🙂
I love talking baking science! And thanks so much for covering this topic 'cause we've all been in the mood for cookies and when that's the only ingredient you don't have, sometimes you wish you could just do without it. Glad to know I can!
Oops! I got so excited I posted my comment in the wrong place!
I love talking baking science! And thanks so much for covering this topic ’cause we’ve all been in the mood for cookies and when that’s the only ingredient you don’t have, sometimes you wish you could just do without it. Glad to know I can!
This is such an interesting and informative post! I am an avid baker and it is great to now have all this info! My favorite tidbit is that baking powder can be used for baking soda. So cool!
I love this informative post. The photos look great. I want to try this recipe asap!
Thanks for the information! The cookies were absolutely amazing. Me (8th grade) and my neighbor (6th grade) made them and are heavenly! Thank you so much!
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Hey ~ Give the people what they want ~ Baking science is way cool 🙂
Thanks this really helped me!! I added too much sugar but they still taste good!!
I’m so glad it worked out Catherine! A little more sugar isn’t usually a bad thing 🙂
Is it compulsory to use a mixer for mixing and beating? Or can we mix ourselves? Because I don’t have a mixer..
oh and can I leave out the vanilla essence? Because I don’t really like vanilla.. The cookies look great!
I’m not sure why this comment never showed up in my feed. You can always leave extracts out. They only effect the flavor. To learn more about what each ingredient does check out my science of the chocolate chip cookie post here: https://bakerbettie.com/2012/02/11/the-science-of-the-chocolate-chip-cookie/
can you replace the chocolate chips with strawberries?or any type of fruit?
Yes you can. Not any type of fruit. Some might be too watery, but strawberries or blueberries should be good!
These are great cookies!!! I love choc chip cookies, but hate the soapy taste of baking soda. This is definitely a keeper!!!
I have never heard it tasting soapy. Hmmm. Well I’m glad this helped you out though!
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I have both baking soda and baking powder and I have used both over the years. I left out both ingredients one time and I did not like how they looked. The taste was great but they were not appealing to the eye; I sell the cookies at the time so the look is just as important as the taste.
I haven’t been too succesful lately with my receipe and I can’t remember if it’s because I’m using both or if I’m using the wrong one (bks or bkp) and I can’t find my original receipe. I changed them both out for news one in case that was the problem but not the case. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Nancy,
It is hard to know the problem without seeing the recipe, but I am going to go guess you need to be using baking soda. Chocolate is acidic and therefore it will acivate the baking soda on it’s own. Baking powder would be a secondary leavener if you use them together. I find that if you chill the dough before baking you will get a more even spreading and browning on the cookie, with or without baking soda or powder.
Thank you for responding so quickly..I’m making cookies tonight so your quick response is very helpful. Unfortunately, I can’t reveal my ingredients (lol) they might make me famous…like Famous Amos (lol)…just kidding. But I see what you’re saying about chilling the dough. I too believe the last time I used baking powder instead of baking soda and as mentioned either way the taste is great I just don’t like the look of flat c.c.cookies, they tend to be too crispy and not a nice chew.
Totally appreciate your feedback. Happy Baking!!
The reason I don’t want to use baking soda or powder is that I have a heart condition and I have to cut back drastically on salt. Baking powder and soda both have a lot of salt in them. However I do love good food and desserts. My question is , if I omit the baking powder or soda, would I have to increase the number of eggs in order to get a rise. Th
What I’d like to know is how the texture & spread of a batch of cookies would be affected by using:
– no baking powder,
– baking powder, and
– baking soda?
From what I’ve read, I suspect that the no baking powder cookies would be flatter, harder and spread less.
The baking powder would be fluffier, lighter, spreading more but with a crispiness.
And baking soda would be just fluffier, ligher and spreading more but without crispness.
Have I surmised correctly?
I baked chocolate chip cookies this weekend and I used bk soda but less butter and those were the best looking and best tasting cookies I’ve ever baked. Crunchy on the edges, soft and chocolately on the inside. The color was perfectly browned.
There are many factors to consider when considering fluffy cookies vs crispy cookies. Not just the leavening. The white sugar vs brown sugar, the kind of flour used, the temperature it bakes at. You might read this post about it: https://bakerbettie.com/2012/02/11/the-science-of-the-chocolate-chip-cookie/
If you have a specific recipe I can help you make the edits to get the result you want, but just changing the leavening won’t necessarily do it.
We do not have baking soda in UK, that is why we search on Google for alternatives! We have baking powder or bicarbonate of soda.
Did you know that bicarbonate of soda IS baking soda? Just different names. So you do have it!
Got a good laugh at your comment about getting so many hits by people looking for chocolate chip recipes without baking soda. I live overseas and thought I had baking powder in the cupboard versus baking soda and after reading your blog decided to verify exactly what I had given that when I bought it, I had to ask for assistance and describe what I was looking for in broken french. Well, I learned something new today after translating on the internet – the German word for baking soda is backpulver (we tend to get food products in many different languages except english!). So I’m in luck and it explains why my biscuits have been off. LOL.
Misread the ingredients and put in too much salt… Cookies came out looking good until I tasted it lol. Next time I should read it properly…
im making them at this very moment thanks for the amazing recipe 😉
I just made these but they seemed to not be browning like a usual cookie. The bottom browned up but the tops no. They just seem pale. Is this normal..
Baking soda helps browning so that is why these cookies do not brown as much.
bicarbonate of soda -> sodium bicarbonate = baking soda (it's just a different name) … check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_bicarbonate
@Keith Lucas @Jill Maddock, Absolutely right. They are just called different things.
These are fantastic!! These cookies are so flexible and delicious every time. I brown the butter and use Pamela’s gluten free all purpose flour and absolutely must sprinkle coarse salt over the top.. (and a little more once they come out of the oven just to make them more beautiful. Once I didn’t have any extract, so I left it out and they were still super delicious. My favorite way to make these is to use almond extract and mix mini chocolate chips with some large chunks of chocolate, too. The large chunks turn into a sort of surprise cookie truffle. So fantastic, quick and easy. I’m never going to loose weight now that I have discovered these.
This comment makes me so happy Janna! The way you make them sounds absolutely fantastic! Thanks for following and trying my recipe!
LOLZ! Google search of “cookies without baking soda” brought me to your page —- because my son is studying this (for whatever reason) in 8th grade science, and I needed a recipe. Thank you for the lesson! Maybe that is why others are coming here as well…..
Hi! Thanks so much for this recipe. I’m living in a college apartment and I didn’t have any kind of baking soda or baking powder on hand so I figured I might as well give this recipe a shot. This new oven is a little temperamental (hah!) so they turned out a bit doughier than expected. However they still taste amazing!
Hey Bettie – just wanted to say thanks for the awesome recipe. I’m up at my country home, was jonesing for a Saturday night project (wild times!) and realized we had no baking soda. Thanks for saving the day!
…Browning the butter is definitely worth the extra step 🙂
I enjoyed your procrastination information. I was searching for a no baking soda cookie recipe because of the need to go low sodium for my husband's cookies! Thanks.
This made me laugh aloud…loudly. You're a gifted blogger. And I'm using this recipe. Thank you.
Thank you for the recipe without soda or powder! I laughed out loud at "why do you not have baking soda people?"! I tried browning the butter and found it to be delicious. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge and the meta intro
Thank you for this recipe. In answer to why I googled cooking without baking soda or baking powder, they make me ill.
HA! I just Googled this because I was in the middle of making some cookies and completely spaced that I was out of baking soda. You are awesome.
I have the best recipe for chocolate chip cookies, doesn't need baking soda or powder… Just go to the refrigerated section at the store and look for this new invention called cookie dough. It even comes in a tube, bucket, or even break apart cookies! It's ingenious! I haven't messed them up yet!
That is a great invention Jen for those who don’t like to bake. But for those of us, like me, who absolutely love the process of baking it sort of defeats the purpose. I love the art of baking from scratch! It is my art.
I made the cookies and they were great! Thanks..
Been looking for a recipe for chocolate chip cookies with no baking soda. Though I do have baking soda and sodium free baking powder on hand, I wanted a recipe that omits the baking soda for a low sodium diet. Can’t wait to try them.
This was a witty and thoroughly enjoyable blog post and I love the recipe (I hardly ever look up recipes) so I was totally surprised to look up a recipe, and experience a great blog post to boot! Thanks for sharing. LoL
Thank you for this. I am so tired of my cookies raising!
Hi, I can explain partly why people search for recipes with no baking powder and or baking soda. It makes some people ill. I can use an all purpose flour that has it already mixed in commercially just fine for some reason (though would rather not– reason explained now) but if I try to make a cake or cookie recipe that calls for it to be added separately, I will get sick. And what I mean by sick as in worshiping the porcelain alter sick. Not pleasant. Baking soda/powder does horrible things to my GI tract and I think it all stems from some Baking Soda biscuits I made in home ec when i was in the 4th grade. One of the most violent purgings Ive ever had in my life was from these. My BFs mother made some cookie once that had baking soda and she didnt mix it well enough. I ate a couple and tasted the baking soda and…. yup.. got ill. I appreciate the research you did explaining why both are used in recipes. Knowing that now I will just omit the offending leveling powders in my future baking. Thanks!! ^_^
Extremely helpful post… Cause I’m cooking for Passover! Will add an extra egg instead.
I’m so glad it helped you Lindi! Thanks for stopping by!
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was looking for a non leavening receipes for Passover this is a feast of 7 days with no leavening. I will be giving this a try
Yes, these cookies are perfect for passover! Enjoy!
My reason for looking for "no leavening" cookie is this is Passover week & I'm trying to keep away from any leavening for the week. No we're not Jewish but trying to keep with God's holidays. It has been frustrating finding leavening in Everything!
could i replace the flower with cornmeal?
Whitney A. Kerr, no cornmeal will not work in place of flour. I'm sorry.
I googled it because I'm on a low sodium diet for heart failure but still want cookies.
To answer your question, the reason I’m searching “chocolate chip cookies without baking powder” is because I live in Western Mongolia, where there is no baking powder to be found, but I really want cookies!
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