Dairy

Best dairy-free substitutes for buttermilk

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No. 01

oat milk

Use 1:1 in most baking, pancakes, and quick sauces; reach for unsweetened versions, and pick soy milk (or oat as a backup) when the recipe needs dairy-like body (soy matches dairy's ~8 g/cup protein). From buttermilk or acidified milk, also add 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar per cup of plant milk and rest 5 minutes, or rebalance the baking soda.

Plant milks swap 1:1, but soy mimics dairy milk best; oat, almond, rice, and cashew can fall short when the recipe leans on dairy protein.

No. 02

soy milk

Use 1:1 in most baking, pancakes, and quick sauces; reach for unsweetened versions, and pick soy milk (or oat as a backup) when the recipe needs dairy-like body (soy matches dairy's ~8 g/cup protein). From buttermilk or acidified milk, also add 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar per cup of plant milk and rest 5 minutes, or rebalance the baking soda.

Plant milks swap 1:1, but soy mimics dairy milk best; oat, almond, rice, and cashew can fall short when the recipe leans on dairy protein.

No. 03

almond milk

Use 1:1 in most baking, pancakes, and quick sauces; reach for unsweetened versions, and pick soy milk (or oat as a backup) when the recipe needs dairy-like body (soy matches dairy's ~8 g/cup protein). From buttermilk or acidified milk, also add 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar per cup of plant milk and rest 5 minutes, or rebalance the baking soda.

Plant milks swap 1:1, but soy mimics dairy milk best; oat, almond, rice, and cashew can fall short when the recipe leans on dairy protein.

Why these picks

Swaps that remove dairy while preserving the source ingredient's main job. The ranking favors substitutes for buttermilk that preserve liquid, with verified adjustment notes.

Dairy-free swaps often change protein, fat, and browning, so check texture before scaling up.

Context-ranked swaps

01

oat milk

1 : 1; from buttermilk add 1 tbsp acid per cup

Plant milks swap 1:1, but soy mimics dairy milk best; oat, almond, rice, and cashew can fall short when the recipe leans on dairy protein.

Read full notes+

Why this works

Plant milks stand in cleanly for dairy milk in most everyday baking, pancakes, and quick sauces, where dairy is mainly a liquid and a small amount of fat. Soy milk is the closest analog because it matches dairy's protein level and whole-milk viscosity; it is also the only common plant milk that sets up egg- or starch-thickened custards comparably, with oat milk as a competent second choice. Lower-protein options like almond, rice, and cashew read neutral in bread, cookies, and muffins but soften crumb and reduce browning when dairy protein normally carries structure. When the source is buttermilk, cultured buttermilk, or acidified milk, also acidify the plant milk (1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar per cup, rested 5 minutes) or pull back on the baking soda — plant milks are pH-neutral and will not trigger the soda the way buttermilk does, and the loss of acid also costs some browning and tang.

Flavor
Oat and soy read mostly neutral; almond, cashew, and especially coconut add their own flavor.
Texture
Lower-protein plant milks (almond, rice, cashew) can soften crumb and reduce browning; soy and oat retain more body.

Where it fails

Medium overall; high in egg- or starch-thickened custards and pastry creams unless the milk is soy or a high-fat option like full-fat coconut. From buttermilk: high in soda-leavened pancakes, biscuits, and quick breads unless the plant milk is acidified or the leavening is rebalanced.

  • Avoid sweetened plant milks unless the formula can absorb the extra sugar.
  • Reach for soy milk (or oat as a backup) when the recipe relies on dairy protein, such as custards, pastry cream, or pudding-style fillings.

Source: King Arthur Baking: Non-dairy milk for baking

02

soy milk

1 : 1; from buttermilk add 1 tbsp acid per cup

Plant milks swap 1:1, but soy mimics dairy milk best; oat, almond, rice, and cashew can fall short when the recipe leans on dairy protein.

Read full notes+

Why this works

Plant milks stand in cleanly for dairy milk in most everyday baking, pancakes, and quick sauces, where dairy is mainly a liquid and a small amount of fat. Soy milk is the closest analog because it matches dairy's protein level and whole-milk viscosity; it is also the only common plant milk that sets up egg- or starch-thickened custards comparably, with oat milk as a competent second choice. Lower-protein options like almond, rice, and cashew read neutral in bread, cookies, and muffins but soften crumb and reduce browning when dairy protein normally carries structure. When the source is buttermilk, cultured buttermilk, or acidified milk, also acidify the plant milk (1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar per cup, rested 5 minutes) or pull back on the baking soda — plant milks are pH-neutral and will not trigger the soda the way buttermilk does, and the loss of acid also costs some browning and tang.

Flavor
Oat and soy read mostly neutral; almond, cashew, and especially coconut add their own flavor.
Texture
Lower-protein plant milks (almond, rice, cashew) can soften crumb and reduce browning; soy and oat retain more body.

Where it fails

Medium overall; high in egg- or starch-thickened custards and pastry creams unless the milk is soy or a high-fat option like full-fat coconut. From buttermilk: high in soda-leavened pancakes, biscuits, and quick breads unless the plant milk is acidified or the leavening is rebalanced.

  • Avoid sweetened plant milks unless the formula can absorb the extra sugar.
  • Reach for soy milk (or oat as a backup) when the recipe relies on dairy protein, such as custards, pastry cream, or pudding-style fillings.

Source: King Arthur Baking: Non-dairy milk for baking

03

almond milk

1 : 1; from buttermilk add 1 tbsp acid per cup

Plant milks swap 1:1, but soy mimics dairy milk best; oat, almond, rice, and cashew can fall short when the recipe leans on dairy protein.

Read full notes+

Why this works

Plant milks stand in cleanly for dairy milk in most everyday baking, pancakes, and quick sauces, where dairy is mainly a liquid and a small amount of fat. Soy milk is the closest analog because it matches dairy's protein level and whole-milk viscosity; it is also the only common plant milk that sets up egg- or starch-thickened custards comparably, with oat milk as a competent second choice. Lower-protein options like almond, rice, and cashew read neutral in bread, cookies, and muffins but soften crumb and reduce browning when dairy protein normally carries structure. When the source is buttermilk, cultured buttermilk, or acidified milk, also acidify the plant milk (1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar per cup, rested 5 minutes) or pull back on the baking soda — plant milks are pH-neutral and will not trigger the soda the way buttermilk does, and the loss of acid also costs some browning and tang.

Flavor
Oat and soy read mostly neutral; almond, cashew, and especially coconut add their own flavor.
Texture
Lower-protein plant milks (almond, rice, cashew) can soften crumb and reduce browning; soy and oat retain more body.

Where it fails

Medium overall; high in egg- or starch-thickened custards and pastry creams unless the milk is soy or a high-fat option like full-fat coconut. From buttermilk: high in soda-leavened pancakes, biscuits, and quick breads unless the plant milk is acidified or the leavening is rebalanced.

  • Avoid sweetened plant milks unless the formula can absorb the extra sugar.
  • Reach for soy milk (or oat as a backup) when the recipe relies on dairy protein, such as custards, pastry cream, or pudding-style fillings.

Source: King Arthur Baking: Non-dairy milk for baking

04

cashew milk

1 : 1; from buttermilk add 1 tbsp acid per cup

Plant milks swap 1:1, but soy mimics dairy milk best; oat, almond, rice, and cashew can fall short when the recipe leans on dairy protein.

Read full notes+

Why this works

Plant milks stand in cleanly for dairy milk in most everyday baking, pancakes, and quick sauces, where dairy is mainly a liquid and a small amount of fat. Soy milk is the closest analog because it matches dairy's protein level and whole-milk viscosity; it is also the only common plant milk that sets up egg- or starch-thickened custards comparably, with oat milk as a competent second choice. Lower-protein options like almond, rice, and cashew read neutral in bread, cookies, and muffins but soften crumb and reduce browning when dairy protein normally carries structure. When the source is buttermilk, cultured buttermilk, or acidified milk, also acidify the plant milk (1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar per cup, rested 5 minutes) or pull back on the baking soda — plant milks are pH-neutral and will not trigger the soda the way buttermilk does, and the loss of acid also costs some browning and tang.

Flavor
Oat and soy read mostly neutral; almond, cashew, and especially coconut add their own flavor.
Texture
Lower-protein plant milks (almond, rice, cashew) can soften crumb and reduce browning; soy and oat retain more body.

Where it fails

Medium overall; high in egg- or starch-thickened custards and pastry creams unless the milk is soy or a high-fat option like full-fat coconut. From buttermilk: high in soda-leavened pancakes, biscuits, and quick breads unless the plant milk is acidified or the leavening is rebalanced.

  • Avoid sweetened plant milks unless the formula can absorb the extra sugar.
  • Reach for soy milk (or oat as a backup) when the recipe relies on dairy protein, such as custards, pastry cream, or pudding-style fillings.

Source: King Arthur Baking: Non-dairy milk for baking

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