6 Alternatives to Cream of Tartar and When to Leave It Out

Health Line

20 hours ago

Which ingredient to substitute for cream of tartar depends on its role in the recipe, whether as a leavening agent, stabilizer, or to make food more acidic.
A popular ingredient in many recipes, cream of tartar can:
help stabilize whipped egg whites due to its acidity
prevent sugar from crystallizing
act as a leavening agent for baked goods
You can also mix it with an acidic solution like lemon juice or vinegar to use it as a cleaning solution.
Also known as potassium bitartrate, cream of tartar is the powdered form of tartaric acid. This organic acid is found naturally in many plants and is also formed during the winemaking process.
If you're halfway through a recipe and find that you don't have any cream of tartar on hand, there are plenty of suitable replacements. The replacement you choose will depend on why you're using cream of tartar.
Cream of tartar alternative When to use Substitution ratio
Lemon juice To stabilize egg whites or prevent crystallization Equal amount
White vinegar To stabilize egg whites Equal amount
Baking powder In recipes that also contain baking soda 1.5 teaspoons (6 g) of baking powder to replace 1 teaspoon (3.5 g) of cream of tartar
Buttermilk In baked goods For each 1/4 teaspoon (1 g) of cream of tartar, remove 1/2 cup (120 mL) of liquid and replace it with that same amount of buttermilk
Yogurt In baked goods For each 1/4 teaspoon (1 g) of cream of tartar, remove 1/2 cup (120 mL) of liquid in the recipe and replace it with the same amount of yogurt that has been thinned out with milk
Mixing in a copper bowl To stabilize egg whites Mixing ingredients in a copper bowl can stabilize egg white
Omit it To prevent crystallization in syrups, icing, or frosting You can omit cream of tartar without making other changes, but you may need to reheat after storing if the mixture crystallizes
Keep reading to learn which cream of tartar substitutes to use in certain situations and how to implement them into your recipes.
Lemon juice
Cream of tartar is often used to stabilize egg whites and helps provide the characteristic high peaks in recipes like meringue.
If you're out of cream of tartar in a case like this, lemon juice works as a great substitute.
Lemon juice provides acidity similar to cream of tartar, helping to form stiff peaks when you're whipping egg whites.
If you're making syrups or frostings, lemon juice can also replace cream of tartar to help prevent crystallization.
For best results, substitute an equal amount of lemon juice for the cream of tartar in your recipe.
White vinegar
Like cream of tartar, white vinegar is acidic. It contains about 3.75 to 5% acetic acid.
If you're in a pinch in the kitchen, you can swap white vinegar for cream of tartar. This substitute works best when stabilizing egg whites for recipes like soufflés and meringues.
Use an equal amount of white vinegar in place of cream of tartar when you're whipping egg whites.
Remember that white vinegar may not be a good alternative for baked goods like cakes, as it may alter the taste and texture.
Buttermilk
Buttermilk is the liquid that is left behind after churning butter from cream.
Because of its acidity, buttermilk can work as a replacement for cream of tartar in some recipes.
It works especially well in baked goods, but you'll need to remove some liquid from the recipe to account for the buttermilk.
For each 1/4 teaspoon (1 g) of cream of tartar in the recipe, remove 1/2 cup (120 mL) of liquid and replace it with 1/2 cup (120 mL) of buttermilk.
Buttermilk also offers many health benefits, including protection against pathogens and intestinal infections due to probiotics.
Yogurt
Yogurt is produced through the fermentation of milk by lactic acid bacteria.
Like buttermilk, yogurt is acidic and can replace cream of tartar in some recipes. Lactic acid bacteria produce yogurt.
Before you use yogurt as a substitute, thin it out with a bit of milk to match the consistency of buttermilk, then use it to replace cream of tartar in the same way.
Reserve this substitution primarily for baked goods, as it requires you to remove liquids from the recipe.
For every 1/4 teaspoon (1 g) of cream of tartar, remove 1/2 cup (120 mL) of liquid from the recipe and replace it with 1/2 cup (120 mL) of yogurt that has been thinned out with milk.
Use a copper bowl
Older research suggests that if you use cream of tartar to stabilize whisked egg whites, you may be able to skip the cream of tartar altogether if you have a copper bowl.
Further research is needed to fully understand why and how much copper can help stabilize egg whites. However, experts believe that copper ions from the bowl react with conalbumin, the protein in the egg whites.
This reaction forms a conalbumin-copper complex, which is more stable than conalbumin alone. The complex helps stabilize the foam and makes it less likely to overheat.
But copper bowls can be expensive and often require special maintenance. They may not be a suitable or accessible replacement for everyone.
In some recipes, it may be easier to omit the cream of tartar than to find a substitute.
For example, if you're using cream of tartar to stabilize whipped egg whites, you can leave it out if you don't have any on hand.
Additionally, if you're making syrup, frosting, or icing and using the cream of tartar to prevent crystallization, you can omit it from the recipe without dire consequences.
Although syrups may eventually crystallize if stored for an extended period, you can fix this by simply reheating them on the stove or in the microwave.
On the other hand, it may not be a good idea to leave out cream of tartar or a substitute for baked goods that require a leavening agent.