Dairy · 8 substitutes
Buttermilk Substitutes
Tangy fermented dairy liquid that activates baking soda and adds moisture to baked goods.
- 8
- Substitutes
- 4.3/5
- Avg quality
- 3
- Top-rated (5★)
- 8
- Use contexts
Best swap
The closest stand-in for Buttermilk is Milk + Lemon Juice, used at 1 cup milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice and rated 5/5 across 8 cooking contexts.
- 5/5
- Milk + Lemon Juice - top pick
- 8
- tested substitutes
- 4.3/5
- average quality across all swaps
- 4
- dietary options covered
Buttermilk is one of the better-stocked ingredients for swaps, it carries more documented substitutes than 98% of the 135 ingredients we track (typical: 3.6 per ingredient).
Common uses for Buttermilk: pancakes, muffins, fried chicken, salad dressings, quick breads. The best substitute usually depends on which of these functions, flavor, moisture, fat, binding, or leavening, you most need to preserve.
Every documented substitute for Buttermilk
Ranked by quality score (1–5, where 5 is virtually identical). Check the ratio and context tags before swapping, not every substitution is 1:1.
Stir and let sit until slightly curdled. Works perfectly.
Classic DIY buttermilk. Works identically to lemon juice version.
Already cultured milk - no modification needed.
Thin full-fat yogurt to pourable consistency. Same tang and tenderizing acidity.
Slightly thicker result. Excellent in cakes for richness.
Best vegan option. Adds slight coconut flavor. Use full-fat for best results.
Let sit 5 min to curdle. Oat milk produces the best vegan buttermilk.
Neutral flavor. Good for vegan baking without coconut flavor.
How the Buttermilk substitutes score
Quality rating (1–5) for each documented stand-in
- Milk + Lemon Juice
Milk + Lemon Juice
5 /5
- Milk + White Vinegar
Milk + White Vinegar
5 /5
- Kefir
Kefir
5 /5
- Plain Yogurt Thinned
Plain Yogurt Thinned
4 /5
- Sour Cream Thinned
Sour Cream Thinned
4 /5
- Coconut Milk + Lemon Juice
Coconut Milk + Lemon Juice
4 /5
- Oat Milk + Vinegar
Oat Milk + Vinegar
4 /5
- Oat Milk + Apple Cider Vinegar
Oat Milk + Apple Cider Vinegar
3 /5
What this shows Milk + Lemon Juice leads at 5/5; bars fall off as the trade-offs in flavour or texture grow.
Where Buttermilk ranks for swap options
Number of documented substitutes per ingredient, across the whole database
8 Top 2% higher than 98% of 135 ingredients we track
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more ingredients we track. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source PlainSubstitute editorial database · July 2026
Quick comparison
| # | Substitute | Ratio | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Milk + Lemon Juice | 1 cup milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice (let sit 5 minutes) | 5/5 |
| 2 | Milk + White Vinegar | 1 cup milk + 1 tbsp white vinegar (let sit 5 minutes) | 5/5 |
| 3 | Kefir | 1:1 ratio | 5/5 |
| 4 | Plain Yogurt Thinned | 3/4 cup plain yogurt + 1/4 cup water or milk | 4/5 |
| 5 | Sour Cream Thinned | 3/4 cup sour cream + 1/4 cup water or milk | 4/5 |
| 6 | Coconut Milk + Lemon Juice | 1 cup coconut milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice | 4/5 |
| 7 | Oat Milk + Vinegar | 1 cup oat milk + 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar = 1 cup buttermilk | 4/5 |
| 8 | Oat Milk + Apple Cider Vinegar | 1 cup oat milk + 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar | 3/5 |
Choosing the right swap
Start with Milk + Lemon Juice, then adjust for what your recipe needs.
- Match the substitute’s context tag to your recipe, a swap that shines in baking can fall flat in a sauce.
- Respect the listed ratio. Many swaps are not 1:1, and over- or under-dosing is the most common reason a substitution disappoints.
- Working around a diet? 4 of these options carry dietary tags, filter by your need. Browse by diet
- Need the opposite lookup? Browse other Dairy ingredients with overlapping swaps. More Dairy
Quality scores reflect overall similarity to the original; expect small differences in texture or colour even with top-rated swaps.