Buttermilk Substitute - Replace buttermilk with these simple tips
Theresa Aicher
05/01/23
Reading time: 8 minutes
Buttermilk has many advantages compared to regular milk - but it is not vegan. However, with a few tips you can replace buttermilk and simply use plant-based foods. We'll now show you what you should pay attention to!
Cow's buttermilk: what is it anyway?
When making regular butter, a liquid is left behind: buttermilk. This milk, which is usually significantly lower in fat than cow's milk, is obtained through rapid centrifugation.
You can then drink the finished milk or use it for baking. Due to the lactic acid bacteria it contains, this milk tastes a bit sour. For certain baking recipes, this can be just right.
At the same time, of course, it is still an animal product - so vegan alternatives are needed! Luckily, there are some vegan substitutes that will help you find alternatives to butter .
Heavily processed cow's milk
The difference from regular milk is that the butter version is more acidic . In general, we have to make vegan products a little acidic.
Two options are common for this:
- You take about 500 milliliters of soy milk and stir in apple cider vinegar. Exactly how much you should use also depends on your personal taste. It's best to start with a tablespoon. Stir the mixture well and then let it stand for about 15 minutes. If the milk isn't sour enough, add another spoonful (and wait another 15 minutes). Depending on the intended use, you can also add a little cinnamon. This is suitable whenever you want to bake.
Yogurt replacement in the form of soy yogurt is also a good idea. You can replace buttermilk by mixing the yogurt with water or other plant-based milk. Soy milk is a good choice because of its taste. Then add a little more lemon juice to achieve the desired acidity.
The same applies here : approach carefully. Too much lemon juice will spoil the mixture. Once you're done, let the mixture stand for a few minutes. If the consistency is still too thick, add more milk or water
Ready-made milk substitute products from the market
If you don't want to take action yourself, you can also find a replacement directly in stores. This is usually sold in supermarkets simply as a vegan buttermilk alternative . The basis usually consists of oat milk or milk from cashew nuts.
This milk is particularly suitable if you want to bake. Plus, it doesn't make more mess in the kitchen since the milk is already ready.
Possibly an interesting side effect is that plant-based milk naturally does not contain lactose. If you are lactose intolerant , the vegan milk alternative is not only better for animals.
You also have an advantage in terms of your health. Even if you are not vegan but are lactose intolerant, our tips might help you.
Made from silken tofu
Plant-based foods like silken tofu are also suitable if you want to replace buttermilk .
You can follow these instructions:
- You first let the silken tofu drain. The less liquid there is, the better.
- Now puree the tofu with a blender or hand blender. The mixture should be nice and fine - if in doubt, it's better to puree it too long rather than too short.
- Add about 150 milliliters of water and a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. Then mix the mixture well again. As an alternative to apple cider vinegar, you could use lemon juice.
You don't have to do anything else, your milk and yoghurt substitute is now ready. You don't have to have any math skills for vegan substitute products like these. 100 milliliters of your homemade milk corresponds to 100 millimeters of purchased milk.
Differences to products made from cow's milk
If you want to replace buttermilk and prefer vegan products, this also affects the nutrients.
The differences are as follows:
- In plant-based milk substitutes you will find an average of 28 kilocalories in 100 milliliters of liquid. That's less than half the calories in cow's milk. If you want to lose weight and don't want to do without milk, you can include this plant-based alternative in your diet.
- Tip : Our organic oat drink is ideal for replacing milk. You can also mix the milk with Bio Vegurt Natur , the vegan yoghurt, in a ratio of 1:1. The result is a creamy buttermilk substitute with significantly less fat.
- Soy milk generally contains more unsaturated fatty acids and folic acid. Both are good for your body. You can also find unsaturated fatty acids in many nuts and avocados, for example. Normal cow's milk, on the other hand, only contains the normal " bad " fat.
In addition, there are differences in some minerals and vitamins . For example, cow's milk contains significantly more calcium. Soy milk can't keep up with just a fifth of the amount. If you have a calcium deficiency , you may want to consider nutrient supplements.
Furthermore, it does not contain any vitamin B12 - unlike cow's milk. It is even an excellent source of vitamin B12. Since this vitamin is essential for us, you may want to consider dietary supplements - as with calcium.
Traditionally , vitamin B12 is difficult for vegans to take in sufficient quantities anyway. Unfortunately, milk substitutes cannot yet provide this vitamin in sufficient quantities.
More than just milk taste
We have shown you several ways you can replace buttermilk . When it comes to taste, we tried to imitate cow's buttermilk as closely as possible. But there's nothing wrong with creating other flavors - and it's not difficult either.
You could add ingredients such as cocoa or banana to your finished buttermilk alternative . Strawberries or vanilla are also an idea. These substances will of course make your milk (significantly) sweeter. Whether this is good or bad depends on the intended use.
Depending on the recipe, it can't hurt to add sweetness, especially when cooking or baking.
It goes without saying that this increases the sugar and fat content. If you want to lose weight, you should be careful with these experiments.
Conclusion: Replacing buttermilk is not difficult
If you regularly drink vegan dairy products or otherwise use them, the step to a vegan buttermilk alternative is not far. A little apple cider vinegar or lemon juice is usually enough to provide useful alternatives to butter .
You will notice that there is hardly any difference in taste - and ready-made products from stores can also be used for baking.
In terms of nutrients, a lot changes compared to cow's milk. The less fatty milk is good at first, but it is particularly lacking in calcium and vitamin B12. But with the right supplements you can quickly get this under control.
Theresa studied media communication, loves writing and her favorite product are the vegan turmeric balls. With their help you should be able to turn your question marks into inspiration. If you have any comments or requests, please write to her here: online@greenforce.com
