Also known as bicarbonate of soda, bicarb soda, bicarb.
Pure sodium bicarbonate. Requires an acid in the recipe to activate.
Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate, a strong alkaline leavener that needs an acid and heat to release carbon dioxide. It works roughly four times harder than baking powder by weight, which is why even a quarter-teaspoon nudges browning, spread, and the open, lacy crumb of cookies and quick breads.
Use Use 3x the amount of baking powder (1 tsp soda = 1 tbsp powder)
Won't create the same browning. May need to remove other acids from recipe.
1 cup = 216g
Reverse the most common baking lookup.
Useful for small-batch adjustments and spoon measures.
Conversion path with proven search demand for this ingredient.
Conversion path with proven search demand for this ingredient.
Conversion path with proven search demand for this ingredient.
Use Use 3x the amount of baking powder (1 tsp soda = 1 tbsp powder) for the closest starting point.
| cups | grams |
|---|---|
| 1/4 cups | 54.0 grams |
| 1/3 cups | 71.0 grams |
| 1/2 cups | 108 grams |
| 1 cups | 216 grams |
| 1.50 cups | 324 grams |
| 2 cups | 432 grams |
| 3 cups | 648 grams |
| 4 cups | 864 grams |
Ingredient-specific, density-based conversions for baking
Published values, quoted at the exact measure each source lists. Sources round differently and assume different fill techniques — which is why they rarely agree to the gram.
| Source | Listed measure | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| USDA FoodData Central | 1 tsp | 4.6 g |
| King Arthur Baking | 1/2 tsp | 3 g |
CupOrGram standardizes on 216 g per cup (14 g per tablespoon, 5 g per teaspoon) and uses that single value on every page — how we reconcile the sources.
Gram-first recipes built on the same measured densities as this page — weigh straight from the recipe, no conversion needed.
A deeply chocolatey single-layer cake where full-fat sour cream does the work of butter. One bowl, a whisk, and a scale — every measurement given in grams first.
A tender, naturally wheat-free banana bread made entirely with oat flour. Weighed, tested, and written in grams first — because oat flour is one of the most inconsistently scooped flours there is.
The classic no-flour peanut butter cookie — crackly edges, fudgy center — with the one ratio that actually matters given in grams: equal weights peanut butter and sugar.
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Essential for cup-to-gram accuracy and repeatable bakes.
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Won't create the same browning. May need to remove other acids from recipe.
Won't create the same browning. May need to remove other acids from recipe.
Sodium-free swap that reacts with acid exactly like baking soda, so lift and browning match. Slightly bitter in large amounts — add a pinch of salt if the recipe had none.
Both are bicarbonate bases that release CO2 on contact with acid; the potassium salt simply carries no sodium.
Each cup carries about 1½ tsp baking powder and ½ tsp salt. Works for quick breads and muffins; skip it when the recipe needs soda for browning or to tame a lot of acid.
The blended-in baking powder supplies acid and base together, so the batter's own acidity no longer matters.
Gives exceptional crispness and spread. The ammonia gas bakes off completely from thin doughs but lingers in thick cakes and muffins.
Decomposes into ammonia and CO2 on heating with no acid needed — strong lift, but only safe where the bake is thin enough to vent.
Mechanical lift instead of chemical. Best for sponge-style cakes and pancakes; cookies won't spread or brown the same way.
Trapped air expands in the oven to provide rise; with no acid-base reaction, browning and pH-driven spread are lost.
Carbonation adds gentle lift to pancakes, waffles, and tempura-style batters. Not enough for cookies or dense quick breads.
Dissolved CO2 escapes as the batter heats and aerates it; the effect fades fast, so mix and cook immediately.
Cool, dry place. Replace every 6 months for baking use.
4x stronger than baking powder. Reacts immediately with acids (buttermilk, brown sugar, cocoa, vinegar). Promotes browning and creates a more open crumb.
Most recipes call for 1 teaspoon soda per 2 cups flour, paired with brown sugar's molasses for the acid. Skip the soda and you get pale, cakey rounds; double it and the cookies spread thin, brown too fast, and turn brittle at the edges before the centers set.
Combine 1/4 teaspoon soda with 2 teaspoons baking powder per 2 cups flour — the soda neutralizes buttermilk's tang and adds tenderness, while the powder handles the bulk of the rise. Soda alone leaves a soapy aftertaste; powder alone gives a tight, less tender crumb.
Use 1 teaspoon soda with natural cocoa (which is acidic) — the reaction shifts cocoa toward that reddish-brown, almost rust color the cake is named for. With Dutch-process cocoa, you'll need to add an acid like buttermilk or coffee, or the cake reads dull brown and tastes faintly metallic.
Baseline reference: 1 cup baking soda = 216g. In real kitchens, a practical range is usually 203g-229g per cup (6% band).
Why this happens: fine powders and leaveners settle during storage, changing cup density.
Figures use the US cup (236.6 ml).Soda doesn't expire so much as absorb moisture and odors from the cupboard, which dulls its reactivity. Drop a half-teaspoon in a tablespoon of vinegar — if it doesn't fizz violently within a second, replace the box.
Yes, and many recipes do — the soda neutralizes acid and boosts browning, while the powder provides the bulk of the lift through its built-in acid. They aren't redundant; they're tuned to different jobs in the same batter.
Pure sodium bicarbonate shouldn't smell of anything — a faint ammonia note usually means it's absorbed odors from the fridge or pantry. Store it sealed away from strong smells, and replace it every six months for the best results.
1 cup of baking soda weighs 216 grams.
Cup, tablespoon, and teaspoon weights for all ingredients, sourced and cross-checked.