Homemade Self-Rising Flour

There’s no need to buy a big bag of Self-Rising Flour that’ll eat up precious cabinet space when it’s so easy to make your own! All you need are 3 simple ingredients that I can almost guarantee are already in your pantry and just 3 minutes to whisk it up.

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overhead closeup shot of the right 4/5 of a white mixing bowl filled with homemade self rising flour with a silver spoon in it.

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It always bugs me when a recipe calls for something like cake flour or self-rising flour, but I only have all-purpose and whole wheat flour—because honestly, who wants more than 2-3 bags of different types of flour in the pantry?!? I already have to use my garage as pantry overflow. 🤦🏻‍♀️

Luckily, making your own ingredients (particularly such simple ones) is a snap. Much like mixing up your own salt-free seasoning blends, making self-rising flour is as simple as measuring out a few pantry staples and whisking them together.

So, next time you find yourself staring down a recipe that calls for this basic ingredient, don’t fret! Use my easy, foolproof self-rising flour recipe and you’ll be set. Ta-da!

Jump to:

What is Self Rising Flour?
Why You’ll Love This Self Rising Flour Recipe
Ingredients Needed
Substitutions
How To Make Self Rising Flour
Optional Variations & Dietary Adjustments
Recipes With Self-Rising Flour
Recipe Success Tips
Storage Directions
Self-Rising Flour Nutrition
Pricing Info
FAQs
Other Homemade Ingredient Recipes
Recipe

What is Self Rising Flour?

Self-rising flour is a type of flour that has baking powder and salt already mixed into it. This means it will rise and become light and fluffy when baked, without needing to add any additional leavening agents. The baking powder in it reacts with the liquid ingredients in a recipe to create air bubbles that make baked goods rise.

Why You’ll Love This Self Rising Flour Recipe

Cheap & Easy – At just 8 cents per ½ cup serving (which works out to about $2.88 for the equivalent of a 5-pound bag), making DIY self rising flour is way cheaper than buying it at the store. (Shocker, I know. 🙄) Plus, you only need 3 pantry staples to make it, and it’s as simple as mix and go!
Space-Saving – Unless you’re one of those folks lucky enough to have a walk-in butler’s pantry, chances are your food-storage space is pretty limited. This easy recipe ensures you don’t have to play Tetris to make another ingredient fit—just mix up what you need when you need it!
Versatile – This humble ingredient shows up in all kinds of recipes, from my 2-ingredient cottage cheese flatbread to drop biscuits, cakes, cookies, muffins, and more! It also works in almost any recipe that calls for flour, baking powder and salt.

white earthenware bowl filled with DIY self-rising flour on a white table with a mesh sifter, a silver tablespoon measure and a green houseplant.

Ingredients Needed

All-Purpose Flour – Also known as plain flour, this is the heart of our recipe.
Baking Powder – Unlike baking soda, baking powder has tartaric acid added to the mix so it is self-activating. This means you don’t need to use acidic ingredients like brown sugar for the leavening action to work.
Salt – Use fine sea salt or kosher salt for the best results. Iodized table salt tends to leave a bitter aftertaste.

ingredients for making self rising flour recipe measured out on a white table.

Substitutions

All-Purpose Flour – Feel free to swap in a gluten-free all-purpose baking mix (it should be marked as a cup-for-cup substitute for regular flour). You can also use different types of flour (e.g. mix half AP flour with half whole wheat pastry flour for a fiber boost).
Baking Powder – For an easy DIY, mix ¼ teaspoon of baking soda with ½ teaspoon of cream of tartar to replace 1 teaspoon of baking powder.

How To Make Self Rising Flour

Step 1: Sift or stir ingredients together.

Step 2: Use as needed or store in a clean airtight container. That’s it!rest of step info.

hand using a mesh sifter to make self-rising flour with all-purpose flour.

completed self-rising flour in a white bowl after sifting.

Optional Variations & Dietary Adjustments

Gluten Free Self Rising Flour – Swap in your favorite gluten-free all-purpose cup-for-cup baking blend, preferably one that has xanthan gum.
Whole Wheat Self Rising Flour – Use whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour (depending on the recipe you’re making) instead of all-purpose.

Recipes With Self-Rising Flour

As I mentioned earlier, there are tons of recipes using self rising flour out there. Some may call for it by name, while other recipes that call for AP flour, baking powder, and salt are usually good candidates for making the swap.

In case you end up making too much, here are a few recipes on my site that could use self-rising instead of all-purpose (just omit the baking powder and wait to add extra salt):

Baked Apple Cider Donuts (ditto!)
No-Biquick Sausage Balls
Protein Powder Pancakes
Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins (you’ll still need to add the baking soda!)

closeup shot of homemade self-rising flour in a white bowl with a silver fork whisking it.

Recipe Success Tips

Measuring Accurately – Be sure to measure the flour, baking powder, and salt very precisely for the best results. Even small variations in the ratios can affect the rising and texture of baked goods. Ideally, use a kitchen scale to measure the flour. Otherwise, use the spoon and sweep method.
Sift the Ingredients – After mixing the flour, baking powder and salt together, sift the mixture a few times. This helps evenly distribute the leavening agent throughout the flour.
Use Fresh Baking Powder – Check the expiration date on your baking powder and use a fresh container for the best rising power. Expired baking powder may not react properly.
Store Properly – Keep your homemade flour mix in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. This helps maintain the effectiveness of the baking powder. Use within 2-3 months for best results.

Storage Directions

Room Temperature: The key to properly storing flour is to keep it in an airtight container. This prevents air and moisture from getting in and degrading the baking powder. An airtight jar, resealable bag, or other container with a tight seal works best. Self-rising flour should be stored in a cool, dry location, away from heat, humidity, and direct sunlight. The pantry or a kitchen cabinet are ideal storage spots.
Refrigeration & Freezing: Avoid storing it in the refrigerator or freezer, as the moisture can cause the baking powder to lose its potency.

overhead shot of a bowl of homemade self rising flour on a white table with a mesh sifter, a silver dry measuring cup, a silver tablespoon measure, and a green houseplant.

Self-Rising Flour Nutrition

This DIY self-rising flour is a simple pantry staple that’s primarily a source of carbohydrates, with a moderate amount of protein and minimal fat. Per serving, it contains 236 calories, 49 grams of carbohydrates, and 7 grams of protein, making it a solid base ingredient for baked goods.

With just 1 gram of fat, it’s naturally low in fat, while 2 grams of fiber offer a small boost for digestion. One thing to note is the sodium content (661 mg per serving), which comes from the added leavening agents (typically baking powder and salt). This is what gives the its convenience and lift, but it can add up if you’re watching your sodium intake.

Keep in mind that these values are based on using traditional all-purpose flour. If you swap in alternatives—like whole wheat, gluten-free blends, or other specialty flours—the nutritional profile will vary, often increasing fiber or changing the protein and carbohydrate content.

Total nutritional content per serving is:

Calories: 236 calories
Carbohydrates: 49 grams
Protein: 7 grams
Total Fat: 1 gram
Sodium: 661 mg
Fiber: 2 grams

*This nutritional information is an estimate and calculated based on the ingredients used to create the recipe. The nutritional value of your ingredients may differ slightly. Furthermore, this food is not intended to prevent, diagnose, cure, or treat any disease.

bowl of homemade self rising flour with a silver fork in it on a white table with measuring implements, a mesh sifter, and a green houseplant.

Pricing Info

This is what I personally paid to make this recipe:

2 cups all-purpose flour: $0.16
1 tbsp baking powder: $0.14
1 tsp salt: $0.01

The total comes out to be around $0.31 or roughly $0.08 per ½ cup.

FAQs

Is all-purpose flour self rising? Is all flour self rising?

No, all-purpose flour is not self-rising. All-purpose flour is a plain, unseasoned flour that does not contain any added baking powder or salt. Most common flour varieties, like all-purpose, whole wheat, and gluten-free, are not self-rising unless they indicate otherwise on the packaging.

How to make all purpose flour self rising?

Simply mix in baking powder and salt using the recipe ratio below!

Is self rising flour the same as cake flour?

Nope! Self-rising flour is formulated with leavening already mixed in, while cake flour is simply a finer, lower-protein flour best suited for cakes and other delicate baked items. They serve different purposes in baking and are not interchangeable.

Can I use self rising flour instead of all purpose?

Sometimes! You can generally substitute self-rising flour for all-purpose flour in recipes, with a few minor adjustments. Since self-rising flour already contains baking powder and salt, you’ll need to omit or reduce the amount of the leavening agents called for in the recipe,. You may also need to slightly increase the liquid ingredients to account for the different absorbency of self-rising flour.

Can you use self rising flour for cookies?

It depends on the recipe, but generally speaking, yes! So long as the recipe calls for baking powder, you should be good to go.

Is bisquick self rising flour?

While both Bisquick and self-rising flour provide the leavening power needed for quick breads, Bisquick is a more complete baking mix. Self-rising flour is simply flour with the baking powder and salt pre-incorporated, allowing you to use it more flexibly in recipes. The two are not interchangeable, as Bisquick contains additional components beyond what’s in self-rising flour (e.g. shortening).

What if I don’t have self rising flour?

Make your own using my easy recipe below!

Can you use self rising flour to make gravy?

No, self-rising flour is generally not recommended for making gravy. The baking powder in self-rising flour would result in an undesirable texture, and the added salt could make the gravy overly salty. For the best gravy results, it’s recommended to use all-purpose flour, which has a neutral flavor and thickening properties well-suited for gravies and sauces.

horizontally framed hero shot of self-rising flour made with all-purpose flour on a white table with silver measuring implements and a green houseplant.

Other Homemade Ingredient Recipes

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