50 Ways to Use Leftover Buttermilk

Updated February 13, 2020
Alison Miksch; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller

Buttermilk is one of the most versatile kitchen staples there is. It's an essential ingredient in countless dressings (like this Buttermilk-Parmesan Ranch), desserts (you can't beat a traditional Buttermilk Pie), and, of course, pancakes (we've got a lot of pancake recipes, but this basic recipe is tried-and-true). If you have leftover buttermilk going past its prime in your fridge, this collection of our best buttermilk recipes is just what you've been looking for. 

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Buttermilk Spoon Bread

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Buttermilk Spoon Bread Recipe

Although called a bread, this dish has the consistency and taste of a savory pudding. Buttermilk Spoon Bread is a nice cross between a skillet of hot cornbread, a cornmeal soufflé, and cornbread dressing. This versatile side dish is a welcome addition to the menu any time of the year and is especially delicious when served alongside holiday favorites such as Green Bean Casserole.

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Orange-Buttermilk Trifle

Credit: Cedric Angeles; Prop Styling: Thom Driver

Orange-Buttermilk Trifle Recipe

A layered trifle dessert may look difficult and involved, but this one is actually quite easy, especially when you consider the make-ahead components. The custard needs to chill at least hours, so make that up to a day in advance; stir in the buttermilk right before using.

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Buttermilk-Pecan Pralines

Credit: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Buttermilk-Pecan Pralines Recipe

We will be making these Buttermilk-Pecan Pralines all year long. New Orleans’ favorite candy is a true marriage of old-world European tradition combined with Southern ingenuity. When the French settled New Orleans in the 1700s, they brought their version of pralines, a simple sweet made by cooking whole almonds with granulated sugar until they became crisp and caramelized.

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Buttermilk Fried Chicken

Credit: Kate Sears; Styling: Gerri Williams

Buttermilk Fried Chicken Recipe

If you’re gonna treat yourself to buttermilk fried chicken, you’d better do it right. This recipe calls for 12 hours of brining in buttermilk, so you know we’re not kidding around. For a little extra something, add some cayenne pepper. 

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Lemon-Buttermilk Icebox Pie

Credit: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Lemon-Buttermilk Icebox Pie Recipe

When life gives you lemons, use it to make this pie! The filling is pure heaven, not too sweet, and full of tartness from lemon juice and zest. If you like, you can speed things up with a premade graham cracker crust, but don't compromise when it comes to using fresh lemons. 

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Wedge Salad with Turkey and Blue Cheese-Buttermilk Dressing

Credit: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke

Wedge Salad with Turkey and Blue Cheese-Buttermilk Dressing Recipe

You can have this filling salad ready in just 15 minutes, making it a no-brainer for weekday lunches. Use our Slow-Cooker Turkey Breast recipe to get the protein ready and on hand for this hearty salad. Unlike roasting, slow-cooking locks in moisture, creating juicy and flavorful meat, which is so important when cooking a healthier, leaner protein like turkey breast.

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Fresh Salmon Cakes with Buttermilk Dressing

Credit: Antonis Achilleos

Fresh Salmon Cakes with Buttermilk Dressing Recipe

The salmon croquettes made from canned salmon that you loved as a child are all grown up now. These Salmon Cakes have a wonderful texture; the crispy exterior gives way to a firm and tender interior. For cakes with the best texture, chop the fish by hand—a food processor will quickly turn the salmon into a paste.

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Parmesan-Buttermilk Pie Crust

Credit: Victor Protasio;

Parmesan-Buttermilk Pie Crust Recipe

This savory pie crust is reminiscent of crunchy flakey Parmesan cheese straws. You will roll your pie dough slightly thicker than a typical pie crust, yielding a sturdier crust to hold up to the rich filling of the tomato pie. Whether using store-bought or homemade pie dough, many pie recipes will instruct you to blind-bake the crust before adding the filling.

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Quick Chopped Salad with Buttermilk Dressing

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Quick Chopped Salad with Buttermilk Dressing Recipe

The whole family will love this easy-to-prepare chopped salad, especially because you can substitute any fresh vegetables you like. Swap out the tomatoes for cucumbers, or replace the avocado with carrots. The lettuces can be any combination of leafy greens—try Bibb, arugula, spinach, romaine.

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Black-and-Blue Buttermilk Tart

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Black-and-Blue Buttermilk Tart Recipe

Everyone has a favorite fruit cobbler recipe but, if you need another reason to love fresh summer berries, try this creamy tart for a cool dessert. The sweet -and-salty buttery cracker crust looks beautiful once you slip it out of the tart pan, but you can also use a 9-inch pie plate.

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Pumpkin-Buttermilk Biscuits with Crispy Ham and Honey Butter

Credit: Victor Protasio; Propr Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Pumpkin-Buttermilk Biscuits with Crispy Ham and Honey Butter Recipe

Pumpkin gives these light and flaky biscuits a pretty orange hue and an earthy flavor that pairs well with honey butter and salty country ham. Be sure to use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, which is sweetened and spiced.

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Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes

Credit: James Carrier

Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes Recipe

Every cook should have a good homemade blueberry pancakes recipe up their sleeve—and it doesn't get much better than this, folks. Notes: For consistency, cooks at Marston's in Pasadena, California, prefer canned Maine blueberries in syrup; we like fresh blueberries in their batter too. Serve these pancakes with butter and warm maple syrup.

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Buttermilk-Parmesan Ranch Dressing

Credit: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Buttermilk-Parmesan Ranch Dressing Recipe

This thick and creamy salad dressing doubles as a dip for chicken wings and crudités. If you’ve only had ranch dressing from a bottle, this recipe might change your life. Our easy homemade version takes no time at all to prepare in a food processor and has so much flavor thanks to the tangy buttermilk and fresh lemon juice, and vibrant fresh chives, scallions, and parsley.

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Oven-Fried Chicken Salad with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

Credit: Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Oven-Fried Chicken Salad with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing Recipe

These oven-baked pecan-and-panko crusted chicken tenders have fabulous fried chicken flavor with much less grease and mess. As the chicken cooks, the rest of this family-friendly recipe comes together in minutes. Grilled romaine lettuce gives this salad a smoky flavor. Instead of using a grill pan, you can cook the veggies on a charcoal or gas grill outside.

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Fluffy Buttermilk Drop Biscuits

Credit: Brian Woodcock; Styling: Lindsey Lower

Fluffy Buttermilk Drop Biscuits Recipe

When the warm butter meets the cold buttermilk, it will begin to form clumps--little droplets of fat throughout the liquid--a sign of success. The pockets ensure even distribution of fat throughout the batter, creating a lighter biscuit with less butter.

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Bacon and Avocado Quinoa Bowl with Buttermilk-Chive Drizzle

Credit: Jennifer Causey

Bacon and Avocado Quinoa Bowl with Buttermilk-Chive Drizzle Recipe

Cook the bacon and a batch of our Perfect Quinoa ahead of time, and this bowl comes together in 5 minutes flat. It’s a great option for breakfast or lunch.

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Mini Triple-Chocolate Buttermilk Pound Cakes

Credit: Alison Miksch; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller

Mini Triple-Chocolate Buttermilk Pound Cakes Recipe

If you want a whole pound cake to yourself, try these individually-portioned chocolaty pound cakes. You'll hardly be able to bake these little gems before they're devoured.

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Mini Triple-Chocolate Buttermilk Pound Cakes

Credit: Alison Miksch; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller

Mini Triple-Chocolate Buttermilk Pound Cakes Recipe

If you want a whole pound cake to yourself, try these individually-portioned chocolaty pound cakes. You'll hardly be able to bake these little gems before they're devoured.

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Roasted Jalapeño Buttermilk Dressing

Roasted Jalapeño Buttermilk Dressing Recipe

A Southwestern touch—warm cumin, fragrant cilantro, earthy tomatillos—sends routine ranch south of the border. Bestow the zesty goodness on a hearty pile of Romaine or Little Gem lettuce, or thicken it for a creamy complement to chips and salsa.

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Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

Credit: Victor Protasio

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes Recipe

In this traditional recipe, the texture and flavor of Russet potatoes, a favorite choice when making mashed potatoes, is enhanced with a trio of dairy flavors: tangy buttermilk, creamy butter, and velvety rich crème fraîche. A family favorite for special occasions but perfect for weeknight meals, this dish is so rich you won’t even need that gravy.

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Strawberry Buttermilk Biscuits

Credit: Photo by Caitlin bensel

Strawberry Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe

These strawberry biscuits are flaky and easy to make, and each bite is guaranteed to have a strawberry pop. The butter and sugar topping provides a nice sweetness and light crunch, and while they're not huge and intimidating, they'll do the trick (if "the trick" is eat amazing biscuits).

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Buttermilk Pancake Onion Rings

Credit: Photo by Daniel Agee

Buttermilk Pancake Onion Rings Recipe

Make yourself a batch of pancake-battered onion rings. A crisp yet fluffy, and golden brown outside (sort of like a funnel cake) hugs a sweet onion interior, pancake-battered onion rings are like out to ruin all other breakfast sides.

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Mac and Cheese Buttermilk Biscuits

Credit: Photos Courtesy of Voyageur Press

Mac and Cheese Buttermilk Biscuits Recipe

What could be better than macaroni and cheese combined with a buttermilk biscuit? Add some bacon and you’ll never look back. You can count on impressing everyone around the table with this outrageously delicious trifecta that we serve at Biscuit Head, a restaurant in Asheville, North Carolina.

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Buttermilk-Dill Sauce

Credit: Greg DuPree

Buttermilk-Dill Sauce Recipe

Think of this no-cook sauce as your put-it-on-everything sauce. Spoon over baked fish or chicken. Beyond a main, use it to dress a potato salad or as a veggie dip. We prefer 2% Greek yogurt over nonfat for a milder tang that complements the buttermilk.

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Buttermilk Stone-Ground Grits

Credit: Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Buttermilk Stone-Ground Grits Recipe

Buttermilk adds a subtle, creamy tang to the grits. Enjoy them plain, or try one of our fun stir-ins or toppers.

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Buttermilk-Fried Nashville Hot Fish Sandwich

Credit: Photography: Stephen Devries; Prop Styling: Thom Driver; Food Styling: Mary Claire Britton

Buttermilk-Fried Nashville Hot Fish Sandwich Recipe

This Buttermilk-Fried Nashville Hot Fish Sandwich is incredibly indulgent. Serve with additional pickles and Herbed Cream, if desired.

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Buttermilk-Herb Dressing

Credit: Photography: Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Buttermilk-Herb Dressing Recipe

This recipe goes with: Modern Cobb Salad, Grown-Up Egg Salad Sandwich, Superfood Grain Bowl

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Grilled Bok Choy "Wedge" with Blue Cheese-Buttermilk Dressing

Credit: Photography: Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine

Grilled Bok Choy "Wedge" with Blue Cheese-Buttermilk Dressing Recipe

Bok choy adds a funky edge to our riff on a classic steak house salad, with far deeper flavor than lettuce.

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Buttermilk Blue Cheese Dressing

Credit: Photography: Thomas J. Story.

Buttermilk Blue Cheese Dressing Recipe

Rich, creamy, and tangy, this dressing was created for the superlative wedge salad at Alfred's Steakhouse in San Francisco. We love it on steak salads and, of course, with buffalo chicken wings.

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Tahini Buttermilk Pops

Credit: Sara Tane

Tahini Buttermilk Pops Recipe

Alternating layers of nutty tahini flavor and tangy buttermilk join forces in this creamy, summer delight. Greek yogurt and sour cream provide a thick texture and rich taste while agave nectar sweetens these fresh treats. You can make them up to one week in advance so that they're ready and set the next time you need a cooling sweet for yourself or guests.

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Kale Buttermilk Caesar with Frizzled Eggs

Kale Buttermilk Caesar with Frizzled Eggs Recipe

Classic salads like Caesar don't go out of style, but they can certainly be updated. We swap romaine for lacinato kale and use tangy buttermilk in place of mayo. A second hit of anchovy in the hot oil gives the croutons extra savory depth as they toast in the pan.

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Basic Buttermilk Pancakes

Credit: Victor Protasio

Basic Buttermilk Pancakes Recipe

This is our go-to recipe for classic buttermilk pancakes, and it’s the only one you need. Consider the fundamental blueprint for any and all pancake needs. Starting with this foolproof formula for rich and fluffy pancakes, you can create your own custom short stacks by mixing berries or chocolate chips into the batter, or topping the warm flapjacks with fresh fruit, whipped cream, toasted nuts, etc. Be it for a special occasion like Mother’s Day breakfast-in-bed or just a lazy weekend morning, this baseline recipe for golden, glorious pancakes will never let you down. 

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Buttermilk Chicken Tenders with Roasted Potatoes and Green Beans

Credit: Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Buttermilk Chicken Tenders with Roasted Potatoes and Green Beans Recipe

Cooking with buttermilk seems to make food taste better and adds a bit more tenderness; foods such as biscuits, cakes, and—especially—pan-fried chicken tenders. You will never settle for take out fried chicken and French fries again when you realize how easy, tasty, and inexpensive this recipe is.

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Beef Flautas with Buttermilk-Avocado Crema

Credit: Steven DeVries; Food Styling: Catherine Crowell Steele; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

Beef Flautas with Buttermilk-Avocado Crema Recipe

This restaurant favorite is easy to make at home, even on a weeknight. While the oil heats, set up an assembly line with the cooked meat, tortillas, and egg wash, and get rolling!

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