How to Make Buttermilk Substitute

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Hi Bold Bakers!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: My go-to How to Make Buttermilk recipe is the ingenious technique you need to make a buttermilk substitute right at home! Easily whip up your own buttermilk anytime, and in any amount you need!

• No need to go to the store: Last-minute dashes to buy a missing ingredient are the worst! Use my homemade buttermilk recipe and skip the hassle.
• Just two ingredients: Simple ingredients—lemon juice (or white vinegar) and milk—create the magic.
• Takes only 5 minutes: Measure and mix up this homemade buttermilk, and then let it sit.
• Make it your way: Make it with regular milk or dairy-free milk.
• Use for cakes, breads, waffles, and pancakes, and more. Buttermilk elevates texture and flavor.

Many of my favorite recipes use buttermilk, but in the past, I would typically end up using half a carton for a recipe, then it would sit in the fridge. By the time I needed to use it again, it had often gone bad. You know I hate waste, so now instead of always buying buttermilk, I use a two-ingredient easy recipe that really is a lifesaver in the kitchen! It can also be hard to find. Also, buttermilk is so widely accessible in Ireland (it’s a main ingredient in traditional Brown Soda Bread!), but when I moved to the U.S., I realized it wasn’t as common.  I’m excited to share this recipe with you so you can use it to elevate your baking and cooking, especially in Irish recipes!

One question we get a lot at Bigger Bolder Baking is, what does buttermilk do in baked goods? In a nutshell, buttermilk enhances baking by adding tangy flavor, moisture, and tenderness to baked goods. Once you know how simple it is, and how to use this buttermilk replacement in baking, you’ll never want to leave it out of your recipes again.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This recipe was updated and improved on 4/26/2026, to include clearer definition, answers to the most frequently asked questions and Pro Chef Tips (for making small quantities). 

Table of Contents

• What is Buttermilk Substitute? 
• Tools You Need
• Key Ingredients and Substitutes
• How to Make Buttermilk Substitute
• Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
• Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
• Ways to Use Homemade Buttermilk
• FAQs
• More Recipes that Use Buttermilk Substitute

What Is Buttermilk? Types, Uses, and Easy Substitutes

My How to Make Buttermilk recipe is a way to make a buttermilk substitute, also known as acidified buttermilk. A substitute for buttermilk mimics store-bought buttermilk and gives you the same results.

Buttermilk is a functional ingredient that activates baking soda, tenderizes gluten, and adds a subtle tang to baked goods. Here’s the breakdown on different types of buttermilk:

Traditional buttermilk refers to the liquid left over from churning butter from cultured or fermented cream. In this case, regular milk was left to sit until the cream and milk separated. Lactic acid would naturally occur during the fermentation of the milk. In this acidic environment, fat coalesces more readily to form butter. The by-product, the leftover liquid, is traditional buttermilk.

Cultured buttermilk is milk that has been pasteurized and homogenized and then deliberately inoculated with a culture to simulate the naturally occurring acid bacteria. As the milk pH decreases, the primary milk protein, casein, curdles, forming a thick-textured buttermilk.

Acidified buttermilk is a substitute made by adding a food-grade acid to milk. Substitute buttermilk ingredients are lemon juice (or white vinegar) and milk. Mix the ingredients, and then let the mixture sit for roughly 10 to 30 minutes until it curdles. Note that when you make your own buttermilk substitute from milk, milk with any level of fat content will work.

Tools You Need

• Glass measuring jug
• Citrus juicer (optional)
• Spoon

Key Ingredients and Substitutes

Lemon juice

• Leomon juice contains citric acid that mimics the acidity of traditional buttermilk.
• Note that freshly squeezed lemon juice works the best in this DIY buttermilk, as it creates a buttermilk with a fresher taste.
• Substitute: You can use the same amount of white vinegar or apple cider vinegar, but it will create a slightly flatter, more neutral flavor.

Milk

• Milk proteins, mainly casein, break apart and restructure, so the milk thickens and develops a texture like traditional buttermilk.
• I like to use whole milk, because it contributes a rich flavor and creamy texture, but you can also use reduced fat, or non-fat milk.
• Substitute: For vegan options, use the same amount of coconut milk, almond milk, soy milk, cashew milk, or another non-dairy milk of your choice.

How to Make Buttermilk

1. Add the milk: Measure the milk into a jug
2. Mix in the lemon juice: Stir the lemon juice (or vinegar) into the milk.

3. Let the buttermilk substitute sit: Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes at room temperature until the milk begins to curdle and becomes acidic.

FULL (PRINTABLE) RECIPE BELOW! 

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips

• Freeze homemade buttermilk for ease. You can freeze buttermilk in 1-tablespoon or 2-tablespoon portions in an ice cube tray. They’re easy to defrost and use later when needed.
• Freeze larger quantities carefully. If you freeze any leftover buttermilk substitute in an airtight bottle or container, make sure it’s freezer-safe and leave about 1 inch of room at the rim to allow the liquid to expand once frozen.
• If you prefer, use sour cream instead. Instead of traditional buttermilk or a buttermilk substitute, you can use sour cream, plain kefir, or plain yogurt.
  • Use up to 3/4 of the amount of buttermilk called for and adjust it accordingly to get the same consistency of dough or batter as the recipe you’re following.
• Use the chart to figure out how to make exactly the amount of buttermilk that you want.
  • For (a little more than )1 cup of buttermilk= 6 tsp/ 2 tablespoons lemon juice/vinegar + 1 cup milk
    • ¼ cup = ½ tablespoon lemon juice/vinegar + 1/4 cup milk
    • ⅓ cup= 2 teaspoon lemon juice/vinegar + 1/3 cup milk
    • ½ cup= 1 tablespoon lemon juice/vinegar + 1/2 cup milk
    • ⅔ cup= 4 teaspoons lemon juice/vinegar + 2/3 cup milk
    • ¾ cup= 1½ tablespoon lemon juice/vinegar + 3/4 cup milk

Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions

Make-ahead tips

• You can make homemade buttermilk up to three days before using.
• For more extended storage, you can make and freeze buttermilk up to three months before using.

How to store leftovers

• Store leftover homemade buttermilk in an airtight container or bottle in the refrigerator for up to three days.
• To extend its shelf life, you can also store it in the freezer for up to two to three months.
• Note that frozen buttermilk might look thinner, grainier, or separated when it thaws, but it’s perfectly fine to use and will work just as well.

Ways to Use Homemade Buttermilk

You can use buttermilk substitute in so many recipes, like

• Irish Soda Bread
• Irish Brown Soda Bread
• Irish Soda Bread Scones
• Best-Ever Buttermilk Pancakes
• Pumpkin Buttermilk Pancakes
• Red Velvet Pancakes
• Churro Waffles
• Gingerbread Waffles
• Biscoff Cake
• S’More Cake
• Boston Brown Bread in a Can
• Best-Ever Buttermilk Biscuits

FAQs

If a recipe calls for buttermilk, can I use milk instead?

• Sorry, but no, you cannot use regular milk in place of buttermilk or Buttermilk Substitute!
• This is because milk lacks the acid component that will react with a raising agent to release gas to yield a good rise.
  • In addition, the acid will break down protein in flour to make baked goods softer.

Can I make a dairy-free buttermilk substitute?

• Many Bigger Bolder Bakers want to know, how do you make buttermilk dairy-free? The great news is, it’s simple!
• Just use the same amount of coconut milk, almond milk, soy milk, cashew milk, or any other non-dairy milk of your choice!

Can I substitute sour cream  for buttermilk? What’s the difference?

• Yes, you can substitute sour cream (or plain kefir, or plain Greek yogurt) for buttermilk.
  • Use up to 3/4 of the amount of buttermilk called for, and adjust it accordingly to get the same consistency that the recipe calls for.

More Recipes that Use Buttermilk Substitute

• Vanilla Birthday Cake
• Irish Soda Bread Muffins
• Buttermilk Panna Cotta
• Buttermilk Pie Crust
• Churo Waffles

IMPORTANT NOTE: This recipe was updated and improved on 4/26/2026, to include clearer definition, answers to the most frequently asked questions and Pro Chef Tips (for making small quantities). 

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