How to make Buttermilk?

Did you forget to bring buttermilk from store? Do not worry, I will show you 4 ways to make buttermilk at home with easily available ingredients.

Buttermilk is used in many baked goods like cakes, cupcakes, cookies, pancakes. It creates tender crumbs and the baked goods will be light and fluffy. You can check my red velvet cake, red velvet pastry or red velvet brownie recipe which use buttermilk.

What is buttermilk?

Traditional buttermilk is the leftover liquid after churning homemade butter. It is non-fat and very rich in cultures. Now a days, buttermilk is made by adding lactic acid to milk. This makes it thicker than milk. Acidity in buttermilk brings out tenderness to sweet products.

I have observed that, it is not a regular consumed food and may not be available at home every day. And, it is not a good idea to make a trip to grocery store to bring just one item.  You will spend at least 40 minutes in this.

To avoid this, I will show you my 4 ways to create buttermilk at home with easily available pantry ingredients. You will have following benefits in these methods:

1. you can make it in limited quantity and isn’t it great instead of buying a larger bottle from store?
2. You can easily make vegan or dairy-free option.

Sounds good? So, why are you waiting for? Just follow my step-by-step instructions below. Let’s get started!

Why is this recipe great / best?

1. Easy to make with easily available pantry items.
2. best substitutes for buttermilk in baking.
3. Can be made quickly.
4. no-hassle of going to grocery store just for one item.
5. You can also make vegan, dairy-free or nut-free option easily.

List of ingredients and importance of each ingredient

Ingredients for Substitute 1:

• Milk

Use regular full fat (3.25%) milk. For vegan or dairy free option, you can use almond milk or soy milk.

• Lemon Juice or Vinegar

The acidity in lemon juice or vinegar will curdle the milk.

Ingredients for Substitute 2:

• Sour Cream

Sour cream has the same attributes as those of buttermilk. It is tangy and has lactic acid.

• Water

Sour cream is very thick compare to buttermilk. So, we will require more water to thin it out.

Ingredients for Substitute 3:

• Yogurt

Yogurt has the same attributes as those of buttermilk. It is tangy and has lactic acid.

• Water

Yogurt is very thick compare to buttermilk. So, we will require more water to thin it out.

Ingredients for Substitute 4:

• Milk

Use full fat milk. For vegan or dairy free option, you can use almond milk or soy milk.

• Cream of Tartar

The acidity in cream of tartar will curdle the milk. This is also used for cleaning the house. This white powdery item is basically a biproduct of turning grapes into wines.

Equipments required to make this

1. Glass
2. Measuring Spoons
3. Spoon for mixing

Step by step recipe (with images) to make buttermilk recipe from scratch. How to make buttermilk?

1. Take milk in a glass.
2. Add vinegar to the milk.

3. Keep the mixture for 5 minutes.

4. Stir it using a spoon and buttermilk is ready

Pro tips to make best buttermilk recipe

• Measure your ingredients properly

You will need exact amount of acid in milk to make the best buttermilk every time. So, I would recommend to properly measure your ingredients before mixing them together.

• Keep it aside

Acid reacts with milk and makes a thick buttermilk. This process needs some time, at least 5-10 minutes. So, keep it aside for some time once mixed.

Video representation of the Homemade buttermilk recipe

https://youtu.be/m8TYSnuPiog?si=iUm5q1P5WQalHnV0

Frequently Asked Questions

• What are the calories of buttermilk?

Please refer my recipe card to know the details about calorie and nutritional information.

• How does buttermilk help in baking?

This makes the lighter crumbs and keeps it moist, light and fluffy. Buttermilk is acidic so the recipe needs baking soda to react with buttermilk.

• Can you freeze buttermilk?

Yes. But I would recommend to consume it the same day of making because it is very easy to make. You will just need to spend 2 minutes of your time.

• How to store buttermilk?

You can store it in a glass bottle in refrigerator. It stays ok for 3-4 days.

• How long does the buttermilk last?

It stays ok for 3-4 days if kept in refrigerator.

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Please let me know how this recipe turns out for you in the comments! I really love hearing from you, and your feedback is very much important to me.

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Recipe Card