Never run out of buttermilk again! Learn how to replicate the creamy, tangy qualities of buttermilk for your favorite recipes, without having to buy a whole carton or run to the store yet again. Whether you’re making fluffy pancakes, moist cakes, tender marinated meats, or even a homemade ranch dressing, these substitutes will come in handy if you find yourself without buttermilk. This guide offers simple solutions, including dairy-free options.
Why Our Guide
- Straightforward guide to quick substitutes plus when each one works best.
- Diary-free options for use with almond milk, oat milk, and other milk alternatives.
- Visual reference and printable guide to keep on hand in your kitchen.
What You Need to Know About Buttermilk
Traditionally, buttermilk is the liquid leftover after churning butter. What is sold in most grocery stores is cultured buttermilk, which is made by adding lactic acid bacteria to regular milk. Buttermilk has a sour taste and can be drunk straight or used in cooking and baking.
Buttermilk is usually sold in small cartons or bottles. Find it in the refrigerated section of your grocery store, near other milk products like sour cream and heavy cream.
Powdered buttermilk, or buttermilk powder, is a shelf-stable powder that makes liquid buttermilk when combined with water or milk. The general ratio used is 1 part buttermilk powder to 1 part liquid.
Can I just use milk instead?
Buttermilk reacts with rising agents, like baking soda and baking powder, to form carbon dioxide and act as a leavening agent. If you have a recipe that calls for both buttermilk and a rising agent, you shouldn’t substitute regular milk. Either purchase a carton or make your own substitution for buttermilk at home.
The 3 Main Buttermilk Substitutes
Each substitute listed can be easily prepared with common kitchen ingredients. Below, you’ll find the substitutes categorized by their best uses in cooking and baking:
1. Milk + Lemon Juice or Vinegar
- Best for: All-purpose use in breads, pastries, cakes, and other baked goods.
- Avoid in: Recipes that require a thicker consistency or richer texture like marinades or dressings.
- Instructions: Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to 1 cup of milk. Stir and let it sit for about 5 minutes until slightly thickened.
2. Milk + Cream of Tartar
- Best for: Recipes requiring a subtle tang and a fine crumb like muffins, cakes, quickbreads, or scones.
- Avoid in: Marinades or dishes where a stronger acidic profile is needed, as its effect is milder compared to vinegar or lemon juice.
- Instructions: Mix 1 3/4 teaspoons of cream of tartar with 1 cup of milk. Stir and let it sit until it starts to curdle.
3. Milk + Sour Cream or Plain Greek Yogurt
- Best for: Rich, dense baked goods and dishes where moisture and fat are beneficial. This substitute is excellent for chocolate cake, luxurious pancakes, and creamy dressings where a thick, rich texture is deal.
- Avoid in: Light, fluffy recipes where the heavy nature of sour cream or yogurt might weigh down the final product, such as angel food cake.
- Instructions: Combine 3/4 cup sour cream or yogurt with 1/4 cup milk. Whisk until smooth.
Dairy-Free Options
For those avoiding dairy, you can use the first three combinations with non-dairy milk like oat, soy, or almond milk. Oat and soy milk are preferred for their texture and flavor compatibility with traditional dairy milk. However, almond milk might result in a thinner consistency. Other varieties will also work in a pinch, but sometimes coconut milk and rice milk have a hard time curdling or thickening just right.
Storage Instructions
It’s so quick and easy to make homemade buttermilk substitutes, so we suggest mixing just what you need as you need it. If you happen to use this ingredient frequently, you can store larger batches.
Refrigeration: Mix only what you need but if necessary, store in the fridge for up to 1 week in a sealed jar or container. Shake well before use.
Freezing: Pour the substitute into a freezer-safe container, leaving some space at the top. For smaller portions, freeze in an ice cube tray and then transfer to a sealed container. The USDA says that buttermilk can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight when ready to use.
Thanks for this buttermilk subs. here in the Philippines buttermilk is not always available in the grocery store and if so it is very costly. appreciate so much. More power
Beautiful, easy to follow instructions
This is SO useful thanks. In the UK it is often difficult to get buttermilk so to have all the options available for substitutes at hand is a great idea!
Buttermilk is widely available in the majority of supermarkets in the UK; Sainsbury’s, Morrison’s, Tesco, Waitrose, Asda…..
Thank you for sharing your ingredients particularly on any substitute ingredient. This is my first time to i bake a cake and I’m not familiar to those ingredients.
WHat is a good subtitute for someone who can’t have milk. Can I use coconut milk and lemon juice or vinegar
You can use soy or almond milk.
I have used oatmilk
I would just like to say thank you for including the setup time for substitute buttermilk combinations. There are many recipes with the exact same or similar substitutions but they don’t say how long to wait or if I should refrigerate the combo while I’m waiting or if it’s ok to leave it out in room temperature. Unfortunately, my substitution did not get thick or lumpy. I used whole milk and the lemon juice from the bottle not a fresh and my setup time was 10 minutes. I don’t know which of those failed. But I will be trying again in the future.
Thanks for the great tips.
You must use fresh lemon not the bottled juice
Thanks, Rachel. There is no buttermilk where I live in Ecuador. I knew about lemon juice and vinegar but not the third possibility as a substitute.
I have set the goal to narrow down my recipe collection by selecting just one recipe that is the winner in each category. This looks like the replacement for all chocolate cake recipes I have filed. It feels liberating to declutter in that way.
I appreciate your recipes and clear instructions. Always very generous of you.
Hi Elaine:
Probably you won’t find it by the name of Buttermilk, but look for Kumis. That is the translation for buttermilk in Spanish.
Two years later when I saw your reply, Fabiola. Thank you!
Use 50% low fat yoghurt and 50% skim milk. I am a chef this is what we use. Is has a similar acidity and consistency
Thank you, Justin. I will have to scout for the 50% ers in the small city where I live. So good to know.
I, too, live in Ecuador! Super happy to find this, thanks.
I also live in Ecuador! Going to try this out.
Greetings from Macas, Marla.
Can I use half and half instead of milk for making buttermilk substitute? Thanks!
We don’t recommend that because half and half contains cream, while buttermilk is a cream byproduct.
Can I use sour cream instead of the buttermilk?
That would depend on the recipe, it may or may not be an acceptable substitute.
Buttermilk powder is a great option. It keeps in your pantry or fridge for a long time so you can always have buttermilk on hand. I think it makes a nicer crumb than milk soured with lemon or vinegar. According to the brand I buy (Saco), it’s 3-4 TBS powder plus one cup of water to make a cup of buttermilk. The directions also recommend not mixing the water and powder together — it comes out lumpy. Yes, I tried it. A better way to use powdered buttermilk in baking is to add the powder to the dry ingredients and then add the water to your liquid ingredients. Kefir also makes a good buttermilk substitute.
5hanks so much Denise, This was very helpful. I also appreciate knowing that I can use Kefir as i always have it, i make my own. Could i use whole milk yogurt mixed with water? Thanks again!
Mary Lou
How do you make your own kefir? Would you mind sharing detailed instructions?
You would need kefir grains, usually obtained from others making kefir (or store bought grains, but they are less effective, sometimes only usable once for some reason). The grains are lumps of different bacteria and spores that feed of the sugars in the milk, and a side effect is that the milk becomes thick and sour. You can get a lot of info online! The original grains comes from Siberia – other ones are babies from those. As far as I have understood. Good luck!
THANK YOU DENISE!!! I have Bob’s Red Mill buttermilk powder and the only direction given is how to make a quart of buttermilk and I made the quart and it spoiled before I could use it all. It did mix with water with no problem but I like it the way you suggested. Again, Thank you. The powder has been just sitting in my cabinet unused.
Thanks for sharing this great info!!
I use Saco, too!! I keep it in the refrigerator along with my Nido powdered milk. It’s a GREAT product! I don’t go for the vinegar/lemon juice/cream of tartar methods. Those are too artificial for me!!!