Cornbread Recipe without Buttermilk (2024)

FAQs

What is a substitute for buttermilk in cornbread? ›

It's quick and easy to make a buttermilk substitute in your kitchen. Add a dash of lemon juice or white vinegar to milk. If you don't have milk, nondairy milk or yogurt will do in a pinch.

Why use buttermilk in cornbread? You'll notice that this recipe calls for buttermilk instead of regular milk. Buttermilk adds not just a richer, buttery flavor, but also makes baked goods more tender.

Northern cornbreads tend to be more cake-like, on the sweet side, with a finer crumb due to more flour in the mixture. Southern cornbread is flavored with bacon grease, and cooked in a cast iron skillet, a perfect side for barbecues, or chili. It also tends to be rather crumbly.

Combine almond milk and apple cider vinegar, and whisk together. Let sit for 5-7 minutes to “curdle”. Use as a substitute to buttermilk in a variety of recipes!

Buttermilk is a key ingredient

The reaction of the acid in the buttermilk on the rising agents makes for a lighter rise. This prevents the dense texture cornbread may sometimes have.

Crumble-In. When breaking bread with a friend in Southern Appalachia, you might suggest doing so directly into a tall glass of buttermilk.

In most cases, you cannot substitute buttermilk with just milk. Not only does buttermilk have a pleasant tangy flavor that regular milk does not have, but it also affects the texture of baked goods (buttermilk reacts with leaveners, such as baking soda and baking powder, to create especially light results).

“JIFFY” mixes can also be prepared with water or plant-based milk alternatives like soy, almond or coconut milk. Pineapple or orange juice may be substituted for flavor variation in the corn and fruit muffins. Feel free to experiment with other options and let us know if you find something else that works well.

The most common theory is a change in cornmeal itself. Until early in the 20th century, Southern cornmeal was made with sweeter white corn and it was water-ground. When industrial milling came along, that changed. The steel-roller mills used yellow corn that was harvested before it was ripe, so it had less sugar.

Jiffy cornbread mix, in case you really are standing in the baking aisle wondering, is wheat flour mixed with some cornmeal, a lot of sugar, lard, baking soda, and a handful of preservatives. (Note that because of the wheat flour, it's not gluten-free.)

What are the two types of cornbread? ›

Southern cornbread has traditionally been made with little to no sugar and a higher cornmeal-to-flour ratio, while Northern style cornbread is sweeter and more cake-like.

Yes, you can substitute sour cream! Thin it with milk or water to get the right consistency. For each cup of buttermilk needed, use 3/4 cup sour cream and 1/4 cup liquid. Editor's Tip: Sour cream has a higher fat content, so this will result in richer-tasting foods.

In a bowl, combine lemon juice with almond milk to make “vegan buttermilk.” Set aside for a few minutes — it should curdle slightly. It won't thicken like buttermilk, but it has a similar effect in recipes. Use in vegan ranch, biscuits (or gluten-free biscuits), or anywhere else that calls for buttermilk.

Store bought buttermilk is a slightly sour milk that comes from a combination of milk and lactic acid. It is thicker than plain milk, with a subtle tang. In recipes that call for buttermilk, it is not recommended to replace buttermilk with plain milk, because the absence of acid will not produce the same end result.

“JIFFY” mixes can also be prepared with water or plant-based milk alternatives like soy, almond or coconut milk. Pineapple or orange juice may be substituted for flavor variation in the corn and fruit muffins. Feel free to experiment with other options and let us know if you find something else that works well.

In a bowl, combine lemon juice with almond milk to make “vegan buttermilk.” Set aside for a few minutes — it should curdle slightly. It won't thicken like buttermilk, but it has a similar effect in recipes. Use in vegan ranch, biscuits (or gluten-free biscuits), or anywhere else that calls for buttermilk.

Heavy cream is a great substitute for milk in a baking recipe, but it does need to be diluted slightly. Because heavy cream boasts a fat content of 36% to 40%, using a half cup of heavy cream mixed with a half cup of water will be your best bet for replacing one cup of milk.