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Skip the trip to the store and learn How to Make Buttermilk substitute at home with simple pantry ingredients, including dairy-free and vegan options!
I love learning simple how-to swaps for my kitchen, like how to make your own Vanilla Extract, How to Ripen Bananas, or make some Playdough for the kids.
Our Buttermilk Substitute hack saves me time and time again.
Our Buttermilk Substitute hack saves me time and time again.We've all been there–you're several ingredients deep in a recipe and realize it calls for buttermilk, which you don't have. Instead of making a trip to the store, just make your own buttermilk substitute! It's easy, inexpensive, and I'm sure you already have everything you need.
Buttermilk Substitute:
Any of these options will work great in a recipe, just pick the best one for you based on what you have in your pantry and fridge.
- 1 cup buttermilk = 1 Tablespoon white vinegar + enough milk to measure 1 cup
- 1 cup buttermilk = 1 Tablespoon lemon juice + enough milk to measure 1 cup
- 1 cup buttermilk = 1 cup plain yogurt
- 1 cup buttermilk = 1 and ¾ teaspoon cream of tartar + 1 cup of milk
How to make Buttermilk:
For the vinegar option, simply pour 1 Tablespoon vinegar into a measuring cup for 1 cup, then fill the rest of the cup with milk. Carefully stir the mixture then let it sit for 5 minutes. If you don't have vinegar, check out other easy alternatives above.
Dairy Free & Vegan Substitute:
Instead of dairy milk, use coconut milk or soy milk. Just add 1 Tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice to a 1 cup measuring cup, then fill the rest of the way with coconut or soy milk. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes before using in a recipe.
Buttermilk Freezing Instructions:
Buttermilk freezes great for up to 3 months. You could even pour in an ice cube tray so it's easy to use small amounts as needed.
Use Buttermilk In:
- Buttermilk Pancakes
- Buttermilk Cornbread
- Buttermilk Biscuits
- Skillet Cornbread
- Ranch Dressing
- Homemade Pancake Syrup
- Cinnamon Roll Biscuits
- Hershey's Chocolate Cake
- Cannoli Cake
- Lemon Blueberry Pancakes
- English Muffins
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Buttermilk Substitute
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon white vinegar, (or lemon juice) (15 ml)
- 1 cup milk, (scant cup) (240 ml)
Instructions
- Pour the tablespoon of vinegar into a 1 cup measurer. Fill the rest of the 1 cup measurer with milk.
- Gently stir and let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes. This will allow the milk to slightly curdle, giving it a buttermilk-like texture and taste.
Notes
-
- 1 cup buttermilk = 1 Tablespoon white vinegar + enough milk to measure 1 cup
-
- 1 cup buttermilk = 1 Tablespoon lemon juice + enough milk to measure 1 cup
-
- 1 cup buttermilk = 1 cup plain yogurt
- 1 cup buttermilk = 1 and ¾ teaspoon cream of tartar + 1 cup of milk
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I originally shared this recipe March 2019. Updated August 2024.
This recipe worked just like store-bought buttermilk.
Could whey be used instead of vinegar to make buttermilk?
To make buttermilk, the milk should be slightly warm like bofy temperature.
Wack I wish that was explained in the recipe
Never curdled at all, followed recipe exactly!! Waited 15 minutes made a double batch.
Made this dozens of times with great results. Oddly enough this time it failed to cuddle the milk in any way. It’s like the lemon juice is staying separate from the whole milk. Any idea why it failed? Even letting it sit overnight; then, in desperation, adding more lemon juice didn’t work. It was fresh milk and I always measure instead of eyeballing. Any way of still fixing this, like mixing some sour cream or heavy cream?
Your awesome
I have tried it many times and it is very good. Thanks
What a waste!!!! Made this so I could make cornbread. It was awful!!!! Threw away the entire batch of cornbread. It was inedible!
I didn’t have enough buttermilk on hand so I used this recipe to make more buttermilk. This worked out great! Look just like carton buttermilk.
I’ve used this recipe before and it turned out to be good buttermilk. Tonight I used whole milk and lemon juice but it never became anything but lemon flavored milk! I started over using whole milk and white vinegar. Again, it never became buttermilk. The whole milk was new. What could have caused my problem?
I made this also with whole milk never turned to buttermilk just vinegar milk
I made the buttermilk and it was great for my home made biscuits my boyfriend loved them thanks a million
Thanks! I hope I get to make, & enjoy this; maybe even show-off to a woman I want to impress!