Buttermilk is a liquid dairy product that is created when butter solids are removed from fresh milk. Buttermilk is naturally low in fat, creamy and tangy. Chefs use buttermilk in a variety of recipes, including baked goods and soups. If you follow a vegan or dairy-free diet, you will need to choose a non-dairy alternative when you come across a recipe calling for buttermilk.
Soy Milk and Vinegar
Many home cooks use a combination of milk and vinegar or lemon juice to replicate buttermilk at home. Vegan cooks can do this as well by using soy milk. Choose unsweetened, unflavored soy milk when cooking to avoid adding unwanted flavors to your meals. The Savvy Vegetarian website suggests making a vegan buttermilk replacement by combining 1 cup plain soy milk with 2 tbsp. lemon juice. The Veg Cooking website recommends combining 1 cup soy milk with 1 tbsp. white vinegar to make vegan buttermilk. Whether you use lemon juice or vinegar, allow the combination to sit for five minutes to develop flavors. Each cup of soy milk can be used to replace a cup of buttermilk.
Vegan Sour Cream
You can use vegan sour cream to replace buttermilk in recipes. Look for vegan sour cream at any natural grocery or health food store. To replace 1 cup of buttermilk in a recipe, combine 1/2 cup vegan sour cream and 1/2 cup water and stir the mixture together until it is smooth. Vegan sour cream is effective in replicating the tangy flavor of buttermilk.
Tofu
Use tofu to replace buttermilk when preparing a vegan meal. You can use any variety of tofu, ranging from soft to firm, to replicate buttermilk. For soft tofu, combine 3/4 cup tofu with 1/4 cup water and blend the mixture with 1 tbsp. lemon juice or vinegar and a pinch of salt. If you're using medium firm tofu, combine 1/2 cup tofu with 3/4 cup water, 1 tbsp. lemon juice or vinegar and a pinch of salt. To create vegan buttermilk from extra firm or silken tofu, blend 1/4 cup tofu with 3/4 cup water, plus the lemon juice or vinegar and salt. Each of these combinations produces the equivalent of 1 cup of buttermilk.
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