Alright, so you’re up early in the morning, the coffee is brewing and you’re halfway through your prep for a big bowl of pancake batter. Your house guests will feel so loved!
And then, you discover, there is no buttermilk to be found anywhere in the kitchen. Oh no! This recipe will be so average without buttermilk! Running to the store is not an option. What to do?
First, what is buttermilk and why is it important to this recipe?
Buttermilk is the liquid that is left behind after butter is churned from cream; kind of like skim milk. It’s lower fat than cream, full of flavor and has a sourdough-like tang. It’s a darn delicious acidic addition to recipes and it works like leaven to give your favorite cakes some lift.
Here are some options if you are plum out of the real thing.
- Check your produce drawer and see if you’ve got a lemon in there. Add a Tablespoon of lemon juice to a cup of milk and give it a good stir. Let it sit for a couple of minutes until the milk has curdled a bit and there you have it, a substitute for that fluffy pancake recipe.
- If you’re out of lemons, look for a cup of plain yogurt. Greek or regular are both fine. Mix 3/4 cup plain yogurt with 1/4 cup milk and you’re good to go.
- If you bake, you may have a tin of Cream of Tartar in your spice cabinet. Grab that. Whisk 1 3/4 tsp Cream of Tartar with 1 cup of milk. Pour the milk in slowly while whisking to keep the Cream of Tartar from getting clumps.
- Always stock a can of Saco Cultured Buttermilk Blend powder (My favorite option.) in your pantry. As soon as you open it, you’ll need to refrigerate it. You do not need milk for this substitute either. Just mix it up with water, according to the measurement instructions on the side of the can. A can of Seco lives in my refrigerator full time and gets plenty of use.
Now go make those Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes to wow your friends and family.