Living in Germany and looking for some baking goods to either match back home recipes or to cook healthier?  Here is a go-to guide:

Baking Powder=Backpulver or Backin

Available in just about every shop.  However, it comes in annoying little packets, so if you want a larger quantity, I suggest getting some from ‘the van down by the river’ a.k.a. Food From Home.  You  can pick up from one of their mobile locations, or pay for them to ship to your home.

Baking Soda

Goes by many names in German: Natriumhydrogencarbonat,  doppeltkohlensaures Natron, (Natrium-) Bicarbonat  or  Kaisor Natron

Cream of Tartar=Weinstein Backpulver

A little more difficult to find.  It is on http://www.Amazon.de.  I have bought it from the Food from Home van.

Flour- Mehl

Flour is sold by density in Germany, and 550 is the closest to the all-purpose sold in the US.  The higher the number, the closer to a full grain.  The ‘Weizen’ means it is from wheat.  Another name on the front means a different kind of flour (Spelt and Rye are common in Germany).  For a complete breakdown of flour types in Germany, check out the German Food Guide to flour.

Whole Wheat Four-Vollkorn Weizen Mehl

Somehow I usually get this in a 550 bio version, but on the German food guide, they say it is 1600.

Brown Sugar

Yes it IS available at places like the van down by the river, the Turkish grocer behind Obi in Bad Godesburg, and from the English Shop in Cologne.  HOWEVER, there are more natural options that are more widely available.  Brown sugar is usually made by separating the refined sugar from molasses and then adding the molasses back in.  If you buy Rapadura or Muscovada, you are buying sugars that have not gone through this process and are much more natural.  Rapadura is always organic and usually only at bio shops, but Muscovada is available practically everywhere (i.e. Rewe, Kaisers)

Chocolate Chips

You can find these locally, but it is in small and expensive packages (usually less than a cup in a package and between 2-3 euros).  Furthermore, I swear they don’t usually taste as good.  I used to order these from Food from Home, but lately they have not been in supply (but as I write this, they are again listed).  I did order some from Amazon.de, but they were almost 6 euros/bag and I had to pay another 5 euros shipping.  This is a product I try to stock up on at home.  Costco sells a 7 lb. bag.

As a side note, many American recipes calls for the ‘chips’ when they are not really necessary.  So any time you will be melting chocolate, just buy the baking chocolate, called ‘Zartbitter Kuverture” available in the baking section of all German grocery stores.  You can then weigh it out or buy appropriate sized packages.  1 cup/6 ounces equals approximately 150 grams and 2 cups/12 ounces (the standard sized US bag) is approximately 300 grams.

Vanilla Extract

Why oh why do they insist on bourbon flavored vanilla every where?!!?  This is one of those products I usually bring back in my suitcase (a big bottle from Costco).  However, I did find a small, expensive bottle once at the Galeria Kaufhof grocery in Bonn center, but I have been back since and they did not have it.  I think I found some at Edeka as well.  Usually, I end up ordering from Food from Home if I am desperate.  Or you could make it.  My friend, Heather says just put a couple of beans in a bottle of vodka, store in a dark place and wait a week or so.