(Six) DIY Buttermilk Alternatives You Need to Try!

(SIX) DIY BUTTERMILK ALTERNATIVES YOU NEED TO TRY!

If the urge to bake Red Velvet Cake hits and you don’t have buttermilk at home, there’s no need to make a special trip to the grocery store.

You likely have ingredients on hand to make a homemade DIY buttermilk alternative. Never again will you waste half a container of unused buttermilk or scrap a baking project due to lack of buttermilk!

What is Buttermilk?

Did you know that buttermilk doesn’t actually contain any butter at all?

Nope, it really doesn’t contain any butter at all! Instead, its name comes from the process used to make buttermilk.

In the good old days, buttermilk was made from the flavorful, yet non-fat, liquid leftover after the process of churning butter was complete. This tangy liquid was full of good cultures, which meant it kept longer than regular milk without refrigeration.

Today, buttermilk is created by adding bacteria cultures to milk and fermenting the mixture, similar to the way yogurt is made, rather than the churned buttermilk of days gone by.

Recipes that use Buttermilk

If you look in some old cook books, you will see that history shows that buttermilk has been used for centuries in cooking in baking.  So it’s no surprise that buttermilk is still used today in some of our favorite recipes!

Buttermilk not only adds a flavorful tang, but it also produces moist and fluffier textures in may items.  Some of the common recipes that call for buttermilk are as follows:

– Biscuits

– Cakes (Including our favorite — red velvet cake)

– Cornbread

– Fried chicken

– Mashed Potatoes

– Pancakes

– Pies

– Ranch and Blue Cheese dressing

– Scones

DIY Buttermilk Alternatives

These six buttermilk alternatives will have you baking your favorite buttermilk recipes in no time!

White vinegar

If you have white vinegar on hand, add one tablespoon of vinegar with one cup of milk (2%, whole or heavy cream work best). Stir the vinegar and milk mixture, then let it stand for 5-10 minutes or until thickened.

Lemon juice

Similarly, if you have fresh lemons in your fridge, mix 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice with one cup of 2% milk, whole milk or heavy cream. Stir the lemon and milk mixture, then let it stand for 5-10 minutes or until thickened.

Cream of tartar

If you have cream of tartar in your pantry, mix 1 ¾  teaspoons cream of tartar with one cup of milk. Stir the mixture and let it stand 5-10 minutes until it’s thickened.

Sour cream

If you mix ¾ cup sour cream with ¼ cup water or milk, you have yet another buttermilk substitute.

Plain yogurt

Mix ¾ cup yogurt and ¼ cup water or milk for another buttermilk alternative.

Dairy-free buttermilk

If you’re vegan, it may seem as if all recipes that call for buttermilk are off the table for you– but that’s not true! You can make a dairy-free buttermilk using your favorite non-dairy milk. Add one cup of non-dairy milk with 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar or lemon juice, mix, and let stand for 5-10 minutes. It’s ready to use once it’s thickened.

With these six buttermilk alternatives, you’ll save yourself a trip to the store and reduce waste by making only the amount you need. Let us know in the comments if you tried one of these buttermilk substitutes!

Happy baking! 

~Before you go, check out our RED VELVET RECIPE which you’re going to love.