Learn how to make vegan buttermilk with just two ingredients and a few minutes. Once you make this easy substitute recipe, use it to make pancakes, biscuits, waffles, cakes, and more!
1cup (240ml)dairy-free milkalmond milk or soy milk works best, see notes below
1tablespoon (15ml)lemon juice(or apple cider vinegar or white vinegar)
Instructions
Pour the dairy-free milk into a jar or bowl.
Add the lemon juice or vinegar to the milk and stir.
Set aside for 10 minutes.
Stir before adding it to your recipe.
Notes
Before making this recipe, please read all of the helpful tips and FAQ above, as well as the notes below.
This recipe makes 1 cup of buttermilk. If you need a different amount, see the "Different Measurements" section above for the conversions.
Almond milk or soy milk will provide the best results.
Oat milk can be used if it's all you have, but for the best results stick with soy or almond. Oat milk does not contain a lot of protein, but depending on the brand you buy, it may be successful. I have made it with oat milk (unsweetened, unflavoured Chobani brand in the tetra pack) and it works, but it doesn't curdle as much as almond milk and soy milk.
Use unflavoured milk for the expected results.
Apple cider vinegar or white vinegar can be used instead of lemon juice.
To make ahead: Make the buttermilk and store it in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. The length of time it lasts will also depend on the expiry date of the plant-based milk you've used to make it.
To freeze: Make the buttermilk and add it to ice cube trays in tablespoon portions. After it freezes, remove the cubes from the trays, place them in a freezer bag, and write the date on the bag. Frozen buttermilk cubes will last up to two months in the freezer. When you're ready to use it in a recipe, remove the correct amount of cubes (4 cubes will equal ¼ cup if you added it to the trays in 1 tablespoon portions), place the cubes in a bowl or a jar and let them thaw. You can also thaw overnight in the refrigerator if you aren’t in a rush to use it. Once thawed, stir it and it's ready to use. You can also freeze it in a container or jar, but if you do, make sure the container is large and still has a lot of space after the buttermilk has been added since liquid expands as it freezes.
If your recipe needs to be extremely precise, measure out the milk, remove 1 tablespoon of the milk, and then add 1 tablespoon of your acid. This will give you EXACTLY 1 cup of buttermilk rather than 1 cup + 1 tablespoon.
Nutrition info is for the full recipe (1 cup) made as written using lemon juice and unsweetened, unflavoured almond milk. Data is to be used only as a rough guide. Click here to learn how nutrition info is calculated on this website.