If you don’t regularly buy buttermilk, you will find that homemade buttermilk is easy to make. In this tutorial on how to make buttermilk, you will see how this recipe works as the perfect replacement.
Making your own buttermilk at home is quick and simple, using just two common ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. It also helps to eliminate waste from having to buy a whole container of store-bought buttermilk when you just need a little bit.
Whether you’re making fluffy pancakes or baking biscuits, this homemade buttermilk substitute is a perfect solution. When you add an acidic ingredient like vinegar or lemon juice to milk, it causes the milk to curdle slightly, thickening it and giving it a tangy flavor similar to traditional buttermilk. This acidity helps activate baking soda or baking powder in baked goods, leading to a lighter, fluffier texture.
Using Alternative Milk
This homemade buttermilk recipe will work with a variety of different types of milk.
- Cow’s milk: Dairy milk is my preference for this method. The higher fat content you use the better your results will be. That being said, we don’t often have whole milk on hand and regularly use this method with skim milk and find that it works very well in recipes.
- Soy milk: When tested, plain unsweetened soy milk performed almost exactly the same as skim milk in recipes. This is a great way to make some of your favorite recipes vegan or dairy-free.
- Almond milk: While this did work in testing, you will find that you get significantly less rise in baked goods and a much more dense final product. I would highly recommend that you opt for soy milk instead for a dairy-free buttermilk substitute.
How to Make Buttermilk From Milk
Here is how easily this buttermilk substitute comes together. Be sure to scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full recipe including all measurements.
- Combine milk and vinegar. Pour your vinegar into the liquid measuring cup then add milk until it reaches the one cup mark. Stir to combine
- Let the mixture sit for five minutes. Set a timer and make sure it sits for a full five minutes. It will curdle as it sits.
- Use in any recipe that calls for buttermilk.
Lemon Juice or Vinegar
You will find that both a tablespoon lemon juice and a tablespoon vinegar work very well in this method. I have had equal success using both.
- Vinegar: You will want to use a plain white distilled vinegar. This will prevent any unwanted flavors in your recipe.
- Lemon Juice: While fresh lemon juice is always preferred, it isn’t always possible to keep fresh lemons on hand. In that case, I find that bottled lemon juice does work just as well here.
Glass Measuring Cup
Making Different Amounts
This method, as written, makes one cup of buttermilk. But of course, you can use this method to make any amount of buttermilk you want.
- To make 1/4 cup, add 3/4 teaspoon 1 teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice to a measuring cup and then fill it with milk to the 1/4 cup mark.
- To make 1/3 cup, add 1 teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice to a measuring cup and then fill it with milk to the 1/3 cup mark.
- To make 1/2 cup, add 1/2 tablespoon (or 1 1/2 teaspoons) vinegar or lemon juice to a measuring cup and then fill it with milk to the 1/2 cup mark.
- To make 2/3 cup, add 2 teaspoons vinegar or lemon juice to a measuring cup and then fill it with milk to the 2/3 cup mark.
- To make 3/4 cup, add 2 1/4 teaspoons vinegar or lemon juice to a measuring cup and then fill it with milk to the 3/4 cup mark.
- To make 1 1/2 cups, add 1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice to a measuring cup and then fill it with milk to the 1 1/2 cup mark of a two cup glass measuring cup.
Recipes to Use Buttermilk
This recipe works as a substitute for buttermilk in any recipe that calls for it. Here are a few that I use it in often.
If you make this recipe for how to make buttermilk or any of my other recipes, I’d love to hear what you think. I would be so grateful if you left a comment!
How to Make Buttermilk
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar (or lemon juice)
- 1 cup milk (read about different milk types here)
Instructions
- Add the lemon juice (or vinegar) to a one-cup liquid measuring cup.
- Fill the measuring cup the rest of the way to the one-cup mark with milk.
- Stir and allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes before using in your recipe.
Regina says
Can I use 2% Milk or is Whole Milk best?
Whole milk is best, but we use skim all the time, so 2% will be perfectly fine.