2 minutes is all you need to make this easy vegan substitute for buttermilk. Learn how to make vegan buttermilk for fluffy, tender, and delicious vegan baking! Absolutely perfect for pancakes, biscuits, cakes, and bread.

Vegan Buttermilk 

Does this sound familiar? You’re scrolling through Pinterest and you see a recipe for fluffy pancakes or delicious biscuits that look all kinds of amazing. 

You look at the ingredient list, and it turns out that it’s a recipe calling for buttermilk. No worries, let me show you how easy it is to make your own! 

With this simple vegan substitution, you can make all of your favorite recipes with easy homemade vegan buttermilk.

How To Make Vegan Buttermilk

This is a recipe you’re going to love making from scratch. It’s hard to mess up and only takes a few minutes to make. 

To make this recipe, simply add all the ingredients into a small mixing bowl or measuring cup. 

Whisk together the almond milk and apple cider vinegar. Let it rest at room temperature for roughly 5 – 10 minutes, or until it thickens and curdles.

Optional Alterations

To make a buttermilk you only need some type of plant milk and an acid. 

There are a few alternative ways to make this, such as:

• Lemon Juice: You can use lemon juice as a substitution for the apple cider vinegar if you prefer.  Lime juice also works if you don’t have lemon juice. I wouldn’t recommend using distilled white vinegar because the taste is so strong.

• Cream of Tartar:  If you don’t have any vinegar on hand, you can also make vegan buttermilk by whisking together 1 cup of plant milk with 1 3/4 teaspoons cream of tartar. Let it rest for 5 minutes (or until it curdles).

• Sour Cream:  In a pinch, you could use 3/4 cup vegan sour cream mixed with 1/4 cup water to replace 1 cup of plant based buttermilk.

What Can I Use This With?

I absolutely love using this as a substitute for my buttermilk pancakes recipe. They always turn out so fluffy, because this buttermilk allows us to use baking soda to give it a quick initial rise.

I would recommend trying it with:

• Pancakes With Maple Syrup
• Biscuits (drop biscuits, biscuits and gravy)
• Batter (vegan fried chicken)
• Waffles
• Ranch Dressing
• Bread
• Scones
• Cornbread
• Donuts
• Cake
• Irish soda bread
• Mashed potatoes
• Marinade (tofu)

this …

Is This Gluten Free?

As long as you’re using a plant based milk that’s gluten free, this recipe will be gluten free.

Is There A Dairy Free Buttermilk?

I’ve never seen one in stores, but luckily it’s so easy to make at home!

How Long Does Buttermilk Last?

Because the acidic vinegar curdles the plant milk quickly, I’ve never tested making it in advance. This is a recipe I’d definitely recommend making 5 – 10 minutes before you plan to use it.

What Does Buttermilk Do In Baking? 

The acidic ingredients in buttermilk both add a delicious flavor to your favorite baked goods, and also tenderizes the gluten in baking. That leaves you with homemade baked treats that are softer and have more body.

What Kind Of Vegan Milk Should I Use? 

Almost any plant based milk will work! Just make sure that it is unsweetened. Almond milk, soy milk, and cashew milk are my favorite options. I think that rice milk and oat milk would also work.

Why Isn’t My Vegan Buttermilk Curdling? 

Some plant based milks, like coconut milk, won’t curdle. I’d recommend using almond milk or soy milk for the best results.

Vegan Recipes

If you loved this buttermilk, be sure to check out our other delicious vegan recipes! 

Some reader favorites are:

• Vegan Sugar Cookies for Cutouts
• Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
• Vegan Almond Butter Frosting

I’d love to hear what you thought of this recipe in the comments or on Instagram! @KeyToMyLime #KeyToMyLime

Click here to pin this recipe for later!

Be sure to try this easy Vegan Buttermilk replacement!