Out of Milk, one case

Milk substitute for biscuits

6 options, ranked, with the exact amount

Use thisBest of 6 options

Use Buttermilk

1 cup for every cup of milk

Biscuits work without milk. Buttermilk is the first choice: use the same amount and add ½ teaspoon of baking soda per cup. Water works too: use the same amount of cold water plus 1 tablespoon of butter per cup of milk, and expect a paler, slightly less tender biscuit. Half and half, evaporated milk and unsweetened soy or oat milk all work as well.

Verdict —: Tweak it
The tweak —: Add ½ tsp baking soda per cup of buttermilk and cut the baking powder by 2 tsp. For ¾ cup, that is a scant ½ tsp soda and 1 ½ tsp less baking powder.
Best for —: rolled and cut biscuits

One casethe full milk card

Every option, one card

Ranked

Milk substitutes compared
#	Substitute	Instead of 1 cup milk	Verdict
1	Buttermilkrolled and cut biscuits	1 cupTweak it	Tweak it
2	Water + butterwhen there is nothing else in the fridge	1 cup water + 1 tbsp butterTweak it	Tweak it
3	Half and half + waterrolled biscuits	1/3 cup half and half + 2/3 cup waterTweak it	Tweak it
4	Evaporated milk + waterany biscuit recipe	½ cup evaporated milk + ½ cup waterWorks	Works
5	Unsweetened soy or oat milkdairy-free biscuits made with shortening or plant butter	1 cupWorks	Works
6	Unsweetened almond milkdairy-free biscuits when almond milk is the carton you have	1 cupYou'll taste it	You'll taste it

What changesWhat changes, option by option6 options

Buttermilk

tangier, and more tender

The classic biscuit liquid. Its acid makes a more tender crumb and gives extra lift once it meets baking soda.

Best for: rolled and cut biscuits, drop biscuits, biscuits for gravy
Prep: Add ½ tsp baking soda per cup of buttermilk and cut the baking powder by 2 tsp. For ¾ cup, that is a scant ½ tsp soda and 1 ½ tsp less baking powder.
Contains: dairy
Where it fails: Without the soda the biscuits still bake, but they rise a little less and taste more sour. Buttermilk is thicker than milk, so a stiff dough may need 1 to 2 tbsp more.

Water + butter

plainer, with less of milk's faint sweetness

Milk is about 88 percent water, so water does the main job of bringing the dough together. The butter puts back the fat.

Best for: when there is nothing else in the fridge, drop biscuits, biscuit mix from a box
Prep: Keep the water ice cold. Melt the butter and whisk it in, or cut the extra tablespoon into the flour with the rest of the butter.
Contains: dairy
Where it fails: Color. With no milk sugar or protein the tops stay pale; brush them with melted butter before baking. The crumb is a little less tender.

For ¾ cup milk: ¾ cup water and 2 ¼ tsp butter. For 2/3 cup: 2/3 cup water and 2 tsp butter.

Half and half + water

the same as milk

Thinned this way, half and half lands at about the fat of whole milk and the biscuits come out as the recipe intended.

Best for: rolled biscuits, shortcake biscuits, scones
Contains: dairy
Where it fails: Nothing goes wrong. The dilution only matters if you want the biscuit unchanged.

Used straight, cup for cup, half and half makes a richer, softer biscuit, closer to a cream biscuit. That is a choice, not a mistake.

Evaporated milk + water

close to milk, with a faint cooked note that baking hides

Canned milk with the water put back. In a biscuit it behaves like fresh milk and browns the same way.

Best for: any biscuit recipe, biscuit mix
Prep: Chill the can first, or use cold water, so the dough stays cold.
Contains: dairy
Where it fails: Sweetened condensed milk is a different can and is not a swap.

Unsweetened soy or oat milk

very close; oat is faintly sweet

The plant milks closest to dairy in body. Soy browns nearly as well as milk; oat bakes a little paler.

Best for: dairy-free biscuits made with shortening or plant butter, drop biscuits
Suits: vegan
Where it fails: Sweetened and vanilla cartons. Read the label: a carton marked original is usually sweetened. The sugar browns the bottoms early.

Unsweetened almond milk

leaner and faintly nutty

Thin and low in fat and protein, so it moistens the dough and adds little else.

Best for: dairy-free biscuits when almond milk is the carton you have
Suits: vegan
Contains: tree nuts
Where it fails: Browning: the tops stay distinctly pale, and the biscuit is a little drier. Brush the tops with melted butter or oil.

How it behaves in this recipe

In this recipeMilk

In biscuit dough, milk is mostly there to wet the flour. Its fat adds a little tenderness and its sugar and protein brown the tops. So any cold liquid makes a biscuit; the differences are in color, tenderness and flavor, and the fat is easy to put back.

Tips for substituting milk

4 tips

Keep whatever liquid you use cold. Cold liquid keeps the butter in pieces, and those pieces are what make the layers.
Add the liquid a little at a time and stop when the dough holds together. Water and thin plant milks wet flour faster than milk does, so you may need 1 to 2 tbsp less.
With water or almond milk, brush the tops with melted butter before baking. The fat browns where milk sugar would have.
Buttermilk: ½ tsp baking soda per cup, and 2 tsp less baking powder. In a biscuit mix from a box, pour in the buttermilk and change nothing.

Questions

5 questions

Can I substitute water for milk in biscuits?

Yes. Use the same amount of cold water and add 1 tablespoon of butter per cup of milk to replace the fat. The biscuits rise normally and come out paler and a little less tender. Brushing the tops with melted butter helps the color.

Can I substitute half and half for milk in biscuits?

Yes. To match milk, mix 1/3 cup half and half with 2/3 cup water for each cup. You can also use it straight in the same amount, which makes a richer, softer biscuit.

Can I use heavy cream in place of milk in biscuits?

Yes. To match milk, put 3 tablespoons of cream in a measuring cup and fill it to 1 cup with water. Used straight, cream makes a much richer dough, which is how cream biscuits are made; those recipes leave out the butter.

Do I need to change anything if I use buttermilk?

In a recipe from scratch, add ½ teaspoon of baking soda per cup of buttermilk and cut the baking powder by 2 teaspoons. The soda neutralizes the acid and gives lift. In a boxed mix, use the buttermilk as it is.

Why are my biscuits pale when I use water?

Milk has sugar and protein that brown in the oven, and water has neither. Brush the tops with melted butter or beaten egg before baking, and bake on an upper rack.