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How To Make Sugar Cookies Without Baking Powder

How To Make Sugar Cookies Without Baking Powder: Full Guide

Last Updated on September 19, 2024 by Lori Walker

Craving sugar cookies but out of baking powder? **Don’t fret! Many substitutes** can help you whip up delicious goodies.

Not only are these traditional sugar cookies made without baking powder quick and simple to prepare, but they may also be decorated with various colorful sugars to suit the needs of any special occasion. Here’s how to make sugar cookies without baking powder.

How Can You Make Sugar Cookies Without Baking Powder? 

sugar cookies on a box

Using an alternative leavening agent, you can make sugar cookies without baking powder. You will discover that the edges are crisp, while the middle is the ideal chewiness. 

“I’m not serving a menu, I’m serving a story. I’m serving my soul. I’m serving a conversation, and I want you to talk back to me.”

– Dominque Crenn, French Chef

The flavor is buttery and sweet, and there is no disagreeable aftertaste as you might get from baking powder or soda. In our experience, making sugar cookies in this manner yields the most delicious results.

But how can you bake cookies in a toaster oven?

What is Baking Soda? 

Baking soda is one of the critical ingredients for your cookies to rise. Typically, a ratio of around 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda to 1 cup of flour is used [1]. 

Your cookies won’t rise properly and will be dense and flat if you don’t use them. Sugar cookies can be baked successfully without baking soda or baking powder.

Find out how long will baking soda last in the freezer here.

How to Keep Sugar Cookies From Spreading 

Use Leavening Agent (Egg)

Eggs contribute to water and moisture to the batter, but since most of that moisture will be lost during the cooking process, the finished cookies will have a moist texture without being overly wet.

If you add another egg white to the mixture, the cookies will have a greater tendency to rise, while adding another egg yolk will make the cookies softer and fudgy. 

Cool the Dough Before Baking

Achieve the desired results by chilling the dough several times. Having the cookie dough at room temperature before baking can lead to uneven cookies. If you do this, the butter will harden and take longer to melt in the oven. 

Check out these steps in making sugar cookie syrup here.

The Best Sugar Cookie Without Baking Powder Recipe

Prep Time: 25 mins

Baking Time: 10 mins

Total Time: 35 mins

Ingredients:

  • Ten tablespoons (1 ¼ sticks) of unsalted butter (softened)
  • One tablespoon of light corn syrup 
  • One ¼ cups sugar
  • One large egg
  • Multi-colored sanding sugars 
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • One teaspoon of baking soda
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon fine salt

Instructions: 

To make sugar cookies without baking powder, first, you need to cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy in a sizable mixing basin. Next, whisk in the vanilla essence and egg until you have a uniform mixture. Add the flour and a little salt and mix to make a dough that is easy to work with.

Wrap the bowl in plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge for at least an hour. Turn the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Spread some flour on a work surface, roll the dough, and use cookie cutters to make shapes. After chilling the cookies for 15–20 minutes, arrange them on the prepared baking sheet. 

Take the cookies from the fridge and bake them for 8-12 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Make sure they are completely cool before decorating by placing them on a cooling rack.

Serving: 18 cookies

Is Baking Powder Important in Sugar Cookies?

scoops of baking powder

Baking powder is essential in sugar cookies.

However, if you leave out the baking powder when making cookies, the finished product will still be edible, but the cookies will be thicker, and they won’t rise or puff up since they won’t have the chemical interactions essential to do so.

Tips & Tricks When Making Sugar Cookies Without Baking Powder 

  • If you want your cookies to have a bit more of a bite to them, sprinkle them with coarse-colored sugar before baking.
  • Adding a quarter teaspoon of almond extract in the first stage gives the cookies a subtle almond flavor, which is not unusual in sugar cookie recipes.
  • Simply grating one lemon’s zest into the butter in the first step will give these cookies a bright, lemony flavor.

Also Read:

FAQs 

How to store sugar cookies without baking powder?

Sugar cookies without baking powder can be kept at room temperature for up to a week if stored in an airtight container.

Find out if the sugar is a dry or wet ingredient here.

How to prevent flat sugar cookies? (but without baking powder) 

Add two tablespoons of flour to the cookie batter to avoid flat sugar cookies if it still spreads [2].

Find out what happens if you forget to put baking soda in your cookies here.

Final Thoughts  

Making sugar cookies without baking powder is an easy process. By following this recipe, you can still achieve soft, chewy, and delicious sugar cookies without sacrificing taste or texture. 

With simple ingredients and straightforward instructions, you can enjoy homemade sugar cookies anytime without baking powder.

References:

  1. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/baking-soda-benefits-uses
  2. https://www.foodnetwork.com/how-to/packages/food-network-essentials/why-are-my-cookies-flat
Lori Walker

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