sugar cookies without baking powder

Sugar Cookies Without Baking Powder: A Step-by-Step Guide

Key points:

  • While baking powder is typically used to make baked goods fluffy, you can achieve similar results by creaming softened butter with sugar to add air to the mixture. 
  • The process involves beating the butter and sugar, then adding an egg, gradually incorporating sifted flour and salt. 
  • The dough is chilled, rolled out, cut into shapes, sprinkled with sugar, and baked until golden. 
  • The result is a delicious sugar cookie recipe without the use of baking powder, creating cookies that are slightly denser but still enjoyable.

It’s a well-known fact that baking powder helps to make your baking goods fluffy. 

Baking powder is a raising agent that consists of baking soda, weak acid, and sometimes cornstarch; it only needs a liquid to become activated. It works by releasing carbon dioxide gas, causing bubbles in the wet mixture to expand and leavening a batter or dough.

But is it possible to obtain yummy sugar cookies without baking soda or powder or any other leavening agents? And the answer is “yes”. 

sugar cookies without baking soda

When you don’t have baking powder or don’t want to use it in the recipe, you still can activate the process of leavening by beating white sugar with the butter until light and fluffy. 

By creaming the ingredients you are adding air to the mixture, and air means fluffiness in this case. So, this trick will help you to obtain perfect sugar cookies without using baking powder. 

Try it out: beat softened butter with sugar and vanilla sugar until creamy, stir in egg, gradually add flour mix until incorporated. Chill the mixture a bit, roll it with a pin into a round shape, cut out cookies with a cookie cutter and sprinkle some sugar on top. Or, you can try these baking powder alternatives.

Bake until golden at the edges and enjoy! You’ll love this sugar cookie recipe without baking powder.

no baking soda sugar cookies

How to make sugar cookies without baking powder

Easy sugar cookie recipe without baking powder or baking soda
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
1 hour
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cookies
Servings: 24
Calories: 77kcal

Ingredients

  • 4 oz butter softened
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 1/4 cups flour sifted
  • 1 tsp vanilla sugar
  • ¼ tsp salt

Instructions

  • In a bowl beat softened butter with sugar and vanilla sugar until creamy.
  • Stir an egg into the mixture and gradually add flour and salt and mix until incorporated.
  • When the dough becomes smooth, form a ball, cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 1-2 hours.
  • Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
  • Transfer chilled dough onto a lightly floured working surface. Roll it with a pin into a 1/4-inch thickness round.
  • Cut out cookies using a cookie cutter and sprinkle some sugar on top.
  • Transfer cookies onto a baking tray and bake for 8-12 minutes or until golden at the edges.
  • After baking, let cookies sit for 10 minutes on the baking tray, then transfer to the cooling rack and leave there until they’re cooled completely.
  • Enjoy!

Video

FAQs

What happens if you don t put baking powder in sugar cookies?

If you don’t put baking powder in sugar cookies, they may not rise as much during baking and could be denser and flatter in texture. Baking powder helps create the desired lift and texture in sugar cookies, so omitting it might affect their overall appearance and consistency.

Will my cookies be OK without baking powder?

Yes, cookies can still be baked without baking powder, but they might have a slightly different texture and appearance. Baking powder contributes to the rise and lightness of cookies, so their final texture might be denser and less airy without it. The cookies could still be edible and enjoyable, but they may not have the same characteristic light and fluffy quality.

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