Buttermilk is a common ingredient in baking and cooking. Most people don't know they can make their own at home easily. These simple and easy methods will enable you to make both buttermilk substitutes as well as cultured buttermilk from scratch.
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How often do you need buttermilk in a recipe and realize you don't have any in the fridge? If you look at my dessert/cake recipes, so many of my cakes use it. I think it really adds a nice soft crumb and texture.
Traditionally buttermilk is the liquid left in the urn after making butter. But, no one makes homemade butter these days so we don't usually have this on hand. But, next time you need buttermilk don't go to the grocery store.
Below I have given you a few ways to make your own buttermilk substitutions in less than 5 minutes as well as 2 other methods to make cultured buttermilk from scratch, which takes about 4 to 6 hours. It's a refreshing drink on its own on a hot summer day or simply add a few fresh herbs to jazz it up. My kids drink it like it's a cup of milk.
What is a good substitute for buttermilk?
I have quite a few recipes that call for buttermilk, especially cake recipes. I love how buttermilk and sour cream can give a nice soft crumb to a cake. Often, I get people who will message me asking - what can I substitute for BM in your recipe? And yes, I do know that some of you do not get it at all where you live.
The answer is simple. Why would you want a substitute when you can make it at home in 5 minutes?
The other most common question I get asked is how do I know when the buttermilk is ready? How does it look?
Well, visually there is really not much happening in there but the acid is still doing its magic, so what you have after 5 minutes is actually it. It's pretty plain and simple but slightly curdled with a tang. The longer it sits the more curdled it will look.
Buttermilk Substitute (5 mins)
Using lemon juice or vinegar
- Add enough milk to a measuring cup to make at least 1 cup. Add the lemon juice or vinegar and give it a good stir. Set aside.
Pro tip - Ensure the milk is at room temperature. If it’s cold it will not curdle, and if it’s hot it will split. - After five minutes your buttermilk is ready. It will curdle and thicken more as it sits and that’s normal.
Pro tip - This will keep in the fridge in a sealed container for up to a week.
Using yogurt
- Add milk to a measuring cup or small bowl. Then add the yogurt and combine it with a whisk.
Pro tip - Make sure the yogurt has no lumps if necessary add a few tablespoons of milk to the yogurt and use a whisk to combine well before adding it to the remaining milk - Leave to rest for 5 minutes then use in any recipe as buttermilk.
Pro tip - This will keep in the fridge in a sealed container for up to a week.
Cultured buttermilk (4 to 8 hours)
with yogurt
- In a saucepan over medium heat, bring the milk to an almost boil. Then, let it cool to room temperature.
Pro tip - it is important that the milk is bought back to room temperature otherwise the yogurt culture will not work. - Add the yogurt and use a whisk to ensure it is well combined. Cover with a clean kitchen cloth and leave in a warm, dark place in the kitchen for 4 to 6 hours until thick and sour.
Pro tip - Add more milk if the consistency is too thick. This buttermilk will keep for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.
with yogurt starter
- Pour room temperature milk (not cold) into a bowl. Add one packet of yogurt starter and combine well with a whisk.
Pro tip - one sachet usually works for one-quart milk to make yogurt, buttermilk is a thinner consistency - Let sit for two minutes then stir well once again. Cover with a lid and leave in a warm, dark place for up to 8 hours. Or until the milk is set and tastes sour.
Pro tip - Then place it in the fridge for at least 3 hours before you use it because chilled BM tastes better. This will keep for up to 3 weeks in the fridge.
Did you know that buttermilk is good for your health?
Yes, growing up as an Indian we use to have buttermilk after a heavy meal to help digestion. And if we ever had acidity the elders usually will recommend buttermilk instead of anything else (for example soda water) because it has a cooling effect on the digestive system. The elders in the community claim it prevents vitamin deficiency, lower cholesterol, as well as reduce high blood pressure. But, there are no doubt wonderful health benefits from drinking buttermilk instead of milk.
What can you do with buttermilk?
BM is not necessarily used just for baking cakes. You can substitute buttermilk for any kind of milk in a lot of your favorite recipes.
- The next time you make pancakes or waffles – use buttermilk instead of milk. Buttermilk waffles are absolutely delicious.
- Marinate the chicken in buttermilk before dredging it in flour to make the most delicious crispy fried chicken recipe.
- Try it in salad dressings instead of yogurt or mayonnaise.
- Add it to your soup instead of milk before you blend the soup.
- Try buttermilk instead of milk in your next bread recipe.
- Buttermilk makes the flakiest biscuits and scones.
- Of course, you can make a buttermilk pie or tart too! Taste delicious.
More basic recipes
- Homemade Whipped Cream - 4 Methods
- How to Make Stabilized Whipped Cream (5 Methods)
- Homemade Condensed Milk (2 Ways)
- Evaporated Milk Recipe (2 Methods)
- How to Make Yogurt or Greek Yogurt
- How to Brown Butter
- Homemade Sour Cream - 3 Methods
- Homemade Caramel Sauce, Homemade Butterscotch Sauce
- See all basic recipes
Frequently asked questions
Buttermilk, when made with skim milk, will slightly curdle because the milk solids separate from the whey but it should not be lumpy.
The bitterness, if present, is usually very slight and can be taken care of with a pinch of salt. The fermented milk or cultured buttermilk is sour and this tangy flavor is caused by the lactic acid created during the fermentation process.
After you add lemon juice or vinegar the milk will curdle slightly. The longer you let it sit the thicker it gets. So leave it longer.
yes, these days you can buy dairy-free buttermilk made with nondairy kinds of milk such as coconut milk, and almond milk. The principle is the same by adding a tablespoon of lemon juice to every cup of milk
Well, the BM substitute aims to give the milk that tang and texture but it still lacks the active bio culture which is created through the natural process over a few hours. The cultured BM has a natural bio culture. So while the substitute is perfect for cooking and baking when it comes to health benefits I highly recommend cultured buttermilk.
Printable Recipe
How to Make Buttermilk
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Conversions Used
1 lb = 453 grams, 1 cup = 240 ml, 1 stick = 113g, 1 tbsp= 15 ml, 1 tsp= 5 ml,
Ingredients
Method 1 - lemon juice or vinegar (5 mins)
- 1 cup (240 ml) Whole milk (At least 3% or more, room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Lemon juice or vinegar. (personally, I prefer lemon juice over vinegar)
Method 2 - yogurt (5 mins)
- ¾ cup (180 ml) Yogurt
- ¼ cup (60 ml) Whole milk (At least 3% or more, room temperature )
Method 3 - cultured buttermilk the old-fashion method
- ½ cup (120 ml) Active bio yogurt (with live culture)
- 4 cups (1 liter) Whole milk (At least 3% or more)
Method 4 - Cultured buttermilk with yogurt starter
- 6 cups (1.4 liters) Whole milk (At least 3% or more)
- 1 (1) sachet yogurt starter
Instructions
Using lemon juice or vinegar
- Add enough milk to a measuring cup to make at least 1 cup of buttermilk. Add the lemon juice or vinegar and give it a good stir. Set aside. Pro tip - Ensure the milk is at room temperature. If it’s cold it will not curdle, and if it’s hot it will split.
- After five minutes your buttermilk is ready. It will curdle and thicken more as it sits and that’s normal.Pro tip - This will keep in the fridge in a sealed container for up to a week.
Using yogurt
- Add milk to a measuring cup or small bowl. Then add the yogurt and combine it with a whisk. Pro tip - Make sure the yogurt has no lumps if necessary add a few tablespoons of milk to the yogurt and use a whisk to combine well before adding it to the remaining milk
- Leave to rest for 5 minutes then use in any recipe as buttermilk. Pro tip - This will keep in the fridge in a sealed container for up to a week.
Cultured buttermilk with yogurt
- In a saucepan over medium heat, bring the milk to an almost boil. Then, let it cool to room temperature. Pro tip - it is important that the milk is bought back to room temperature otherwise the yogurt culture will not work.
- Add the yogurt and use a whisk to ensure it is well combined. Cover with a clean kitchen cloth and leave in a warm, dark place in the kitchen for 4 to 6 hours until thick and sour.Pro tip - Add more milk if the consistency is too thick. This buttermilk will keep for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.
Cultured buttermilk with yogurt starter
- Pour room temperature milk (not cold) into a bowl. Add one packet of yogurt starter and combine well with a whisk. Pro tip - one sachet usually works for one-quart milk to make yogurt, buttermilk is a thinner consistency
- Let sit for two minutes then stir well once again. Cover with a lid and leave in a warm, dark place for up to 8 hours. Or until the milk is set and tastes sour.Pro tip - Then place it in the fridge for at least 3 hours before you use it because chilled buttermilk tastes better. This buttermilk will keep for up to 3 weeks in the fridge.
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
Barbara
This recipe to make your own buttermilk is not step by step instructions with no measurements of ingredients. How should you know the correct amoynts if milk and lemon juice or vinegar to use?
Veena Azmanov
Barbara - all recipes are with full measurements and clear instructions in the recipe card below. I put the step by step instructions with pictures above because pictures make it difficult to print the recipe card. Hope that makes sense.