What Can I Do With Leftover Buttermilk?

So you've made a recipe that calls for buttermilk. Now you have a few cups left over. If you ever find yourself wondering "what can I do with leftover buttermilk" - I have you covered no matter how much you have left to use.

This is a series part of my zero waste initiative that you can read about here. I'm going through all my recipes that have perishable ingredients or ingredients you only need a bit of to make a zero waste guide on how to use what you have left of them.

How to Make Your Own Buttermilk

If you want to avoid having leftover buttermilk (which let's be real - is an amazing problem to have) you can just make your own buttermilk from scratch.

Here are some ways you can make your own buttermilk 100% from scratch as well as just tinkering around with what you have to make a suitable substitute.

• 1 cup buttermilk = 1 tablespoon white vinegar + enough milk to measure 1 cup
• 1 cup buttermilk = 1 tablespoon lemon juice + enough milk to measure 1 cup
• 1 cup buttermilk = 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1 cup buttermilk = 1 and ¾ teaspoon cream of tarter + 1 cup of milk

Non-Dairy Options

• 1 cup buttermilk = 1 tablespoon vinegar + 1 non-dairy milk to equal 1 cup

If you want to go a step further, you can follow this recipe by Mighty Mrs that shows you how to make butter and buttermilk from scratch using heavy cream (whipping cream) and a stand mixer, blender, food processor or even a butter churner.

General Ideas to Use Buttermilk

1. Buttermilk freezes incredibly well! Either freeze it in mason jars or in 1 tablespoon allotments in an ice cube tray. Use within 3 months.
2. Replace liquid in your smoothies for buttermilk to give them a tart contrast to the sweetness of fruit smoothies.
3. Replace milk in soups or chowders with buttermilk to thicken the broth.
4. Mix 1 cup of buttermilk with ½ teaspoon of salt to make Ayran - a cold and savoury middle eastern yogurt drink.
5. Combine buttermilk with garlic, salt, pepper and herbs of choice for a multi-purpose marinade for nearly any cut of meat.

Recipes to Use Buttermilk

Using Less Than ½ Cup Buttermilk

Marble Cake - Chelsweets (¼ cup)
Taylor Farms Dill Pickle Salad - Maritime Glutton (⅓ cup)
Homemade Creme Fraiche - Chef John (3 tbsp)
Buttermilk Cucumber Salad - The Kitchn (¼ cup)

Using ½ Cup

Scones - Sally's Baking Addiction
Peaches in Ginger Syrup with Buttermilk - Bon Appetite
Buttermilk Ranch Dressing - Once Upon a Chef
Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes - Ina Garten
Roasted Strawberry and Tahini Buttermilk Shake - Bon Appetite

Using ⅔ Cups

Buttermilk Chess Pie - All Recipes
Southern Peach Cobbler - Once Upon a Chef

Using 1 Cup

Buttermilk Quick Bread - The Kitchn
Hush Puppies - The Recipe Critic
Buttermilk Pound Cake - Taste of Home
Chocolate Bumpy Cake - King Arthur Flour
Sriracha Fried Chicken Mac and Cheese - Maritime Glutton
Buttermilk Coleslaw - All Recipes
Farmhouse Buttermilk Cake - The Cafe Sucre Farine
Fried Green Tomatoes - Foodie Crush
Chocolate Pound Cake - Cookies and Cups

Using 1 ¼ Cups

Homemade English Muffins - Seasons and Suppers
Parmesan Waffles - Chrissy Teigen
Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits - Sally's Baking Addiction (*1 cup + 2 tablespoons)

Using 1 ½ Cups

Irish Soda Bread - The Stay at Home Chef (1 ½ cups)
Cornbread - Cafe Delites (1 ½ cups)

Using 1 ¾ Cups

Corn Dogs - Natasha's Kitchen
Buttermilk Waffles - Brown Eyed Baker

Using 2 Cups

Buttermilk Batter Fried Onion Rings - Food.com
Buttermilk Ice Cream - Epicurious
Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes - Mom on Timeout
Idaho Finger Steaks - House of Nash Eats
Strawberry Buttermilk Sherbet - My Recipes
Buttermilk Panna Cotta - Epicurious
Buttermilk Fried Chicken - Chef John
Buttermilk Brined Chicken - Samin Nosrat

Using More Than 2 Cups

Buttermilk Brined Fried Chicken - Better Homes and Gardens (3 cups)