• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Kiwi Country Girl logo

  • Start Here
    • Our story
    • Family
    • Travel
  • Recipe Index
  • Farm & Garden
    • Farm
    • In the garden
  • DIY & Crafts
  • Shop
  • Free Downloads
    • Freezer Meal Storage Guide
    • Free 1 Week Meal Plan
    • Bread Baking Ebook
  • Join The Kiwi Country Homestead
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipe Index
  • Farm & Garden
  • DIY
  • About us
  • Shop
  • Join The Kiwi Country Homestead
  • Free Downloads
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipe Index
    • Farm & Garden
    • DIY
    • About us
    • Shop
    • Join The Kiwi Country Homestead
    • Free Downloads
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » In the kitchen » What is buttermilk? + 4 easy buttermilk substitutes

    What is buttermilk? + 4 easy buttermilk substitutes

    Published: Aug 10, 2015 · Modified: Jul 7, 2021 by Laura · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    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!

    1 cup milk + 1 tablespoon lemon juice = buttermilk!

    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.

    1 cup milk + 1 tablespoon white vinegar = buttermilk!

    3. Yoghurt

    Plain yoghurt - Mix ⅔ cup plain yoghurt with ⅓ cup milk, stir and use.

    Greek yoghurt - Mix ½ cup Greek yoghurt with ½ cup milk, stir and use.

    Milk + yoghurt = buttermilk!

    4. Cream of tartar

    Add 1 ¾ 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.

    1 cup milk + 1 ¾ teaspoon cream of tartar = buttermilk!

    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!

    1 cup milk + 1 tablespoon lemon juice = buttermilk!

    How to make Buttermilk

    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!
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Servings: 1 cup
    Author: Laura

    Ingredients

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

    And one of the following

    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
    • ⅔ cup plain yoghurt (or ½ cup Greek yoghurt)
    • 1 ¾ teaspoon cream of tartar

    Instructions

    Each option will give you 1 cup of buttermilk

      Milk + 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!

      Milk + 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.

      Milk + yoghurt

      • Plain yoghurt - Mix ⅔ cup plain yoghurt with ⅓ cup milk, stir and use.
        Greek yoghurt - Mix ½ cup Greek yoghurt with ½ cup milk, stir and use.

      Milk + cream of tartar

      • Add 1 ¾ 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
      % Daily Value*
      Fat
       
      7
      g
      11
      %
      Saturated Fat
       
      4
      g
      25
      %
      Cholesterol
       
      24
      mg
      8
      %
      Sodium
       
      105
      mg
      5
      %
      Potassium
       
      322
      mg
      9
      %
      Carbohydrates
       
      12
      g
      4
      %
      Sugar
       
      12
      g
      13
      %
      Protein
       
      7
      g
      14
      %
      Vitamin A
       
      395
      IU
      8
      %
      Vitamin C
       
      5.8
      mg
      7
      %
      Calcium
       
      276
      mg
      28
      %
      * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
      Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Tag @thekiwicountrygirl or tag #thekiwicountrygirl!
      « July Round-Up
      Healthy cranberry & chocolate oat bars »

      Reader Interactions

      Comments

      1. Heather Tebbett says

        July 14, 2021 at 5:22 pm

        5 stars
        So easy to use - if I don't have one ingredient in I have one of the others! Thanks 🙂

        Reply
      2. Lucy @ Bake Play Smile says

        August 17, 2015 at 11:06 am

        YES!! Buttermilk really is a must. It just makes everything SO much better!!!! Great substitutes! Thanks for linking up with our Fabulous Foodie Fridays party. xx

        Reply
        • Laura says

          August 17, 2015 at 8:16 pm

          So much better! I never knew what my pancakes were missing until I found buttermilk =)

          Reply
      5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

      Primary Sidebar

      Hi, I'm Laura, a country girl from rural New Zealand sharing all things food, garden and living the simple life!

      More about me →

      Popular Recipes

      • Homemade beef burger with fries in the background
        Homemade Burger Patties (Josh's secret recipe)
      • Close up of scoop of cheesy mince pasta with herbs on top
        Cheesy One Pan Mince Pasta
      • Homemade Burrito Spice Mix (or taco seasoning) - the perfect blend of spices to make your favourite Mexican meal in minutes! Perfect for beef burritos, nachos, chicken strips for tacos, refried beans or anything Mexican! | thekiwicountrygirl.com
        Homemade Burrito Spice Mix (with free printable labels)
      • Overhead of bowl with potato salad, chives and tea towel in background
        Easy Potato Salad Recipe

      Winter Warmers

      • Pan of devilled sausages with mashed potato
        Devilled Sausages
      • Bowl of bacon bone and vegetable soup on table with slice of buttered bread
        Bacon Hock and Vegetable Soup (slow cooker and instant pot)
      • Baked mince and cheese pie with tomato sauce and forks with a slice on a plate
        Mince and Cheese Pie
      • Chocolate self saucing pudding in white dish with bowl served up beside it
        Chocolate Self Saucing Pudding

      Footer

      [instagram-feed num=7 cols=7 showheader=false showbutton=false showfollow=false]
      • Recipe Index
      • Privacy Policy
      • Contact me

      Footer

      ↑ back to top

      About

      • Privacy Policy
      • Accessibility Policy

      Newsletter

      • Sign Up! for emails and updates

      Contact

      • Contact

      As a Mighty Ape Affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases.

      Copyright © 2022 Brunch Pro on the Brunch Pro Theme

      162 shares
      • Pinterest
      • Facebook
      • Email
      • Print

      Rate This Recipe

      Your vote:




      A rating is required
      A name is required
      An email is required

      Recipe Ratings without Comment

      Something went wrong. Please try again.