Self-rising flour is a popular ingredient in many recipes, especially for baked goods like biscuits, pancakes, and quick breads. It contains flour along with leavening agents like baking powder and salt pre-mixed in. This makes self-rising flour convenient when you want to skip multiple steps of measuring and mixing individual ingredients.
But can you use self-rising flour when making cookies? Here is a detailed look at whether self-rising flour can be substituted for all-purpose flour in cookie recipes.
What is Self-Rising Flour?
Self-rising flour is an all-purpose flour that has leavening agents like baking powder and salt already incorporated into it. This allows batters and doughs made with self-rising flour to rise without requiring additional leavening ingredients.
A typical self-rising flour contains:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
The leavening agents in self-rising flour react with liquid and heat to produce carbon dioxide bubbles that make batters and doughs rise when baked. The salt enhances flavor.
You can make your own self-rising flour at home by combining all-purpose flour with baking powder and salt in the same ratios. But store-bought self-rising flour provides the convenience of having these items pre-mixed and precisely measured.
Can Self-Rising Flour be Used for Cookies?
In most cookie recipes, self-rising flour cannot directly substitute for all-purpose flour. Here’s why:
- Cookie recipes are carefully balanced and tend to use minimal leavening. Self-rising flour contains baking powder, which can make cookies spread too much or create a bitter taste if over-leavened.
- The salt content also differs. Self-rising flour has a set salt percentage while cookie recipes are formulated based on their own salt needs.
- Using self-rising flour may result in cookies that spread excessively, dome too much, or have a bitter aftertaste.
However, there are some exceptions where self-rising flour can work:
- In simple drop cookie recipes with minimal leavening, you may be able to substitute self-rising flour 1:1.
- Self-rising flour is commonly used for biscuit-style drop cookies using shortening as the main fat.
- Some chocolate chip cookie recipes, oatmeal cookies, or no-bake cookies may turn out fine with self-rising flour.
How to Substitute Self-Rising Flour in Cookie Recipes
To use self-rising flour in more cookie recipes, you will need to make adjustments to account for the leavening and salt it contains. Here are some tips:
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For every 1 cup of all-purpose flour, use 1 cup self-rising flour and reduce baking powder and salt in the recipe.
For example, if a recipe calls for:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1⁄2 tsp salt
Use:
- 2 cups self-rising flour
- 1⁄4 tsp baking powder
- 1⁄4 tsp salt
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Reduce any additional leavening agents like baking soda or baking powder called for in the recipe. Self-rising flour has baking powder, so you typically need to use less additional leavening.
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Reduce salt: Self-rising flour contains salt, so cut back on any extra salt in the recipe.
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Adjust consistency: Add a bit more liquid or an extra tablespoon of flour to get the right cookie dough consistency if needed. Self-rising flour absorbs moisture differently.
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Chill dough: Chilling cookie dough helps prevent excessive spread. So refrigerate dough for 30 minutes up to overnight before baking if substituting self-rising flour.
Self-Rising Flour Cookie Recipe
Here is an example of a cookie recipe that uses self-rising flour:
Self-Rising Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Ingredients:
- 1 1⁄2 cups self-rising flour
- 1⁄2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1⁄4 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1⁄2 cup brown sugar
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1⁄2 cup raisins
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the self-rising flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and oats.
- In a separate large bowl, beat the brown sugar and butter until creamed. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
- Gradually mix in the flour mixture until a sticky dough forms. Fold in raisins.
- Scoop 1-2 tbsp of dough per cookie and place 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.
- Bake for 11-13 minutes until lightly browned. Allow to cool on sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
The self-rising flour in this recipe provides the necessary leavening and salt for the cookies. The baking soda helps balance the acidity from the brown sugar. Be sure to use unsalted butter since self-rising flour contains salt already.
pros and cons of using self-rising flour in cookies
Here is a summary of the key pros and cons when baking cookies with self-rising flour:
Pros:
- Convenience of an all-in-one leavened flour
- Eliminates need to measure leavening/salt separately
- Can work well in simple drop cookie recipes
- Produces tender, flaky biscuit-style drop cookies
Cons:
- Cookies may spread excessively or dome too much
- Over-leavening can impart a bitter taste
- Salt content differs from recipes formulated for all-purpose flour
- May need adjustments to other ingredients to balance leavening
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use self-rising flour for sugar cookies?
Self-rising flour is generally not recommended for sugar cookie recipes. Sugar cookie dough needs to remain thick and stiff to hold its shape when rolled and cut into shapes. Self-rising flour can cause excessive spread. Stick to all-purpose flour for best results.
What about self-rising flour in chocolate chip cookies?
You may be able to substitute self-rising flour for all-purpose flour in some chocolate chip cookie recipes, especially if they are simple recipes with minimal leavening. Reduce baking powder and salt in the recipe to account for amounts in self-rising flour. You may need to adjust moisture and chill dough to prevent over-spreading.
Can I use self-rising flour for peanut butter cookies?
It’s best to avoid self-rising flour for peanut butter cookie recipes. The fat from peanut butter can react with the leavening agents in self-rising flour, causing cookies to puff up excessively or taste bitter. All-purpose flour is the better choice for peanut butter cookies.
Is self-rising flour good for no-bake cookies?
Since no-bake cookies do not require baking, the leavening agents in self-rising flour do not activate. So you can generally substitute self-rising flour 1:1 for all-purpose flour in no-bake cookie recipes without issue.
Can self-rising flour work for gingerbread cookies?
Gingerbread cookies are heavily spiced with ingredients like ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and molasses. These strong flavors pair well with the hint of salt from self-rising flour. You can try substituting self-rising flour 1:1 in gingerbread cookies, reducing any salt and baking powder in the recipe accordingly.
Conclusion
Self-rising flour contains baking powder and salt, so it cannot directly substitute for all-purpose flour in most cookie recipes. The excess leavening can cause cookies to spread, dome, or taste bitter. However, with proper adjustments to leavening and salt in the recipe, you can use self-rising flour for certain cookies like oatmeal, chocolate chip, drop biscuits, and no-bake varieties. For best results, all-purpose flour is still preferred for cookies that need to hold their shape like sugar or peanut butter. But self-rising flour can work well in some instances with some recipe tweaking.