2 ingredients and 5 minutes is all it takes, and you can make your own buttermilk at home! This substitute is perfect for making anything from cakes, muffins, pancakes, to biscuits, or any other similar treats.
Buttermilk is one of those things that I seem to always need, but never have on hand! That's partially because I have a lot of trouble finding it in stores for some reason! Is anyone else with me??
But it's alright BECAUSE making buttermilk yourself couldn't be any easier! All you need is regular milk and an acid, and you're all set.
But you may be wondering: why do I even need buttermilk in the first place? Well, first it helps to sort out what buttermilk does in baking!
What is buttermilk?
Buttermilk is basically a more acidic and thicker type of milk. Its main use in baking is to make things more tender, and it also provides a slightly tangy flavor. The acid in the buttermilk adds wonders to batters that use baking powder because they react together to give you a much lighter and airier final product.
If you want to do an experiment, take a muffin or cake recipe that uses milk, and swap it out for buttermilk. Right off the bat, the batter will have significantly more bubbles, and the final product will rise higher and the inside will look airier!
Vinegar Versus Lemon Juice
When making your homemade buttermilk, you need to add an acid to it. You can use either white vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice as your acid. Both work perfectly.
The difference? Absolutely nothing. We're only using 1 tablespoon, so you're not going to get any major flavor from either one.
I typically prefer to use vinegar as my acid because I'm too lazy to wash, cut, and squeeze a lemon ... just because. But if you don't have vinegar on hand, lemon juice does the exact same job. It's my go to backup!
Buttermilk storage:
Homemade buttermilk should be used within 10 minutes of being made! It's not going to be nearly as stable as store bought buttermilk, so the longer it sits, the more the milk will start to curdle.
Recipes to try with buttermilk!
• Rolled buttermilk biscuits
• Blueberry scones
• Homemade pancakes /or/ Mini pancake cereal
• Cinnamon swirl quick bread
• Blueberry muffins
More baking substitutes you can make at home!
• DIY cake and pastry flour
• DIY self rising flour
Homemade Buttermilk Substitute Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar or fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup milk, minus 1 tablespoon
Instructions
- Fill a measuring cup with your vinegar or lemon juice. Pour the milk on top to reach one cup.
- Stir together, and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes before using.
That. Is. It!
Barb says
This recipe has saved me more than once. I have tried it w bottles lemon juice, fresh lemon juice & vinegar. All work fine. The fresh lemon was the most fun to watch! 😂😘 All work well in the Air Fryer Fried Chicken. I'm so glad I no longer need to have buttermilk on hand! Thanks! 😁
Shelly says
Is it good for soaking chicken in.
Mimi says
Yes it is!! I personally like using 3 tablespoons of vinegar for chicken for added tanginess 🙂
Colleen Digiamberardino says
Does it need to be whole milk or can it be 2% milk?
Mimi says
Hey Colleen! 2% is totally fine to use (it's usually my go to!) Any milk that's 2% or above works well to make this homemade buttermilk 🙂
Sharon L. says
This is the best ….have tried ever recipe out there & this was the best..
Used Red Mill 1-1 mix ,I did regrind it in my coffee bean grinder.
Thank you .
Sharon
From Ontario
Quisha Kinlaw says
These turned out AMAZING!! Kids approved and the whole family enjoyed!! So delicious….
Debbie says
Can I use as a brine overnight ?
Mimi says
You certainly can! But I will say this substitute is thinner than regular buttermilk. So it's great for tenderizing whatever you brine in it, but it won't coat the surface much.
Jay says
Will this work for dressing that I want to store if about a week?
Mimi says
Hey Jay! I've personally never tried to use this in a dressing. If you do want to give it a try, I would just recommend you don't let it sit for the 5 minutes because it would run the risk of curdling - just whisk the dressing ingredients and milk + vinegar/lemon juice together all at once. I'd love to know how it goes if you make it!
Joss Hanson says
No, that's sour cream