8 buttermilk substitute ideas

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With its tangy flavor and thick consistency, buttermilk is an essential ingredient in baked goods such as biscuits, cakes, and muffins.

I also love using it in my breakfast pancakes and waffles. If it weren’t for buttermilk, then you wouldn’t be able to achieve the light, tender, and moist texture in most of these cooked foods. 

However, at times, you won’t have any buttermilk at home, or you might have certain dietary restrictions that will prevent you from having it. 

As such, there’s a wide array of buttermilk substitutes that you can use in your cooking instead.

So, let’s take a look at eight ingredients that you can use as a buttermilk replacement:

Here’s a summary table for these substitutions:

Substitute	Suggested Ratio for Substitution	Notes
Milk and Lemon Juice or Vinegar	1 Tbsp lemon juice/vinegar + 1 cup milk	Let sit for 5-10 minutes
Unsweetened Coconut, Almond, or Cashew Milk	1 Tbsp lemon juice/vinegar + 1 cup non-dairy milk	–
Milk and Cream of Tartar	1 ¾ Tbsp cream of tartar + 1 cup milk	Whisk to avoid clumping
Plain Kefir	Equal parts kefir for buttermilk	Use unsweetened kefir
Sour Cream and Water or Milk	¾ cup sour cream + ¼ cup water/milk	Whisk until smooth
Unsweetened Soy Milk and Lemon Juice	1 Tbsp vinegar/lemon juice + 1 cup soy milk	–
Plain Yogurt and Water or Milk	¾ cup yogurt + ¼ cup water/milk	Whisk for smooth blend
Tofu, Water, and Lemon Juice	Blend ¼ cup tofu + ¾ cup water + 1 Tbsp lemon juice	Use for a vegan substitute

The best buttermilk substitutes

Here are eight great substitutes for buttermilk.

1. Milk and lemon juice or vinegar

Mix 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar with 1 cup of milk. Let it sit for about 5-10 minutes before using.You can combine some freshly squeezed lemon juice or distilled white vinegar in some milk and use that as a substitute for buttermilk. 

For 1 cup of this buttermilk alternative, you can add 1T of lemon juice or vinegar into 1 cup of milk and stir the mixture. Make sure to use low-fat milk if your recipe calls for low-fat buttermilk.

Let the mixture sit for about 5 to 10 minutes before adding it to your recipe. 

Alternatively, you can use lactose-free milk to prepare your buttermilk substitute. However, it will taste a bit sweet. 

Just add 1T of vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup of lactose-free milk to prepare homemade lactose-free buttermilk. 

• Mix 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar with 1 cup of milk. Let it sit for about 5-10 minutes before using.

2. Unsweetened coconut, almond, or cashew milk with lemon juice

You can use a type of non-dairy milk such as unsweetened coconut, cashew, or almond milk to prepare your buttermilk substitute at home. Just add 1T of lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup of unsweetened dairy-free milk to prepare non-dairy buttermilk.

• Combine 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar with 1 cup of unsweetened dairy-free milk.

3. Milk and cream of tartar

Cream of tartar can also be used to prepare a substitute for buttermilk in baking. Whisk 1 ¾ T of cream of tartar into one cup of milk and use it in your recipe. You can also mix cream of tartar with other dry ingredients and then add it to the milk to avoid clumping.

• Whisk 1 ¾ tablespoons of cream of tartar into one cup of milk.

4. Plain kefir

You can also use plain, unflavored kefir instead of buttermilk in your recipes. It looks and tastes quite similar to buttermilk. Substitute equal parts of kefir for buttermilk in any recipe. Just make sure that it’s unsweetened so that it doesn’t change the taste of the dish.

•  Substitute equal parts of kefir for buttermilk in any recipe. Ensure it’s unsweetened.

5. Sour cream and water or milk

Sour cream has a tangy flavor that’s quite similar to the taste of buttermilk. However, sour cream has a much richer consistency than buttermilk. This is why you must thin it down with some milk or water before using it as a buttermilk replacement. Put ¼ cup of milk or water in ¾ cup of sour cream and whisk the mixture until it’s smooth. If you want a vegan alternative, you can use vegan sour cream and water as a substitute for buttermilk. You can adjust the proportions of the sour cream and water according to the thickness that you want.

• Mix ¾ cup of sour cream with ¼ cup of milk or water. Whisk until smooth. Adjust proportions for desired thickness.

6. Unsweetened soy milk and lemon juice

If you are still asking yourself, “what is a good substitute for buttermilk that’s vegan and dairy-free?” then try using a concoction made of unsweetened soy milk and lemon juice. 

Add 1T of vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice to 1 cup of unsweetened soy milk to prepare 1 cup of dairy-free buttermilk.

• Add 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup of unsweetened soy milk.

7. Plain yogurt and water or milk

Yogurt has an acidic, tangy taste that’s quite similar to the taste of buttermilk. You can use plain, unflavored, and unsweetened yogurt instead of buttermilk in your recipes. If you want a thinner consistency, however, you can add some water to the yogurt. Thinning the yogurt works best in recipes that require a light batter. Combine ¼ cup of water with ¾ cup of plain yogurt and whisk them together until they make a smooth blend.

• Combine ¾ cup of plain yogurt with ¼ cup of water or milk. Whisk them together until smooth.

8. Tofu, water, and lemon juice

You can also use tofu to prepare a vegan substitute for buttermilk. Puree some water, tofu, vinegar, or lemon juice to prepare the vegan buttermilk. 

Put ¼ cup of soft, silken tofu, 1T of freshly squeezed lemon juice. And ¾ cup of water in a blender and blend them until you get a puree. 

Use this tofu puree instead of buttermilk in your recipes.

• Blend ¼ cup of soft, silken tofu with ¾ cup of water and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice until you get a puree.

The bottom line

Whether you don’t have buttermilk on hand or you simply don’t use it due to dietary restrictions, these substitutes we’ve gathered should fit the bill.

What’s more, these alternatives are as flexible as buttermilk!

I hope you enjoyed reading this guide on the ingredients that you can use as a buttermilk substitute. So, the next time you run out of buttermilk or can’t have it for some reason, then refer to the aforementioned list to find the perfect buttermilk replacement for your recipe! 

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