Out of Buttermilk, one case

Can you substitute half-and-half for buttermilk?

4 options, ranked, with the exact amount

Use thisBest of 4 options

Use Half-and-half + lemon juice or vinegar

Per cup of buttermilk

1 cup half-and-half + 1 tbsp acid

Not on its own, but yes with acid: put 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar in a measuring cup, fill to the 1-cup line with half-and-half, and let it stand 5 to 10 minutes. Half-and-half is not acidic, and buttermilk's acid is what sets off baking soda. The result is richer than buttermilk, since half-and-half is 10.5 to 18% fat against 1 to 2%, so bakes come out more tender and a little denser.

Verdict —: Tweak it
The tweak —: Measure 1 tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar into the cup first, top up to 1 cup with half-and-half, stir once and wait 5 to 10 minutes until it thickens slightly.
Best for —: biscuits and scones
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	Half-and-half + lemon juice or vinegarbiscuits and scones	1 cup half-and-half + 1 tbsp acidTweak it	Tweak it
2	Half-and-half + water + acidlight layer cakes and cupcakes	¾ cup half-and-half + ¼ cup water + 1 tbsp acidTweak it	Tweak it
3	Milk + lemon juice or vinegarany recipe leavened with baking soda	1 cup milk + 1 tbsp acidTweak it	Tweak it
4	Plain yogurt + half-and-halfranch dressing and dips	¾ cup yogurt + ¼ cup half-and-halfTweak it	Tweak it
Not a swap	Plain half-and-half	not a swapNot for this	Not for this

What changesWhat changes, option by option4 options

Half-and-half + lemon juice or vinegar

richer and creamier, with a sharper, thinner tang

Soured half-and-half curdles and thickens as soured milk does, and the acid reacts with baking soda the same way. It carries several times the fat of buttermilk.

Best for: biscuits and scones, pancakes and waffles, muffins, quick breads and cakes
Prep: Measure 1 tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar into the cup first, top up to 1 cup with half-and-half, stir once and wait 5 to 10 minutes until it thickens slightly.
Contains: dairy
Where it fails: Ranch dressing and other uncooked uses, where the raw acid tastes through. Light cakes, where the extra fat makes the crumb heavier.

For ½ cup of buttermilk, use 1 ½ tsp acid topped up to ½ cup. For ¼ cup, use ¾ tsp.

Half-and-half + water + acid

like soured milk, a little richer

Three parts half-and-half to one part water is the usual stand-in for whole milk, though it is still richer. Soured, it behaves like the standard milk-and-vinegar substitute and is nearer to buttermilk in richness than straight half-and-half.

Best for: light layer cakes and cupcakes, fried-chicken soaks and marinades, recipes that use 2 cups of buttermilk or more
Prep: Put 1 tbsp acid and ¼ cup water in the cup, top up to 1 cup with half-and-half, stir and wait 5 to 10 minutes.
Contains: dairy
Where it fails: Uncooked dressings and dips, for the same reason as any vinegar-soured milk.

Milk + lemon juice or vinegar

sharper and thinner than buttermilk; the same once baked

If there is any milk in the house, this is the standard substitute and the nearest to buttermilk in fat.

Best for: any recipe leavened with baking soda, pancakes, biscuits and cakes
Prep: Measure the acid into the cup first, top up to 1 cup with milk, and wait 5 to 10 minutes.
Contains: dairy
Where it fails: Uncooked dressings and dips.

Plain yogurt + half-and-half

tangy, creamy and rounder than buttermilk

Yogurt is cultured, so it supplies real acid and tang with no lemon or vinegar. The half-and-half only thins it to pouring.

Best for: ranch dressing and dips, cakes and muffins, when there is no lemon or vinegar
Prep: Whisk ¾ cup plain yogurt with ¼ cup half-and-half until it pours in a stream. With thick Greek yogurt use equal parts.
Contains: dairy
Where it fails: Tall, flaky biscuits, which rise a little less with the extra fat.

Plain half-and-half

rich and sweet, with no tang

Straight from the carton it is half milk and half cream, with no acid. It replaces the liquid in the recipe and nothing else.

Best for: recipes leavened with baking powder only, where the acid is not needed
Where it fails: Any recipe with baking soda: no acid means no gas, so the bake is flat and tastes soapy.

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

Tips for substituting buttermilk

5 tips

Always measure the acid into the cup first and then fill to the line. You end up with exactly 1 cup of liquid, not 1 cup plus a tablespoon.
Half a cup of buttermilk: 1 ½ tsp lemon juice or vinegar, topped up to ½ cup with half-and-half. Three-quarters of a cup: 2 ¼ tsp, topped up to ¾ cup.
It should look curdled and slightly thick after 5 to 10 minutes. That is the acid working on the milk protein, not the half-and-half going off.
In a delicate cake that uses a full cup or more, thin the half-and-half with water, 3 parts to 1, before souring it. That brings the fat down toward what the recipe planned for.
Check the label on fat-free half-and-half. Many are sweetened with corn syrup and thickened, which adds sugar to biscuits and savory batters.

Questions

4 questions

What is a substitute for ½ cup of buttermilk using half-and-half?

Put 1 ½ teaspoons of lemon juice or white vinegar in a measuring cup and fill to the ½-cup line with half-and-half. Stir, wait 5 to 10 minutes, and use it as the recipe uses buttermilk.

Can I use half-and-half in place of buttermilk without adding anything?

Only in a recipe with no baking soda. Buttermilk is acidic and half-and-half is not, so in a soda-leavened recipe the plain swap gives a flat, soapy-tasting bake. Add 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.

Will half-and-half make my pancakes or biscuits richer?

Yes. Soured half-and-half has several times the fat of buttermilk, so pancakes are more tender and brown faster, and biscuits are softer with a little less height. If you want the result closer to the original, thin it with water, ¾ cup half-and-half to ¼ cup water, before adding the acid.

Can I use soured half-and-half to marinate fried chicken?

Yes. The soak needs mild acid, salt and a pourable liquid, and soured half-and-half is all three. Thin it with a little water so it drains off before the chicken goes into the flour; a thick, fatty coating of dairy makes the crust patchy.