Substitutes For Buttermilk

Buttermilk is an incredibly helpful ingredient in cooking and baking (it may also offer some health benefits). The lactic acid interacts with baking soda in your recipe, creating carbon dioxide, which helps your baking to rise. Buttermilk also adds a delicious sour flavor that works well in many different situations.

Buttermilk isn’t just relevant for baking, either. It can also be used in other ways, like for tenderizing meat, adding flavor to sauces and dips, and slightly thickening some liquids.

Yet buttermilk can also be frustrating because it’s only called for occasionally. This might mean you buy an entire bottle just to have most of it sit unused in the back of the fridge. Or, you might not have any on hand, meaning you need some substitutes for buttermilk. Thankfully, you have multiple options.

Acidified milk is one of the best buttermilk substitutes and simply involves using an acidic ingredient like lemon juice or vinegar to curdle the milk. Alternatively, you can simply dilute sour cream or yogurt to create a buttermilk-like liquid. Then there’s kefir, which works well as a 1:1 buttermilk replacement.

These options work best for recipes that don’t use a large amount of buttermilk, especially those with plenty of ingredients. This rule of thumb applies to most other ingredient substitutions, including cornstarch and even vanilla extract. The fewer ingredients in your recipe, the larger the effect of your substitute.

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Substitutes For Buttermilk

Buttermilk Powder

A small glass dish of powdered milk or powdered buttermilk on a wooden board in a kitchen

Buttermilk powder is exactly what you would expect from the name – buttermilk that has been processed into a powder, often through spray drying. The powder simply consists of buttermilk, without fillers or artificial ingredients. As a result, you can simply rehydrate it and use it in the place of buttermilk in your recipes.

The flavor and effects of buttermilk powder are quite similar to fresh buttermilk. However, the powder is a little less acidic, so there could be slight differences in the texture or flavor of your finished baking.

Still… the lack of moisture means that buttermilk powder will last longer than regular buttermilk. This is perfect for home bakers who only use buttermilk occasionally. The shelf life of powdered buttermilk is longest if the package is unopened. However, you can always freeze opened buttermilk to make it last longer.

It’s also easy to use buttermilk powder instead of buttermilk. Simply mix a tablespoon of the powder into a cup of water and use this as a replacement for each cup of buttermilk in your recipe.

In a few situations, like sauces, you might even use buttermilk powder as it is, rather than reconstituting it. Doing so is most helpful when your recipe doesn’t need any extra liquid.

Acidified Milk

A bottle of lemon juice next to half a lemon and a glass of milk outside intersected by shadows

Acidified milk is one of the most common substitutes for buttermilk, partly because it’s one of the easiest. Here, you’re simply adding an acidic ingredient to your milk and allowing the mixture to sit for five minutes or so. Doing so slightly curdles the milk, giving it some of the tanginess and texture of buttermilk.

White vinegar, apple cider vinegar, and lemon juice are all popular acidic ingredients. Cream of tartar works as well. Using lemon juice adds a touch of bright citrus flavor to your recipe, while vinegar tends to be tangier and includes a slight smell of vinegar.

Generally, you’ll want to use a tablespoon of the acidic ingredient for every cup of milk. This combination can then replace a cup of buttermilk.

However, you may need to adjust your ratios depending on your desired flavor profile and recipe. For example, you might want to start with half a tablespoon if you’re using a strongly flavored vinegar (like apple cider vinegar). You may even want a little more than a tablespoon of the acid if you’re making a savory recipe, like a marinade.

As for the milk, whole milk is the most common choice because of its richness. However, you can use skim milk or lactose free milk if you wish. Doing so still works, although the texture may be slightly different in each case.

While acidified milk is an easy option, it tends to be thinner than buttermilk. If this is a problem, you’ll need to add a little cornstarch or something similar to thicken the mixture.

Acidified Plant-Based Milk

A wooden board with a glass of soy milk, where there is a small dish of soybeans in the background

The acidifying approach isn’t limited to regular milk. You can do the same thing with some types of plant-based milk.

Soy milk is the best option here, as its protein content allows it to curdle easily. Just make sure you choose unsweetened and unflavored soy milk, or you’ll mess with the taste of your recipe.

Oat milk, almond milk, and cashew milk are viable options too. These tend to be thinner, so you might need to thicken the acidified milk before it is helpful as a buttermilk replacement.

Coconut milk doesn’t curdle well, making it a less appealing option. You’ll need to skip rice milk too, as it is both thin and low in protein. Those features make it hard to get the right texture and flavor.

Other types of plant-based milk could be effective too, but you’ll need to experiment. After all, each product has its own distinct properties. You may also need to tweak the amount of the acidic ingredient you use depending on the type of milk and what you’re making.

Yogurt And Water

A blue wooden table with two glass jars of yogurt, one of which is on a blue and white cloth. There are also two spoons on the table.

Another approach is to take yogurt and dilute it with water. Roughly 1/4 cup water with 3/4 cup yogurt will often give you the right texture, along with some tanginess.

However, the ratio of water to yogurt will vary depending on the thickness of your yogurt. For thin yogurt, you might need to change to 1/4 cup water for every cup of yogurt. You’ll likely need more water for thick yogurts, including Greek yogurt.

You’ll be blending the yogurt and water together before adding them to your recipe, so you can easily add extra yogurt or water to get the desired texture. You can also dilute the yogurt with milk instead of water, which makes the flavor profile a little richer.

While you can take a similar approach with plant-based yogurt, doing so is more complex. One issue is that these yogurts often aren’t as acidic as regular yogurt, so they don’t have the same leavening properties as buttermilk. There are also differences in flavor and texture that make it more difficult to replicate buttermilk.

Sour Cream And Water

A blue table with a bowl of sour cream and a large white spoon

Not surprisingly, blending sour cream and water also works as a buttermilk replacement. Here too, you can start with 1/4 water for 3/4 cup of buttermilk. Once blended, this combination gets close to the texture of buttermilk.

One issue is acidity, as sour cream isn’t as acidic as buttermilk. This is fine for some recipes but not for others. If you need more acidity or tanginess, try adding a little lemon juice or vinegar to your recipe. You shouldn’t need much to bring the acidity to the right level.

Still… sour cream and water isn’t a perfect replacement. Because sour cream is higher in fat than buttermilk, using it makes your baking a little richer. The flavor profile is a little different too. While this difference isn’t necessarily bad, it may be undesirable in some recipes (especially if you’re trying to mimic the flavor of buttermilk).

Kefir

Kefir is one of the easiest buttermilk substitutions, as it already has a similar flavor profile and texture to buttermilk. It’s even acidic, so it will help your baking to rise.

The products are similar enough that you can simply use kefir as a 1:1 replacement for buttermilk. You might even see some health benefits because kefir is a rich source of probiotics.

Kefir has become popular, so it’s now easy to find in local grocery stores throughout the country. You can even make it yourself, if you source some starter kefir grains.

However, there are a few things to consider.

First, you’ll need to use unflavored kefir. This means you should look closely at any kefir you purchase, as flavoring additions aren’t always obvious. Using flavored kefir would change the flavor profile of your recipe, often in an undesirable way.

You should also think about thickness. Some kefir products end up being thinner than buttermilk, which can then impact your baking. To get around this issue, try whisking in a little cornstarch to thicken it.

Traditional Buttermilk

A top down image of someone making butter at home, showing the fresh butter and also buttermilk

Throughout this post, we’ve been talking about the buttermilk that you’ll commonly find in stores and in your recipes. This is sometimes called non-traditional buttermilk or cultured buttermilk.

This form of buttermilk uses milk as the base ingredient. The milk is then cultured using microbes. This approach creates an acidic and tangy ingredient that works well in many recipes.

Traditional buttermilk is another story. This is a byproduct of traditional butter making and is a thin liquid that’s only slightly sour. It isn’t as acidic either, so it won’t work well for most modern recipes.

Because traditional buttermilk is thinner, less sour, and less acidic than cultured buttermilk, it isn’t an ideal replacement. Even so, you can use traditional buttermilk as a substitute in some recipes, particularly when the buttermilk is just one ingredient of many.

Which Buttermilk Substitutes Are Right For You?

Best Vegan Buttermilk Alternative

Acidified plant-based milk is the best option for vegans. This will work well in most situations and is also easy to prepare. Some experimentation will be needed to get the right balance of acid to milk, so make sure you taste the liquid before adding it to your recipe.

Mixing plant-based yogurt or plant-based sour cream with water could work as well, but this approach is much less reliable. You’ll likely find that some products work well, while others are a poor fit.

Best Buttermilk Substitute For Baking

Greek yogurt diluted with water is one of the best substitutes for baking. It gives you a similar flavor profile as buttermilk and will rise the same in many recipes. Plus, it’s also an easy ingredient to try. Many people have success with kefir or soured milk too.

Best Buttermilk Substitute For Dips

Yogurt is an excellent choice for dips, especially as you’re often looking for creaminess. You might even choose to dilute your yogurt with milk rather than water.

Buttermilk powder is an interesting option too, as you can add it to your dip without diluting it if you wish. Doing so would give you the flavor profile of buttermilk without extra liquid, which is sometimes appealing.

Best Buttermilk Substitute For Marinades

Most of the approaches we’ve discussed work well for marinades, so it’s a matter of thinking about the ingredients you have on hand. The ready availability of acidified milk makes it a good option for many people. Diluting yogurt or sour cream works well for the same reason.

Tips For Buttermilk Substitutions

Three sealed bottles of buttermilk on a table outside. Two of them are standing upright, while the third is lying own

Start Slow And Experiment

Most substitutions require some experimentation. That’s because every recipe is a little different and has its own unique combination of ingredients.

Often, this means you’ll need to taste and adapt your buttermilk substitute before adding it to the recipe. Perhaps you’ll need to make the substitute a bit thinner or a bit thicker. You might even need to add a little lemon juice for extra acidity.

Allow yourself the time to experiment, rather than following the substitution exactly as written. Doing so increases the chance of a good outcome.

Choose Your Recipe Well

Buttermilk substitutes are best used in recipes that don’t rely too heavily on the unique aspects of buttermilk.

For example, buttermilk pancakes rely on the distinct flavor of buttermilk. Most of the substitutions we’ve talked about have slightly different flavor profiles, which would make your pancakes taste quite different.

Similarly, buttermilk has distinct tenderizing and leavening properties. Recipes that heavily rely on these may not turn out well if you use a substitute.

You should also consider the amount of buttermilk used and the ingredients in your recipe. Buttermilk substitutions will work best when recipes use a small amount of buttermilk and a large number of ingredients. This way, any changes from the substitution aren’t too obvious in the finished product.

Don’t Make Multiple Substitutions

As a general rule, the fewer substitutions you make in a recipe, the better it will turn out. The more substitutions you make, the more complicated things become. Your recipe might still turn out, but it’s much more of a gamble.

Take the case of using a baking soda substitute and a buttermilk substitute in the same recipe. Buttermilk substitutes all vary in their acidity levels, which lead to different flavors, leavening effects, and acidity. Baking soda substitutes differ in these same areas, making the substitution complicated indeed.