What can I use instead of Cream of tartar?

Lemon juice or white vinegar: 1/2 tsp lemon juice or white vinegar. Leave it out (chewy cookies only): Omit; cookies spread slightly more.

What changes when you substitute Cream of tartar?

Adds liquid — whip immediately. Slight loss of tang and chew.

Substitute for Cream of tartar

What it does in a recipe: Acid: stabilizes whipped egg whites and prevents sugar crystallization.

2 substitutes, ranked by what's already in your pantry. Amounts are dataset values — US and metric where a ratio exists.

Lemon juice or white vinegar

per 1/4 tsp cream of tartar (per egg white)

US1/2 tsp lemon juice or white vinegar

Metric3 ml

Pantry stapleBaking-safe ✓VeganDairy-freeGluten-freeEgg-freeNut-freeSoy-freeAlcohol-freeSesame-free

Any acid stabilizes whipped egg whites.

What changes: Adds liquid — whip immediately

Best for: Meringues

Leave it out (chewy cookies only)

per 1/4 tsp in cookies

USOmit; cookies spread slightly more

Metric—

Pantry stapleBaking-safe ✓VeganDairy-freeGluten-freeEgg-freeNut-freeSoy-freeAlcohol-free

In snickerdoodles it mostly provides tang and texture.

What changes: Slight loss of tang and chew

Best for: Chewy cookies

Related swaps

Common questions

What can I use instead of Cream of tartar?: Lemon juice or white vinegar: 1/2 tsp lemon juice or white vinegar. Leave it out (chewy cookies only): Omit; cookies spread slightly more.
What is the exact ratio to substitute Cream of tartar?: Lemon juice or white vinegar (per 1/4 tsp cream of tartar (per egg white)) — US: 1/2 tsp lemon juice or white vinegar. Metric: 3 ml.
What changes when you substitute Cream of tartar?: Adds liquid — whip immediately. Slight loss of tang and chew.

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