DIY Buttermilk Recipe

two mason jars with lids on labeled DIY buttermilk with tape with whole fresh lemons and a bottle of distilled vinegar in the background

5 from 6 ratings

This homemade buttermilk is unlike any other you'll find online. I teamed up with my husband (who has a Ph.D. in Chemistry) to figure out how to make buttermilk that tastes as close to the store-bought versions we love as possible. Now I'm sharing the results and the best way to make buttermilk at home.

Prep Time2

Cook Time10

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Keyword: how to make buttermilk

Servings: cup

Author: Beth

Equipment

Glass Mixing Bowl

Ingredients

1 cup (237ml) Whole milk or 2% milk 8oz
2 Tbsp (30ml) fresh lemon juice OR distilled white vinegar

Instructions

For every 1 cup of whole milk, stir in 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or white vinegar. Let the mixture stand for 10 minutes. You can scale the recipe up or down depending on how much you need. Use as directed in your recipe.
1 cup (237ml) Whole milk or 2% milk, 2 Tbsp (30ml) fresh lemon juice OR distilled white vinegar
This mixture needs to be used right away after it stands for 10 minutes. I don't recommend storing it in the fridge for later use.

Notes

Not suitable for raw applications, such as buttermilk dressing

Scaling Cup Measurements

For 1/2 cup buttermilk:
1/2 cup whole milk + 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or white vinegar
For 3/4 cup buttermilk:
3/4 cup whole milk + 1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice or white vinegar
For 1 cup buttermilk:
1 cup whole milk +2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or white vinegar
For 1 & 1/2 cups buttermilk:
1 & 1/2 cups whole milk + 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or white vinegar
For 2 cups buttermilk:
2 cups whole milk + 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or white vinegar

Scaling Metric Measurements

For 1/2 cup buttermilk:
118 mL / 4 oz whole milk + 15 mL fresh lemon juice or white vinegar
For 3/4 cup buttermilk:
177 mL / 6 oz whole milk + 22 mL fresh lemon juice or white vinegar
For 1 cup buttermilk:
237 mL / 8 oz whole milk + 30 mL fresh lemon juice or white vinegar
For 1 & 1/2 cups buttermilk:
355 mL / 12 oz whole milk + 44 mL fresh lemon juice or white vinegar
For 2 cups buttermilk:
473 mL / 16 oz whole milk + 59 mL fresh lemon juice or white vinegar

Nutrition