What’s the best buttermilk substitute? The truth: Nothing matches the taste of buttermilk exactly, and if you want that pure tangy flavor—or if buttermilk is the main ingredient in whatever recipe you’re making—you should try and stick with the real thing. But if you’re working with a recipe that calls for a small amount of buttermilk (say, less than a cup) and don’t wish to run out to the grocery store, or if you’re in the middle of cooking and suddenly realize you’re out of the stuff, there are plenty of ways to hack homemade buttermilk.
First, consider keeping a carton of buttermilk powder in your pantry—that way you’ll always have buttermilk at the ready and never run into this problem again. For more immediate solutions, read on.
Acidified Milk
The reason a lot of baking recipes use buttermilk has to do with the chemical reaction between baking soda and lactic acids. Remember making volcanoes in elementary school science class? Pour vinegar over baking soda and lots of bubbles gush over the top of the vessel. Similarly (though not as dramatically), when you combine baking soda and acidified dairy in a batter, they release carbon dioxide bubbles that help leaven and lighten whatever you're making—real grown-up baking magic!
For a solution that mimics the effect of buttermilk, add 1 Tbsp. lemon juice, white vinegar, or apple cider vinegar to a liquid measuring cup, then add enough whole milk until it measures 1 cup. Stir and let the mixture sit for five minutes before using. If you leave it for too long, the milk may start to curdle; just whisk or shake the mix to recombine and you can proceed with your recipe. FYI: This buttermilk replacement also works with nondairy milk such as oat or almond milk for a vegan buttermilk substitute.
Plain Yogurt + Water
This substitute for buttermilk is especially good for marinades (like in a buttermilk brine for fried chicken), but it works well for baking too. Whisk a bit of milk or water into plain unsweetened yogurt until you get a buttermilk-like consistency. The proportion will depend on the thickness of your yogurt, but generally, you’ll use about ¼ cup water plus ¾ cup yogurt to equal 1 cup of buttermilk. (Only have Greek yogurt? You'll need a little extra water to thin it out—start with a 1:1 mix and adjust from there.) And, not for nothing: Yogurt also makes a great substitute for sour cream, too.
If you’re looking at a tub of coconut milk yogurt (or some other non-dairy alternative), consider opting for plant-based cream cheese instead and put it in a blender with some water. That’s the solution Epi contributor Ramin Ganeshram turns to when she finds dairy-free yogurt lacking.
Sour Cream + Water
Whisk together equal parts sour cream and water for a substitute that’s especially good in baking recipes like coffee cake and biscuits. As when using yogurt, you may need to adjust this ratio based on the thickness of your particular brand of sour cream. And if it’s buttermilk pancakes you’re after, you may be surprised to learn you can just make a stack of sour cream pancakes instead. (Another cool sour cream trick? Use it to stabilize make-ahead whipped cream.)
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Kefir
No tinkering needed for this easy buttermilk substitute. You can use an equal amount of kefir for buttermilk in any recipe—just make sure it’s unsweetened, unflavored kefir. (Use any leftover kefir to make a lovely beet soup, a dressing for fruit salad, or to flavor mashed potatoes.)
Cream of tartar + regular milk
Have some cream of tartar in the house from the last time you made meringues? Bingo! That jar of white powder is an acid (it’s the secondary ingredient in baking powder after baking soda). Whisk 1¾ tsp. of cream of tartar into 1 cup of milk.
Now go make some waffles:
