General information only.

Buttermilk Substitute — What to Use Instead

A recipe calls for buttermilk. You have none. This page lists substitutes named on university Extension pages. The sources are named at the bottom.

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1. The quick answer for 1 cup

For 1 cup of buttermilk, Utah State University Extension lists this substitute:

1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice, plus enough milk to make 1 cup. Let it stand 5 minutes.

Colorado State University Extension lists the same idea in these words: 1 cup minus 1 tablespoon of sweet milk, plus 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice. Let it stand 5 minutes.

Purdue Extension lists the same substitute for 1 cup of buttermilk or sour milk. It says to let it stand 5 minutes before using it.

2. How to make it, step by step

The University of Maine Cooperative Extension gives these steps on its Buttermilk recipe page:

1. Measure the lemon juice or vinegar into a liquid measuring cup.

2. Fill the measuring cup to the 1 cup mark with milk.

That Maine page uses 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar, and 1 cup of milk.

Then let the mix stand 5 minutes before you use it. That stand time comes from the Utah State, Colorado State, and Purdue Extension pages above.

3. Amounts for smaller measures

This table scales the verified 1-cup amount down. The acid amount is cut by the same share as the milk amount.

4. The plain yogurt option

Utah State University Extension lists 1 cup of plain yogurt as a substitute for 1 cup of buttermilk or sour milk.

Colorado State University Extension also lists 1 cup of plain yogurt for 1 cup of buttermilk or sour milk.

Purdue Extension also lists 1 cup of plain yogurt for 1 cup of buttermilk or sour milk.

Use the same amount of plain yogurt as the amount of buttermilk in the recipe. The smaller amounts in the table above follow that same equal-amount rule.

5. One more option named by Extension

Utah State University Extension lists one more substitute for 1 cup of buttermilk or sour milk:

1 3/4 teaspoons cream of tartar, plus 1 cup of milk.

Colorado State University Extension lists a cream of tartar option too. It gives a range: 1 cup of sweet milk plus 1 1/4 to 1 3/4 teaspoons cream of tartar.

6. What to expect

Utah State University Extension says a recipe substitution can sometimes change the flavor, color, texture, or volume of the food. It says the food will still be an acceptable finished product.

Purdue Extension says a substitution may change the flavor, texture, or other parts of the finished product.

Colorado State University Extension says to take into account differences in taste, moisture content, texture, and weight when you substitute an ingredient. It also says measuring accurately will help avoid disappointment.

Sources

General information only.