Master the Art of Making Buttermilk at Home (Easy Tips!)

Ever stood in front of your fridge, about to whip up your favorite pancakes, and realized—dang it—there’s NO making buttermilk anywhere? Making buttermilk at home is ridiculously easy, and you’ll never get stuck mid-recipe again.

I get this question a lot, especially from friends wanting to try my fluffy making buttermilk pancake recipe (which you should totally peek at next) or folks curious about where that tangy magic even comes from. If you’re like me and crave simple kitchen hacks that pack a punch, just wait until you see how handy this is. For anything from old-school biscuits to drool-worthy pancakes, this trick saves the day (and your breakfast plans). Check out this making buttermilk pancake recipe for one of my go-tos.

How to Make Buttermilk at Home

Here’s my totally non-fancy method for homemade making buttermilk, which isn’t hard, promise. You’re basically adding an acid—like lemon juice or plain old vinegar—to regular milk and letting it hang out and do its thing. The milk will curdle, and that’s exactly what you want. It smells a touch tangy, looks a bit weird, and boom—you’re set. The beauty of this trick is it takes like, 5 minutes tops. You just pour one tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice into a measuring cup, then fill it up with milk to make one cup total. Stir, wait a few, and it’s good to use. No magic, no pricey runs to the store.

That’s the basic idea, and honestly, it works perfectly with any recipe calling for making buttermilk, including that epic buttermilk pancake recipe my early-morning crowd goes nuts for. If you ever feel awkward about “homemade” making buttermilk, trust me—it’s just as good as the fancy carton.

Why Use Buttermilk in Recipes?

So, what’s the big deal with buttermilk? Let me spill. First, making buttermilk gives recipes this special tang you won’t really get from milk alone. That zing is pure comfort, especially in breads and pancakes. Plus, it makes your baked goods lighter and fluffier. I’m convinced buttermilk is magic for all fluffy morning things—waffles, pancakes, muffins, you name it.

Also, it reacts with baking soda and helps lift up your cakes. Ever wonder why grandma’s biscuits are so dreamy? making buttermilk is why. Besides, its tartness balances sweetness like a charm. I feel like it adds that “what IS that?” amazing flavor you can’t quite pinpoint but crave every time you eat it. And no, using water or regular milk is just not the same. If there’s one thing you’ll hear me rant about, it’s using real buttermilk, even if homemade.

“Once I learned this little trick, I never worried about running out of making buttermilk. It’s legit, my cakes and biscuits seriously came out better using homemade making buttermilk than the stuff from the store. Don’t overthink it—just give it a shot!” — Joanne M.

Dairy Free & Vegan Substitute

You’re not stuck if you don’t do dairy, which lots of my friends appreciate. Just use any non-dairy milk you love—almond, soy, oat, it all works. Add a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to one cup of the milk, same as before. Wait maybe five minutes. You’ll see it curdle (kind of cool and gross at once). Now you’ve got vegan buttermilk.

This works for pretty much any recipe where you’re swapping in plant milk. Biscuits, vegan pancakes, even vegan ranch dressing. The only thing is, some non-dairy milks curdle more, but that’s truly not a bad thing here—it means it’s working. I’ve had great luck with soy and oat for that classic buttermilk vibe. Almond does the trick but is sometimes a little watery. Play around and see what you like best!

Vinegar Homemade Buttermilk Recipe

Alright, here’s the real quick scoop on the vinegar method. Grab some regular milk (any percentage—red cap, blue cap, whatever is cold in your fridge works). Toss one tablespoon of white vinegar into a cup. Fill it to the one-cup mark with milk. Give it a gentle stir, and set it aside for 5 to 10 minutes while you get other ingredients ready. That’s literally it.

You’ll notice tiny clumps forming—that’s normal. It looks a touch like it’s gone off, but it’s just what you want. Use it within fifteen minutes for the best results. This is the trick my grandma swore by, and at this point I’m basically hardwired to do it every time. Especially when I’m craving homemade pancakes or biscuits and cannot imagine a run to the store. If you usually keep lemons instead of vinegar, that works too. I’ll admit—I almost never do a second run to the store for buttermilk anymore. Life changing, really.

Recipes Using Buttermilk

Buttermilk isn’t just for pancakes, though, even if my family tries to keep it that way. There’s a whole galaxy of yumminess out there. Just off the top of my head: classic Southern biscuits, tender muffins, banana bread that’s a notch up, fried chicken with serious crunch… okay, basically anything you want fluffy and moist benefits.

Got extra? Pour it into waffle batter, use it as a marinade for chicken, or plop it into cornbread. I’ve dipped strawberries in leftover buttermilk (I know, sounds odd), and it’s strangely addictive. If you want to dream up even more, check out that buttermilk pancake recipe I keep raving about. When in doubt, just sub it for regular milk in any baking recipe and see what happens. Spoiler: usually, it’s delicious.

Serving Suggestions

When you’ve made your homemade making buttermilk—what’s next? Here are a few of my go-to ideas:

• Whip up a big batch of pancakes or waffles (the more, the fluffier)
• Pour it in banana bread for an extra-tender crumb
• Use it for classic Southern-style biscuits that’ll knock your socks off
• Marinade chicken or fish for that real-deal, five-star restaurant flavor

Experiment and see what makes you happiest!

Common Questions

Go Forth and making buttermilk Everything

So that’s my whole spiel on DIY buttermilk. Not rocket science, just a simple kitchen hack to make your baking seriously pop. Honestly, once you try it, you probably won’t buy buttermilk much anymore. Curious about other approaches? This excellent guide on How to make Buttermilk – Tastes Better From Scratch has extra tips.

I also grabbed a few tricks from this super-clear How to Make Buttermilk (Recipe & Tips) – Cookie and Kate post if you need extra guidance, and if you’re a visual learner, How to Make Buttermilk {VIDEO} – i am baker will walk you through it. Try it out, riff on your favorite recipes, and let me know if you have a wacko result or any kitchen wins. Happy baking, friends!