This buttermilk substitute works in almost every recipe you need! Two ingredients and a measuring cup is all it takes to make this super simple buttermilk substitute! No need to run to the store anymore!
Either you have wanted to make my Chocolate Chip Muffins, Banana Muffins, or The Best Coffee Cake, but realized you needed buttermilk and didn't make it...I have a solution! This buttermilk substitute has helped me many times, many recipes, and hasn't failed me, so I wanted to share it with you!
Although real buttermilk (store-bought) will always give you the best results and will yield better flavor, moisture, and simply just do its job, a buttermilk substitute is better than nothing.
What does buttermilk do?
- Imparts a rich, slightly tangy flavor
- Can be a major factor in creating texture and rise (which you can see in my Banana Muffins)
- adds moisture, like sour cream
What you need:
Lemon Juice OR vinegar- I will be honest, I have only done this substitute with vinegar, but research shows that lemon juice works exactly the same. Whichever ingredient you chose, the important thing is the acid that will change your milk into buttermilk. Do my buttermilk pancakes taste like vinegar? No, absolutely not! (I have even done it in camera! Because it gives you almost the same results!)
Milk- If you've ever bought real buttermilk, you know it's thick! To get this substitute as close as the real thing, I recommend using whole milk (which is what I always use) or even heavy cream. If all you have 2%- yeah, you can use it. Thinner substitute is better than nothing, and yes, you can also use non-dairy milks.
How to make the buttermilk substitute:
These are the tools you will need to make this substitute. Pretty simple and quick.
-
Add one tablespoon of either vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup.
-
Add milk until you reach 1 cup of liquid.
-
Stir together. The mixture may curdle; do not stress if this happens–this is a good thing!
-
Use as needed.
In the photos above, I am showing how to do for 1/4 cup of buttermilk, but the recipe is for a full cup.
If the recipe calls for less than a cup of buttermilk, here's a breakdown!
- ¾ cup buttermilk = 2 ¼ teaspoons lemon juice/vinegar + milk to fill to ¾-cup line
- ⅔ cup buttermilk = 2 teaspoons lemon juice/vinegar + milk to fill to ⅔-cup line
- ½ cup buttermilk = 1 ½ teaspoon lemon juice/vinegar + milk to fill to ½-cup line
- ¼ cup buttermilk = ¾ teaspoon lemon juice/vinegar + milk to fill to ¼ cup line
Frequently asked questions:
1 cup of buttermilk substitute:
Ingredients
- ▢1 Tablespoon lemon juice (fresh or bottled), may substitute 1 Tablespoon white distilled vinegar
- ▢1 scant cup* milk
Instructions
-
Pour one Tablespoon of lemon juice (or one tablespoon of vinegar) into a liquid measuring cup.1 Tablespoon lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
-
Add milk until liquid reaches the 1-cup line (at eye level).1 scant cup* milk
-
Stir. The milk will thicken a little and may appear to be slightly curdled or chunky.
-
Use buttermilk in your recipe as instructed (note that this recipe yields a cup, please use only the amount called for in your recipe).
Notes
*A scant cup just means just shy (usually 1-2 Tablespoons) of a full cup. In this instance, we’re pouring the lemon juice into the measuring cup first, so, even though we’re filling the milk up to the 1-cup line, the amount of actual milk that is used will be just less than a full cup, or a “scant cup”.
Recipes that use buttermilk:
Add comment
Comments