An easy Buttermilk Substitute recipe and a guide for How to Make Buttermilk including dairy free and vegan buttermilk.
We’ve all been in the middle of making a recipe when we realized we didn’t have buttermilk on hand! Luckily, making your own buttermilk is so easy and only requires two simple ingredients. If your looking for ways to use your buttermilk (or buttermilk substitute), try these perfect buttermilk pancakes, biscuits, or my favorite Hershey’s “perfectly chocolate” Chocolate Cake.
Buttermilk Substitute
Tell me I am not the only person who seems to constantly forget to add buttermilk to my shopping list. It’s one of those ingredients that seems to go bad in my fridge when I do buy it and is never around in the moments I need it! It’s almost embarrassing how often I have to use this buttermilk substitute recipe. You’ll likely have this easy recipe memorized after just one use.
What can I use if I don’t have buttermilk?
There are a few popular methods for substituting buttermilk. Pick which one is best for you, based on what you have on hand:
- 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 3/4 teaspoon cream of tarter + 1 cup of milk
How to substitute Buttermilk
The simplest way to substitute buttermilk is to pour 1 Tbs. of vinegar into a 1 cup measurer and then fill the rest of the measuring cup with milk. Then gently stir the mixture and let it sit for about 5 minutes.
If you don’t have vinegar, lemon juice and cream of tarter also work as great buttermilk substitutions. Use them in the same way described above.
Dairy free buttermilk substitution:
If you have a dairy allergy you can also use this buttermilk substitute recipe with a small adaptation. Instead of using 1 cup of milk, use coconut milk! So add vinegar or lemon juice to a 1 cup measurer and then fill the rest of the measuring cup with coconut milk. Voila! I dairy-free buttermilk substitute.
Vegan buttermilk substitution:
If you are vegan, you can use the dairy-free substitute described above or you can also use soy milk! To use soy-milk as a vegan buttermilk substitute, simple add 1 tablespoon of vinegar (or lemon juice) to a 1 cup measurer and fill the rest of the cup with soy milk. Allow it to sit for about 5 minutes before using.
Can you freeze buttermilk?
Yes! Buttermilk freezes well. Just be sure to store it in a sealed container and it will last in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can also freeze buttermilk by using and ice cube tray and freezing it in 1 tablespoon portions! This makes it really convenient when you need to use just a small amount.
More buttermilk recipes:
- Hershey’s “perfectly chocolate” Chocolate Cake
- Peach Crumb Cake
- Banana Bran Muffins
- Buttermilk Pancakes
- Biscuits
You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST for more great recipes!
Buttermilk Substitute
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon white vinegar (or lemon juice)
- 1 cup milk (scant cup)
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
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?!
RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.
Jodi in Hawaii says
Thank you!! I live in Hawaii, in a VERY rural area and a major store is 50 minutes away (one way). On top of that, EVERY store I went to today was out of buttermilk (Safeway, KTA, Target, Walmart). It happens SO MUCH it drives me crazy and I need to just not worry about it and find another way to deal with these outages. I love making buttermilk biscuits but have been very discouraged. I live almost a mile up so it’s cold and rainy quite often. I love biscuits.
Elmer says
Jodi, to have buttermilk in a pinch there are two dry forms I have used in recipes. Walmart carries “Saco Buttermilk” that comes in a small (12 oz) canister. However, my favorite is “Bob’s Red Mill Sweet Cream Buttermilk”, it comes in a plastic pouch, and I order it online. I mainly buy dry buttermilk to make ranch seasoning from scratch.
Thea says
I just wanted to say thank you for this! I don’t use buttermilk very much and it never occurred to me to buy powdered buttermilk so that I can have it when I need it and nothing will go to waste.
Sarah says
Jodi,
So jealous you live in Hawaii my husband and I miss Hawaii so much. I love the lemon and milk way of making buttermilk.
Ginger says
Thank you so much, as I am lactose intolerant and use Lactaid milk just perfect😊
Hillary says
This doesn’t even remotely taste of ranch. I feel lied to.
Has anyone else who left a comment tasted ranch recently? Because this is weird savory milk product
Lauren Allen says
It shouldn’t taste like ranch (it’s buttermilk). If you’re looking for a ranch recipe I have one here: https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/ranch-dressing/
Karen Recla-Jones says
This ISN’T a recipe for Ranch dressing my friend. It’s a recipe to make BUTTERMILK if you cant find it at a store. There are really great recipes using this recipe of buttermilk if you are either out of buttermilk or can’t get it locally.
Maureen Parilla says
Delicious! I was a little hesitant to make biscuits, but these are so easy and so good! I grated unsalted butter that I had stored in my freezer and it worked perfectly. They puffed up very nicely. Thank you!
Deb says
This was a big help n a pinch. I also take my leftover (store bought) buttermilk and pour it into measuring cup. I then pour it evenly into an ice tray. I write on the freezer bag how many cubes I need for a 1/4 or 1/2 cup so I can just thaw what I need for my recipe. This method works great for all sorts of liquids. It’s a simple way to save a few $ and a trip to the store.
Michelle says
Great tip on the freezing in trays and marking for future recipes!
Mike says
Which one of these tastes true-est to buttermilk? Why not add a bit of (melted?) butter and maybe cream or halfnhalf too? My buttermilk usually has chunks of butter floating around in it; can’t imagine it would taste the same without it…
Devon says
Buttermilk doesn’t actually contain butter. It’s a by-product from the production of butter. When you whip cream, it will eventually separate into curds (butter) and whey (buttermilk)
Diane says
This worked well for us in a pancake recipe and added to our smashed potatoes. I’m seeing folks successfully freeze store purchased buttermilk and I am wondering if anyone has had success in freezing this “homemade” version.
Thank you!
Avangeline says
I didn’t have any fresh milk, so I used evaporated milk from the can and added the white vinegar. It worked very well. Thank your for this recipe as I cannot get buttermilk in my area. Also I have heard that it is quite pricey!
Mary says
Great thank you
Fatima says
This always works!
Thank you 😉