Almond Milk Buttermilk

This almond milk buttermilk is completely dairy free and vegan. It is easy to make at home using two simple ingredients and is a great substitute for buttermilk in any recipe.

Originally, buttermilk was the liquid left behind after churning butter out of cultured cream.

Traditionally, the milk was left to sit to allow the cream and milk to separate. During this time, naturally occurring lactic acid-producing bacteria in the milk fermented it. This facilitates the butter churning process.

Modern buttermilk is made by adding lactic acid bacteria to milk, which ferments it, making it tangier and thicker than regular milk.

It is often used to make biscuits, pancakes, waffles, muffins, and cakes because it makes for a slightly more tender crumb and slightly higher rise.

I personally use this almond buttermilk to make buttermilk biscuits without buttermilk and Irish Soda bread without buttermilk.

Seeing buttermilk called for in recipes can seem like a problem if you are dairy free. Not to worry, though, it is actually easy enough to make at home.

If you like this dairy free buttermilk made with almond milk, you may also like my buttermilk made with oat milk.

WHAT IS BUTTERMILK?

Buttermilk was originally the liquid left behind after churning butter out of cultured cream. 

Traditionally, the milk was left to sit to allow the cream and milk to separate. During this time, naturally occurring lactic acid bacteria fermented the milk and turned it into buttermilk, making it tangier and thicker than regular milk.

However, modern buttermilk is made by adding lactic acid bacteria to milk to ferment it.

Are buttermilk and almond milk the same?

No, buttermilk is made from fermenting milk products, whereas almond milk is a non dairy milk substitute made with almonds.

What kind of milk is good for buttermilk?

Most non dairy milks will do. This recipe uses almond milk.

What Kind of Almond Milk should I use to make buttermilk?

Personally, I like using the barista versions because they are creamier to begin with.

Can you freeze buttermilk?

Yes, you can freeze this buttermilk made from oat milk.

For ease, you can freeze buttermilk in ice cube trays until frozen, about an hour.

Once frozen, remove the cubes from the trays and place them in a resealable freezer bag or freezer-safe container.

The easiest way to do this is to measure 1-2 tablespoons (depending on the size of your ice cube trays) of buttermilk into each ice cube mould.

Make sure to note whether the cubes are 1 or 2 tablespoons each so that you can know how many to defrost for a recipe.

When ready to bake, let the buttermilk cubes defrost in the fridge or melt them on the lowest power setting in your microwave.

Freeze for up to 3 months. After that, the buttermilk is still save to use, but the quality begins to degrade.