Buttermilk Substitute

For many baking recipes, the easiest buttermilk substitute is 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar plus enough milk to make 1 cup total.

Plain kefir and thinned plain yogurt are also useful substitutes and can provide fermented flavor closer to cultured buttermilk.

Regular plain yogurt may often be used at approximately equal finished volume. If the yogurt is thick, thin it with a small amount of milk or water until it reaches a pourable consistency.

For thick Greek yogurt, use a practical 1:2 Greek-yogurt-to-milk ratio. For 1 cup: approximately 1/3 cup Greek yogurt + 2/3 cup milk.

Sour cream provides acidity and dairy flavor but is much thicker than buttermilk. Thin it with milk or water until it reaches approximately the consistency of buttermilk.

Use approximately the same finished volume as the buttermilk called for. There is no universal exact thinning ratio — adjust until the consistency is pourable.

Sometimes, but plain milk is not chemically or flavor-wise identical to buttermilk. Plain milk lacks buttermilk's acidity and tang.

If the recipe uses baking soda, replacing buttermilk with plain milk can change the recipe's acid-base balance and may affect rise, browning, flavor, or texture. Consider using an acidified milk option instead. Learn more in our baking soda vs baking powder guide.

Buttermilk contributes:

• acidity
• moisture
• tenderness
• tangy flavor
• interaction with baking soda
• browning and texture effects

Acidified milk, kefir, and thinned yogurt can all work well for pancakes. Pancakes are generally forgiving of buttermilk substitutions.

Flavor and texture may be more noticeable in a simple biscuit recipe, making kefir or thinned yogurt particularly useful alternatives that provide fermented flavor closer to cultured buttermilk.

Acidified milk commonly works well in cakes and quick breads. Use the same total volume as the buttermilk called for.

Muffins, banana bread, zucchini bread, and similar quick breads are good candidates for acidified milk or thinned yogurt substitutes.

Buttermilk contributes acidity, moisture, and coating adhesion for fried chicken. Cultured dairy, kefir, or acidified milk can work as practical alternatives.

Buttermilk contributes acidity and tang to cornbread and may interact with baking soda. Acidified milk or kefir are practical substitutes.

The same acidified-milk options used for pancakes can often work for waffles. Kefir and thinned yogurt are also good options.

Use 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar plus enough plain unsweetened non-dairy milk to make 1 cup total. Let stand 5–15 minutes before using.

Options include soy milk, almond milk, and oat milk. Non-dairy milk may not visibly thicken as much as dairy milk. Not all non-dairy milks produce identical flavor or texture.