Did You Run Out of Cream of Tartar? Try These Substitutes (2024)

Talk about misnomer: Cream of tartar is neither creamy nor related to a certain fish stick dipping sauce. It's actually just a mysteriously named fine white powder that's beloved by bakers for its stabilizing properties. You have cream of tartar to thank for the magic that is meringue and angel food cake. Not to mention, it acts as a leavening agent in cookies and pancakes, and it prevents sugars from crystalizing in frostings and syrups. As magical as cream of tartar sounds, it’s not used in all baked goods, so you may find yourself forgetting to stock up on the pantry item. If you happen to be out of cream of tartar, don’t worrry! There are still plenty of meringues, cookies, and pancakes in your future, thanks to these easy cream of tartar substitutes.

But first, what is cream of tartar? Scientifically, it goes by potassium bitartrate—feel free to forget that now—and it's an acid derivative of the winemaking process. Its acidic properties are why it's often used in baked goods. In order for baking soda to kick into high gear, it needs that acid. In fact, combine the two ingredients and you essentially have baking powder, which is comprised of 2 parts cream of tartar and 1 part baking soda.

As a structural aid, cream of tartar is often used in conjunction with egg whites, where it helps to stabilize the air bubbles that allow egg whites to thicken into stiff peaks. For example, once stiff egg whites are folded into a batter, the cream of tartar slows the air bubbles captured in egg whites from naturally deflating, resulting in light and fluffy cakes and pancakes, among other baked goods.

It's not just egg whites though—cream of tartar also stabilizes other key baking ingredients, like sugar! Adding it to cake or cookie batters prevents sugar from banding together and crystallizing, meaning that it results in more of a tender chew—snickerdoodles and sugar cookies wouldn't be the same without cream of tartar. The same effect is why it's added to some frostings and syrups, where it helps keep things smooth.

As you can see, there’s a science to using cream of tartar, so if your recipe calls for it, we always suggest using the real thing first, or the worst case scenario is you just skip it—if the cream of tartar is being used as a leavener, it means baked goods may not come out as fluffy or they may collapse slightly, but that doesn't mean you can't eat it! (Cake cravings should always be addressed.) And if the cream of tartar is being used in a syrup, where its job is to prevent crystallization, just reheat the syrup and melt those crystals away. If you’re in a pinch and want to try replacing cream of tartar, these handy substitutes will do the trick.

(PS: Check out these easy baking powder substitutes and vanilla extract substitutes too!)

Cream of tartar is actually one of the primary ingredients in baking powder. If both baking soda and cream of tartar are called for a recipe, it means the cream of tartar is being used to activate the baking soda as a leavening agent, so use 3 parts baking powder to replace 2 parts cream of tartar.

This substitute should only be used in batters for baked goods, where the cream of tartar is used as a leavening agent alongside baking soda, as it's necessary to remove some liquid to account for the addition of buttermilk, which serves as the acid replacement. For every 1/8 teaspoon of cream of tartar, use about 1/4 cup buttermilk, but be sure to remove 1/4 cup liquid from the batter.

Similar to lemon juice both in its function as a substitute and its substitution ratio of 1:2, vinegar may also be used, particularly to stabilize egg whites. Its sharp flavor may alter the end result of baked goods, where cream of tartar is used to assist as a leavening agent.

Like buttermilk, yogurt may be used as a substitute in the same way, but thin it out with some milk or water to create a similar consistency.