Out of Buttermilk, one case
Can you substitute sour cream for buttermilk?
4 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use Sour cream + milk
¾ cup sour cream + ¼ cup milk for every cup of buttermilk
Yes, once it is thinned. Whisk ¾ cup sour cream with ¼ cup milk or water until smooth and use it in place of 1 cup of buttermilk. Sour cream is acidic enough to fire the baking soda, so the leavening stays as written. It carries far more fat than buttermilk, so cakes, biscuits and pancakes come out a little richer and more tender. Straight from the tub it is too thick to swap.
- Verdict —
- Tweak it
- The tweak —
- Whisk the sour cream and milk until no lumps remain before adding it to the recipe.
- Best for —
- cakes, muffins and quick breads
- Pantry —
- Likely in your cupboard
One casethe full buttermilk card
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of 1 cup buttermilk | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sour cream + milkcakes, muffins and quick breads | ¾ cup sour cream + ¼ cup milkTweak it | Tweak it |
| 2 | Plain yogurt + milkwhen you want a lighter result than sour cream gives | ¾ cup yogurt + ¼ cup milkTweak it | Tweak it |
| 3 | Milk + lemon juice or vinegarany baked recipe leavened with baking soda | 1 tbsp acid + milk to the 1-cup lineTweak it | Tweak it |
| 4 | Kefirany recipe that calls for buttermilk | 1 cupWorks | Works |
| Not a swap | Sour cream, undiluted | not a swapNot for this | Not for this |
Sour cream + milk
tangy, richer and creamier than buttermilk
Cultured cream thinned back to a pourable consistency. It has the acid buttermilk has, and much more fat.
- Best for
- cakes, muffins and quick breads, biscuits and scones, pancakes and waffles, ranch and other creamy dressings
- Prep
- Whisk the sour cream and milk until no lumps remain before adding it to the recipe.
- Contains
- dairy
- Where it fails
- Lean recipes that count on buttermilk being nearly fat-free, such as a light buttermilk sherbet or a thin brine, come out heavier. Thick batters can need another tablespoon of milk.
Water works in place of the milk; the result is slightly less rich.
Plain yogurt + milk
tangy and clean
The same idea with less fat, so it sits closer to buttermilk than sour cream does.
- Best for
- when you want a lighter result than sour cream gives, marinades for chicken, pancakes and muffins
- Prep
- With thick Greek yogurt use ½ cup yogurt and ½ cup milk.
- Contains
- dairy
- Where it fails
- Flavored or sweetened yogurt, which brings sugar and vanilla into the dish.
Milk + lemon juice or vinegar
mild tang
The standard pantry swap when there is no cultured dairy at all. It supplies the acid and stays thin.
- Best for
- any baked recipe leavened with baking soda, when there is not enough sour cream
- Prep
- Let it stand 5 to 10 minutes until it looks slightly curdled.
- Contains
- dairy
- Where it fails
- Dressings and dips, where it is too thin and tastes of sharp lemon or vinegar, not of cultured dairy.
Kefir
very close to buttermilk
Plain kefir pours and tastes almost like buttermilk and needs no thinning.
- Best for
- any recipe that calls for buttermilk, drinking or smoothies, where sour cream is no help
- Contains
- dairy
- Where it fails
- Sweetened or flavored kefir in savory recipes.
Sour cream, undiluted
heavy and rich
Sour cream used cup for cup without thinning.
- Best for
- recipes that call for sour cream, not buttermilk
- Contains
- dairy
- Where it fails
- It adds a cup of thick, high-fat cream where the recipe expected a thin liquid: the batter is stiff, the bake is dense and greasy, and the middle can stay underdone. Thin it with milk or water first.
Tips for substituting buttermilk
5 tips- Measure the sour cream first, then add milk to reach the amount of buttermilk the recipe asks for: ¾ cup sour cream plus ¼ cup milk makes 1 cup.
- Whisk it smooth in a separate bowl. Lumps of sour cream do not break up once they are in a batter.
- Keep the baking soda as written. Sour cream is about as acidic as buttermilk, so the rise is the same.
- For a fried chicken soak, thin ¾ cup sour cream with ¼ cup milk or water per cup of buttermilk and salt it as the recipe says. It clings more thickly, so shake off the excess before dredging.
- For ranch or another dressing, add the milk a tablespoon at a time and stop when it pours the way you want; sour cream sets up thicker when chilled.
Questions
5 questionsHow much sour cream replaces ½ cup of buttermilk?
Use 6 tablespoons of sour cream whisked with 2 tablespoons of milk or water. For ¼ cup of buttermilk, use 3 tablespoons of sour cream and 1 tablespoon of milk. For 2 cups, use 1 ½ cups of sour cream and ½ cup of milk.
Can I thin the sour cream with water in place of milk?
Yes. Water thins it just as well, and the sour cream already supplies plenty of fat and dairy flavor. Use the same amounts: ¾ cup sour cream and ¼ cup water per cup of buttermilk.
Does light or fat-free sour cream work?
Light sour cream works the same way and gives a result closer to buttermilk, because it has less fat. Fat-free sour cream is thickened with starches and gums and can bake up gummy, so it is the weakest choice for cakes and biscuits. It is fine in a dressing.
Will sour cream work in place of buttermilk in pancakes and biscuits?
Yes. Thinned as above, it makes tender pancakes and biscuits with a little more richness. Biscuit dough may need 1 more tablespoon of milk to come together, because the mixture is thicker than buttermilk.
Can I use buttermilk in place of sour cream instead?
Only where the dish can take a thin liquid. Buttermilk cannot stand in for a spoonful of sour cream on a taco or in a dip. In baking it adds far more liquid and far less fat than sour cream, so use less of it and expect a leaner, thinner batter.