Replaces buttermilk
Vegan buttermilk: plant milk plus lemon or vinegar
Quick answer
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup unsweetened plant milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar
- Wait
- 5 to 10 minutes (soy is ready in 3 to 5)
- Best milk
- soy: it curdles and thickens the most
- Other option
- plain unsweetened plant yogurt thinned with water to a pourable consistency
Buttermilk does two jobs in baking: its acid reacts with baking soda to make the batter rise, and it makes the crumb tender. A plant milk soured with lemon juice or vinegar does both, and it takes five minutes.
Which milk curdles best
| Plant milk | Curdles | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Soy | fast and thick, 3 to 5 min | closest to buttermilk |
| Almond | a little, up to 10 min | thinner |
| Oat | hardly | thin, works for flavor and acid only |
| Plant yogurt, thinned | already thick | rich, tangy |
Protein is what curdles, which is why soy milk works best. For a yogurt version, thin plain unsweetened plant yogurt with water until it pours like buttermilk.
Using it
Use it cup for cup in pancakes, waffles, biscuits and soda bread. If the recipe also has eggs, pair it with one of the egg substitutes; the buttermilk’s acid already helps with lift.
How to make vegan buttermilk
You need: 1 cup unsweetened soy milk (or other plant milk), 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar.
- Pour 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white or apple cider vinegar into a measuring cup.
- Top it up to 1 cup with unsweetened plant milk, soy if you have it, and stir once.
- Leave it for 5 to 10 minutes until it thickens and small curds form.
- Use it where the recipe calls for buttermilk, curds and all.
When it works and when it fails
Works well
- Pancakes, waffles and biscuits
- Soda bread, muffins and cakes leavened with baking soda
- Marinades and creamy dressings, such as ranch
Fails or disappoints
- Almond and oat milk barely curdle, so they give less body
- Sweetened or vanilla milk adds flavor you may not want
- Without an acid, baking soda cannot react, and the cake turns out denser
Questions
How do you make vegan buttermilk?
Stir 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar into 1 cup of unsweetened plant milk and wait 5 to 10 minutes until it thickens.
Which plant milk is best for buttermilk?
Soy milk. Its protein reacts with the acid and curdles quickly into a thick buttermilk. Almond curdles a little and oat hardly at all.
Lemon juice or vinegar?
Either works. Vinegar gives a slightly more reliable curdle; lemon juice adds a light citrus taste.
Why do recipes use buttermilk at all?
Its acid reacts with baking soda to release the gas that lifts the batter, and it makes the crumb more tender. With plain milk, a soda-leavened cake comes out denser.
Related swaps
- Replaces milkPlant milksSoy, oat, almond, rice and coconut compared: which to bake with, which for coffee.
- Replaces eggsEggsFlax, aquafaba, applesauce and seven more, matched to what the egg does in the recipe.
- Replaces eggs in bakingFlax egg1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water = 1 egg. Binds muffins, cookies and burgers.
- Replaces butterButterVegan sticks one to one, coconut oil for pastry, oil for melted butter.
Sources
Ratios and temperatures were checked against these pages on 2026-10-10. Where they disagreed, we give the range.
- Buttermilk substitute (King Arthur Baking)
- How to make buttermilk from plain milk (The Kitchn)
- Vegan buttermilk (Jessica in the Kitchen)
- Vegan buttermilk, milks compared (Addicted to Dates)
Written with AI help, in our own words. Cooking advice, not health advice. Last checked 2026-10-10.