Baking soda and baking powder are both included in some brownie recipes. I did an experiment and baking the same recipe with one batch using baking soda and the other using baking powder.
Baking soda made the brownies rise slightly more and made the brownies a bit cakier. Baking powder made the brownies denser and fudgier. They took 5 minutes less time to cook and looked lighter in color on the top. Both baking soda and baking powder made delicious brownies with only a slight difference in size.
I baked 2 batches of brownies. One using ½ a teaspoon of baking soda and one using ½ a teaspoon of baking powder.
Key Takeaways
- The brownies baked with baking soda were slightly fluffier and more cakey.
- The brownies with baking powder looked lighter in color.
- The brownies with baking soda took longer to cook.
Baking soda vs baking powder for brownies – Key Differences
I used an identical recipe to make my brownies only exchanging the baking soda and baking powder. I didn’t expect any difference in the result, but I did find that there were actually some small differences.
For both recipes the oven was preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius), both recipes were baking in the same glass baking dish, both were placed on the middle shelf of the oven and both had new baking soda and baking powder.
I also measured all ingredients using kitchen scales so they were accurate. There was no added cream of tartar in the recipe. The other ingredients were butter, sugar, plain flour, vanilla, cocoa powder, eggs and dark chocolate chips.
No other changes were made to the recipe, just the baking powder and baking soda.
Check out my experience with baking brownies with baking soda or baking powder.
1. Brownies baked with baking soda rose more
The brownies I baked with ½ a teaspoon of baking soda rose more than those with baking powder. This was a surprise but they definitely ended up larger and cakier. While the difference was not extreme, you could definitely see the difference.
It depends on how you like your brownies, from my experience baking soda in the recipe made the brownies fluffier and the baking powder made them chewy.
2. The brownies with baking soda looked darker
Another unexpected difference was the brownies with baking soda looked darker. This was both on the top and throughout.
3. The brownies with baking soda took longer to cook
Another difference I noticed was that the brownies with baking soda took slightly longer to cook. The brownies with baking powder took 30 minutes to cook and those with baking soda took 35 minutes.
I used a butter knife to test the center after 28 minutes and cooked them until they were cooked through in the middle.
What baking soda and baking powder does in brownies
Check out the basics of how baking powder and baking soda work in brownie recipes.
Baking soda and baking powder both help brownies to rise.
Baking soda and baking powder both contain sodium bicarbonate which releases carbon dioxide when it is mixed with an acid and heated.
Baking soda is pure sodium bicarbonate while baking powder is made up of sodium bicarbonate but also contains a powdered acid like cream of tartar. This means that there doesn’t need to be anything acidic in the recipe to make it react and release carbon dioxide.
Because brownies contain chocolate or cocoa powder which is slightly acidic (pH of 5-6) this will be enough acid to react with the baking soda and help the brownies to rise.
If you leave out the baking soda and baking powder altogether most brownie recipes will still work. They will just be a little denser and chewier. There is only a small amount of flour and baking powder in most recipes so you can get away without the baking powder.
Brownies only contain a small amount of leavening agent or ingredients that will make them rise. This is usually baking soda or baking powder. Some recipes contain self-raising flour instead of baking soda or baking powder. This will give the brownies enough lift to make them soft and delicious.
My recipe made around 9 brownies and only contained ½ a teaspoon of baking powder or baking soda.
Is baking soda or baking powder better for brownies?
When I baked brownies with baking soda vs baking powder there were some differences. Those with baking soda were slightly fluffier and cakier and looked darker. From my experience, if you like chewier and fudgier brownies, use baking powder, if you like them fluffier use baking soda.
This was just my experience with the recipe I used. Brownies only use a small amount of leavening agent so interchanging it only makes a small amount of difference.
Baking Soda vs Baking Powder for Brownies | Summary
When I baked brownies with baking soda vs baking powder there were some small differences. The brownies with baking soda were slightly fluffier, took longer to bake and came out darker. Most recipes will use baking powder to give the brownies a small amount of lift.
Baking soda and baking powder will both give you delicious brownies, no matter which one you choose.
Happy baking.
I am an accredited practicing dietitian, experienced gardener and a dedicated cook. I love writing and sharing my experience so you can learn from my successes and mistakes.