Out of Buttermilk, one case

Buttermilk substitute for cornbread

5 options, ranked, with the exact amount

Use thisBest of 5 options

Use Milk + lemon juice or vinegar

1 cup milk + 1 tbsp acid for every cup of buttermilk

For cornbread, use soured milk: 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar in a measuring cup, filled to the 1-cup line with milk and left 5 to 10 minutes. The cornbread rises the same and tastes slightly less tangy. Plain milk alone works only if the recipe has no baking soda; if it does, either sour the milk or replace each ½ teaspoon of baking soda with 2 teaspoons of baking powder.

Verdict —: Tweak it
The tweak —: Measure the acid into the cup first, top up to 1 cup with milk, stir once and wait 5 to 10 minutes. Let the mixed batter stand 5 minutes before baking so the cornmeal takes up the thinner liquid.
Best for —: skillet cornbread
Pantry —: Likely in your cupboard

One casethe full buttermilk card

Every option, one card

Ranked

Buttermilk substitutes compared
#	Substitute	Instead of 1 cup buttermilk	Verdict
1	Milk + lemon juice or vinegarskillet cornbread	1 cup milk + 1 tbsp acidTweak it	Tweak it
2	Plain yogurt + milkunsweetened Southern-style cornbread	¾ cup yogurt + ¼ cup milkTweak it	Tweak it
3	Sour cream + milksweet, cake-style cornbread	¾ cup sour cream + ¼ cup milkTweak it	Tweak it
4	Kefirany buttermilk cornbread, unchanged	1 cupWorks	Works
5	Buttermilk powder + waterany buttermilk cornbread	4 tbsp powder + 1 cup waterWorks	Works
Not a swap	Plain milk	not a swapNot for this	Not for this

What changesWhat changes, option by option5 options

Milk + lemon juice or vinegar

a little less tang; otherwise the same once baked

Soured milk brings the acid that reacts with the baking soda, so the cornbread rises and browns as it would with buttermilk. It is a little thinner, which a cornmeal batter absorbs without trouble.

Best for: skillet cornbread, corn muffins, any cornbread recipe with baking soda
Prep: Measure the acid into the cup first, top up to 1 cup with milk, stir once and wait 5 to 10 minutes. Let the mixed batter stand 5 minutes before baking so the cornmeal takes up the thinner liquid.
Contains: dairy
Where it fails: Recipes where buttermilk is most of the flavor, such as a plain Southern cornbread with no sugar: the tang is thinner than with cultured buttermilk.

Whole milk gives the most tender crumb.

Plain yogurt + milk

tangy and a little creamier

Yogurt is cultured, so it keeps the real tang that soured milk lacks. Thinned to pouring, it also makes a slightly moister cornbread.

Best for: unsweetened Southern-style cornbread, cornbread that tends to come out dry, when there is no lemon or vinegar
Prep: Whisk ¾ cup plain yogurt with ¼ cup milk. With thick Greek yogurt use ½ cup yogurt and ½ cup milk.
Contains: dairy
Where it fails: Unthinned, it leaves the batter too stiff to pour and the cornbread dense.

Sour cream + milk

richer and milder

Acidic and far richer than buttermilk. It makes a moist, soft, almost cake-like cornbread.

Best for: sweet, cake-style cornbread, corn muffins, cornbread made a day ahead
Prep: Whisk half the milk into the sour cream until smooth, then the rest. Add another 1 to 2 tbsp of milk if the batter will not pour.
Contains: dairy
Where it fails: A lean, crisp-crusted skillet cornbread: the extra fat softens the crust and the crumb.

Kefir

the same, very slightly yeasty before baking

Cultured, pourable and about as acidic as buttermilk. It is the closest match in both taste and thickness.

Best for: any buttermilk cornbread, unchanged, cornbread where you want the full tang
Prep: Use plain, unsweetened kefir and shake the bottle first.
Contains: dairy
Where it fails: Flavored or sweetened kefir.

Buttermilk powder + water

the same

Dried cultured buttermilk, mixed back with water. The cornbread comes out as written.

Best for: any buttermilk cornbread, dry cornbread mixes you blend ahead
Prep: Whisk the powder into the cornmeal and flour and add the water with the eggs. Check the tin: some brands call for 3 tbsp per cup.
Contains: dairy
Where it fails: Do not confuse it with powdered milk, which is not acidic.

Plain milk

sweeter and flat, with no tang

Milk replaces the liquid and none of the acid. In a recipe with baking soda, that leaves the soda with nothing to react with.

Best for: cornbread recipes and boxed mixes leavened with baking powder only
Where it fails: Any cornbread that lists baking soda: it bakes low and dense, with a soapy taste.

If you have no acid at all, keep the milk plain and replace each ½ tsp of baking soda with 2 tsp of baking powder.

How it behaves in this recipe

In this recipeButtermilk

Buttermilk cornbread recipes usually pair the buttermilk with baking soda, often alongside baking powder. The acid makes the soda work, keeps the crumb tender and gives the tang that sets Southern cornbread apart. Cornmeal soaks up liquid slowly, so a substitute that is a little thinner or thicker than buttermilk matters less here than it does in biscuits.

Tips for substituting buttermilk

5 tips

Read the leavening first. Baking soda in the list means the substitute has to be acidic. Baking powder alone means plain milk is fine.
For 1 ½ cups of buttermilk, a common amount for a 10-inch skillet, use 1 ½ tbsp of lemon juice or vinegar topped up to 1 ½ cups with milk. For 2 cups, use 2 tbsp.
Rest the batter 5 minutes after mixing when you use soured milk. The cornmeal absorbs the thinner liquid and the batter thickens to what the recipe expects.
White vinegar and lemon juice both work. In cornbread neither can be tasted after baking.
If the batter made with thinned yogurt or sour cream will not pour into the pan, stir in milk 1 tbsp at a time until it does.

Questions

4 questions

Can I substitute milk for buttermilk in cornbread?

Yes, with one change. If the recipe has baking soda, sour the milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar per cup, or keep it plain and replace each ½ teaspoon of baking soda with 2 teaspoons of baking powder. If the recipe uses only baking powder, plain milk works as it is. The cornbread tastes a little sweeter and less tangy.

Does cornbread made with a buttermilk substitute taste different?

Slightly. Soured milk gives the same rise and texture with less of the cultured tang. Thinned yogurt and kefir keep the tang. Thinned sour cream makes the cornbread richer and softer. In a sweet cornbread few people notice any of it.

Can I use water in place of buttermilk in cornbread?

Only as a last resort. Water has no acid, fat or milk sugar, so the cornbread is drier, paler and blander. If you must, add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar per cup to cover the baking soda, and expect a leaner result.

What is a dairy-free buttermilk substitute for cornbread?

Unsweetened soy milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar per cup, left 5 to 10 minutes. It curdles and thickens like dairy milk. Almond or oat milk soured the same way stays thin but still sets off the baking soda, which is all a cornbread batter needs.