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    Home » How To

    Homemade Buttermilk

    Published: Sep 13, 2019 Updated: Apr 9, 2020 by Alison Hope · This post may contain affiliate links · 5 Comments

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    Homemade Buttermilk

    How to make a simple homemade buttermilk substitute with 2 easy ingredients!

    Homemade buttermilk in a glass measuring jug.

    So you’re looking at a recipe and you’re super keen to try it, until you see that dreaded word: buttermilk. I mean who has that just hanging around?

    You don’t want to go all the way to the store to get some, so you just start looking for another recipe that doesn’t use it.

    Super easy solution: make homemade buttermilk. All you need is lemon juice (or vinegar) and milk and you can make a homemade version that is every bit as good in your baked goods as the real deal.

    Homemade Buttermilk in a glass measuring jug.

    How To Make Homemade Buttermilk

    Add a tablespoon of lemon juice to a measuring jug. Add milk up to the 1 cup (240ml) line and stir. Let it sit for a few minutes (and up to 10 minutes) until it curdles into buttermilk. It’s as easy as that!

    How To Make Buttermilk With Vinegar

    If you don’t have lemon juice you can use distilled white vinegar in exactly the same quantity and get the exact same results. Too easy!

    Step by step process photo collage of how to make homemade buttermilk.

    Can I just use Regular Milk Instead of Buttermilk in a Recipe?

    No, you can’t replace buttermilk in a recipe with regular milk because buttermilk is acidic so it usually interacts with the leavening agent in the recipe (like baking soda).

    If you use regular milk instead of buttermilk your baked goods may not rise as well, or they may not be as moist or tender. So it’s always a good idea to stick with using buttermilk and the homemade version is totally perfect to use.

    Homemade buttermilk in a glass measuring jug with a spoon.

    How To Store Homemade Buttermilk

    Store it in the fridge and it will last for up to a week. However, it’s so easy to make that you don’t need to make it in advance and can just make up a batch as you need it.

    Can You Freeze Buttermilk Substitute?

    Yes you can! The easiest way to do this is to put it into ice cube trays and freeze it like that. Then when you want to use it for baking, you can let it defrost in the fridge. Again though, it’s so easy to make you might as well make up a fresh batch. But if you do happen to have leftovers, then go ahead and freeze it!

    Can You Make A Dairy-Free Version of Buttermilk Substitute?

    Yes! This is the easiest thing ever to do because soy milk works amazingly well. Use soy milk instead of dairy milk and it curdles beautifully into buttermilk and works amazingly in your baked goods. There will seriously be no difference at all in the final result!

    Almond milk also works but less well. It is thinner than soy milk so the result isn’t as thick and rich as what you’ll get with soy milk. But if you’re allergic to soy, then almond milk is an option too.

    Homemade buttermilk in a glass measuring jug with a spoon.
    Homemade buttermilk in a glass measuring jug with a spoon.

    Homemade Buttermilk

    Simple step by step tutorial for how to make a simple homemade buttermilk substitute with 2 easy ingredients!
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: How To
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Vegetarian
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Total Time: 5 minutes
    Servings: 1
    Calories: 152kcal
    Author: Alison

    Ingredients

    • 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
    • 1 Scant Cup Milk room temperature
    US Customary – Metric

    Instructions

    • Add the lemon juice to a measuring jug and then add milk up to the 1 cup line. Let it sit for 10 minutes and it will curdle into buttermilk.

    Video

    Notes

    1. A ‘scant’ cup of milk just means it’s a tablespoon or so short of a full cup. Since we add the lemon juice first, it’s easy to measure and you just add milk up to the 1 cup line. 
    2. Room temperature milk is going to curdle best. If your milk is too cold it might not curdle properly. If this happens then don’t worry, it can be fixed. Just let it sit on the counter until room temperature and then add more lemon juice and let it curdle. 
    3. Distilled white vinegar also works as an alternative to lemon juice. 
    4. It’s very easy to make a dairy free version of homemade buttermilk. Just use soy milk in the exact same quantity. It curdles exactly like dairy milk and is identical in baked goods. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cup | Calories: 152kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 105mg | Potassium: 322mg | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 395IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 276mg
    DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below, or tag @gimmethatflavor on Instagram and hashtag it #gimmethatflavor
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    About Alison Hope

    Hi I'm Alison, I'm the voice and cook behind Gimme That Flavor. I am a big time foodie and probably cooking up a storm in my kitchen right now! I'm also a cat mom. And a sweet tooth. Binge watcher of TV shows. Terrible sleeper always staying up too late....Find out more about me here.

    Gimme That Flavor is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This site may contain some of these links to Amazon.com. If you make a purchase through one of those links, Gimme That Flavor will receive a small commission from the purchase at no additional cost to you.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Netra Raghu

      June 09, 2021 at 11:29 am

      Can we add vinegar instead of lemon juice?

      Reply
      • Alison Hope

        June 10, 2021 at 8:57 am

        Yes definitely! Distilled white vinegar and apple cider vinegar both work great.

        Reply
    2. Nadine

      June 15, 2020 at 2:29 pm

      This was really easy to make and works great in baking!! 😊5 stars

      Reply
    3. Angie

      September 26, 2019 at 12:50 pm

      This works so well in baking! Thanks for the recipe!5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Hope

        September 26, 2019 at 12:51 pm

        It really does! Thanks Angie. 🙂

        Reply

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    Alison Hope Author

    Hi! I'm Alison! Big time foodie. I'm probably cooking up a storm in my kitchen right now. I'm also a cat mom. And a sweet tooth. Binge watcher of TV shows. Terrible sleeper always staying up too late.... 

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