This easy vegan buttermilk substitute can be made in less than 10 minutes and works great in a 1:1 ratio in place of regular buttermilk.
There are a number of ways to make vegan buttermilk. Lucky for us, it's super easy! All you need is your favorite non-dairy milk and some vinegar, and you're on your way. You can use buttermilk in savory or sweet recipes.
You often find buttermilk in salad dressings as a creamy acidic ingredient. In things like fried chicken, pancakes, waffles, sweet bread, and biscuits, all sorts of delicious recipes use buttermilk.
It's always nice to have a quick and easy substitute for recipes whether you're vegan, dairy-free, or have run out of buttermilk and don't want to go to the store. This will check all those boxes for you. Check out these recipes you can use vegan buttermilk in: Vegan Chocolate Donuts, Vegan Buttermilk Pancakes, or Vegan Whoopie Pies.
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What is buttermilk used for?
This thick "buttermilk" is used in baked goods to help with a couple of different things.
- Activating leavening agents like baking soda to make the dough rise properly.
- It helps with the flavor; the acidic flavor helps cut down the sweet flavor of whatever you're making. Plus, everyone knows the distinct flavor of buttermilk makes; think homemade biscuits.
- The acid in the buttermilk helps lend more of a tender crumb when it comes to baking.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- 1 TB vinegar- White vinegar is the best vinegar to use if you are out; the following best would be apple cider vinegar. These will both give you that tangy flavor you are looking for in buttermilk. Like I said before, you can also use a tablespoon of lemon juice if vinegar is unavailable.
- 1 cup non-dairy milk of choice—The type of milk alternative you use will determine the thickness of your dairy-free substitute.
How to make this dairy-free buttermilk substitute
Step 1- Take a liquid measuring cup and place 1 tablespoon of vinegar into the cup; fill up the rest of the measuring cup with the non-dairy milk to the 1 cup line and stir to combine.
Step 2- Let this sit for 5-10 minutes and thicken. Once it's thickened, use it as needed in your recipe.
Expert Tips and Tricks
- Nondairy milk that will produce a thicker buttermilk substitute are fuller-fat oat milk, unsweetened soy milk, Coconut milk (this will leave a coconut flavor in your buttermilk and won't curdle as well), Fuller-fat cashew milk, and any of the new vegan whole milk that they have come out with.
- Nondairy milk that will produce a thinner buttermilk substitute is Almond milk, low-fat oat milk, low-fat cashew milk, and rice milk.
- I have used all of these, but the thicker milk gives you the right consistency of buttermilk, which is a thicker consistency. But it will work with the thinner milk; I've done it many times before it will have a thinner consistency. Some non-dairy milk brands curdle the milk better than others. What you're looking for when it's made is a thick, almost separated milk.
Recipe FAQS
This will keep in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
I would make it fresh because it only takes a few minutes. However, if you prefer to freeze things, it's best to freeze them in an ice cube tray and then place the frozen cubes in a freezer-safe bag. Defrost in a measuring cup on the counter until defrosted, and then use accordingly.
You can use this anytime you need a cup of buttermilk. This is an effortless vegan substitute that works pretty darn close to the dairy product.
Vegan buttermilk is insanely easy to make. You need non-dairy milk and an acid, whether it is vinegar like I prefer to use or lemon juice.
I prefer vinegar over lemon juice because I don't always have a lemon on hand, but I always have vinegar on hand.
When the acid is mixed with dairy-free milk, it creates a creamy texture and starts to thicken or curdle and what you're left with is non-dairy buttermilk.
This thick "buttermilk" is used in baked goods to help with a couple of different things.
1. Activating leavening agents like baking soda to make the dough rise properly.
2. It helps with the flavor; the acidic flavor helps cut down the sweet flavor of whatever you're making. Plus, everyone knows the distinct flavor of buttermilk makes; think homemade biscuits.
3. The acid in the buttermilk helps lend more of a tender crumb when it comes to baking.
Check out some vegan recipes that use vegan buttermilk...
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Easy Vegan Buttermilk Substitute
Ingredients
- 1 TB vinegar
- 1 cup non-dairy milk of choice
Instructions
- Take a liquid measuring cup and place 1 TB of the vinegar into the cup, fill it up the rest of the way with the non-dairy milk to the 1 cup line and stir to combine.
- Let this sit for 5 minutes and thicken. Once it's thickened, use it as needed in your recipe.
Notes
- Nondairy milk that will produce a thicker buttermilk substitute are fuller-fat oat milk, unsweetened soy milk, Coconut milk (this will leave a coconut flavor in your buttermilk and won't curdle as well), Fuller-fat cashew milk, and any of the new vegan whole milk that they have come out with.
- Nondairy milk that will produce a thinner buttermilk substitute is Almond milk, low-fat oat milk, low-fat cashew milk, and rice milk.
- I have used all of these, but the thicker milk gives you the right consistency of buttermilk, which is a thicker consistency. But it will work with the thinner milk; I've done it many times before it will have a thinner consistency. Some non-dairy milk brands curdle the milk better than others. What you're looking for when it's made is a thick, almost separated milk.
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