Quick & Easy Buttermilk Substitute
Have you ever been in the middle of prepping what will be a beautiful batch of waffles or pancakes and BAM–you realize you need buttermilk?! I don’t know about you, but I don’t keep a bottle in my fridge at all times, so when this happens, I’m left with two options: get in the car and drive to the store, or just make this easy buttermilk substitute. The choice is really an no-brainer. While real, cultured buttermilk is honestly better than any substitute and will always yield the best taste, texture and flavor, when you’re in a pinch a substitute is better than nothing at all (and better than just regular milk–more on that below!) This “recipe” I’m sharing today is extremely simple and uses ingredients that, unlike the real thing, are almost always already in your kitchen.
What does buttermilk do?
Imparts a rich, slightly tangy flavor. Can be a major factor in creating texture and rise (as you can see in my tall, fluffy banana muffins).Adds moisture, much like sour cream.
What You Need
This quick and easy buttermilk substitute is incredibly simple, and my hope is that you have what you need at home already. Here’s what you need:
Lemon juice OR vinegar. Fresh or bottled lemon juice OR distilled white vinegar will work equally well. Whichever you choose, this ingredient is the acid that will change your milk into buttermilk. Having trouble deciding between the two? Don’t think too much about it–you really won’t taste either ingredient in your end result, so just use whatever you have on hand!Milk. If you’ve ever used store-bought buttermilk, then you know it’s pretty thick. To get this quick and easy substitute as close to the consistency of the real thing, I recommend using whole milk or even heavy cream. If all you have on hand is 2% milk, that will work–thinner buttermilk is still better than nothing. And yes, non-dairy milks work just fine too!
SAM’S TIP: While I haven’t tried these myself, here are a few other substitutes that should work well for replacing one cup of buttermilk: 1 cup of plain yogurt; ¾ cup sour cream (or full fat Greek yogurt) + ¼ cup water or milk; 1 ½ teaspoons cream of tartar + 1 cup milk; or buttermilk powder (follow package instructions). Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make My Easy Buttermilk Substitute
SAM’S TIP: Many buttermilk substitute recipes suggest you let the milk mixture sit for 5-10 minutes before using. This actually isn’t necessary, because once the milk and acid are combined, the acidification happens instantly! If you still feel better letting the mixture sit, you can just prepare your buttermilk substitute at the beginning of your recipe. Today’s recipe is for a full cup of buttermilk and can easily be doubled. Here is a breakdown for recipes that require less than a cup of buttermilk:
¾ cup buttermilk = 2 ¼ teaspoons lemon juice/vinegar + milk to fill to ¾-cup line⅔ cup buttermilk = 2 teaspoons lemon juice/vinegar + milk to fill to ⅔-cup line½ cup buttermilk = 1 ½ teaspoon lemon juice/vinegar + milk to fill to ½-cup line¼ cup buttermilk = ¾ teaspoon lemon juice/vinegar + milk to fill to ¼ cup line
I know that this isn’t new information to many seasoned bakers, but I’m hoping that it will help someone out in a pinch. Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
Recipes that use Buttermilk
