How to Make Buttermilk! All you need are two things: milk and acid. Perfect for needing buttermilk in a snap for all your cooking and baking needs!
How To Make Buttermilk
Buttermilk is a common ingredient in baking and cooking. However, it’s not common to always keep a jug of buttermilk on hand. Good news! You can turn two common kitchen staples into a homemade buttermilk substitute to get you baking and cooking in no time. All you need is milk and acid.
Watch How To Make Buttermilk:
Step 1: Pour one cup of fresh milk into a liquid measuring cup.
Step 2: Choose your acid. This method works equally well with both white vinegar or lemon juice.
Step 3: Measure one Tablespoon of your chosen acid and add to the milk.
Step 4: Give it a quick stir.
Step 5: Let milk and acid mixture sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes. After this time, the milk will have curdled.
Step 6: Give the milk a brisk stir to combine and it’s done!
Use your homemade buttermilk in any recipe that calls for buttermilk.
How Long Does Homemade Buttermilk Last?
Homemade buttermilk can be used right away or stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a couple of weeks. Check the expiration date on the milk used to make it for a more solid guideline on how long to keep your homemade buttermilk. Give the container a shake or stir the homemade buttermilk before adding it to your recipe.
What Is The Best Kind Of Milk To Use For Homemade Buttermilk?
Any kind of milk will work with this method of making buttermilk. It’s best to use fresh milk with a further out expiration date. Use whole milk for a richer, creamier buttermilk. Use a reduced fat milk for lighter recipes.
Want To Use Your Buttermilk? You’ll Love These Recipes!
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November 12, 2018
Hi, I'm Emily!
Video Specialist at Pinch of Yum. Loves being creative with food, drinking coffee all day, and living in the Midwest with her family.
I’m really enjoying the how to posts. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Sarah! 🙂
If you want exactly one cup of buttermilk for your recipe, it’s a better idea to put in the vinegar/lemon juice first, then fill it up to the one-cup line with the milk.
Also, buttermilk powder is a great convenience for use in baked goods. (Not so much in a dressing.) I always have a can of SaCo Cultured Buttermilk Blend on hand–they sell it in the baking goods aisle at the grocery store. It keeps forever in the fridge. You just mix in the powder (1 T. per 1/4 cup of buttermilk called for) with your dry ingredients and then add water in the appropriate amount with your wet ingredients. Works great!
Buttermilk powder!? Amazing.
As I say, not so good for dressings, as it tends to be lumpy and thin when mixed with water by itself. Wanted to give you a pic but couldn’t get copy/paste to work.
I love that you shared this recipe. My Great Great Aunt Mary taught me this decades ago when we were making her Orange Drop cookies and we didn’t have any buttermilk. Thanks for bringing back a great childhood memory for me!
Love that, Kelly!
Flavored vinegars i. e., raspberry vinegar are great for buttermilk pancakes. It gives a subtle fruit flavor.
Woah! That sounds amazing.
Awesome post! I used to have my students do this when I taught high school Family and Consumer Sciences. Only I always measure the acid (lemon juice or vinegar) first and put it in the measuring cup then add milk to get a level 1 cup so that I don’t have an extra T. of liquid. It probably doesn’t make a whole lot of difference, just how we always did it. I do buy real buttermilk for cooking on occasion and freeze any leftover buttermilk for future use in recipes. One of our favorite recipes we often make that calls for buttermilk are these delicious coconut oil waffles. https://www.homeecathome.com/the-home-economist/coconut-oil-buttermilk-waffles
Yum! Thanks, Faith!
Have you tried using home made almond milk to make buttermilk? I would like to have a vegan option 🙂 and was wondering if this would work.
almond milk works just as well!
Yes this really works – and there is absolutely no taste of the lemon juice or vinegar at all! Really useful!
Glad to hear it, Bec! 🙂
Been around here for years now, 1st comment. Buttermelk? Homemade? Why not! Great idea, thank you! I would love to see more of those really easy helping things like this! Thank you again for all the amazing stuff I had cooked with ideas from your site. Greetings from Hamburg.
So glad to hear that! Thanks for the comment! 🙂
This looks so freeking delicious, you make me hungry :))
LOVE this tip, I have been using it for a long time. Can’t wait to share it out 🥛🖤
Thanks, Linda! 🙂
Thank you for the tip! As a french girl it’s almost impossible to find buttermilk so it’s good to know !
I can’t wait to try this menu. it’s a pleasure that your site explains very well how it is prepared for buttermilk. Thanks for Emily Caruso it’s well! Thank You So Much. I really love it.
Wanted to give you a pic but couldn’t get copy/paste to work.
I had no idea I could make my own buttermilk! How similar does it taste to the buttermilk from the store?
Thanks alot dear, you just saved the day
please add me to your email list. thank you! g.
Buttermilk powder is great! To be honest, I’m not good at cooking but I like them, they give me joy and excitement every time I finish the dishes, which is a great thing. With your recipe, I just need to follow the instructions and the rest is simple. Thanks for sharing
Look yummy! One of my favorite Buttermilk, nice to see your guide, easy to follow, will cook this for family this weekend. Thanks you!
I always wonder how buttermilk is made and this recipe finally answered my question. And what surprised me more is I only need milk and acid and that’s it! Now I can transform my chicken, my pie and my favorite pancake.
It looks really healthy and tasty. I will try at home this weekend. Thanks for sharing with us.
I’ve never had a dish like this before. It looks really good! Beautiful recipe and amazing captures! Nice post.
I love your site- wonderful recipes and fresh ideas! I will look forward
to following your blog! I love to cook, too- I’m always trying something new!