Buttermilk is an amazing ingredient for cooking, thanks to its tangy flavor and moisturized and fluffy effects on cakes. If you run out of it, though, you might be looking for a substitute for buttermilk in baking.
Keep reading to discover the best options!
If you’re one of those people who believe dairy products are unmissable in baking, check out these dairy-based substitutes: milk with vinegar, milk with lemon juice, milk with cream of tartar, lactose-free milk with acid, sour cream with water or milk, plain yogurt with water or milk, plain kefir, and buttermilk powder with milk.
In the next section, let’s check out milk and vinegar.

1. Milk and Vinegar

Combining milk and cider is an excellent way to create a dairy-based substitute for buttermilk in baking.
Vinegar contains lactic acid, a basic ingredient in commercial buttermilk, which helps to ferment milk and give it the leavening qualities needed for cake recipes.
You can use apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar. But if your recipe needs a subtle acidic taste, distilled white vinegar is better since it has a more neutral flavor than apple cider vinegar.
The following instructions teach you how to mix milk with vinegar to obtain a consistency similar to buttermilk:

1. For 1 cup of buttermilk, use 1 tablespoon of vinegar and 1 cup of milk.
2. Add the vinegar to a measuring cup before adding the milk to hit the 1 cup mark.
3. Stir well to incorporate these two ingredients.
4. Let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes or use it immediately.

In the next section, let’s check out milk and lemon juice.

2. Milk and Lemon Juice

Mixing milk with lemon juice produces an amazing substitute for buttermilk in baking. It’s similar to the previous alternative since lemon juice is similar to vinegar.
If you’re using fresh lemons, squeeze the juice before using it in your recipe. Otherwise, a bottled version of lemon juice works well, too, as long as you’re not serving your meal to asthmatic persons. That’s because certain preservatives like sodium sulfite found in bottled lemon juice may trigger asthma attacks.
The following instructions teach you how to mix milk with lemon juice to obtain a consistency similar to buttermilk:

1. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to a measuring cup, then add milk to hit the 1 cup of milk.
2. Stir the two ingredients well.
3. Use the buttermilk as desired.

In the next section, let’s check out milk with cream of tartar.

3. Milk and Cream of Tartar

Mixing milk with cream of tartar is a great way to create a great substitute to buttermilk in baking.
Cream of tartar is an acid chemically known as potassium bitrate. It’s a byproduct of winemaking in the form of white powder with a neutral flavor.
The following instructions teach you how to mix milk with cream of tartar to obtain a consistency similar to buttermilk:

1. Combine 1 ¾ tablespoon of cream of tartar with 1 cup of milk.
2. Since cream of tartar clumps when adding it to the milk directly, add the acid to the other dry ingredients before adding the milk to make the cake batter.
3. Alternatively, mix cream of tartar with 2 tablespoons of milk before adding it to the rest of the milk.

In the next section, let’s check out lactose-free milk and acid.

4. Lactose-Free Milk and Acid

Mixing lactose-free milk with acid is a fantastic substitute for buttermilk in baking.
Since buttermilk has lower lactose content than regular milk, lactose-free milk equals it, and it’s ideal for lactose-intolerant people. Besides, using lactose-free milk makes the buttermilk sweeter and palatable.
The following instructions teach you how to mix lactose-free milk with acid to obtain a consistency similar to buttermilk:

1. Pour 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice into a measuring cup.
2. Add 1 cup of lactose-free milk.
3. Stir thoroughly until all ingredients are incorporated.
4. Use your buttermilk in your cake recipes.

In the following section, let’s check out sour cream with water or milk.

5. Sour Cream and Water or Milk

Mixing sour cream with water or milk makes a decent substitute for buttermilk in baking.
Sour cream is made by combining lactic acid and standard cream. It has a tangy taste like buttermilk, making it a great alternative for buttermilk in baking. But sour cream is thicker than buttermilk, so you have to make it thinner.
The following instructions teach you how to mix sour cream with water or milk to obtain a consistency similar to buttermilk:

1. For each cup of buttermilk, use ¾ cup of sour cream with ¼ cup of water or milk.
2. Whisk the mixture until it becomes smooth and runny.
3. Use the mixture as needed in your recipes.

The other way around works, too, so you can replace sour cream with buttermilk in baking.
In the following section, let’s check out plain yogurt with water or milk.

6. Plain Yogurt and Water or Milk

Combining plain yogurt with water or milk produces a fantastic substitute for buttermilk in baking.
Plain yogurt has a tangy acidic flavor like buttermilk, but it’s thicker. So it has to be thinned with water or milk before using it instead of buttermilk in your recipes.
The following instructions teach you how to mix plain yogurt with water or milk to obtain a consistency similar to buttermilk:

1. For each cup of buttermilk, use 170 grams (6 ounces) of plain yogurt and add it to a mixing bowl.
2. Add ¼ cup water or milk and whisk.
3. Use the mixture as needed in your recipes.

In the following section, let’s check out plain kefir.

7. Plain Kefir

Plain kefir is a great substitute for buttermilk in baking.
Unflavored kefir is fermented milk that looks and tastes like buttermilk. But it has morebeneficial bacteria and microbes than buttermilk.
When replacing buttermilk with plain kefir, apply the 1:1 ratio. So, for every cup of buttermilk, use a cup of plain kefir.
Keep in mind that heating kefir kills most of the bacteria, so try to use it uncooked in your recipes.
In the following section, let’s check out buttermilk powder and milk.

8. Buttermilk Powder and Milk

Mixing buttermilk powder with milk is an easy way to put together a substitute for buttermilk in baking using ingredients that are already in your pantry.
The next time you head over to the grocery store, grab a pack or two of buttermilk powder. Besides, it has a longer shelf life than liquified buttermilk.