What Is Buttermilk and How Can I Use It?

Buttermilk is easier to cook with than it looks. Here's how to choose, use, and store it, what to substitute, and 1,347 recipes to get you started.

What is buttermilk?

Buttermilk is a cultured, tangy milk with the body of thin cream and a clean sour bite. The buttermilk you buy today is made by adding lactic-acid bacteria to low-fat milk, which ferment its sugar into acid and thicken it.

The name is a leftover. Traditional buttermilk was the thin liquid left after churning butter, but the carton on the shelf is the cultured kind: thicker, tarter, and built for baking.

That acid is the point. It does real chemical work in a batter and a brine, not just flavor.

What Buttermilk Does in Baking

Buttermilk has two jobs in baked goods. Its acid reacts with baking soda to throw off carbon dioxide, which is what makes pancakes and biscuits rise tall and tender. And that same acid softens gluten, so the crumb comes out fine and moist instead of tough.

This is why so many tender recipes call for it. It lifts a stack of cholesterol-free buttermilk pancakes and keeps the crumb damp in a banana nut bread or a moist chocolate cake.

If a recipe pairs buttermilk with baking soda, do not swap in plain milk. Without the acid the soda has nothing to react with, and the rise falls flat.

Cooking and Common Mistakes

Outside of baking, buttermilk is a workhorse for tenderizing and dressing. Its mild acid and clinging body make it the classic soak for fried chicken: a few hours in a buttermilk brine seasons the meat and helps a craggy crust grab on.

It also builds tangy dressings and slaws, carrying flavor the way it does in a creamy coleslaw.

The usual mistake is boiling it. Buttermilk curdles fast over high direct heat because its proteins are already close to the edge from the acid. Stir it into batters off the heat, and in a hot sauce add it at the end and keep things gentle.

Substitutes

The standard fix when you have none: stir 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar into a cup of milk, wait 5 minutes until it clabbers, and use it. This soured milk works in any recipe leaning on buttermilk for acid and lift.

Plain yogurt thinned with a little milk to a pourable texture is the closest swap for body and tang together. Powdered buttermilk reconstituted with water also works and keeps for months.

None of these match the real thing exactly, but for activating baking soda the acid is what counts, and all of them deliver it.

Buying and Storing

Look for cultured buttermilk in the dairy case near the regular milk, usually low-fat. It should pour thick and smell pleasantly sour, not sharp or off.

Keep it cold at the back of the fridge and use it within a week or two of opening; it stays good a little longer than fresh milk thanks to the acid. Some separation is normal, so shake before pouring.

Buttermilk freezes for up to about 3 months and separates on thawing, so save thawed buttermilk for baking rather than drinking. If you only ever need a little, powdered buttermilk in the pantry saves buying a full carton you will not finish.

Nutrition

Quick facts

Where to find buttermilk: Buttermilk is usually found in the dairy section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.

Food group: Buttermilk is a member of the Dairy and Egg Products US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.

In Chinese

酪

British (UK) term

Buttermilk

en français

le babeurre

en español

el suero de la leche

How much does buttermilk weigh?

Related

Dairy and Egg Products

Recipes using buttermilk

There are 1347 recipes that contain this ingredient.

Buttermilk Waffles

Buttermilk waffles with chopped cashews folded into the batter and a quick fresh blueberry compote spooned over top. Light, crisp, and ready for weekend brunch in under 25 minutes.

Buttery Blueberry Banana Muffins

Blueberry banana muffins combine ripe mashed bananas, fresh or frozen blueberries, and tangy buttermilk for tender, double-fruit breakfast muffins dusted with powdered sugar.

Yummy Whole Wheat Waffles

Whole wheat buttermilk waffles with wheat germ for extra nuttiness. Six simple ingredients, crisp outside and tender inside, perfect for fresh fruit and maple syrup.

Cheddar Mashed Potatoes

Cheddar mashed potatoes made creamy with buttery Yukon Golds, tangy buttermilk, and extra-sharp cheddar melted right into the mash. Fresh chives add a green oniony bite to this lighter comfort-food side.

Buttermilk Waffles with Raspberry Sauce

Buttermilk waffles with raspberry sauce trade syrup for a bright purple-red puree spiked with orange zest. The tang of buttermilk and lift from baking powder give crisp-edged waffles a fluffy interior.

Best Peanut Butter Chip Brownies

Lighter peanut butter chip brownies use prune puree instead of butter for moisture, with egg whites for structure. Fudgy chocolate brownies studded with peanut butter chips, no oil required.

Applesauce Chipotle Cornbread

Chipotle cornbread bakes in a hot cast iron skillet with puréed chipotles, applesauce, and buttermilk for smoky heat and a crisp crust. Low-fat Southwestern twist on classic cornbread.

Blueberry Muffins with Nutmeg Topping

Bakery-style blueberry muffins with nutmeg sugar topping. Three flours, butter, and buttermilk give a tender crumb and tall domed tops crowned with crackly spiced sugar.

Cathy's Buttermilk Pancakes

Buttermilk pancakes made with bacon drippings and folded egg whites for impossibly tall, fluffy stacks with a smoky-savory undercurrent. Twenty minutes from bowl to plate. Old-school Southern breakfast.

Dad's Berry Buttermilk Scones

Dad's berry buttermilk scones bake whole wheat dough studded with blueberries or blackberries into wedges with crisp sugar tops. A wholesome breakfast scone made in cake pans.

Easy Cocoa Buttermilk Pancakes

Cocoa buttermilk pancakes whip up in 20 minutes with a tender, slightly tangy crumb and rich chocolate depth. Quick weekend breakfast served with berries, nuts, and syrup.

Robert's Baking Powder Biscuits

Robert's classic baking powder buttermilk biscuits with just five ingredients. Tall, flaky, and tender with a golden crust. The Sunday breakfast biscuit done right.

Buttermilk Pepper Biscuits

Buttermilk pepper biscuits with a generous hit of cracked black pepper, tangy buttermilk, and shortening for a soft, flaky pull-apart crumb. Hand-shaped, baked tight together, ready in under 30 minutes.

Classic Breakfast Buttermilk Pancakes

Fluffy buttermilk pancakes from scratch with tangy buttermilk, melted shortening, and classic diner texture. Perfect breakfast pancakes in 20 minutes.

Buttermilk Pecan Waffles

Buttermilk pecan waffles with crispy edges, pillowy centers, and toasted pecan crunch baked right into the iron. The buttermilk-soda combo is the secret to that classic Southern-style lift.

Buttermilk Waffles with Cherry-Almond Sauce

Buttermilk Waffles with Cherry-Almond Sauce recipe

Estelle's Best Pancakes

Buttermilk pancakes with both baking powder AND soda for maximum lift, plus a splash of oil for a tender bite. Eight ingredients, fluffy stack, ready in 15 minutes.

Breakfast Apple Pancakes

Quite easy to make, and I liked these apple pancakes especially served with maple syrup. Yum!

Gruyère Whole Wheat Biscuits with Herbs

Gruyere whole wheat biscuits, flaky buttermilk biscuits laced with nutty Gruyere, fresh thyme, and marjoram. Cold butter and whole wheat pastry flour give them tender, savory layers with a wholesome edge.

Yummy Blueberry Buttermilk Muffins

Blueberry buttermilk muffins with browned butter, tangy buttermilk, and a juicy berry burst in every bite. A bakery-style classic that earns its golden domed top with a hot oven and a light hand.

Avacado Buttermilk Sherbet

Avocado buttermilk sherbet blends ripe avocado with tangy buttermilk, honey, sugar, and lemon juice into a soft, pale green frozen dessert. Creamy without dairy fat, tart without sour. Naturally vibrant color, no food coloring.

Whole Wheat One Bowl Chocolate Cake

Moist chocolate cake made healthier with whole wheat pastry flour, canola oil, and buttermilk. Hot coffee deepens chocolate flavor for 12 servings.

Awesome Ginger Spice Waffles

Gingerbread-style waffles with molasses, ground ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg, half whole-wheat flour for body. Topped with vanilla yogurt and bright fruit, they taste like holiday morning.

Regina's Cheddar Biscuits

Cheddar buttermilk biscuits with cold butter cut into flour, grated cheese folded into the dough, and golden tops baked tender and tall. A flaky brunch-table staple.

Country Style Buttermilk Pancakes with Berry Sauce

Country Style Buttermilk Pancakes with Berry Sauce recipe

Orange-Currant Scones

Orange-currant scones with a tender flaky crumb thanks to a butter-shortening combination, brightened with fresh orange zest and studded with sweet dried currants.

Best Raisin Soda Bread

Irish raisin soda bread studded with sweet raisins and caraway seeds, leavened by the tang of buttermilk and baking soda. A quick, no-yeast loaf with a tender crumb. A St. Patrick's Day classic.

Apple Pancakes or Waffles

Apple cinnamon buttermilk pancakes with grated Granny Smith apple and wheat germ folded into the batter. A fall breakfast favorite that doubles as waffles and freezes well.

My favortie Buttermilk Pancakes

Transform boxed pancake mix into tangy, fluffy buttermilk pancakes with this simple upgrade. The buttermilk and melted butter add richness that makes these taste completely homemade.

Oatmeal Waffles/Pancakes

Oatmeal waffles or pancakes: hearty whole-wheat batter with quick oats, buttermilk, and a touch of molasses for warm depth. Heart-healthy breakfast made with egg substitute and canola oil.

Pancakes, Ny

These scrumptious pancakes are made with rolled oats, cornmeal and buttermilk.

Fluffy Pancakes

Fluffy buttermilk pancakes use baking soda and brown sugar for a tall, tender stack. The buttermilk and lumpy batter trick gives that diner-style fluffy lift every time.

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes with Banana Cream

Whole wheat buttermilk pancakes with strawberries, egg whites, and cottage cheese, topped with mashed banana cinnamon cream. A healthier high-protein breakfast that doesn't sacrifice flavor.

Best Buttermilk & Currant Scones

Buttermilk currant scones with a tender, lightly sweet crumb and bursts of dried currants. Cut into rounds and baked golden, served warm with butter, cream, and jam in the British tradition.

Best Buttermilk & Currant Scones

Buttermilk currant scones with a tender, lightly sweet crumb and bursts of dried currants. Cut into rounds and baked golden, served warm with butter, cream, and jam in the British tradition.

Buttermilk Pancakes with Blueberry Sauce

Whole wheat buttermilk pancakes with a quick blueberry-lemon sauce. Honey-sweetened, lighter on fat thanks to egg substitute, and finished with a glossy fresh blueberry pour. A 30-minute breakfast win.

Betty's Sugar Cookies

Betty's old-fashioned sugar cookies with vanilla, almond, and lemon extract plus tangy buttermilk. Tender, soft-centered cut-outs that hold their shape and beg for icing or sugar sprinkles.

Spa Buttermilk Pancakes

Spa-style buttermilk pancakes with whipped egg whites for cloud-like lift and a whole wheat pastry flour boost. Lighter, fluffier, and ready in 30 minutes.

Lemon Blueberry Cake

Moist lemon blueberry cake with cornmeal, buttermilk, and fresh lemon zest. Bursting with 3 cups of blueberries, this from-scratch sheet cake has a golden crumb and bright citrus flavor in every slice.

Fluffy Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes

These flapjacks are leaps and bounds better than any other I've tested. The key is the buttermilk which makes them thick and fluffy and adds just the right flavor.

Farmstead Waffles

Classic buttermilk waffles with melted butter, three eggs, and a heavy hand of leavening. Crisp edges, fluffy interiors, ready for berries and maple syrup.

Crisp Waffles

Crisp buttermilk waffles with golden shattering edges and a tender, tangy interior. Six ingredients, a hot waffle iron, and frothy whipped eggs deliver real waffle-house crunch at home.

Holiday Gingerbread Waffles

Holiday gingerbread waffles bring molasses, fresh ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg to the breakfast table. Whipped egg whites give them an impossibly light, crisp-edged crumb.

Breakfast Buttermilk Pancakes

Simple buttermilk pancakes perfect for weekend brunch with adjustable thickness to suit your preference. Melted butter in the batter creates rich flavor and beautiful golden-brown color.

Breakfast Oatmeal Buttermilk Pancakes

Oatmeal buttermilk pancakes with quick oats soaked in tangy buttermilk for a tender, fluffy stack with whole-grain bite. Higher in fiber than standard pancakes and ready in 30 minutes flat. Weekend breakfast that holds you until lunch.

Chocolate Chocolate Chunk Muffins

Rich double-chocolate buttermilk and walnuts are sure to satisfy your chocoholic cravings.

Melt-In-Mouth Biscuits

Melt-in-mouth biscuits use a wet dough scooped through flour for the most tender Southern-style buttermilk biscuits. The high-hydration trick that bakery secrets are made of.

Simple Homemade Pancakes

Classic buttermilk pancakes from scratch with a tender, fluffy texture and golden edges. Eight pantry ingredients, ready in 20 minutes for weekend breakfast or weeknight dinner.

Apple Almond Pancakes

Apple almond pancakes whip beaten egg whites into a buttermilk-and-apple-juice batter for cloud-light, nutty flapjacks. Half whole wheat flour, ground almonds, and a hit of fruit juice keep them tender and fragrant.

Almost Whole Wheat Lemon & Berry Muffins

Almost whole wheat lemon berry muffins blitz fresh lemon zest into the sugar for bright citrus flavor, then fold in raspberries or blueberries. Light, tangy buttermilk muffins with a wholesome whole-grain base.

All 1,347 recipes