What Is Buttermilk, powdered and How Can I Use It?
Here's everything worth knowing about buttermilk, powdered and how to pick it, what it is, how to store it, and what to use instead, plus 34 recipes to cook tonight.
Key Points
- Cultured buttermilk dried into a tangy, shelf-stable powder that keeps for months in the pantry.
- Reconstitute about 4 tablespoons of powder with 1 cup of water for 1 cup of buttermilk.
- In baking, whisk the dry powder into the flour and add plain water separately for the liquid.
- Its tang reacts with baking soda to lift batters and tenderizes marinades and fried-chicken soaks.
- Store unopened in a cool dry pantry; refrigerate once opened and scoop with a dry spoon.
What is buttermilk, powdered?
Powdered buttermilk is cultured buttermilk that has been dried into a fine, tangy powder. It captures the sour, lactic punch of fresh buttermilk in a shelf-stable form you can keep in the pantry for months.
It exists to solve a real annoyance. Fresh buttermilk comes in a big carton, most recipes need only a cup, and the rest sours in the fridge before you use it. The powder lets you make exactly what you need, when you need it.
A little goes a long way. The flavor is concentrated, so a few tablespoons of powder plus water rebuild the buttermilk that a recipe wants.
How to Use Powdered Buttermilk
There are two ways to use it, and the second is the one that trips people up.
You can reconstitute it into liquid buttermilk by whisking the powder with water, then use that as you would the fresh stuff. The common ratio is about 4 tablespoons of powder to 1 cup of water for the equivalent of 1 cup of buttermilk.
The smarter way in baking is to skip the mixing bowl. Whisk the dry powder straight into your flour and other dry ingredients, then add the matching amount of plain water where the recipe calls for buttermilk. This keeps the tang and the leavening reaction without dirtying an extra dish.
It is a natural in biscuit and pancake mixes built for the shelf, like this homemade buttermilk biscuit baking mix, and in dry seasoning blends such as this homemade ranch salad dressing mix.
Cooking and Pairing
That cultured tang does two jobs. It reacts with baking soda to lift biscuits, pancakes, and quick breads, and it tenderizes by gently breaking down gluten and protein, which is why buttermilk shows up in marinades and fried-chicken soaks.
The flavor leans savory and creamy, so it carries herbs, garlic, dill, and black pepper beautifully. That is the backbone of ranch dressings and creamy dips like this Outback blooming onion dipping sauce, and it adds a pleasant tang to frozen desserts like this buttermilk custard vanilla frozen yogurt.
The mistake to avoid is dumping the dry powder straight into a cold liquid, where it clumps and refuses to dissolve. Either whisk it into the dry ingredients first, or sift it before stirring it into water.
Substitutes
Fresh buttermilk is the obvious swap, used cup for cup in place of the reconstituted powder.
If you have neither, make a quick stand-in by stirring 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar into a cup of milk and letting it sit for five to ten minutes until it curdles.
Plain yogurt or kefir thinned with a little milk also stands in, bringing the same acidity and tang. For dry mixes specifically, the powder is hard to beat, since the liquid swaps cannot be stored on the shelf.
Buying and Storing Powdered Buttermilk
Look for it near the baking supplies or powdered milk, often in a small resealable can or pouch. SACO is the most widely stocked brand, but a store label works the same way.
Unopened it keeps in the cool, dry pantry for a year or more. Once opened, the label usually directs you to refrigerate it, because the milk solids can pick up moisture and clump or go stale at room temperature.
Keep the container tightly sealed and dry, and always scoop with a dry spoon. If the powder has hardened into solid lumps or smells off rather than pleasantly tangy, it is past its prime.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 cup (120g)Quick facts
Food group: Buttermilk, powdered is a member of the Dairy and Egg Products US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.
- In Chinese
- 酪乳，粉状
- British (UK) term
- Buttermilk, powdered
- en français
- babeurre, poudre
- en español
- suero de leche en polvo
How much does buttermilk, powdered weigh?
| Amount | Weight |
|---|---|
| 1 cup | 120 grams |
| 1 tbsp | 6 grams |
Related
Dairy and Egg Products
Recipes using buttermilk, powdered
There are 34 recipes that contain this ingredient.
Honey Whole Wheat Bread
A sweet and tasty bread that can be served plain or toasted with your favorite jam.
Creamy Dill Ranch Dressing
A lighter ranch dressing made creamy with nonfat cottage cheese, low-fat mayo, and buttermilk powder, brightened with fresh dill and shallot. Thick, tangy, and only 19 calories per serving.
Buttermilk Ranch Dressing Mix
Homemade buttermilk ranch seasoning mix - why buy a packet when you can make your own and control the salt!
Buttermilk Custard Vanilla Frozen Yogurt
A rich vanilla frozen yogurt. The rich custard taste and mouth feel come from the egg yolks with a smooth vanilla flavor from the vanilla bean.
Classic Green Bean Casserole-Low Fat & Low Calorie
This version of the classic green bean casserole lightens the load without sacrificing the flavor or creaminess. Making your own french fried onions adds loads of crispy fried onion goodness.
Multi Grain Bread
Hearty multi-grain bread machine bread with whole wheat flour, oats, and seven grain cereal. Sweetened with honey, this soft loaf has a nutty chew and golden crust with just 10 minutes of hands-on prep.
Homemade Buttermilk Biscuit Baking Mix (Whole-Wheat)
It's easy to produce baked goods using this healthy version of a buttermilk baking mix. Substitute for Buttermilk Bisquick. This makes a great substitute for Bisquick or other baking mix.
Homemade Ranch Salad Dressing Mix
Skip the expensive store-bought overly salty salad dressing mix and make your own using ingredients found in most pantries. Perfect for a low-salt ranch dressing.
Outback Blooming Onion Dipping Sauce
A copycat of the zesty dipping sauce that Outback restaurants serve with their blooming onion dish. Great as a dipping sauce for chicken fingers, fries, onion rings, tater tots, etc.
Wonderful Chocolate Cake
Moist, low-fat chocolate cake made with pureed prunes instead of butter and topped with a tangy orange glaze. Deeply chocolatey with barely any fat, and no one will guess the secret ingredient.
Buttermilk Whole Wheat Bread
Soft whole wheat sandwich bread with buttermilk and honey for subtle tang and natural sweetness baked effortlessly in your bread machine
Ovo-Lacto Pesto Biscuits
Pesto biscuits with green basil flecks and fluffy buttermilk crumb, baked from a quick pantry-friendly recipe using powdered milk. A herbal twist on the classic American biscuit.
Microwave Parmesan Herb Muffins
Savory Parmesan and sage muffins made with powdered buttermilk for tangy flavor. Includes both conventional oven and microwave directions for quick baking.
Chocolate Romance Cake
Warmly spiced chocolate cake with mayonnaise, sour cream, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice, topped with a cocoa cream cheese frosting. A cozy, old-fashioned charmer.
Banana Oatmeal Bread - ABM
Banana oatmeal yeast bread for the bread machine with steel-cut and quick-cooking oats, mashed bananas, and powdered buttermilk. A hearty whole-grain sandwich loaf.
Molasses Wheat Bread
Molasses wheat bread for the bread machine with whole wheat flour, powdered buttermilk, Grape-Nuts cereal, and vital wheat gluten. A tall, soft loaf with deep, earthy sweetness.
Robert P Pearson's Giant Wonder
A hearty, spiced bread loaf bursting with cinnamon, raisins, and a unique blend of cornmeal and cereal for texture. This 33-ounce giant wonder combines sweet and savory notes with a tender crumb, perfect for slicing and enjoying as toast or a sandwich base.
Homemade Vegan Yellow Cake
Egg-free yellow cake with cake flour, liquid egg substitute, and a touch of sugar substitute for a lighter, lower-sugar bake. Soft, tender crumb that proves you don't need eggs to get a classic vanilla cake.
Whole Wheat Cranberry Bread
Whole wheat cranberry bread for the bread machine, with maple-soaked fresh cranberries, citrus zest and buttermilk powder. Hearty wholegrain crumb with tart-sweet bursts in every slice.
Vera's Buttermilk Cookies
Vera's buttermilk cookies use powdered buttermilk and a half-sugar, half-sweetener blend for a lower-sugar tangy sugar cookie. Crisp edges, soft centers, ready in 35 minutes.
Chocolate Chunky Mighty Muffins
Chocolate chunky muffins loaded with rolled oats, bran flakes, chocolate chunks, and chopped nuts. A hearty, fiber-rich muffin with deep brown sugar flavor and chewy texture. Built from pantry staples with powdered buttermilk for tender crumb.
Four Herb Bread
Herb bread machine recipe loaded with marjoram, basil, thyme, and dill for a fragrant, tender loaf with subtle buttermilk tang. Simple dump-and-go baking.
Buttermilk Blue Cheese Bread (ABM)
Tangy buttermilk blue cheese bread made easy in a bread machine. Crumbled blue cheese and fresh parsley bake into a savory loaf with bold, earthy flavor.
Caraway & Honey Rye Bread
Caraway and honey rye bread for the bread machine. Honey tempers the rye's earthy bite, caraway adds that deli-counter aroma, and the white bread setting handles the rise and bake.
Indian Summer Squash Quiche
Summer squash quiche with sauteed onions and Swiss cheese in a buttermilk custard seasoned with oregano. A versatile vegetarian main that works as an appetizer or entree.
Bread Machine Seven Grain Bread
Bread machine seven grain bread with seven-grain cereal mix, whole wheat flour, molasses, and buttermilk powder. Hearty whole-grain sandwich loaf, dump and press.
Favourite Breakfast Bars
Favorite breakfast bars built on Cheerios, applesauce, mixed dried fruit, cinnamon, and nutmeg. A low-fat lunchbox bar that bakes in 15 minutes and travels well.
Loggers Bread- Bread Machine
Loggers bread for the bread machine: a hearty whole wheat and oat flour loaf sweetened with applesauce, honey, and molasses, with powdered buttermilk for tender chew.
Irish Soda Bread for Breadmaker
Bread machine Irish soda bread with raisins, caraway seeds, and buttermilk powder. A hands-off yeasted soda bread variation sized for small, medium, or large breadmakers.
Irish Soda Bread for Breadmaker
Bread machine Irish soda bread with raisins, caraway seeds, and buttermilk powder. A hands-off yeasted soda bread variation sized for small, medium, or large breadmakers.
Irish Soda Bread for Breadmaker
Bread machine Irish soda bread with raisins, caraway seeds, and buttermilk powder. A hands-off yeasted soda bread variation sized for small, medium, or large breadmakers.
Diabetic Yellow Cake & Fluffy Frosting
Diabetic-friendly yellow cake made with sugar substitute, egg whites, and a fluffy seven-minute frosting. A lower-sugar birthday cake with tender crumb and pillowy frosted top.
Poulsbo Bread
Poulsbo bread is a Pacific Northwest 7-grain bread machine loaf with whole wheat, molasses, buttermilk, and toasted sunflower seeds. A copycat of the famous Poulsbo bakery loaf from Washington's Sluys Bakery.
