Learn how to make buttermilk substitutes with ingredients you probably have in your kitchen right now. Five options, ready in minutes!
Buttermilk is an essential ingredient in many recipes, but if you’re anything like me, it is not an ingredient that you have on hand at all times. The good news is, you can make a buttermilk substitute at home with ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. I’m sharing FIVE options that I have tested with many of my favorite recipes.
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What is buttermilk?
Store bought buttermilk is a slightly sour milk that comes from a combination of milk and lactic acid. It is thicker than plain milk, with a subtle tang. In recipes that call for buttermilk, it is not recommended to replace buttermilk with plain milk, because the absence of acid will not produce the same end result. But using an acidic ingredient combined with plain milk will create a substitute with properties closer to that of buttermilk.
Note: Buttermilk is not plain milk that is going bad. If you have regular milk that smells sour, or is thick and curdled, do not use it.
How to make buttermilk substitute
Milk and Lemon Juice
Measure out a scant cup of whole or 2% milk and add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Stir, then allow it to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. The acid from the lemon juice will curdle the milk slightly.
Milk and White Vinegar
Measure out a scant cup of whole or 2% milk and add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar. Stir, then allow it to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. The acid from the vinegar will curdle the milk slightly.
Milk and Plain Yogurt OR Sour Cream
Whisk milk into plain yogurt or sour cream until you get the consistency of buttermilk (thickened milk). The measurements are around ¾ cup yogurt plus ¼ cup milk, but will vary slightly based on how thick your yogurt/sour cream is.
Milk and Kefir
Kefir is a fermented milk drink, similar to a drinkable yogurt. Kefir is already fairly similar in consistency to buttermilk, but I recommend thinning it out a bit by whisking in a splash of milk.
FAQs
The extra acid in buttermilk tenderizes gluten, helping to create baked goods that are light and fluffy. Buttermilk also helps with leavening. When combined with baking soda, the acid in buttermilk helps to create a high rise. Buttermilk can also impart a subtle tangy flavor that can take a recipe from good to great.
These “recipes” do not make actual buttermilk rather they serve as an adequate substitute in recipes calling for buttermilk.
I use these substitutes most often in baking recipes. Without a doubt, my favorites (and most used), are the sour cream option or the kefir option. I find that there is no noticeable difference in the baked goods when using these 2 substitutes.
For each cup of buttermilk, use one scant cup of milk combined with one tablespoon of vinegar.
This will vary based on the recipe. Using regular milk alone as a 1:1 substitute will likely change the texture of the final product. Using one of these buttermilk substitutes will get you as close as you’re going to get to the real deal.
My #1 tip for using buttermilk substitutes
If a recipe relies heavily on buttermilk for flavor, texture, and rise (like these Buttermilk Biscuits), it is probably best to buy actual buttermilk. That being said, I have used buttermilk substitutes many times in various recipes with success.
TIP: The less buttermilk there is in a recipe, the easier it is to substitute. If a recipe calls for a small amount of buttermilk, you likely won’t notice any difference in making this substitution. If the buttermilk is a key player in a recipe, I recommend using actual buttermilk.
More ingredient substitutions
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Recipe
Buttermilk Substitutes (5 Options)
Ingredients
Option 1:
- 1 scant cup whole or 2% milk
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Option 2:
- 1 scant cup whole or 2% milk
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
Option 3:
- approx ¾ cup plain yogurt
- approx ¼ cup whole or 2% milk
Option 4:
- approx ¾ cup sour cream
- approx ¼ cup whole or 2% milk
Option 5:
- 1 scant cup plain kefir
- 1 tablespoon whole or 2% milk, more or less, to thin
Instructions
Option 1 or 2:
- Stir lemon juice or vinegar into milk and set at room temperature for 10 minutes. Milk will begin to curdle slightly.
Option 3 or 4:
- Whisk milk into yogurt or sour cream until you get the consistency of buttermilk (thick milk). Adjust quantity of milk based on how thick your yogurt or sour cream are. Use immediately.
Option 5:
- Whisk milk into kefir to thin it out to the consistency of buttermilk. This typically only takes about 1 tablespoon of milk per cup of kefir. Adjust depending on the consistency of kefir. Use immediately.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Information is an estimate based on third-party calculations and may vary based on products used and serving sizes.
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!
Taryn
I like how you give so many options to make a substitute for buttermilk. Very helpful!
Sandi
This is such a great idea…I never have buttermilk on-hand.
Teri
Thanks for all the different options since buttermilk is an item I don’t always have stocked in my refrigerator.
eddie
always needing tips like this!! thank you!!
Debra
Thanks for your answers. I had the milk, lemon and sour cream. You saved me and my meal.
Celebrating Sweets
You’re welcome. Thanks for stopping by!
Natasha Tomlinson
Can you use non dairy milk to substitute for 2% milk?
Celebrating Sweets
I haven’t tried it, so I can’t say for sure. But I have heard that other readers have done so with success.
Bruce Boutin
I noticed on the ratings and comments none of the people who did, told what recipe they used was it the lemon and vinegar? Yogurt?
Muriel Toerien
This was just so easy to understand all the substitutes ,Thanks a lot.
Júlia
Would I be able to use 1% milk and use a little heavy cream then do one of these substitute
Celebrating Sweets
That should work.
Sherry
Know of anyone trying with Oat milk? Or canned milk (evaporated)? Thanks for the recipes!!!
Celebrating Sweets
I have not tried that yet. Let me know how it goes. 🙂