Here’s Everything You Can Cook With Leftover Buttermilk

So, you bought a carton of buttermilk for pancakes — now what? Don’t let the leftover liquid linger in the back of your fridge or, worse, pour it down the drain (a mistake I’ve been guilty of far too many times). You can freeze buttermilk, but why not use it in a new recipe instead? This fermented, cultured milk is your secret weapon for juicy meat, fluffy cakes, and satisfying sips. Here are five ways to use it before you lose it. 

Add buttermilk to a smoothie or cocktail 

Substituting buttermilk for milk in a drink is one of the easiest ways to use up any leftovers. With its tart, tangy flavor and sweetness, it works great in a fruit smoothie, and can even be enjoyed on its own. In some cases, buttermilk can substitute for yogurt, such as in a lassi, a refreshing Indian beverage made by blending yogurt with water and often fruit or spices for a creamy, smoothie-like drink. 

Buttermilk can also come in clutch in a cocktail. “It can easily replace heavy cream in a cocktail for a lighter drink that has the distinctive tang of buttermilk,” says F&W senior drinks editor Prairie Rose. “Sub buttermilk for heavy cream to make a zippy Brandy Alexander or a Grasshopper with a bit of a bite.”

Whisk buttermilk into whipped cream 

“I like adding buttermilk to homemade whipped cream for extra tang,” says F&W food editor Paige Grandjean. Buttermilk’s tangy flavor, which comes from the fermentation process, balances the sweetness of whipped cream, as with this luxurious double-chocolate whipped cream. It also thickens the mixture, creating an irresistibly velvety, rich cream that’s perfect for spreading in between spongy cake layers, dolloping over buttery biscuits, or licking straight off a spoon. 

Use buttermilk to tenderize meat 

Like yogurt, buttermilk has a natural acidity that helps to tenderize leaner cuts of meat, leaving them succulent and juicy. Soaking chicken in buttermilk and spices before dredging and frying it leaves you with seasoned, juicy fried chicken and a shatteringly crisp exterior. Chicken isn’t the only protein that benefits from a buttermilk bath — pork chops, lamb shoulder, or top round steak will become fork-tender if you marinate them in buttermilk. 

Along with tenderizing, buttermilk also helps ground meat stay moist. “Soaking bread in buttermilk and mashing it into the ground meat was my nonna’s best tip for the most tender meatballs,” says updates writer Nick DeSimone.

Boost batters with buttermilk 

Adding buttermilk to batters for cakes, biscuits, pancakes, or cornbread enhances richness and creates a tender crumb with a fluffy texture. Its acidity also reacts with leavening agents like baking soda or baking powder, helping baked goods to rise. Without buttermilk, an Irish soda bread won’t rise and a red velvet cake won’t achieve its signature texture. Keep in mind that you can’t always substitute buttermilk for regular milk or vice versa, as the acidity creates a chemical reaction that affects the final texture.

Upgrade a dressing or sauce 

It’s super easy to whip up a batch of tangy ranch dressing with leftover buttermilk — use as a dip for crudités or drizzle over a wedge salad. F&W executive editor Karen Shimizu suggests using it to enrich a store-bought pasta sauce. “I pour buttermilk into marinara, where it helps to give it vodka sauce vibes.”