Buttermilk Substitute
This homemade buttermilk substitute comes together in 5 minutes and requires only 2 ingredients. Skip the grocery store and make your own!
I cannot tell you how many times I’ve started pulling out the ingredients for a recipe and realized that I didn’t have any buttermilk on hand. It’s just not something that is regularly in our fridge.
Instead of bribing Eric to make a quick run to our local market or placing an Instacart order, I typically just skip both of those and make a quick and easy buttermilk substitute at home.
Buttermilk is an ingredient that I only pick up from the grocery store if I know I’ll be using most of it, which usually means I’m planning to make multiple recipes that call for it.
If it’s a recipe that requires just a bit of buttermilk, I skip buying the two quart container, and just make a homemade buttermilk substitute to save a few bucks and not be wasteful.
Because let’s be real, I’m definitely not going to be dunking my favorite chocolate chip cookies into an ice cold glass of buttermilk.
In general, I shy away from ingredient substitutions when it comes to baking. Sometimes they can definitely affect the finished product.
However, I’ve used a buttermilk substitute for years in countless recipes without any issues.
From the best chocolate cake, and moist banana cake to Texas sheet cake, this homemade buttermilk substitute works like a charm.
Buttermilk is definitely an ingredient you don’t want to omit. Creamy and tangy, it brings beautiful flavor and tenderness to sweet and savory recipes.
The acidity of the buttermilk also reacts with the baking powder or baking soda, leaving a delicious and delightfully light texture.
Buttermilk can be used in biscuits, cakes, pancakes, fried chicken, waffles, salad dressings, quick breads, and countless other delicious recipes.
If you find you don’t have buttermilk on hand, don’t fret. Before you grab your wallet and jump into the car for a grocery store run, you probably have everything you need in your kitchen right now to make a buttermilk substitute.
And the great news is, you’ll have your buttermilk substitute in a fraction of the time it would take you to go to and from the store.
SUBSTITUTE FOR BUTTERMILK IN BAKING
All you need to make a substitute for buttermilk in baking recipes is milk and white vinegar, or lemon juice. I typically opt for 2% or whole milk and fresh lemon juice, but bottled will also do the trick.
Measure one tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice into a liquid measuring cup.
Add in a scant cup of milk and fill to the 1 cup measurement line.
Stir the mixture together and let sit for 5 minutes.
HOW TO SUBSTITUTE BUTTERMILK
Once the buttermilk and vinegar (or lemon juice) mixture has rested for 5 minutes, the milk will have thickened and curdled slightly.
That means it worked! You can now use your buttermilk substitute 1-for-1 in your favorite baking recipes. If your recipe calls for 1 cup of buttermilk, use 1 cup of buttermilk substitute, ½ cup for ½ cup and so on.
Can you freeze buttermilk?
Yes! You definitely can. My problem is that I end up leaving it in the fridge too long and by the time I remember to freeze it, it’s gone bad.
As one of my readers pointed out in the comment section below, you can freeze buttermilk in ice cube trays.
The easiest way to do this is to measure 1-2 tablespoons (depending on the size of your ice cube trays) of buttermilk into each ice cube well. Freeze the buttermilk in the trays. Pop the frozen cubes into a freezer bag and place them back into the freezer.
Just be sure to make a note on the bag to reference later. For example, each cube = 1 tablespoon, so you know how much to take out for each recipe.
When you’re ready to bake, you can let the buttermilk cubes defrost in the fridge, or melt them on the lowest power setting in your microwave.
And there you have it, a homemade buttermilk substitute! Add it to the recipe exactly as the recipe reads in the exact amount the recipe calls for.
Try this homemade buttermilk substitute in my raspberry lemon cupcakes, or add it to my red velvet cupcakes for a moist and fantastic flavor and texture.
No need to panic if you don’t have buttermilk in your kitchen. With two basic ingredients, you can make a homemade buttermilk substitute for any recipe.
Buttermilk Substitute
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar, OR lemon juice
- 1 scant cup milk
Instructions
- Measure one tablespoon of white vinegar, or lemon juice into a liquid measuring cup.
- Add in a scant cup of milk and fill to the 1 cup measurement line.
- Stir the mixture together and let sit for 5 minutes.
This post may contain affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
I’ve used that substitution when I was in a pinch and it works great! Buttermilk can also be frozen; after I buy a container I use what I need, then pour the remainder into an ice cube tray. After they’re frozen I pop them out and put in a ziplock. Three cubes equals a quarter cup of buttermilk.
Thanks so much, Nancy! I’m actually going to add this info to the blog post. I always forget about freezing it because it typically gets pushed to the back of the fridge, then it goes bad before I discover it.
Have a great day and happy baking!
-Jamie
A friend of mine always adds butter. She said that’s how her mother taught her. Have you ever heard of doing it that way? If so, what type of result would the butter have on the baked good? Thanks!
Kally-
I have honestly never heard of this. Do you know how much? Does she melt it? I have all the questions ;)
-Jamie
I have used vinegar and whole milk as a substitute for buttermilk for years and there is never a problem. I have never tried lemon juice and milk but will do so next time…
Marsha-
Hello! I’ve used both and I honestly haven’t noticed much of a difference between the lemon juice and vinegar, so I just use whatever I have on hand. Have a great day and happy baking!
-Jamie
Has anyone ever tried this with almond milk. With what success or lack of ??
Yes, it works with almond and soya (I bake vegan a lot).
I do this all the time, you can also use plant milk, useful for vegan baking.
Thanks for letting me know! I haven’t tested it with plant based milks. :)
Pls what is buttermilk is it the butter and sugar mixture?
Hello-
According to Google, buttermilk is the slightly sour liquid left after butter has been churned. It can be used in baking or consumed as a drink. I hope this helps.
-Jamie
That’s a nice tip! I must try it one day. And so glad that now I know we can freeze buttermilk!
In any cases, I think whether we use buttermilk or not, it’s not really important towards rest of ingredients. I often use milk instead of buttermilk and the cakes/cupcakes are delish anyway xD
Thanks so much for stopping by, Natalie!
Will the buttermilk substitute work with lactose free milk?
We have not tested this substitution, so I am not sure how it will turn out. If you give it a try, let us know. Thanks so much for stopping by!
-Jamie
What is meant by scant of milk?
Rosie-
Scant means “almost,” so just s tiny bit less. Basically, you put the 1 tablespoon in the measuring cup and then add the milk until you reach the 1 cup fill mark. I hope this helps.
-Jamie
Can I use almond milk or soy mik(non dairy) when making buttermilk? Thank you
Mary-
I have not tried this substitution, so I can’t comment on whether it works or not. Hopefully someone will chime in and let you know.
-Jamie
What do you mean by a scant cup?
Hello! Scant means “just barely” when used in recipes – so just barely a cup. Hope that helps!
-Jamie
Can one use 1% milk and still get a good result?
Hello! I usually use 2% or whole milk, so I am not completely sure of the result with 1%. It might not be as thick, which could have an affect depending on the recipe you’re using it in. If you happen to give it a try, I’d love to know how they turned out. Thanks so much for stopping by.
-Jamie
Hi, can i use the evaporated milk found in cans? What will be the result if i dont add in white vinegar, or just use milk instead of buttermilk? Can i use the melted buttermilk such as a buttercups found in groceries?
Hello! I haven’t attempted this recipe with evaporated milk, so I am not sure of the result. You definitely need to use something acidic like vinegar or lemon juice. If you happen to give it a try, I’d love to know how they turned out. Thanks so much for stopping by.
-Jamie
Could you sub in line for the lemon? Or apple cider vinegar for the white vinegar?
Hi Margo – Yes, you could make these substitutions. Just be aware they may tweak the flavor slightly.
For every 1 cup of substitute butter milk is that the same as 1 cup of regular buttermilk
Hi Lily – Yes, 1 cup of buttermilk substitute is equal to 1 cup of buttermilk. Happy baking!
-Jamie
I use buttermilk powder and reconstitute it as needed. The instructions on the powder container read that it must be refrigerated after opening the container. It cakes up fairly quickly if not refrigerated. I’ve never had properly refrigerated powder go bad and I normally have an unopened container stored in the pantry as a backup once I’ve opened a container. I haven’t ever had a backup in the pantry long enough to be past its “best if used by” date. I’ve also used the vinegar/lemon juice substitute when I’ve used up the last of my buttermilk powder. It works great.
Thanks so much for stopping by, Bob! I appreciate you taking the time to comment. Happy Baking!
-Jamie
Thanks for this! I’ve always used vinegar and never thought to use lemon juice!
Thanks so much for stopping by, Mandy! I appreciate you taking the time to comment. Happy Baking!
-Jamie
My recipe calls for 1/4 cup buttermilk so how much lemon or vinegar would I need
Hi Nancy – You’d need 1/4 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar for 1/4 cup of buttermilk. Hope this helps.
Jamie
Really late to this post, but I was wondering, can this be used as a substitute in a chicken recipe? I planned on cheddar ranch popcorn chicken for dinner, and forgot that it needs buttermilk. The reason I ask is because the chicken needs to be marinated in the refrigerator for 2 hours in the buttermilk and ranch mixture.
Hello! I have not used this as a substitute in that kind of a recipe, so I am not sure of the result. I am not sure it would work the same as regular buttermilk in this case, but if you happen to give it a try, I’d love to know how it works. Happy baking.
Jamie
I did just that, 2 cups 2% milk and 2 tbsp. lemon juice. nothing happen after 2 hrs. why?
Hello! You can go ahead and use it after 5 minutes. It won’t look visually different, but the added acid will be ready to do its job. Happy baking!
Jamie
I can’t wait to try this trick, thank you!
Thanks so much for stopping by, Layne! I appreciate you taking the time to comment. Happy Baking!
-Jamie
When making buttermilk biscuits and sausage gravy, don’t get the vinegar milk and the sweet milk confused. The biscuits turn out ok … the gravy not so much. Lol. Just sayin’.
That will make a big difference for sure!