How To Make Buttermilk (2024)

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Ever wondered How To Make Buttermilk? This fail-proof method shows you how to whip up a homemade buttermilk substitute easily so that you end up with light and fluffy baked goods and delicious dishes like cakes, donuts, pancakes.

Homemade Buttermilk Substitute

Ever reached into the fridge to grab some buttermilk to make yourself some lovely glazed donuts or crunchy cornbread and come up empty?

Well, worry not, this post shows you how to make buttermilk easily with two everyday ingredients so you always have some to hand.

And this awesome substitute for buttermilk is fail-proof which means I (and you, my friend) can bake and cook away like a pro.

But before we get into the recipe, let’s look at a few basicfacts.

What is buttermilk?

Traditionally, buttermilk was just that, the milk left after you’ve made butter. It would have fermented slightly, making it a little bit acidic.

Now people use carefully controlled microbial cultures to make the buttermilk you buy in the store. It still gives you the same product, but it has been standardized for supermarkets.

Why use buttermilk?

And the science bit, Bintu style…

The acidic nature of buttermilk reacts with baking soda, forming lots of lovely bubbles of carbon dioxide in whatever you are cooking or baking, helping it rise better than if you had no acid. Aka helloooooooooo light fluffy baked goods.

How To Make Buttermilk From Milk

Add your milk into a mixing bowl or mason jar.
Add in the lemon juice and stir.
Let the mixture stand at room temperature for 10minutes during which it will curdle.
Give it another stir and your homemadebuttermilk is ready.

Pro Recipe Tips

You can use lime juice instead of lemon juice
I usually use whole milk but reduced-fat milk works too if that is what your recipe calls for.
If heated too quickly buttermilk can curdle. Sometimes it is best to warm the buttermilk up a bit in a saucepan before adding to warm or hot dishes.

How To Make Buttermilk With Vinegar

This is super easy. Simply use some white or apple or cider vinegarinstead of lemon juice.

Vegan Buttermilk Substitute

If you are dairy-free, you can use almond milk instead. You would simply mix 1 cup of almond milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar, stir, let stand for 10 minutes, stir again and use.

Some FAQs

How Long Does It Last?

Good news, you can keep your homemade buttermilk in a mason jar or bottle in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks no problems at all.

Can you Freeze Buttermilk?

Oh yes, you can. That is the beauty of this recipe.

Portion the buttermilk into ice cube trays.
Once frozen, pop out the individual ice cubes of seasoning and then add them into a labeled Ziploc bag.
Store in your freezer for up to three months.

Note: a silicon ice cube tray will make your life mucheasier.

Freezing in smaller portions is good especially since for a lot of recipes you only need a small amount. However, you can also freeze bigger portions in Ziploc bags. Allow it to thaw overnight in a refrigerator before using.

Recipes You Can Use Buttermilk In

How To Bread Chicken Easily

Parmesan Breaded Air Fryer Chicken Tenders

Raspberry Glazed Donut Recipe

Instant Pot Cornbread + Skillet Version {Vegetarian}

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