Easy 2 Ingredient Vegan Buttermilk

making homemade vegan buttermilk is so easy and i bet you already have the ingredients! use it in your baking, salad dressings, or marinating.

the inspiration

I love showing you how to make vegan dairy substitutes at home. So, I figured let’s add to the recipe collection with an easy vegan buttermilk. I love making a vegan buttermilk for baking because it makes things super fluffy!

At first I thought this recipe was just too simple to share but to be honest there are a few ways to make a vegan buttermilk. So, I am excited to share how to make it and recipe ideas to use the dairy free buttermilk in.

what is buttermilk?

Before we talk about making vegan buttermilk, let’s first talk about what buttermilk even is. Buttermilk is a fermented dairy drink originally made from the liquid left after churning butter from cultured cream. Today, it is typically cultured separately due to the use of uncultured sweet cream in butter production.

It is popular in warm climates where milk spoils quickly and can be consumed on its own or used in cooking, such as in soda bread where it reacts with baking soda to produce carbon dioxide for leavening. Therefore, it is great for vegan baking because it helps to work as a leavening agent. Buttermilk is also commonly used for marinating as it helps to tenderize.

So, it is typically thicker and tangier than regular non-dairy milk. This allows it to have different uses than just regular milk or in our case, non-dairy milk.

how to make vegan buttermilk

To make vegan buttermilk it only takes 5 minutes and 2 ingredients! All you need to do is combine the non-dairy milk and apple cider vinegar. Stir together and then set it aside for 5 minutes to curdle. There you go, all done!

Now, you can use your vegan buttermilk anywhere you like. I love how easy it is to make and how much it enhances what you are making.

the best non-dairy milk and acid for vegan buttermilk

There are many options out there that you can you use for the non-dairy milk and acid. My preferred non-dairy milk is Ripple and my preferred acid is apple cider vinegar.

For non-dairy milk it does work better to use something that is higher in protein because it curdles better. So, that is why I like Ripple. However, you can also use soy milk, hemp milk, or a high protein non-dairy milk. You can also use something like almond milk, cashew milk, or oat milk but it is going to curdle less since there is less protein.

For the acid I like apple cider vinegar because it is what I tend to have in the house. But you can also use lemon juice or white vinegar.

where to use vegan buttermilk

My favorite way to use vegan buttermilk is in baking. I love it for making vegan buttermilk pancakes (recipe in my cookbook Plantiful), vegan buttermilk biscuits, or cornbread. You can also use it in waffles, cakes, cupcakes, any baked goods you want to be fluffy.

I also like to use it for marinating like in my vegan Korean fried chick’n sandwich. You can use it to marinate tofu, seitan, or even do a veggie!

Finally, another fun way to use it in salad dressings like the vegan buttermilk ranch in my cookbook.

more homemade vegan dairy substitutes

vegan buttermilk faq

• Is this recipe nut-free? As long as you use a nut free non-dairy milk, yes.
• Is this recipe soy-free? As long as you use a soy free non-dairy milk, yes.
• Is this recipe gluten-free? Yes.
• How long does this keep in the fridge? Up to 4 days. However, if you find it smells or taste a bit strange do not use it. You can store it in a mason jar or airtight container.
• Can I freeze vegan buttermilk? I haven’t tried but if you would like to do that, remove from the freezer and thaw completely in the fridge prior to use. It may change the texture.
• What non-dairy milk do you prefer? Ripple, it is a pea protein based milk.
• Can I make vegan buttermilk ahead of time? I personally prefer to just make it right when I need it but if you want to make it ahead of time you can.

ORDER MY COOKBOOK

Looking for more delicious vegan comfort recipes? Order my cookbook Plantiful: Over 75 Vibrant Vegan Comfort Foods! Filled with all types of recipe from bites, breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, desserts and more! Available on Barnes and Noble, Amazon, IndieBound, Walmart, also available in stores.