What is buttermilk? + 4 easy buttermilk substitutes

If you’ve ever looked at a recipe, seen buttermilk in the ingredients list and panicked, don’t worry. Today, we learn!

First up: what is buttermilk?

Traditionally, buttermilk is the liquid left after churning butter – milk, with little specks of butter left over giving it a slightly sour taste. The buttermilk you would buy in the supermarket though will typically be low-fat milk with a lactic acid bacteria added to it to help sour it.

So, why use it?

Buttermilk has the ability to do magical things that milk on it’s own can’t quite manage. It adds a subtle tartness to some recipes, keep baked goods tender and helps with the leavening process. When mixed with sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) the acidity of the buttermilk reacts with the baking soda to form carbon dioxide gas and creates those light, fluffy, sky high products, particularly pancakes, that you want. The acidity of the buttermilk also neutralises the slightly metallic taste you can get from using baking soda.

Ok, so buttermilk is a baker’s dream. But what if I don’t have any?

Lesson number 1: Don’t use regular milk instead! The recipe calls for buttermilk for a reason – leaving it out is going to leave you with less than perfect results.

You can buy buttermilk from the supermarket, but only in 600ml cartons (I think). This is great if you are planning on being at the supermarket and then making a recipe that calls for buttermilk but how often does that happen? Never in my world!

Don’t panic!! Here are 4 easy buttermilk substitutes that you can use instead. And the best part is that you can make only as much as you are going to use, so you won’t be left with a cup of buttermilk because you already ate 600 pancakes and you just don’t want any more. They all only take 10 minutes wait time and I can guarantee you are extremely likely to have the ingredients to be able to make at least one of these!

1. Lemon juice

Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to a 1 cup measure. Top it up with milk, stir, and let sit for 5-10 minutes. It will start to curdle – that is what you want!

2. White vinegar

Same as with lemon juice. Add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to a 1 cup measure. Top it up with milk, stir, and let sit for 5-10 minutes.

3. Yoghurt

Plain yoghurt – Mix 2/3 cup plain yoghurt with 1/3 cup milk, stir and use.

Greek yoghurt – Mix 1/2 cup Greek yoghurt with 1/2 cup milk, stir and use.

4. Cream of tartar

Add 1 3/4 teaspoons cream of tartar to a 1 cup measure. Add about a tablespoon of milk and mix together so that there are no lumps left. Add the rest of the milk, up to the top, stir and let sit for 5-10 minutes.

So there you have it! A lesson in the mystical buttermilk and quick easy alternatives!

Now that you are all set, here are a few of my favourite recipes that call for buttermilk.

Best Buttermilk Waffles

Best Ever Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes

Buttermilk Banana Blueberry Bread – Damn Delicious

Cinnamon Sugar Mini Donut Muffins – Averie Cooks

Homemade Blueberry Muffins – Deliciously Sprinkled

Buttermilk Banana Pancakes with Coconut Maple Syrup – Crazy for Crust

Happy baking!

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How to make Buttermilk

Prep Time

5 mins

Total Time

5 mins

 

4 easy options for making your own buttermilk at home! Using milk and either lemon juice, white vinegar, yoghurt or cream of tartar, it only takes 5 minutes!

Course: Baking

Cuisine: New Zealand

Keyword: buttermilk, how to, substitutions, tips & tricks

Servings: 1 cup

Calories: 152 kcal

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole milk (less if you are making it with yoghurt)

And one of the following

• 1 TBSP lemon juice
• 1 TBSP white vinegar
• 2/3 cup plain yoghurt (or 1/2 cup Greek yoghurt)
• 1 3/4 tsp cream of tartar

Instructions

Each option will give you 1 cup of buttermilk

Milk + lemon juice

1. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to a 1 cup measure. Top it up with milk, stir, and let sit for 5-10 minutes. It will start to curdle - that is what you want!

Milk + white vinegar

1. Same as with lemon juice. Add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to a 1 cup measure. Top it up with milk, stir, and let sit for 5-10 minutes.

Milk + yoghurt

1. Plain yoghurt - Mix 2/3 cup plain yoghurt with 1/3 cup milk, stir and use.

   Greek yoghurt - Mix 1/2 cup Greek yoghurt with 1/2 cup milk, stir and use.

Milk + cream of tartar

1. Add 1 3/4 teaspoons cream of tartar to a 1 cup measure. Add about a tablespoon of milk and mix together so that there are no lumps left. Add the rest of the milk, up to the top, stir and let sit for 5-10 minutes.

Nutrition Facts

How to make Buttermilk

Amount Per Serving

Calories 152 Calories from Fat 63

% Daily Value*

Fat 7g11%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Cholesterol 24mg8%

Sodium 105mg5%

Potassium 322mg9%

Carbohydrates 12g4%

Sugar 12g13%

Protein 7g14%

Vitamin A 395IU8%

Vitamin C 5.8mg7%

Calcium 276mg28%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.