• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Loving It Vegan

  • Home
  • About Me
  • Recipes
  • Free Ebook
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Recipes
  • Free Ebook
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • About Me
    • Recipes
    • Free Ebook
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » How To

    How To Make Vegan Buttermilk

    Published: Sep 4, 2015 Updated: Oct 14, 2021 by Alison Andrews This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe
    Vegan Buttermilk

    Easy step by step instructions to make your own homemade vegan buttermilk substitute. Perfect for use in cakes and baking.

    Vegan buttermilk in a glass jug with a spoon.

    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:

    Photo of the ingredients needed to make vegan buttermilk

    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.
    Vegan buttermilk in a glass jug with a spoon.

    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.
    Pouring lemon juice into a glass jug.
    • Add soy milk up to the 1 cup line.
    Pouring soy milk into a glass jug.
    • Leave it for a minute to curdle.
    Vegan buttermilk in a glass measuring jug.
    • Give it a stir and it’s ready for use!
    Vegan buttermilk in a glass jug with a spoon.

    Recipe Q&A

    Can I use regular non-dairy milk in a recipe instead of vegan buttermilk?

    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.

    How long does it keep?

    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.

    Can you freeze 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.

    Vegan buttermilk pouring from a glass jug.

    More Easy Vegan Dairy Substitutes

    1. Vegan Whipped Cream
    2. Homemade Vegan Butter
    3. Vegan Heavy Cream Substitute
    4. Vegan Condensed Milk
    5. Vegan Mascarpone
    Vegan buttermilk in a glass jug with a spoon.

    Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!

    Vegan buttermilk in a measuring jug with a spoon.

    How To Make Vegan Buttermilk

    Easy step by step instructions to make your own homemade vegan buttermilk substitute. Perfect for use in cakes and baking.
    4.94 from 33 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: How To
    Cuisine: American, Vegan
    Diet: Vegan
    Prep Time: 2 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 2 minutes minutes
    Servings: 1 cup
    Calories: 105kcal
    Author: Alison Andrews

    Ingredients

    • 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice (15ml)
    • 1 scant cup Soy Milk (225ml)
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    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

    1. 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.
    2. 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.
    3. 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.
    4. 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.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cup | Calories: 105kcal | Carbohydrates: 9.5g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 4g | Fiber: 1g
    DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below, or tag @lovingitvegan on Instagram and hashtag #lovingitvegan
    Get Your Copy! It's FREE!
    « How To Make Vegan Whipped Cream
    Vegan Lemon Buttercream Frosting »
    3.2K shares

    About the Author

    Hi I'm Alison Andrews, I'm the voice and cook behind Loving It Vegan. I love making delicious vegan food and creating vegan versions of all your old favorites, so that you’ll never feel like you’re missing out. Find out more about me here.

    Loving It Vegan is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This site may contain some of these links to Amazon.com. If you make a purchase through one of those links, Loving It Vegan will receive a small commission from the purchase at no additional cost to you.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. C B says

      October 18, 2024 at 6:29 pm

      this worked fabulously with unsweetened ripple milk, which is what I prefer. I halved the recipe and used fresh squeezed lemon, I look forward to using it in a cake.5 stars

      Reply
      • Nadine @ Loving It Vegan says

        October 21, 2024 at 9:49 am

        That’s great! Thanks so much for sharing and for your great review!

        Reply
    « Older Comments

    Comment Policy: Your feedback is really appreciated! Please do us a favor and rate the recipe as well as this really helps us! The most helpful comments are the ones that give useful feedback for others who might make the recipe, tell about substitutions you made or adjustments you made and how it turned out, or assisting other commenters. Rude or insulting comments will not be accepted.

    4.94 from 33 votes (18 ratings without comment)

    Leave A Comment & Review Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi I’m Alison Andrews! I love making delicious vegan food and creating delicious vegan versions of all your old favorite dishes, so you can have your vegan cake and eat it too!

    More about me →

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • Pinterest

    Popular Posts

    • Vegan tuna on an open faced sandwich on a wooden board.
      Vegan Tuna
    • Serving spoonful of vegan mac and cheese.
      The Best Vegan Mac and Cheese (Classic, Baked)
    • Vegan burritos stacked up on top of each other.
      Vegan Burrito
    • Vegan tofu scramble with sliced avocado and fried tomatoes on a white plate.
      Super Eggy Vegan Tofu Scramble
    • Thick slice of cashew cheese on a wooden board.
      Sliceable Cashew Cheese
    • Homemade vegan butter in a glass butter dish with a knife.
      Homemade Vegan Butter

    Veganuary

    • Vegan chop suey served in a black bowl.
      Vegan Chop Suey
    • Vegan German Potato Salad served in a black bowl.
      Vegan German Potato Salad
    • Vegan Italian Dressing
    • Vegan Thai Peanut Noodles in a black bowl.
      Vegan Thai Peanut Noodles
    • Slices of grilled vegan halloumi on a gray plate.
      Vegan Halloumi
    • Vegan stuffed mushrooms on a white plate.
      Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms

    See all Veganuary Recipes →


    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    As Seen In

    Press logos black and white

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Follow Us

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • Pinterest

    Contact

    • About
    • Contact

    Copyright © 2022 Loving It Vegan

    Get 10 fabulous dinner recipes!
    Absolutely free! Sign up below!
    Get Your Copy! It's FREE!

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.