How to Make a Buttermilk Substitute (with 2 ingredients you already have in your pantry!)

How to Make a Buttermilk Substitute with 2 ingredients you already have in your pantry! This homemade buttermilk substitute comes together in 5 minutes and requires only 2 ingredients. No need to run to the grocery store for a small amount for a recipe – just make your own! You can also make dairy-free and vegan versions.

Today I’m going to share How to Make Buttermilk. So many cakes and dessert recipes call for buttermilk, but buttermilk is not necessarily a “common” ingredient that everyone keeps at home.

This homemade buttermilk (or sometimes called a buttermilk substitution) has worked in every recipe I’ve ever used it in with no noticeable difference from using real cultured buttermilk.

If you want to make real buttermilk from scratch, check out this post for How to Make Garlic Butter (which includes how to make buttermilk)!

It’s an incredibly easy thing to make, it only takes 5 minutes of your time, and only requires two ingredients : milk and an acid. The acid for buttermilk can be either white vinegar or lemon juice.

I almost always have one or the other (or both) on hand. And having used both, I don’t think there’s any benefit to one acid over another. They both work perfectly.

Over the weekend we had a our Thanksgiving dinner at church and I needed to make cornbread for Cornbread Dressing. Since my recipe calls for buttermilk, I decided it would be a perfect time to share this with you.

In addition to using buttermilk in Cornbread, I also use buttermilk in my Italian Cream Cake, Buttermilk Pie, Pancakes, Ranch Dressing, Crab Pasta Salad… just to name a few.

Today’s recipe is for a single cup of buttermilk, but you can multiply or repeat this recipe to get however much you need.

If you’d like to learn more about buttermilk, please be sure to check out this post: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Buttermilk + Substitutions!

Are you ready to learn how to make buttermilk? Here’s what you’ll need:

Buttermilk Substitute Ingredients

• 1 cup milk
• 1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice OR 1 Tbsp. White Vinegar

The cool thing is, you can use any type of milk. If you want creamier buttermilk, you can use whole milk. If you want something lighter, you can use 2% milk or skim milk.

Most of the time I only use whole milk so that’s what you’re seeing in my post today. And again, please don’t let my pictures confuse you. You only need lemon juice OR vinegar. Not both.

Shop here!

Lemon Juice

Buy Now →

Glass Measuring Cup

Buy Now →

So this is the easiest recipe ever.

Measure out 1 cup of milk.

Also measure out one tablespoon of acid (lemon juice or white vinegar).

Pour the acid into the milk and then stir it for just a few seconds.

Once the acid is stirred into the milk, you’ll just let it sit for about 1o minutes at room temperature.

You’ll notice when you go back that there are chunks or curdles of milk floating on top. This is exactly what you want! Now you have buttermilk 🙂

Just stir it a little to make sure it’s all mixed up and you’re ready to go.

You can use it immediately or store it in the fridge in a sealed bottle or container for a few days (up to a week). You can use the expiration date from the original milk as a guide.

If you store it before using, be sure to shake it up or give it a good stir or whisking before using.

I told you it was easy – and I was right, huh?

Note: I haven’t found that the extra tablespoon of liquid makes a difference in the recipes where I use homemade buttermilk, but if it’s a concern for you, measure the 1 tablespoon of acid into your measuring cup first, then pour in the milk to a level 1 cup.

Now you’re ready to go bake that cake, make that pasta salad, or make any number of other recipes that call for buttermilk.

Need Dairy-Free or Vegan Buttermilk?

It’s also really easy to make a buttermilk substitute that is dairy-free or vegan. Combine 3/4 cup of almond milk yogurt, 1/4 cup of your favorite dairy-free milk, and 1/2 teaspoon of white vinegar. Let sit for 5-10 minutes before using.

Another option is to use soy milk and lemon juice (same proportions as the recipe below).

Baking Basics Series

• Cake Goop (Homemade Cake Pan Release)
• How to Make Homemade Powdered Sugar with 2 Ingredients!
• Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Buttermilk
• The Best Sheet Cake Pans, Sizes & Servings
• Baking Soda vs Baking Powder: Everything you Need to Know
• Homemade Poultry Seasoning Recipe

Okay… if you’re ready, here’s the printable recipe for you:

Southern Buttermilk Cornbread

Crustless Caramel Buttermilk Pie

Italian Cream Cupcakes