What works instead of buttermilk
You can replace buttermilk with regular milk mixed with an acid — the most reliable method is one cup of milk plus one tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar, left to sit for five minutes. This curdles the milk slightly and mimics buttermilk's tangy flavor and thinner texture. Other options include plain yogurt thinned with water, sour cream thinned with water, or milk mixed with cream of tartar, depending on what you have on hand and what you're making.
The reason buttermilk matters in recipes is its acidity and thickness. It reacts with baking soda to create lift, adds tang to baked goods, and affects how wet or dry the final texture becomes. Most substitutes work because they either provide that acid or that thickness — or both. The best choice depends on whether your recipe needs the tang, the lift, or just the liquid.
Key Takeaways
- Milk plus lemon juice or vinegar (one tablespoon per cup of milk, left five minutes) is the closest match and works in nearly all recipes.
- Plain yogurt thinned with water (equal parts) works well in pancakes, cakes, and biscuits but adds slight tang that may not suit all dishes.
- Sour cream thinned with water (equal parts) works in baking but can make some batters too thick if you don't thin it enough.
- Cream of tartar mixed with milk (one-eighth teaspoon per cup) creates lift for baking soda but lacks the tang of real buttermilk.
- Greek yogurt is thicker than regular yogurt and needs more water to reach buttermilk consistency, so measure carefully.
Milk and acid: the most reliable swap
Mixing regular milk with an acid is the closest substitute because it actually creates the chemical properties buttermilk has. Use one cup of whole milk or 2% milk and add one tablespoon of lemon juice, white vinegar, or apple cider vinegar. Stir and let it sit at room temperature for five minutes — you'll see it curdle slightly and thicken a bit. This is exactly what you want.
This method works in pancakes, waffles, biscuits, cakes, muffins, and quick breads. It's especially reliable when your recipe calls for baking soda, because the acid triggers the chemical reaction that makes baked goods rise. If your recipe uses only baking powder (no baking soda), the acid matters less, but the substitution still works fine.
One caution: don't use ultra-pasteurized milk if you can avoid it — it curdles less visibly and sometimes produces a slightly grainy texture in baked goods. Regular or 2% milk works better. If you only have ultra-pasteurized milk, the substitute will still work; the texture may just be slightly less tender.
Yogurt thinned with water
Plain yogurt (not Greek, not flavored) mixed with equal parts water creates a liquid close to buttermilk in both texture and tang. For one cup of buttermilk, use one-half cup of plain yogurt and one-half cup of water. Stir until smooth before adding to your recipe.
This works well in pancakes, muffins, cakes, and biscuits. The tang is slightly stronger than milk-and-acid, so if your recipe is already sweet or you prefer a milder flavor, taste the batter and adjust. The yogurt also adds a small amount of fat, which can make baked goods slightly more tender.
Avoid Greek yogurt for this purpose — it's much thicker and won't thin to the right consistency even with equal parts water. If you only have Greek yogurt, use one-third cup Greek yogurt and two-thirds cup water, and stir well to break up any lumps.
Sour cream thinned with water
Sour cream mixed with equal parts water also works as a buttermilk substitute. Use one-half cup of sour cream and one-half cup of water for one cup of buttermilk. Whisk them together until the mixture is smooth and pourable.
This substitute is good for biscuits, cakes, and muffins. It adds richness and tang, so the final baked good will be slightly richer than if you'd used buttermilk. The texture tends to be tender and moist. Be careful not to overmix the batter once you add this substitute — sour cream can make batters tighten up if you stir too much.
If the mixture seems too thick after you combine sour cream and water, add a little more water, one tablespoon at a time, until it pours easily. Sour cream varies in thickness by brand, so you may need to adjust slightly.
Milk and cream of tartar
If you need buttermilk mainly for the lift it provides with baking soda, milk mixed with cream of tartar works. Use one cup of milk and one-eighth teaspoon of cream of tartar per cup of buttermilk. Stir well and use right away.
This method creates the acid needed to react with baking soda, so it's useful in recipes where rise is the main job buttermilk does — like pancakes or biscuits. However, it doesn't add the tangy flavor buttermilk brings, so it's less ideal if the recipe depends on that taste.
Cream of tartar is a powder found in the baking aisle. It's inexpensive and keeps for years, so it's worth having on hand if you bake regularly. This substitute works best in recipes where the buttermilk is just one of several ingredients, not the star flavor.
When to use each substitute
| Substitute | Best for | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| Milk + lemon juice or vinegar | Any recipe calling for buttermilk | Provides both acid and tang; closest match |
| Plain yogurt + water | Pancakes, muffins, cakes, biscuits | Adds tang and slight richness; good texture |
| Sour cream + water | Biscuits, cakes, muffins | Creates tender, moist crumb; adds richness |
| Milk + cream of tartar | Recipes where rise is the main need | Provides acid for baking soda reaction |
What doesn't work as well
Regular sour cream used straight (not thinned) is too thick and will make your batter dense. Evaporated milk is too concentrated and will throw off the liquid balance in your recipe. Kefir (a fermented milk drink) is close to buttermilk but much thinner, so you'd need to use less water if you thin it. Milk alone, with no acid, won't give you the tang or the chemical reaction with baking soda.
Coconut milk, almond milk, and other plant-based milks can work with acid added, but they may change the flavor or texture of your final baked good — coconut milk especially will add its own taste. If you're using a plant-based milk, the milk-plus-acid method still works chemically, but taste the batter first to make sure you like the flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use regular milk with no acid at all?
Not really. Plain milk lacks the acidity that makes buttermilk work with baking soda, so your baked goods won't rise properly. If your recipe uses only baking powder (which already contains acid), plain milk will work, but you'll lose the tangy flavor buttermilk adds.
Does the type of vinegar matter?
White vinegar and lemon juice work best because they're neutral in flavor. Apple cider vinegar works but can add a slight apple taste. Balsamic or red wine vinegar will change the color and flavor of your baked good, so avoid those. Distilled white vinegar is cheapest and most reliable.
How long can I keep milk-and-acid mixture before using it?
Use it within 10 minutes of mixing. The curdling process continues slowly, and if you wait too long, the mixture may separate or become too thick. Make it right before you add it to your recipe.
Will my baked goods taste different if I use a substitute?
Milk-and-acid and yogurt-and-water will taste very similar to buttermilk. Sour cream-and-water will taste slightly richer and more tangy. Milk-and-cream-of-tartar will taste like regular milk because it lacks the tang. If flavor matters a lot to your recipe, milk-and-acid is the safest choice.
Can I use buttermilk powder instead?
Yes. Buttermilk powder is real buttermilk that's been dried. Mix it with water according to the package directions, usually one-quarter cup powder plus three-quarters cup water for one cup of liquid buttermilk. It's convenient if you bake often and don't use fresh buttermilk regularly.