Homemade cultured buttermilk is a small kitchen miracle—simple to make and incredibly useful. All it takes is two ingredients and a jar, and you’ll have thick, tangy, real buttermilk ready to use in baking, dressings, marinades, and more.
Make a batch and keep reading for ideas on how to use it up. Scroll to the end for the printable recipe.
I use a lot of buttermilk—literally. It shows up in many baked goods, in salad dressings, and even as a favorite drink for my husband. If the idea of drinking buttermilk sounds strange, know that many people, especially in the South, enjoy a chilled glass seasoned with a little salt and pepper.
Living in a rural area means I don’t always want to run to the store for buttermilk, so making it at home is both practical and economical.
How to Make Real Buttermilk
Some people sour milk with vinegar or lemon juice and call it buttermilk. While that quick method adds acidity and tang, it doesn’t give the same texture or mouthfeel as true cultured buttermilk.
Real cultured buttermilk offers more than flavor. Its acidity helps activate leavening agents like baking soda and baking powder, improving rise and crumb in baked goods. The acid also promotes attractive browning and helps prevent discoloration. Natural emulsifiers in cultured buttermilk enhance texture and aroma and can help baked goods stay fresher longer.
Beyond baking, cultured buttermilk is excellent in marinades for chicken and pork—its acidity gently tenderizes meat and adds a pleasant tang.
Why “Cultured” Matters
The cultured part of cultured buttermilk means it contains live bacterial cultures similar to those found in yogurt—often from the Lactococcus lactis family. These cultures thicken the milk and create that smooth, creamy texture we expect from buttermilk, while also offering potential probiotic benefits.
So why make your own? It’s inexpensive, easy, and satisfying. You control the milk used—skim, 1%, 2%, whole, or even raw milk—and you can keep re-culturing a small portion to maintain a continuous supply.
If you worry about using a whole batch before it goes bad, here are several delicious ways to use buttermilk:
Perfect, Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits — These biscuits are lofty, flaky, and tender, a sure crowd-pleaser.
Bacon and Swiss Rye Muffins — Savory, satisfying, and easy to prepare.
Grandma’s Buttermilk Cornbread — A comforting, flavorful classic that highlights buttermilk’s richness.
Buttermilk Cornbread Rounds — A neat, portable version of cornbread perfect for picnics or lunchboxes.
Buttermilk Pancakes — Light and airy pancakes that benefit from buttermilk’s acidity and tenderizing effect.
Garam Masala Depression Cake — A uniquely spiced chocolate cake that uses buttermilk to keep crumb moist and tender.
Other ideas: chocolate chip drop scones (breakfast cookies), extra crispy fried chicken fingers, and cornbread salad. Buttermilk works in sweet and savory recipes alike.
Homemade Cultured Buttermilk
Scroll to the bottom for a printable recipe card.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup cultured buttermilk (store-bought or previously cultured)
- 1 to 2 quarts milk (skim, 1%, 2%, whole, or raw)
Also needed:
- 1 clean, dry quart or half-gallon jar with a tight-fitting two-piece lid
Instructions:
- Pour 1/4 cup cultured buttermilk for a quart jar (or 1/2 cup for a half-gallon) into the clean jar.
- Fill the rest of the jar with your chosen plain milk.
- Screw the lid on tightly and shake vigorously for 1 minute.
- Place the jar in a warm, not hot, spot out of direct sunlight and let it sit for 12–24 hours, until the milk has thickened.
- When thickened, refrigerate. Use within two weeks. If you maintain a small amount to re-culture, you can continue the process indefinitely.
Note: Using whole or raw milk will yield a thicker, creamier buttermilk. Skim or low-fat milk will give a thinner result, but the tang and functional benefits remain.
Homemade Cultured Buttermilk
Rebecca Lindamood
Ingredients
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup cultured buttermilk from the store or previously cultured at home
- 1 to 2 quarts milk skim, 1%, 2%, whole, or raw
- Also needed:
- 1 clean, dry quart or half-gallon jar with a tight-fitting two-piece lid
Instructions
-
Ready? It takes only a moment to prepare.
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Add cultured buttermilk to the jar (1/4 cup for a quart, 1/2 cup for a half-gallon). Fill with milk, seal the lid tightly, and shake vigorously for one minute. Place the jar in a warm, shaded spot for 12–24 hours until thickened, then refrigerate. Use within two weeks. If you keep a bit aside to re-culture, you can continue making fresh batches indefinitely.
Notes
Nutritional information is an estimate and should be calculated based on the specific ingredients you use.
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This recipe was originally posted March 24, 2010, and updated with photos and notes in March 2021.