Many recipes call for buttermilk, but who uses enough to warrant buying a whole jug? If you’ve ever wondered how to make buttermilk, read on. There are several quick and simple methods for making it yourself and saving time and money.

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Now, you don’t have to run to the store when you realize your cake calls for buttermilk or you decide to whip up some biscuits with dinner. And you’ll never again have to buy a whole jug when the recipe only calls for a tablespoon or a cup.
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What is Buttermilk
Traditionally, buttermilk was the tangy liquid left after churning cream into butter.
You would think buttermilk is a mix of butter and milk. Instead, it’s cultured or fermented with good bacteria, similar to yogurt. The word "bacteria" might sound off-putting, but these are the good guys, like the ones in probiotics and gut-friendly foods.
Why Buttermilk Is Necessary
Buttermilk is required in many recipes for a few reasons. Without it, certain breads or cakes wouldn’t quite taste right. Here are a few more reasons why buttermilk is necessary:
- The acidity balances out the sweetness in many recipes and adds a tangy flavor.
- It produces the gas that makes dough or batter rise by activating baking soda. Without it, breads and cakes would fall flat.
- Buttermilk helps tenderize gluten, which gives baked goods a softer texture.
- It helps quick breads rise higher and gives them a lighter texture.
- Buttermilk can help tenderize meat before frying.
- It adds tang to condiments like ranch dressing.
When a recipe calls for it, you will notice if it is missing. Making your own will help save money and add flavor and texture to your breads, cakes and other recipes.
Methods
Buttermilk can be made using your choice of milk – whole, 2 percent, 1 percent, non-fat or the non-dairy milk you prefer. Here are my three favorite ways of making homemade buttermilk because I almost always have the three ingredients - vinegar, lemon, and cream of tarter.
How to Make Buttermilk With Vinegar
Adding vinegar to milk gives it an acidity and tangy flavor that is similar to buttermilk.
Pour one tablespoon of white vinegar into a one-cup measuring cup and then add milk until it reaches the one-cup line. Gently stir the mixture and let it sit for approximately five minutes.
You will see some milk curdling; that is supposed to happen.
How to Make Buttermilk with Lemon Juice
Lemon juice is also an acid that can be used to make buttermilk. Add one tablespoon of lemon juice to a one-cup measuring cup and pour in milk until it reaches the one-cup line. Stir the mixture gently and let it sit for about five minutes.
Lemon juice will curdle the milk and thicken it.
How to Make Buttermilk With Cream of Tartar
Cream of tartar is another acidic substance that can be added to milk to create homemade buttermilk. When using cream of tartar, add 1 ¾ teaspoons per cup of milk. Because cream of tartar can clump together in the milk, first whisk it with a small amount of milk until smooth, then add the rest of the milk.
The cream of tarter does not cause the milk to curdle or thicken it, but it will give it an acidic flavor similar to real buttermilk.
Make sure to download this PDF Buttermilk guide to make ¼ cup of buttermilk to 1 cup.
More Ways to Make Buttermilk
Here are a few more ways to make buttermilk.
Yogurt
Yogurt is tangy and acidic, like buttermilk. To use yogurt as a substitute, whisk together ¼ cup milk and ¾ cup yogurt for each cup of buttermilk required. Yogurt can also be substituted cup–for–cup for buttermilk, but since yogurt is thicker, it may affect the consistency of the recipe.
Sour cream
Sour cream is also acidic and tangy. It is best to add some milk because it is thicker than buttermilk. Add ¼ cup milk to ¾ cup sour cream for each cup of buttermilk needed.
Dairy-free buttermilk
To make dairy-free buttermilk, use the vinegar or lemon juice method above with the non-dairy milk of your choice. Coconut milk, almond milk and cashew milk work best.
Ways to use buttermilk
Buttermilk is required in many recipes and can add unique flavor to some of your favorite dishes. Here are a few different ways you can use buttermilk to jazz up your cooking and baking.
- Add buttermilk to mashed potatoes to give them tang and add a different taste.
- Use it to make ranch dressing for a charcuterie board.
- Use in smoothies for a boost of protein and some extra flavor.
- Make a marinade for chicken with a few spices of your choice and cook in the air fryer.
No matter how you make buttermilk, it will hopefully save you an extra trip to the store, giving you more time to bake and create in the kitchen. The next time you need buttermilk, choose one of the methods above and get baking.
Make sure to read this post on the different types of butter. There is quite a variety these days, and this article defines the various types.
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Recipe
How To Make Homemade Buttermilk
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1¾ teaspoons cream of tartar
Instructions
How To Make Buttermilk with Lemon Juice Or Vinegar
- Pour one cup of milk into a measuring cup. Add either the lemon juice or vinegar and mix well. Let this sit for 5 minutes.
How To Make Buttermilk with Cream of Tatar
- Add the cream of tartar to a 1-cup measuring cup. Add a small amount of milk and whisk the mixture until smooth. Add the remainder of the milk and whisk again until smooth. Let this mixture sit for 5 minutes.
Notes
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Nutrition
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Hello there, I'm Jere'
From learning to cook on a farm in Indiana to culinary school in California, my passion for food is never-ending. Turning on my oven to bake something for friends and family is my happy place, and I am glad to be here at One Hot Oven sharing sweet and savory family-friendly recipes for your cooking and baking inspiration.
This article originally appeared on Food Drink Life.
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