5 creative ways to use leftover buttermilk

A homemade baked good can always benefit from a good pour of thick, creamy buttermilk. Picture: Pexels/Maria Stella Inzone

A homemade baked good can always benefit from a good pour of thick, creamy buttermilk. Picture: Pexels/Maria Stella Inzone

Published Apr 11, 2024

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Often overlooked in the kitchen, leftover buttermilk can make so much more than just a beverage. For the unversed, buttermilk is made by churning butter from cream.

Buttermilk is packed with vitamins and minerals that can help strengthen your bones and support a healthy digestive system. It is extremely versatile and you can add as many ingredients to it as you want.

Buttermilk is best enjoyed fresh but often we end up storing it rather than drinking it. If you are someone who usually finds themselves in this spot, then worry not.

Here are five ways to use leftover buttermilk at home.

Buttermilk gives pizza dough a smooth, springy texture and a golden-brown crust once it is baked. Picture: Pexels/Rene Strgar

In pizza dough

Buttermilk gives pizza dough a smooth, springy texture and a golden-brown crust once it is baked. Simply replace the water in your basic pizza dough recipe with the same quantity of buttermilk, and presto.

Make traditional vegetable curry

Buttermilk is the main ingredient in Indian vegetable curry, flavoured with aromatic toasted spices like turmeric, cumin and garam masala.

The fragrant dish tastes even better as leftovers since the potatoes soak up all of the traditional flavours.

A homemade baked good can always benefit from a good pour of thick, creamy buttermilk. Picture: Pexels/Maria Stella Inzone

Use it in baked goods

A homemade baked good can always benefit from a good pour of thick, creamy buttermilk. Whether you are craving biscuits, scones, shortcakes, chocolate cake, or even brownies, there are many recipes on Google that use buttermilk as an ingredient.

Make a dip for chips and veggies

Buttermilk is a common ingredient in dip recipes of all kinds because it adds a tangy flavour and slightly thick consistency. To make a great dip with buttermilk, simply combine buttermilk with other ingredients, such as herbs, spices, vegetables or cheese, and mix well.

You can then serve the dip immediately or chill it in the refrigerator for a few hours to allow the flavours to develop.

Prepare yourself with juicy pieces of fried chicken with leftover buttermilk. Picture: Pexels/Yanuar Putut Widjanarko

Make fried chicken

Who does not love restaurant-style fried chicken? Prepare yourself with juicy pieces of fried chicken with leftover buttermilk.

All you have to do is marinate the chicken, then coat the chicken pieces with breadcrumbs and deep fry to golden perfection. The buttermilk marination will add a refreshing and tangy taste to the spice blend used in the chicken's coating.