Baking powder is essential to many baking recipes, helping to ensure that your baked goods rise and get light and airy. But it's also not something you may be using in everyday cooking, so that canister of baking powder could be sitting on your shelf for a long time. The big question is: Can baking powder go bad? And the short answer: Yes! (But not in the same way that perishables like eggs and milk can.)
Here's everything you need to know about how long that baking powder stays good, how to tell if your baking powder has gone bad, and what you can do to keep your baking powder fresh longer.
In general, baking powder and baking soda share similar shelf lives, as baking powder is essentially baking soda with acid and thickener added in (generally, cream of tartar and corn starch). That's why you can't use baking soda to fill in for baking powder—unless you add some of those ingredients as well.
Because baking powder and baking soda have a similar makeup, baking powder will last about six months on the shelf once it's opened, and three years in an unopened package.
Baking powder won't have an off smell or taste—unless it's been contaminated with something else. And it is safe to use past its expiration date, even if it isn't as effective. You'll just end up with a flatter, denser baked good than you would if you used fresh baking powder.
If you've found some baking powder in the back of your pantry and aren't sure if it's effective, there's an easy way to tell: Just add some baking powder to hot water. If it seems to fizz and react, your baking powder should work just fine in your recipe.
How to Store Baking Powder to Extend the Shelf Life
Air, light, heat, and humidity aren't baking powder's friends, and they can all contribute to making your baking powder expire faster. Store your baking powder in an airtight container in a cool, dry place to help it maintain its potency.
How to Use Up Your Baking Powder
If you're not a regular biscuit baker, soda bread, or other baked goods that call for baking powder, you may find yourself with baking powder on the verge of expiration.
The good news: You can use baking powder to clean just as you'd use baking soda. Just keep in mind that because baking powder has both acid (from the cream of tartar) and base (from the baking soda), it may not be quite as powerful at cleaning big messes. But baking powder can still serve as a gentle scrub for countertops and grout, a deodorizer for stinky shoes, refrigerators, or mattresses, and other similar cleaning tasks.
Unopened baking powder can be stored for up to 18 months and still be fresh and effective. After that, you'll likely notice a loss of potency when using it in baking recipes. Opened baking powder should be used within 6 months.
Baking powder won't have an off smell or taste—unless it's been contaminated with something else. And it is safe to use past its expiration date, even if it isn't as effective. You'll just end up with a flatter, denser baked good than you would if you used fresh baking powder.
"The Food Keeper App" recommends storing unopened baking powder at room temperature for 6 months. After opening, store at room temperature for 3 months for best quality.
The Food Marketing Institute's "The Food Keeper" recommends storing unopened baking soda at room temperature for 18 months. After opening, store at room temperature for 6 months for best quality.
If you use baking powder instead of baking soda, add a total of three times the amount of baking powder than the recipe recommends for baking soda to “fix” the mistake. However, keep in mind that adding too much baking powder can cause the baked goods to taste bitter.
Baking powder, in particular, is one of those ingredients you can easily run out of without noticing, but when it comes to baking, it does a very particular job, and can be difficult to replace. Most baked goods need a leavening agent to make them rise, and if you leave it out, your cake or your cookies will fall flat.
Most store-bought baking powders will be labeled "double acting," meaning they start to activate once they touch a liquid and again when heat is applied. You will see it solo in vanilla cake recipes, for instance, which use regular milk for moisture and the heat of the oven to activate the baking powder.
Wheat-based refined flours usually can be used past the expiration date (up to a year at your house), especially if it's been stored in a cool, dry place. 2 You'll want to be careful about self-rising flour, though, as the baking powder that's mixed into the flour can lose its effectiveness over time.
Even though the shelf life of brown sugar is indefinite, it's best to use it within two years of purchase for maximum flavor. Don't store brown sugar in the refrigerator. However, if you are in a very dry area or are going to keep it for a long time, you may want to freeze it.
Cream of tartar does not expire so long as you store it in a cool and dry space. When in doubt, check for a powdery, white appearance and a slightly acidic smell. Discard your cream of tartar if it has become discolored or if it has a strong smell.
Baking powder usually has a shelf life of about 9 to 12 months. Testing it is super easy. Just stir about half a teaspoon of baking powder into a cup of hot water. It will immediately start to fizz and release carbon dioxide gas if it's still fresh enough to use.
Baking soda is a salt, and all salts—along with other minerals in excess—can be detrimental to plant growth. Salt acts as a desiccant on plants and causes wilted foliage, stunted growth, and eventually, death. Healthy plants can quickly go downhill from an excess of salts.
Baking soda, like baking powder, can lose potency over time (using the expired stuff won't hurt you—it just won't be effective in your recipes). You can keep an unopened package in the pantry for up to three years without much consequence.
How to prepare baking powder. To make baking powder, combine half a teaspoon of cream of tartar and a quarter teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda. This provides the equivalent of one teaspoon of baking powder. To make self-raising flour add one teaspoon of baking powder (or equivalent homemade) to 110g plain flour.
Baking soda can be used with some water to remove the stains on the surface of the teeth. It can also be used with hydrogen peroxide to enhance its whitening effects. Baking soda can be used by individuals with regular toothpastes too. It is also used commercially in some teeth whitening products and toothpastes.
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