Never run out of buttermilk recipe ideas again! Here are 101 recipes that use buttermilk, from dessert to dinner and everything in between.
(Have other leftover ingredients? Check out and bookmark this collection of recipes for leftover egg yolks and leftover egg whites. This list of leftover ricotta recipes is a reader favorite too!)
I’ve always wondered why buttermilk is sold in 1L cartons. Is it the same where you are?
Most recipes only need 2 cups (500ml) at the most so I used to always end up with way more buttermilk than I need.
I’ve since switched to using buttermilk powder (see FAQs for more info on how to use buttermilk powder) but in case you’re looking for recipes for your leftover buttermilk, you’ve come to the right place!
There’s a whopping 101 leftover buttermilk recipes in this collection and it will continue to grow as I find and add more to the list.
From sheet cakes to good old buttermilk biscuits, fried green tomatoes to crispy fried chicken, ice cream to classic cornbread, find the recipe you’re looking for here.
So go ahead and explore, bookmark this page, and cook up delicious meals with that leftover buttermilk!
101 Recipes That Use Buttermilk
From sheet cakes to good old buttermilk biscuits, fried green tomatoes to crispy fried chicken, ice cream to classic cornbread, find recipes that use buttermilk here.
Whether you have ¼ cup or 2 cups of leftover buttermilk, there’s a recipe in here for you!
¼ CUP
Only have ¼ cup left? You can still use that to make these easy recipes that use buttermilk!
These banana mini muffins are made with creamy buttermilk, soft brown sugar, and nicely ripened bananas all rolled into a thick muffin batter. This recipe will have you making muffins on repeat for sure!
Rich, fudgy, decadent buttermilk brownies. These are the best brownies ever!
This delicious apple walnut bread is made with fresh apples and chopped walnuts and is perfect for breakfast or a midday snack.
Soft, moist and tender pumpkin bread with heaps of chocolate flavor!
This easy recipe for spiced pumpkin scones with an optional espresso glaze yields light, tender and buttery scones without the use of eggs.
Pretzel crusted chicken is a hit with everyone. Juicy on the inside and extra crunchy on the outside makes this a perfect meal every time.
Impress your whole family with this creamy, herbaceous ranch dressing that you can make at home in only 10 minutes!
⅓ CUP
These baking recipes that use buttermilk are easy to make and so delicious!
Vintage desserts such as a buckle are perfect for the more relaxed dining of summer. A single layer cake with spice and fresh fruits ends any meal as a special treat!
These apple cinnamon scones are tender, delicious and filled with chopped apples and cinnamon. The perfect fall treat!
½ CUP
Turn your ½ cup of buttermilk into ranch dressing, biscuits with gravy, muffins, salad and more.
This easy cherry cake recipe is so easy to make and so delicious you’d want to bake it all summer long. Dense but soft, not too sweet, bursting with wonderful cherry flavour.
Sweet and tender corn muffins made with buttermilk.
These buttermilk blueberry muffins are bakery-style muffins filled with juicy berries, lemon zest and vanilla, and topped with crunchy sugar!
With flavors of apple and fall spices, plus a tasty streusel topping, these moist and delicious apple crumble muffins will rock your fall!
Homemade cinnamon rolls are the best for breakfast or brunch. These are soft, tender, and gooey.
Small batch biscuits for two! This recipe makes the lightest, fluffiest homemade all-butter biscuits, small batch style! You can make 6, or double the recipe to make one dozen.
These easy fried green tomatoes are a classic southern appetizer or side dish. They're beautifully seasoned and perfectly crisp.
Enjoy a comforting, hearty breakfast with biscuits and gravy for two. Freshly baked small batch buttermilk biscuits smothered in a small batch sausage gravy.
This easy oven fried catfish recipe will be your new favorite way to cook catfish because it comes out super crispy without all the grease! Cajun seasoning gives the fish a little kick and a lot of flavor while the cornmeal breading bakes up perfectly golden and crisp.
This tuna potato salad recipe is a complete meal that is perfect for lunch or a light dinner. A satisfying combination of baby potatoes, green beans, tuna, radishes and red onion all tossed together with the most delicious dill buttermilk dressing.
This fresh buttermilk syrup is the perfect addition to your breakfast! Put it on pancakes or waffles for the perfect brunch.
Rich and tangy homemade ranch dressing from scratch made with fresh herbs and delicious seasonings
This restaurant style ranch dressing is packed full of flavor with just the right amount of creamy, tangy, and fresh herb taste. You will think you are eating at a fine dining restaurant right at home.
Creamy, tangy, and bursting with flavor, avocado lime ranch dressing is perfect for salads, veggie dips, chips and dip, or just spoonfuls straight from the jar.
⅔ CUP
Baking with buttermilk is fantastic because it makes baked goods fluffy and lends a subtle tangy flavor.
These lemon blueberry buttermilk muffins are super moist and perfect for breakfast or a snack!
Make this 3-ingredient biscuit recipe once the craving hits. When it comes to the best biscuits, this is going to be your go-to recipe.
These beautiful and easy to make sweet potato, parmesan and rosemary biscuits are tender, moist and just loaded with delicious flavour.
This Jiffy cornbread is made with buttermilk and comes out moist and fluffy every time. It's also perfect for baking in a cast iron skillet, so you get those delicious crunchy edges
These supremely chocolatey cookies are a great way to use a partial container of buttermilk — guaranteed to satisfy even the strongest chocolate cravings.
¾ CUP
You only need ¾ cups of buttermilk to make stunning crowd pleasers like pound cakes, black forest cake, carrot cake with cream cheese and unicorn donuts!
A lemon bundt cake recipe that’s easy and simple to make with that bold lemon flavour you love. Crunchy outside, light and fluffy inside, drizzled with tangy lemon glaze.
Orange buttermilk pound cake is dense, moist and delicious!
This is the best homemade cake recipe that looks like it was actually created by a professional baker!
A perfect blend of spices, contrasting textures along with creamy frosting!
Easy and simple Vanilla Cake that bakes fluffy, soft and oh-so-moist. Baked in 6 inch pans, this cake is super easy to decorate and is perfect for small gatherings!
This old fashioned banana bread smells amazing while it bakes. It is sweet, soft, and the perfect way to use up extra bananas.
Looking for a baked donut recipe that's moist and tender with delicious flavor? Try these easy-to-make baked buttermilk donuts! They're bursting with tangy vanilla flavor and can be decorated any way you choose.
Delicious homemade donuts with a rainbow unicorn look!
Take your breakfast to a whole new level with this delightfully sunshiny recipe for homemade fluffy buttermilk pancakes with orange! Flavored with both fresh OJ and orange zest, this zingy short stack is definitely worth getting out of bed for.
These deli rye English muffins take the nook and cranny-ness of English muffins and combine it with the flavors of your favorite deli rye bread.
This shrimp po'boy is an epic sandwich out of Louisiana featuring well seasoned fried shrimp piled high on French bread, along with remoulade sauce and veggies. It's huge!
This rich and creamy buttermilk syrup recipe is an easy homemade syrup that’s perfect on pancakes, waffles, or French toast!
1 CUP
Scones, biscuits, cornbread and more comfort food! Also lots of southern favorites like pecan cake, buttermilk pie and chicken tenders.
These light, flaky and easy-to-make classic buttermilk scones are perfect with jam, lemon curd or just eaten plain with butter.
These lemon buttermilk scones are light, flaky, delicious and ready in 15 minutes! You don’t even need an electric mixer.
These scones are easy to make on your first try and you're going to love the sweet orange glaze that is drizzled over top of these buttery scones. They're perfect for the holiday season!
These scratch-made buttermilk biscuits are tall, soft, flaky, and easy to learn how to make.
Get ready to indulge in the heavenly goodness of buttermilk drop biscuits. These biscuits are incredibly tender and flaky, and with just 3 simple ingredients, including self-rising flour, they are a breeze to make.
Lush, ripe blueberries in a flaky buttermilk biscuit with a sweet lemon glaze on the top make for a perfect mouth-watering appetizer!
These fluffy southern buttermilk biscuits are flaky and so delicious!
Fluffy homemade biscuits are super easy to make and make a great snack with this sweet citrusy butter. Use these biscuits as a base for your favorite breakfast sandwich.
These old fashioned biscuits made with a blend of bacon grease and butter are baked in a cast iron skillet to golden brown perfection.
A spicy, cheesy riff on traditional skillet cornbread!
This Amish cornbread has a crisp golden crust with a moist and fluffy center. It is an easy to make, old fashioned Amish recipe!
These buttermilk crepes always come out so soft and fluffy, yet so thin and delicate. And always so delicious!
This delicious buttermilk pancakes recipe produces light and fluffy pancakes that are so easy to make from scratch!
This buttermilk french toast is golden brown on the outside and fluffy on the inside. An easy brunch recipe to make for a crowd of people.
Old fashioned buttermilk pound cake is a classic for a reason — moist, delicious, simple to make and so buttery! It’s an excellent addition to your recipe collection and a great way to use that extra buttermilk.
Rich, decadent and dense, this buttermilk-pumpkin pound cake is a welcome addition to any holiday dessert table. Each delicious bite is perfectly moist and full of our favorite fall flavors and warm spices.
Southern pecan buttermilk pound cake is a traditional southern pound cake with added flavor from pecans. So good!
The is the perfect old fashioned buttermilk cake. The cake has a moist, fine crumb and lovely vanilla flavor.
Raspberry vanilla cake — your favourite vanilla layer cake filled and frosted with raspberry buttercream. Soft, tender, delicious!
Moist lemon cake layers filled with sweet lemon curd and frosted with tangy lemon cream cheese frosting. The perfect lemon layer cake for Easter, or any special occasion!
Red velvet cake with ermine frosting is the red velvet cake of the good old days. It’s not weighed down with heavy cream cheese but paired with the most delicate whipped ermine frosting. The combination is delicious!
This moist, rich, chocolate cake topped with a luscious chocolate buttercream icing and will have you swooning.
This triple layer Philadelphia cream cheese chocolate cake is a winner for any chocolate lover!
Easy one bowl chocolate buttermilk sheet cake with fudgy buttermilk frosting on top! Perfect for a crowd, or freeze for later.
A delicious one-bowl chocolate cake with a chocolate glaze.
A tender buttermilk cake scented with a mix of warm spices. The same spice mix flavors the whipped, white-chocolate ganache.
Buttermilk chocolate muffins are perfect for breakfast, as a snack or an anytime treat.
Blackberries and buttermilk provide a delicious tang and tender crumb to these moist muffins. The blackberry flavor is complemented with lemon zest and vanilla. You can make these muffins all in one bowl, making prep a snap!
This delicious buttermilk blueberry muffins recipe is bursting with fresh blueberries in every bite. These tender, fluffy muffins are not only tasty, but so easy to whip up in one bowl!
This easy Amish cinnamon bread requires no yeast or needing and has only a 10 minute prep time! Just mix and bake and enjoy!
This buttermilk pie recipe uses a ready-to-bake flaky pie crust and has a velvety, custardy filling made with simple ingredients. It is quick to prepare and makes the perfect indulgent Southern dessert for the holidays.
Buttermilk quiche is a classic French egg custard tart kicked up a notch with the tang and zip of creamy buttermilk! Savory ham, cheddar, and chives, plus homemade flaky pastry seals the deal for a delicious meal.
These chicken bacon ranch sliders are loaded with chicken, bacon, melty cheese, and buttermilk ranch dressing. Super rich, and super delicious, they’re an easy weeknight meal, potluck dish, or game-day snack.
Fish roe (eggs) dipped in buttermilk and coated with cornmeal get fried and topped with a fresh cilantro-lime gremolata. Just 30 minutes start to finish!
Homemade buttermilk chicken tenders are so easy! And so crispy!
Easy southern fried shrimp is a delicious dinner or appetizer for any occasion.
This zesty dill pickle chicken egg salad is the ultimate upgrade to everyone's favourite chicken salad. Pickle lovers will adore the tender buttermilk and dill brined chicken accented with even more dried dill, garlic dill pickles, salty capers, and eggs! Perfect for any occasion from picnics to potlucks and school lunches.
Just 3 ingredients to make this delicious, healthy, probiotic-rich smoothie! Use your favorite frozen mixed berries or frozen fruit.
This peach buttermilk chai smoothie is packed with probiotics from buttermilk and antioxidants from chai tea!
MORE THAN 1 CUP
Got more than a cup left? You can make breakfast recipes like pancakes, waffles and Irish soda bread; dinner recipes like buttermilk mashed potatoes and fried chicken; and dessert recipes like buttermilk ice cream!
Pumpkin buttermilk pancakes — light, fluffy and full of the warm, cozy flavours of fall. These easy pumpkin pancakes are sure to become a breakfast favourite! Top with candied pecans, drizzle with maple syrup, enjoy with your favourite cup of coffee or tea.
Banana buttermilk pancakes are light, fluffy and delicious. Topped with candied walnuts and maple syrup, they’re a wonderful start to the day.
Ube pancakes are your favourite buttermilk pancakes bursting with the ube flavour you love. Made with ube halaya or ube jam, it’s sweet, soft, fluffy. A delicious way to start the day.
Whether you call them birthday cake, confetti, or funfetti pancakes, this fluffy, sprinkle-studded breakfast recipe is irresistible!
Thick and fluffy homemade pancakes are loaded with fresh, juicy blueberries for an amazing breakfast. They're easy to make and will have everyone asking for more!
Cinnamon swirl pancakes get cooked with a thick ribbon of gooey cinnamon syrup and then topped with a drizzle of cream cheese frosting. They are cinnamon rolls in pancake form!
Fluffy cinnamon pancakes topped with crunchy cinnamon sugar and served with chocolate sauce.
Bring the flavors of the holidays to your breakfast table with this easy, winter-inspired gingerbread pancake recipe. A family favorite!
Quick and easy to make, these golden brown silver dollar pancakes are the perfect breakfast. Make extras, both kids and adults will love them!
With a rich moist interior and a delicately crisp exterior, Aebleskivers, Danish pancake balls, are a special breakfast treat or snack.
Easy buttermilk waffle recipe makes waffles that are crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.
Strawberry waffles are simple and easy to make but packed with flavour and look so pretty they will make any morning a special occasion.
Greek yogurt waffles are crunchy outside, soft and fluffy inside. Drizzle with maple syrup, top with your favourite fruits, start the day right!
Ube waffles – your favourite buttermilk waffles filled with the wonderful flavours of ube. Crunchy outside, soft inside, it’s a great start to the day.
Treat yourself to these scrumptious jalapeño cheddar waffles. Top them with fried egg and start the day right!
These double chocolate waffles are super chocolatey and fantastic for breakfast or as a decadent dessert or as dessert for breakfast! Double the chocolate, double the fun.
The funfetti cake doesn’t only scream fun and happiness inside and out; it’s also a delicious cake that’s bursting with the vanilla flavor everyone loves.
Homemade biscuits, made completely from scratch are so much better than store-bought and easy to make!
Authentic Irish soda bread only requires 4 ingredients to make and is perfect for even the beginner bread maker! There is no yeast and no kneading required. Add the amazing taste of buttermilk and you have an easy bread that everyone will love.
These make ahead buttermilk dinner rolls are so soft and fluffy.
Southern-style savory cornbread gets a flavorful boost with jalapenos and cheddar cheese!
Buttermilk ice cream is a creamy and tangy yet not too sweet ice cream, making it the perfect companion for desserts like apple pie or peach cobbler.
A light, fruity frozen treat with just a hint of exotic rose water, this strawberry sherbet gets its tang and body from buttermilk. A perfectly lovely chilly dessert on a hot summer's day!
Made with simple ingredients like freshly squeezed orange juice, buttermilk, and Karo syrup, this refreshing frozen orange dessert is the perfect treat for any occasion. Plus, it can be whipped up in no time with an electric ice cream maker.
Old fashioned buttermilk lemon pie has a very creamy lemon flavor and texture, it’s amazing!
This German torte filled with buttermilk lemon mousse is one of the most refreshing, best-tasting cakes you can imagine. No kidding!
Take your whole roasted chicken to another level with this simple and delicious recipe. Buttermilk roasted chicken is an effortless way to guarantee tender and juicy chicken every single time.
Crispy oven fried chicken is brined in buttermilk with herbs and spices, then coated in seasoned breadcrumbs and baked to golden perfection. The chicken is flavourfully seasoned while remaining moist under the crispy outer layer.
Here's how to make a KFC style chicken fillet burger! This homemade Zinger burger recipe is so easy to make, crispy and tastes so good.
These hot honey chicken sandwiches are tender and juicy on the inside, perfectly crispy on the outside, and covered in the most amazing hot honey sauce. Serve with a side of fries and creamy coleslaw for a crave-worthy meal that will get rave reviews!
This buttermilk chicken marinade is the best ever way to make grilled chicken! Buttermilk grilled chicken is so juicy, tender and flavorful that you'll never go back to any other marinade.
Tickle your tastebuds with these delicious spicy buttermilk chicken nuggets. Super easy to make, they are coated with panko breadcrumbs and a mixture of herbs and spices, then baked in the oven until perfectly golden brown and crispy.
Buttermilk tenderizes pork chops, keeping the meat moist, and creating a tangy and zesty flavor. Make these brined pork chops for dinner tonight!
Caramelized Onion & Roasted Garlic Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes with Parmesan
The most amazing, lusciously creamy and insanely flavorful mashed potatoes recipe you'll ever make!
BUTTERMILK FAQs
Buttermilk is fermented milk. It’s thicker and lumpier than milk and has a slightly tangy, acidic taste.
Bakers love using it in cakes and other baked goods because its tangy flavor provides a nice balance against the sweetness and its acidity helps break down protein, which results to fluffier, lighter textures.
Cooks use it in savory dishes too.
To make homemade buttermilk, combine a cup of milk with a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice.
Stir then allow the mixture to sit for about minutes.
Powdered buttermilk is so easy to use and has a way longer shelf life than regular buttermilk.
You can use it in its powdered form in some recipes.
To reconstitute, add 1 tablespoon buttermilk powder to ½ cup of water. Stir until fully incorporated and allow the mixture to rest for about 5 minutes before using.
This may differ by brand though; make sure to check the packaging of your buttermilk powder for specific instructions.
Enjoy!
What is your favorite recipe that uses buttermilk? I’d love to hear all about it!
And be sure to bookmark and save this page for easy reference.
Bob
I never have any “left over” buttermilk! I never have to “make” some buttermilk! That’s because there is always half gallon of 2% buttermilk in our fridge. “Small bit” left over or about to go bad? Pour it into a glass and drink it. Want zipper taste; first add a tiny pinch of salt and/or/or-not add a tiny bit of hot/or-not vinegar. I happen to like it with salty or sweet snacks. Oh it is full of good “bugs” to reset your digestive system.
Brian
Thank you for this! I never know what to do with leftover buttermilk.
Donna
My husband buys buttermilk for cornbread and I use the leftovers with my sourdough for blueberry pancakes and for English muffins. Cuz I can’t keep up with my starter otherwise, so it helps me use up starter and buttermilk. But I’ve recently given up sugar so I’m head over to look at the ranch dressing right now. I have buttermilk about to expire. Made pancakes this morning and grabbed the wrong bottle. Used the kefir instead of the buttermilk. Duhhh. Read the label Donna. Pancakes were fine but I still have half a bottle of buttermilk to use up.
Jolina
LOL I’m glad your pancakes still turned out ok! The ranch dressing looks amazing doesn’t it? Hope you like it! My default for leftover buttermilk is usually scones or pancakes or waffles.
Rose
I like how you provided recipes for different quantities of buttermilk. Sometimes I have 1 cup although most of the time more. I have 3 quarters of a carton left now, I hope to make something delicious from your list.
Marissa Zurfluh
I shouldn’t read posts like these first thing in the morning. Makes me want to go grocery shopping and buy it all! These recipes look amazing.
Claire
I have bookmarked it.
Thanks for sharing 🙂
Jerneja
I live in a country where for some reason we don’t have buttermilk! But as soon as I get it, I’ll try making some of these. I think the donuts might be my favorite recipe out of these. 🙂
Jolina
I’ve heard that from a lot of people after I posted this round-up. So interesting! And yes, those donuts look amazing don’t they? 🙂
Caryle Saathoff
Add I T. vinegar to 1 cup of milk. Let sit for 30 minutes.
Dawn
Great post Jolina! Waste not, want not, right? I don’t know why they don’t just make buttermilk in smaller containers. There’s always a bunch left, which is why I usually just make my own. All of these recipes look delicious, though, so if I did have a huge container of buttermilk, I’m sure it would be used up in no time making a few of these 🙂 Hope you guys are having a lovely weekend!!
Jolina
Hi Dawn! Thanks! And yeah, that’s a major pet peeve too. I usually make my own as well if I only need a cup or so but you know I can’t help myself sometimes (sometimes?? understatement of the year lol). Weekend’s winding down…it’s been fun. Hope you enjoyed yours too!
Sharon
Love that you have both sweet and savory on this list! Such a great collection of dishes with buttermilk. Pinning for later!
Kim
Love, love this article! I need this as I tend to have SO MUCH buttermilk leftover everytime I bake. Thank you so much for sharing!
Jolina
My pleasure! Hope you find buttermilk inspiration here (then you’d always want to have extra buttermilk lying around? LOL)
Maggie Unzueta
This is brilliant. I never know what to do with leftover buttermilk.
Jolina
Thanks! Me neither and I spend so much time trying to find recipes to use it with. So yay, now we have this round-up for different buttermilk quantities!
Hannah Healy
What a wonderful list, I’m going to bookmark it so read it more carefully later. Thanks!
Tina Dawson
Love this roundup! I don’t really use buttermilk, except in an occasional baked good, and it’s good to know how many different ways I could use up the leftovers.
Kristina
What a great post! Oftentimes I just buy buttermilk for a specific recipe and always end up having some leftover. This is full of great ways to ensure it doesn’t go to waste!
Jolina
Me too! And it’s not exactly cheap either so I feel bad throwing it away. Hope this collection helps you deal with buttermilk…issues 🙂
Catherine
These are some great ideas! I love this collection..thanks for sharing!