How to Make Vegan Buttermilk

You only need two minutes and two ingredients to make homemade vegan buttermilk! It is the perfect substitute for buttermilk in any recipe.

When you do a lot of vegan baking you tend to accumulate lists and lists of ingredient substitutions over time. I know I’m sure! I have a simple list of egg substitutes, a list of dairy foods, and a honey substitute.

But every now and then you may come across the odd ingredient that doesn’t fit into any of these categories, like buttermilk. You can’t use a dairy substitute to make something like this, because buttermilk has specific properties that make it behave in certain ways in baked goods.

There’s good news, though: Making dairy-free buttermilk is almost as easy as replacing regular milk with non-dairy milk. You just need to change its chemistry a bit.

Read on to find out how!

Jump:

Ingredients you will need

There are only two, and you probably already have them both on hand!

Non-dairy milk

Most dairy-free milks will work here! Do you have a favorite non-dairy milk that you usually use for baking? It could probably turn into vegan buttermilk. Canned coconut milk is the only variety I don’t recommend, as it behaves differently in baked goods due to its high fat content.

Soy milk is my choice here, as it has a high protein content that curdles when acidified (which we will), making your vegan buttermilk thicker and more like real buttermilk.

Almond milk will curdle, not as much as soy milk. Other varieties like oat milk, rice milk, and cashew milk won’t curdle as much, so vegan buttermilk will be thinner, but still acidic, so it will work just as well in baked goods recipes.

You’ll probably want to use a variety of milk that’s unflavored and unsweetened, which is what I usually do when baking with plant-based milk. You can also use homemade or store-bought milk — your choice!

Check out my guide to dairy-free milk if you need help choosing one.

Apple cider vinegar

It adds some acidity to our milk, so we get a tangy flavor that enhances the flavor of our baked goods, just like you would with conventional buttermilk. The acidity also reacts with baking soda when it’s used as a leavening agent, giving you extra fluffy pancakes, flaky biscuits, tender cakes and beautifully domed muffins.

Other acidic ingredients like white vinegar and lemon juice can be substituted if needed. Read your options in my guide to apple cider vinegar alternatives.

How is it made?

Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. If you want to skip the recipe, scroll all the way down!

• Start by adding your apple cider vinegar to a liquid measuring cup. You need a tablespoon.
• Now start pouring your non-dairy milk into the liquid measuring cup. Stop once it reaches the 1-cup line.
• Stir the ingredients together.

That’s it! Your vegan buttermilk is ready to use. Use it as a substitute for regular buttermilk in any recipe.

Note: If you use a protein-rich non-dairy milk like soy milk, it will curdle within minutes of adding the vinegar. This is nothing to worry about and won’t affect the results of any recipe you use vegan buttermilk in In fact, it will end up looking thicker, so it will look more like regular buttermilk

Shelf-life and storage

Vegan buttermilk will keep in the refrigerator for about 7 days in an airtight container. I like to make it before I need it (it literally takes two minutes).

If you want to store it longer, it can be frozen. Try portioning it into ice cube trays, then transfer to an airtight container or freezer bag once your vegan buttermilk cubes have solidified.

More guides

Like this recipe? if so, Stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try it! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook , Pinterest or Instagram , or subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes like this!