Easy step by step instructions to make your own homemade vegan buttermilk substitute. Perfect for use in cakes and baking.
Making your own homemade vegan buttermilk is beyond simple.
It’s literally two ingredients, roughly two minutes, and you’re done!
Now what would you be needing buttermilk for you might ask? Well….. maybe it was just me who was asking this question!
You’ll use it for vegan baking that’s what!
It wasn’t until I was adapting a recipe to make a fabulous red velvet cake that I realized the wonder of a homemade vegan buttermilk substitute.
You’ll be able to use this in any recipe calling for buttermilk, in an exact cup for cup replacement.
This recipe comes in so handy when making vegan buttermilk pancakes, vegan chocolate cake and even savory recipes like vegan ranch dressing.
Ingredients You’ll Need:
Ingredient Notes:
- Lemon juice – or distilled white vinegar or apple cider vinegar all work great. I tend to use lemon juice most often, but those other options work perfectly too.
- Soy milk – is the best option to use for a creamy buttermilk that really works wonderfully in recipes. Almond milk also works but the consistency is much thinner (see this demonstrated in the video). Coconut milk tends not to work at all as it doesn’t curdle. Not all the non-dairy milks will curdle when lemon juice is added. So using soy milk for this is the safest bet and the second choice would be almond milk.
How To Make Dairy Free Buttermilk – Step By Step
You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.
- Add lemon juice to a measuring jug.
- Add soy milk up to the 1 cup line.
- Leave it for a minute to curdle.
- Give it a stir and it’s ready for use!
Recipe Q&A
It’s not a good idea to use regular non-dairy milk in a recipe that calls for vegan buttermilk. Vegan buttermilk is acidic so it reacts with the leavening agent (usually baking soda) in the recipe. So if you use regular non-dairy milk in a recipe calling for vegan buttermilk then your baked goods might not rise, or they may be dense. It could also make your baked goods not as moist or rich as they were intended to be.
You can store homemade vegan buttermilk in the fridge for up to a week. However, it’s so quick and easy to make it that it’s best to just make it up as you need it.
It is freezer friendly. It’s most ideal to pour it into ice cube trays and let it freeze that way. When you’re ready to use it in baking, you can pop the cubes into a measuring jug and let them thaw in the fridge.
More Easy Vegan Dairy Substitutes
- Vegan Whipped Cream
- Homemade Vegan Butter
- Vegan Heavy Cream Substitute
- Vegan Condensed Milk
- Vegan Mascarpone
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
How To Make Vegan Buttermilk
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice (15ml)
- 1 scant cup Soy Milk (225ml)
Instructions
- Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to a measuring jug.
- Add soy milk up to the 1 cup (240ml) line.
- Allow to sit for a minute. It will thicken and curdle.
- Voila! Your vegan buttermilk is ready to use!
Video
Notes
- Lemon juice – or distilled white vinegar or apple cider vinegar all work great. I tend to use lemon juice most often, but those other options work perfectly too.
- Soy milk – is the best option to use for a creamy buttermilk that really works wonderfully in recipes. Almond milk also works but the consistency is much thinner (see this demonstrated in the video). Coconut milk tends not to work at all as it doesn’t curdle. Not all the non-dairy milks will curdle when lemon juice is added. So using soy milk for this is the safest bet and the second choice would be almond milk.
- Storing: You can store homemade vegan buttermilk in the fridge for up to a week. However, it’s so quick and easy to make it that it’s best to just make it up as you need it.
- Freezing: It is freezer friendly. It’s most ideal to pour it into ice cube trays and let it freeze that way. When you’re ready to use it in baking, you can pop the cubes into a measuring jug and let them thaw in the fridge.
Hi, I wanted to make this recipe again, however, I rarely drink soy milk, and I did not want to waste another carton. Would powdered soy milk work as well? Otherwise I will try the oat milk at room temperature with the lemon. Thanks.
Honestly no idea about making it with soy milk powder, I’ve never tried that.
I just made this with Flax Milk and it worked perfectly. Another option 👍
For those that have a soy and nut allergy, Ripple milk works as well and it’s and instant reaction I just used it in a vegan style carrot cake and it is doing great. Thanks for the recipe.
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing Rebecca!
How long to let the mixture sit before it starts thickening and curdling. I just put together a mixture of cold bottled lemon juice and Silk Vanilla Soy Milk from the refrigerator and it has not thickened or curdled after 15 – 20 minutes. What is wrong? Throw it out? Heat it up? Wait longer?
You could try adding more lemon juice, but it sounds like that is just a dud. That is weird though as I have used that brand (Silk) successfully before, but I think sometimes there can just be a dud.
My recipe calls for one and three fourths cup of buttermilk. Do I just measure that amount and add the TSP of buttermilk to that amount? I see the recipe said fill milk to the one cup line. Would you use the same amount if a recipe calls for 2 cups of buttermilk?
Hi Carla, I would increase the amount of lemon juice in that case. I would likely just use 2 Tbsp lemon juice and then just add soy milk up to the 1 and 3/4 cup (420ml) line.
Thank you. I really enjoyed and appreciated your down to earth style.
I will try this butter milk recipe. I am sure it will work.
I grew up in Yemen and butter milk is used for hot soups for breakfast and for an appetizer called Shafoot where you blend all your favorite green herbs
And add ginger cumin salt and and hot peppers or Tabasco for a wonderful refreshing drink.
OR, you can pour over crumbed pita bread cool and serve as and an appetizer. Decorate with pomegranate or red grapes. Better yet search it on U U tube. Thanks
Nah, this can’t work, I thought. Way too simple. But let’s give it a try…
I put +/- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice into a 1-pint mason jar, added a little over a cup of Westsoy unsweetened soy milk (which I use because it has only two ingredients: soy beans; and water), gave it a good shake, popped it into the fridge.
Half an hour later, I took it out, gave it another shake, opened it up, and gave it a taste.
*MAGIC*
I never would have thought lemon juice would have such an effect on a plant-based milk.
Thank you for posting!
PS: I love Indian food…so now I can go back to having lassis, raita, etc., without all the cholesterol.
Awesome! Thanks for the great review Thomas!
These are the kinds of comments I love. I never knew about Westsoy and I’ve found it at my local Walmart. I can’t wait to try this recipe now, I’m on Weight Watchers and this recipe allows me to turn an 8-point vegetarian soup into a 2-point vegan one, much more healthy.
Will oat milk work for vegan buttermilk in this recipe?
You can try it but I’m not sure if it will curdle.
Yes oatmeal works too tried
Does it need to be fresh lemon juice or can I use lemon juice from a shop bought refrigerated bottle?
It can be either/or.
Thanks so much for this! I used soy milk as per your recipe and my scones came out perfect ❤️
Awesome, thanks for sharing Racheal!
Are you able to make this in a bulk amount and save it or is it best to just measure out and do prior to each recipe? I’ve just been doing it as I go but with the amount of baking I do it if it’s able to be refrigerated and saved and stay the same consistency that would be great, has anyone tried it?
Hi Megan, yes you can keep it in the fridge for up to a week. So if you are doing a lot of baking, you can definitely make up a big batch in advance.
Are the measurements American or English cups?
American, so a cup is 240ml.
Has anyone tried using nut milks to make buttermilk?
if you allow the oat milk to warm to room temperature it allows for the oat milk to curdle, if not it could be an ingredient in the brand.
Is it okay to use vanilla soy milk or must you use soymilk made with only water and soybeans?
Vanilla soy milk will work fine.