How To Make Buttermilk
How To Make Buttermilk (Recipe) – This tangy, creamy homemade buttermilk is quick and easy to make with just two ingredients: milk and lemon juice. In just 10 minutes, you’ll have fresh buttermilk ready to use in pancakes, cakes, or any recipe that calls for it!
Why We Love This Homemade Buttermilk Recipe
We’ve all been there: you’re about to make a recipe that calls for buttermilk, only to realize you only need a small amount—yet you end up with a whole carton sitting in the fridge, taunting you every time you open the door. It’s such a waste, and we all know it’s headed for the trash. But don’t worry, there’s an easy solution! Instead of buying buttermilk, you can make your own at home with just two ingredients and 10 minutes of wait time.
This simple homemade buttermilk recipe is a game changer. It gives you the tangy flavor of store-bought buttermilk without the hassle of having extra leftover. Perfect for making pancakes, waffles, muffins, or any recipe that calls for buttermilk, you can always have this DIY substitute ready when you need it. So skip the store-bought version and make your own with ingredients you already have at home!
Ingredients You Need
- Lemon juice: or white vinegar
- Milk: the base of the buttermilk
How To Make Buttermilk
This Homemade Buttermilk Substitute is so handy, you will wonder why you haven’t tried this before.
- Simply mix milk and lemon juice together. Use the ratio of 1 cup of milk to 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.
- Allow the mixture to rest and curdle. It only takes a few minutes.
- Then stir and use!
Get the Full Printable How to Make Buttermilk (Easy Recipe + VIDEO) Below. Enjoy!
Ways to Use Homemade Buttermilk
Ready to start cooking and baking with this substitute? Try one (or all) of these amazing recipes!
- Roasted Shrimp Salad with Dressing Recipe
- Best Lemon Cake Recipe
- Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Frosting Recipe
- Cherry Cupcakes Recipe
- Homemade Chicken and Dumplings Recipe
- Homemade Air Fryer Onion Rings Recipe
- Blueberry Bundt Cake Recipe
- Southern Cathead Biscuits Recipe
- Grilled Romaine Salad with Dressing Recipe
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course! I usually suggest using the full-fat “whole milk” version in recipes, because it offers a creamier texture and richer taste.
However, you can make this substitute with any kind of milk, including fat-free and 1% milk.
Just follow the same procedure, remembering that thinner milk will produce thinner liquid.
Absolutely! Believe it or not, most non-dairy milks, like almond milk, soy milk, and coconut milk will curdle with a little splash of lemon juice as well. You can follow the exact same instructions to make buttermilk vegan.
This is a great option when baking for friends and family with food allergies!
Yes and no.
Yes, you can use buttermilk in place of standard milk in most recipes. And visa-versa.
However, this substitute is thicker and contains less moisture than milk. Therefore, you always need to add 1-2 tablespoons more buttermilk in recipes that call for 1 cup plain milk.
Consequently, if a recipe calls for 1 cup buttermilk, and you want to use regular milk, you will need to reduce the buttermilk by 1-2 tablespoons.
This Homemade Substitute will last as long as regular milk. Usually 2-4 weeks.
Check the expiration date on your milk carton. Then once the substitute is made, store it in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, up to the expiration date.
If the mixture has been sitting for quite a while, you will need to shake the container to re-mix before using it. Otherwise, the liquid will have little bits of curd in it.
Looking for More Kitchen Hack Recipes? Be Sure to Try:
- Homemade Vanilla Extract
- Brown Sugar Syrup
- Herb-Infused Honey
- Orange Curd
- Fluffy Cashew Cream
- Flour Tortillas
- Ricotta Cheese
Get the Full Printable How to Make Buttermilk (Easy Recipe + VIDEO) Below. Enjoy!
How To Make Buttermilk
Video
Instructions
- Pour milk into a one-cup measuring pitcher, stopping just shy of one full cup.
- Add one tablespoon of fresh lemon juice or white vinegar to the milk. If you need to add another splash of milk to the pitcher, do so to make sure you have one full cup of liquid.
- Stir the milk and lemon juice to mix well.
- Allow the mixture to sit and curdle for 10 minutes. Then stir again and use as needed.
I just made this recipe today, and it was so good. Its taste was very good.
Thank you for the buttermilk recipe! Sometimes it is not always available at our local grocery store. So It is nice to know how to make my own.
I plan to make buttermilk this weekend. I live in Europe (Sweden,) and there are several types of milk to choose from. Either fat-free, low-fat, semi-fat, or full-fat (8% fat or more.) Which one is the best? Normally, I use semi-skimmed milk for baking, cooking, and coffee.
Hi Angel,
Honestly, you can use any type of milk to make buttermilk. I will say choosing a milk with a little fat in it will create a better consistency. Hope this helps!
I just made this recipe today, and it was so good. Its taste was very good. Thank you for sharing with us.
I have been making whole milk buttermilk by adding a small amount of the cultured lowfat buttermilk from the supermarket to whole milk and letting it sit at room temp for a few hours. I starting doing this for cooking, but drinking it has seemed to help my GI welfare quite a bit.
Thank you for this! I always find myself only needing a little bit of buttermilk versus a whole gallon. This is wonderful that I can just make it myself!
Hey Sommer, thanks for sharing great recipe tip for making buttermilk at home easily with just few of the steps. I love it. I was not expecting how much it is easy….
I want to add one thing that you should mention the best juicer to extract he lemon juice. i read and see the image with one juicer where you are extracting the lemon juice but i try to find what is this juicer , i mean what is the best juicer machine to take out juice for use, any way it is admirable article by you .