Nothing worse than getting ready to make a fresh batch of homemade playdough only to realize that you do not have the cream of tartar. This happened to me yesterday but I wasn’t about to get defeated by my lack of shopping.
You can make homemade playdough without cream of tartar by using vinegar or lemon juice as a substitute.
Cream of tartar gives playdough its soft consistency and helps preserve it so it lasts a long time. But is it crucial to make playdough? Not really! there are many playdough recipes to do not call for cream of tartar. you can do playdough without flour, edible playdough, and so many others!
If you have a favorite recipe you want to create, such as our softest playdough recipe but it calls for cream of tartar, I have good news! you can substitute cream of tartart and keep the original recipe.
What is cream of tartar?
Scientifically, cream of tartar is potassium bitartrate, AKA potassium hydrogen tartrate, a byproduct of winemaking. It’s an acid similar to lemon or vinegar, often used in baking or in cleaning.
What does cream of tartar do for playdough?
Cream of tartar is an acid—specifically, tartaric acid. It’s a byproduct of wine production, the residue left on the barrels, actually. Most commonly, cream of tartar is used as a leavening in food recipes, much like when making bread. But what about for playdough?
Cream of tartar is the natural preservative that makes playdough recipe last a long time.
why use cream of tartar in playdough?
The cream of tartar helps preserve the playdough. However, this ingredient not required when making playdough. If you want to preserve your playdough, then make sure your recipe calls for salt. Salt is the main preservative in homemade playdough.
From personal experience, I found that the cream of tartart also helps preserve the playdough‘s consistency. If I store the playdough in a ziplock bag and I want to use it the next day, the playdough becomes sticky. So I find myself often having to pull out the flour and adding a little bit before letting my kids play with it again.
What can I use instead of cream of tartar in playdough?
There are three acidic ingredients that have been recommended to use instead of cream of tartar.
Use Lemon Juice to replace cream of Tartar in Playdough
Lemon juice can be used as a substitute for cream of tart. You can do about one teaspoon of lemon juice (either fresh or concentrated) to your batch. Lemon gives it a nice scent too so you get double the benefits with it!
You can substitute 1 teaspoon lemon juice for every ½ teaspoon of cream of tartar called for in the recipe. However, this may (most likely will) affect the outcome of your recipe. If so, check out our playdough troubleshooting guide.
Use Vinegar to replace cream of Tartar in Playdough
Vinegar is also acidic and can be used in replacement of cream of tartar. This option is a lot more accessible because most homes already have some spare vinegar in the pantry.
I have used white vinegar which I use to clean my windows and floors, oh! and to make colored rice for sensory play! I like that it is clear, so it won’t change the color of the playdough.
You can substitute 1 teaspoon lemon juice for every ½ teaspoon of cream of tartar called for in the recipe.
Quick Playdough Recipe without cream of Tartar
Playdough Recipe without Cream of Tartar
Ingredients
- 1 cups of flour
- 1 Tablespoon of salt
- 1/2 Tablespoon of Oil
- 1/4 cup of warm water
- Food Coloring (optional)
Instructions
- Using a bowl add the flour, salt, and oil. I used canola oil but any oil works.
- Add in the food coloring and the warm water.
- Mix with a spoon until you can no longer blend it.
- Once the water cools down a bit, you can start kneading the dough with your hands.
- When you have a good consistency, add some flour onto your cutting board and knead some more.
- If the dough sticks to your fingers it needs more flour. Add a little bit at a time to not dry the dough. If you dry it by mistake, just add a little bit of water.
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