In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to make vegan buttermilk in two simple steps, with only two ingredients! It’s so easy! This recipe is great to use for biscuits, cakes, pancakes, waffles, quick bread, muffins, and more!
It wasn’t until I started experimenting with vegan baking that I realized just how much I was using this easy homemade vegan buttermilk recipe.
I knew that I needed to dedicate an easy tutorial to show you how to make dairy-free buttermilk for all your favorite baking recipes.
Regular buttermilk is fermented dairy milk. Vegan buttermilk uses the same basic premise, by adding acidity to plant milk to create quick curdling.
This is not the type of recipe you want to make and consume on its own! It’s meant to be used in other recipes, such as this vegan red velvet cake or dairy-free biscuits.
Buttermilk is often used in baking because it brings tang to your recipes. It’s acidic and helps make gluten-free baked goods more tender and fluffy.
In addition, it is used in quick bread as a leavening agent. This is especially important in vegan baking. Getting a nice rise on a vegan cake is a bit tricky!
⭐️ How to Use Vegan Buttermilk
💗 Why You’ll Love This Vegan Buttermilk Recipe
- Pantry staples
- Only 2 ingredients
- A total of 12 minutes start to finish
- Gives baked goods a nice tang
- Helps create a light and fluffy texture in cakes and quick bread
- Super easy!
🥣 Ingredients and Notes
This recipe only calls for two ingredients!
Unsweetened Plant-Based Milk: You can use whatever plant-based milk you have on hand. Usually, I have unsweetened almond milk. But you can also use soy milk, oat milk, or coconut milk which are other great options.
Vinegar or Lemon Juice: I prefer to use fresh lemon juice. White vinegar or apple cider vinegar are good substitutions for fresh lemon juice. The vinegar or lemon juice adds the necessary acidity to curdle the milk.
📋 Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: Combine the plant-based milk, and a tablespoon of lemon juice in a small bowl, mason jar, or measuring cup. Whisk together until well combined.
Step 2: Allow it to sit out at room temperature for 10 minutes. The milk will thicken and curdle creating buttermilk.
💭 Expert Tips
- There are many different types of vinegar to choose from. I have used white vinegar, and apple cider vinegar to make this recipe, as well as lemon juice. I prefer using lemon juice if I have it. However, white vinegar and apple cider vinegar work well. Just use what you have!
- You don’t want to use balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, or other types of vinegar, as the flavor will be off, and could cause your baked goods to have a strange taste. Stick with apple cider or white vinegar for best results.
- When choosing the type of milk, soy works the best! It has a nice creaminess that most closely resembles cow’s milk, but I’ve also used almond milk with success. Just be sure to use unsweetened plant-based milk!
❓ Recipe FAQS
Store your buttermilk in the refrigerator. Do not keep it at room temperature, unless you are using the buttermilk immediately to make your recipe.
Your buttermilk will last as long as the plant milk you were using is good for. Check the expiration date of your plant milk, and that will be how long your buttermilk will last in the fridge.
As a rule of thumb, I do not store my buttermilk for more than 3-5 days, and I usually prepare my buttermilk to use in a recipe while I’m in the midst of making it, so it gets used right away.
However, you may have leftover buttermilk after you make your recipe in which case you will want to store your leftovers.
Be sure to stir it well, or shake it before adding it to your recipe.
Yes! It is possible to freeze your buttermilk. If you prefer to do batch cooking, this may be a good option. Simply pour into ice cube trays, allow them to freeze overnight, pop them out of the trays, and store them in a freezer-safe bag. The buttermilk cubes will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer.
When ready to use transfer to the refrigerator to thaw overnight.
Check out these other vegan basic recipes!
Recipe
Vegan Buttermilk
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened soy milk or other plant-based milk
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white or apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Combine the plant-based milk, and lemon juice in small bowl or mason jar. Whisk together until well combined.
- Allow it to sit out at room temperature for 10 minutes. The milk will thicken and curdle creating buttermilk. Use in your favorite baking recipe.
Video
Notes
- Use unsweetened plant milk.
- Use lemon juice, white vinegar, or apple cider vinegar, but not other types of vinegar.
- This will store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- You can also freeze this recipe for up to 3 months.
Priya Lakshminarayan
Thanks for this recipe..it was fail-proof…turned out perfect
Bintu | Budget Delicious
This sounds so simple and it is perfect! I will definitely be making some to use in my recipes.
Beth Sachs
This recipe is going to come in really useful when my vegan friend comes to stay!
Cathleen
I had no idea how easy this is!! I have one of my FAVOURITE buttermilk cake recipes that I always want to share with my vegan friends, but didn’t know how to make vegan buttermilk. This came at the perfect time!
Mahy
This vegan buttermilk is amazing. One of the best ones I’ve seen to date, so definitely giving it a try!