How to Make Buttermilk [step by step VIDEO] - The Recipe Rebel (2024)

This easy buttermilk substitute requires just two ingredients and a few minutes! It adds so much flavor to pancakes, waffles and baked goods!

If you’ve got a sudden hankering for a fluffy stack of pancakes, and you’re sitting there wondering how to make buttermilk, you’re not alone!

It’s pretty rare that I remember to buy buttermilk, I’ll admit.

Because I only use it in a few recipes, it’s not usually on the top of my mind!

And since these Whole Wheat Pancakes are a craving we have often, I usually find myself whipping up this quick buttermilk substitute.

It’s easy to make, and can make a world of difference in your pancakes, waffles and other baked goods!

Buttermilk is often called for in baked goods and marinades because the acidity tenderizes and also reacts with baking soda and baking powder to add height and fluffiness in cakes and muffins.

It also adds a ton of rich flavor and moisture, so it’s one of those things we don’t want to miss out on!

What is buttermilk?

The only difference between buttermilk and regular milk is the addition of acid.

Although buttermilk used to be the milk left over after making butter, today dairies sour fresh milk by adding lactic acid bacteria.

The end result is something thicker than regular milk, but not quite as thick as cream. It’s tangy and full of flavor!

What is the best milk to use for this buttermilk substitute?

When I buy buttermilk at the store, it is always low fat and that is the most plentiful version.

Since the milk has been soured, it is thick and creamy and so you don’t really miss all of the extra fat.

Normally, the milk I have in my fridge is 1% fat, so that is what I use.

You can use anything from skim to 3%, but the creamier the milk, the creamier the buttermilk substitute will be.

Different ways to use this homemade buttermilk recipe:

• This Crispy Sriracha Buttermilk Oven Fried Chicken is one of my favorite dinners — it has just the right amount of spice!
• This Rhubarb Cake is one of my favorite ways to use my freezer stash of spring rhubarb — it is SO good!
• This Funfetti Cake is perfect for any celebration!
• These Boneless Chicken Wings are a fun appetizer or addition to dinner!