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Knowing how to make buttermilk at home has saved me so many times. I constantly forget to buy it at the store leaving me with two options when I’m baking: make my own or run to the store. This is probably the EASIEST kitchen hack you’ll ever learn! Learn all the different ways to substitute for buttermilk in cake, banana bread, or anything you’re baking.

glass measuring cup of milk next to a carton of milk.


Buttermilk adds so much flavor to so many recipes but it’s not just important for that tangy flavor: it’s actually a really important ingredient in baking because it’s an acid that activates baking soda. When called for together in a recipe the acid in buttermilk actually make the baking soda do it’s job, resulting in fluffy baked goods. (This is also why many baked goods call for sour cream or yogurt; the acid in those does a similar job to buttermilk.)

If a recipe calls for buttermilk it often will not work properly without it, so you can’t just omit or use regular milk. What’s great is it’s easy to make a substitute and, while using store-bought buttermilk performs best, using acidified buttermilk (liquid + acid from vinegar or similar) will work in most recipes and you probably have everything you need already.

ingredients in buttermilk sitting on a grey counter.
ingredients in buttermilk sitting on a grey counter.

Buttermilk Substitutes

To substitute for 1 cup buttermilk:

  • 1 cup milk + 1 tablespoon white vinegar or fresh lemon juice
  • 1 cup regular yogurt
  • 1/4 cup milk + 3/4 cup yogurt
  • 1/2 cup milk + 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1/4 cup milk + 3/4 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup milk + 1 3/4 teaspoons cream of tartar
  • 1 cup water + 4 tablespoons powdered buttermilk

When using milk, you can use whole milk, fat free milk or 2% skim milk. Be sure to use a liquid measuring cup for this (see the difference between measuring cups).

glass measuring cup of buttermilk.

How to make Buttermilk

  1. Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to a measuring cup.
  2. Fill up the milk to the 1 cup mark.
  3. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes.
  4. If using sour cream or plain yogurt you’ll want to measure the proper amounts and stir them together before adding to your recipe.

Vegan Buttermilk or Dairy-Free Buttermilk Substitutes

My solution: make it as stated in the recipe below (1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice + 1 scant cup almond milk, coconut milk, soy milk or other nondairy milk) and just add it to the recipe. This will ensure the leavening works as it’s supposed to.

Note that this method won’t look “curdled” because nondairy milk doesn’t have the same properties dairy milk does, but the acid in the vinegar or lemon juice will do it’s job.

glass measuring cup of buttermilk with a whisk.

Buttermilk Uses

There are many ways to use buttermilk for flavor, like in my Yellow Cake recipe, ranch dressing or other vinaigrettes, and often fried chicken is soaked in it to make it tender.

When it’s called for in recipes on my site, it’s often required so use this homemade buttermilk recipe to make some of my favorite baked goods:

Storing Buttermilk

Often you’ll buy a carton of buttermilk and have tons left over. It will last in the fridge until the expiration date, but you can also freeze it! Transfer to an airtight container before placing in the freezer. Or if you think you’ll just need little bits occasionally, pour into an ice cube tray and freeze that way (once frozen, place in an airtight container). I do not recommend freezing homemade buttermilk – use that immediately.

glass measuring cup of buttermilk.

Homemade Buttermilk Recipe

4.73 from 11 votes
Knowing how to make buttermilk at home will save you time and money! Plus learn about all the subsitutes you can use for buttermilk.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Yield 1 cup
Serving Size 1 cup
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Ingredients
 

  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice
  • 1 scant cup milk 2% or nonfat, whole is fine
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Instructions

  • Add vinegar or lemon juice to a measuring cup. Add milk to the 1 cup line. Let sit for 5 minutes. Use in place of buttermilk.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

Other substitutions:
  • 1 cup milk + 1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice
  • 1 cup regular yogurt
  • 1/4 cup milk + 3/4 cup yogurt
  • 1/2 cup milk + 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1/4 cup milk + 3/4 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup milk + 1 3/4 teaspoons cream of tartar
  • 1 cup water + 4 tablespoons powdered buttermilk
Use homemade buttermilk right away for best results.
To make dairy-free buttermilk, simply swap any nondairy milk for the milk called for in the recipe.

Recipe Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 3kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 1mg | Sugar: 1g
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Course Drinks
Cuisine American
Author Dorothy Kern

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Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

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4.73 from 11 votes (8 ratings without comment)

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9 Comments

  2. A lot of blah blah blah, an extreme amount of adds!
    I find I need to add more vinegar or lemon juice as I use lactose free milk. Just jump to the recipe.
    I suppose some might find all the recipes useful.
    But I use this for tenderising chicken pieces before coating and baking them.

    Reply

    1. At the top of the page before you get to any of the, “Blah,Blah,blah”, as you say, is a tab that states, “Jump To Recipe”. It is generally like that on most recipe pages that I visit. It is there so you don’t have to go through the ads or read the commentary.

      Reply

  4. I’m looking forward to trying your buttermilk pie recipe. I always am never sure about something. The recipe calls for 1/2 Cup butter, melted. Is that amount before melting or after melting the butter?

    Reply

  5. I can’t wait to try one of your alternatives. I used to make my own buttermilk with milk and vinegar then it suddenly stopped curdling. I wasn’t sure if it would ruin my recipe so I resorted to buying buttermilk which ends up being very wasteful. Maybe the sour cream option will work. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply