Buttermilk
| Form
|
Cultured, low-fat
|
| Role
|
Acid + liquid · tender crumb, activates soda
|
| Storage
|
Fridge, 1–2 weeks
|
| Season
|
Year-round
|
| Allergens
|
dairy
|
| Pantry staple
|
no
|
| Price
|
$2.49 / quart
|
| Nutrition
|
| Per teaspoon
|
2 kcal
|
| Per tablespoon
|
6 kcal
|
| Per cup
|
98 kcal · 245 g
|
| Per 100 g
|
40 kcal
|
| Approximate; enter values from a source you trust.
|
Description[edit]
The acid is the point: it reacts with baking soda for lift and softens gluten for a tender pancake. Any substitute has to bring acid too, which is why plain milk alone is a poor swap and milk plus lemon juice is a good one.
Find out more[edit]
Used in[edit]
Can stand in for[edit]
Whole milk
Substitutions[edit]
| Use instead |
When its job is |
How much |
Confidence |
What changes
|
| Whole milk
|
any
|
1 cup milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice per cup of buttermilk
|
high
|
Stir 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar into each cup of milk and wait 5 minutes. The acid is what wakes up the baking soda.
⚠ Plain milk with no acid gives flat, tough pancakes.
|
| Greek yogurt
|
any
|
¾ cup yogurt + ¼ cup milk per cup of buttermilk
|
medium
|
Use ¾ cup yogurt thinned with ¼ cup milk per cup of buttermilk. Slightly richer, slightly thicker batter.
|
