A quick and easy 2-ingredient buttermilk substitute made using milk and lemon juice (or vinegar). Save yourself a trip to the store and spare the expense of store-bought buttermilk, and make it yourself in under 5 minutes.
If you’re just popping over from Google I want to make this really easy for you so you don’t have to read the whole post.
How to make Buttermilk Substitute:
1 cup buttermilk = 1 Tbsp lemon juice + 1 scant cup milk. To make, pour 1 Tbsp of lemon juice or vinegar into a measuring cup, and then fill the rest of the way to the “1 cup” line. For a more detailed discussion, please read on!
Man, do I have the easiest “recipe” for you today.
Today I want to show you a simple substitution that I use frequently in my kitchen. It’s nothing groundbreaking or new (in fact, I’ve been using it for essentially my whole baking life), but it’s a tip that not everyone is familiar with.
You can substitute buttermilk with two simple and inexpensive ingredients that you probably already have in your refrigerator: milk and lemon juice.
Let’s talk about this for a minute before we start mixing.
Buttermilk vs. Milk — Can I use milk instead of buttermilk in a recipe?
The short answer is no, if a recipe calls for buttermilk, you cannot use milk instead of buttermilk in that recipe.
Buttermilk is an acid, and any recipe that has been created using it is typically designed to have a specific reaction between the buttermilk (acid) and the leavening agents used (usually baking soda). Note: sometimes I do use buttermilk without baking soda, like in my coffee cake or vanilla cake. In these instances it is to enhance the moisture and flavor of the recipe.
Just plain regular milk will not work as a substitute because it is not naturally acidic, and so will not react appropriately in your recipe. Using milk instead of buttermilk will likely result in drier, less flavorful, less tender baked goods, and can even affect the rise that you get in your biscuits or muffins (like these banana muffins!).
What Makes It Work?
This buttermilk substitute works because adding lemon juice instantly causes a change in the milk particles and actually makes your milk acidic — exactly what your buttermilk-using recipe is looking for! You can visually observe this as certain proteins in the milk begin to clump and you’ll see small curdles in your milk.
This acidification happens instantly, and, according to my favorite trusty kitchen guide, it means that you don’t need to let the mixture sit for any amount of time before using.
I’ll admit, though, I always allow it to rest for five minutes because it’s been ingrained in my mind for years that this is necessary (and I usually prepare my buttermilk substitute at the beginning of any baking session, so it ends up sitting anyway). OK, so…
HOW do you make Buttermilk at home?
It’s simple, really.
- Pour one Tablespoon of lemon juice (or one Tablespoon of vinegar) into a liquid measuring cup. Then add your milk until it reaches the 1-cup line. Stir. The milk will thicken and look a little… chunky or curdled. As we discussed above, this is a good thing, and exactly what we want here!
The recipe is written for a full cup of buttermilk, but here is a breakdown for different measurements:
- 1 cup buttermilk = 1 Tablespoon lemon juice* + enough milk to fill to 1-cup line
- ¾ cup buttermilk = 2 ¼ teaspoons lemon juice* + enough milk to fill to ¾-cup line
- ⅔ cup buttermilk = 2 teaspoons lemon juice* + enough milk to fill to ⅔-cup line
- ½ cup buttermilk = 1 ½ teaspoon lemon juice* + enough milk to fill to ½-cup line
- ¼ cup buttermilk = ¾ teaspoon lemon juice* + enough milk to fill to ¼ cup line
*In all of these scenarios, the lemon juice can be substituted for distilled white vinegar. Substitute 1:1, the buttermilk substitute will work just as well either way. I’ve used both substitutions without issue.
How long will my buttermilk substitute stay good?
If you somehow made too much buttermilk substitute, don’t worry, you can store it! It should hold up about a week in a sealed container in your refrigerator. However, I recommend just making it as needed rather than making it in bulk in advance.
Can I substitute a non-dairy milk for regular milk in this recipe?
Yes! Almond milk or soy milk would work fine as a substitute. I rarely bake with these milks, but this substitution will work and will help replicate the taste of traditional buttermilk in your recipe, and is a good vegan substitute.
I keep seeing buttermilk substitutes that call for a “scant cup” of milk. What is a”scant cup”!?
A scant cup just means just shy (usually 1-2 Tablespoons) of a full cup. In this instance, we’re pouring the lemon juice into the measuring cup first, so, even though we’re filling the milk up to the 1-cup line, the amount of actual milk that is used will be just less than a full cup, or a “scant cup”.
Phew, OK, thank you for letting me ramble on about how to make buttermilk for well over 800 words — who knew there would be so much to say about such a simple substitution!?
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, and if you have any more questions about buttermilk substituting, please leave them in the comments and I’ll try my best to answer them!
Now that you’ve got the substitution down, let’s put it to good use! Here are some great recipes that use buttermilk (or, in this case, a buttermilk substitute!):
How to Make Buttermilk Substitute
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice (fresh or bottled) may substitute 1 Tablespoon white distilled vinegar
- 1 scant cup* milk
Instructions
- Pour one Tablespoon of lemon juice (or one tablespoon of vinegar) into a liquid measuring cup.
- Add milk until liquid reaches the 1-cup line (at eye level).
- Stir. The milk will thicken a little and appear to be slightly curdled or chunky. For peace of mind, let it sit for 5 minutes, even though we learned above that this isn't truly necessary.
- Use buttermilk in your recipe as instructed.
Notes
Nutrition
Suhima khatri
Can we used diluted curd as a buttermilk…pls suggest
Sam
Hi Suhima! There are some differences between diluted curd and buttermilk, so I’m not sure how it would work as a buttermilk substitute. It may work in some instances but not in others. It really depends on the recipe and amounts.
mayaen
I have a recipe for 11\4 what measurement should I use
Sam
I’m not really sure what you are asking when you say 11/4? I’m sorry
Patti
Hi Sam, in case recipes asking for buttermilk, can sour cream be used to achieve the same results?
Sam
Hi Patti! It really depends on the recipe and it’s usually not a 1 to 1 substitution. 🙂
Stephanie R
Can I use sourdough discard to make a buttermilk substitution and if so, what would be the process?
Thanks!
Sam
Hi Stephanie! Unfortunately I am not very familiar with using sourdough discard. 🙁
Christine
Thank you for the recipe, will try it
Taylor
Hi 🙂 i was just wondering if it has to be with cow milk because I can’t consume any dairy and i was wondering if i could use almond milk or any other type of milk that is dairy free.
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Taylor! Yes, you can! Almond milk or soy milk would work fine as a substitute. I rarely bake with these milks, but this substitution will work and will help replicate the taste of traditional buttermilk in your recipe. 🙂
Kathy
They make a powdered form of buttermilk. Is it any good?
Sam
Hi Kathy! I honestly have never used it so I’m not sure.
Crystal
I plan to make this for a recipe that only calls for a 1/2 cup of buttermilk, do I only use a 1/2 cup of this after its made?
Sam
Hi Crystal! You can cut the recipe in half if you’d like. Just use half a tablespoon of lemon juice and add milk to the half cup line with milk. 🙂
Laura
I only have 1% milk, would this still work?
Alternatively I also have half and half in the house, would that work better?
Thank you
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Laura! Others have used 1% milk with success, but the fat from the half and half would be better suited in most recipes. 🙂
Yode
This looks easy! Thank you. Can you use evaporated milk instead of whole milk?
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you, Yode! It will depend on the recipe that you are using the buttermilk for. It is best made using whole milk. 🙂
Barbara Johanntges
I only use skim milk how do I adjust to make buttermilk. I also have heavy cream. Should I dilute heavy cream with skim milk then add lemon/ vinegar? How much skim and how much heavy crime to dilute properly?
Sam
Hi Barbara! You would use the same measurements here. You can do it with the skim milk and it will still react the way it is supposed to, but using the skim milk does lower the fat content and you will lose some of the moisture in your baked goods.
Marisa
Hello thank you for this easy and lovely recipe.
I just wanted to check, will I be able to use full cream milk instead of whole milk?
Thanks you.
Sam
I haven’t tried it but I think that should be fine 🙂
Marisa
Hello Sam thank you.
sb
hi what can i substitute for unsalted butter? coconut oil maybe?
looking for something nondairy.
btw your recipes look amazing!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much! As far as a butter substitute, that is really dependant on the recipe itself and what will work best. 🙂
Nadine E. Spelman
If I make buttermilk from milk and lemon juice or vinegar does the milk have to be whole milk? I only use 1% milk and worry it won’t be a good substitute. I al ssd o would like to know if using lemon juice does it give the “buttermilk” a lemony taste? The same question if I use vinegar…?
Thanks for any answer.
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Nadine! I recommend using whole milk with this recipe. When you add either lemon or vinegar you will not be able to taste either. 🙂
Blair
Thanks, again for ANOTHER great recipe! I used this recipe with 2% milk to go into your buttermilk pancakes. It was super easy to make!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that it worked perfectly and you enjoyed your pancakes, Blair! 🙂