Use It Up Challenge: Recipes with Buttermilk

February 23, 2015
Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
Confounded by a half-used carton of low-fat buttermilk? Put its creamy, tangy goodness to use in these everyday recipes.
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Banana-Berry Buttermilk Smoothie

Photo: Stephen Devries
View Recipe: Banana-Berry Buttermilk Smoothie

Though buttermilk originated as a by-product of butter churning, today's cartons are filled with low-fat milk and active cultures. When these two combine, lactic acid is formed, which reacts with baking soda in baked goods to produce carbon dioxide. We have buttermilk to thank for fluffy pancakes and flaky biscuits—and it adds creaminess and tang to savory dishes as well.

First up is this breakfast smoothie. Strawberries, blueberries, banana, and honey are whirred with buttermilk to create the creamy blend.
Need a little more buttermilk? Make it yourself! Here’s how to make your own buttermilk substitute.

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Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

Photo: Stephen Devries
View Recipe: Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

Buttermilk adds creaminess and depth to these garlicky mashed spuds.

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Buttermilk Butternut Soup with Toasted Pumpkinseeds

Photo: Stephen Devries
View Recipe: Buttermilk Butternut Soup with Toasted Pumpkinseeds

A warming winter favorite, traditional butternut squash soup is elevated by a swirl of buttermilk and a sprinkling of pumpkinseeds.

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Buttermilk and Blue Cheese Slaw

Photo: Stephen Devries
View Recipe: Buttermilk and Blue Cheese Slaw

This tangy, slightly spicy slaw comes together quickly for a last-minute side.

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Flaxseed Buttermilk Pancakes

Photo: Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Flaxseed Buttermilk Pancakes

In this recipe, the beloved buttermilk pancake gets a nutritious makeover with the addition of nutty flaxseed meal. Tapioca flour and potato starch keep the cakes light and fluffy, while brown rice flour adds whole grains and fiber.

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Crab Cakes with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

Photo: Jason Wallis
View Recipe: Crab Cakes with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

Crispy, fluffy, and stuffed with lump crabmeat, these lightened-up crab cakes make a scrumptious weeknight meal.

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Lemon Verbena-Buttermilk Sherbet

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Lemon Verbena-Buttermilk Sherbet

Lemon verbena adds fruity flavor to this lovely dessert. Its floral aroma and taste soften the tang of the buttermilk.

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Crispy Buttermilk Chicken

Photo: John Autry
View Recipe: Crispy Buttermilk Chicken

Marinating chicken breasts for four hours in a classic combination of buttermilk, egg, onion powder, and a hint of red pepper yields tender, flavorful results. Sautéing the chicken seals the juices and develops a nice crispy crust just before transferring to the oven.

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Quinoa with Strawberries and Buttermilk

Photo: Brian Woodcock; Styling: Cindy Barr
View Recipe: Quinoa with Strawberries and Buttermilk

Cook quinoa for dinner, save leftovers for breakfast, and start the day with 46g whole grains per serving. Creamy, crunchy, nutty, and fruity all come together in this morning bowl.

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Pumpkin Pound Cake With Buttermilk Glaze

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Pumpkin Pound Cake With Buttermilk Glaze

The glaze on this mouthwatering cake is enough to make you want to lick your screen. Drain the canned pumpkin before making the cake batter to keep the cake's texture light.

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Whole-Wheat, Buttermilk, and Orange Pancakes

Photo: Raymond Hom
View Recipe: Whole-Wheat, Buttermilk, and Orange Pancakes
Allowing the batter to sit before cooking gives the leaveners a chance to work, creating light, fluffy pancakes.

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Orzo Salad with Spicy Buttermilk Dressing

Photo: John Autry
View Recipe: Orzo Salad with Spicy Buttermilk Dressing

This tasty and colorful salad gets a spicy kick from its dressing, which includes chili powder and ground red pepper.

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Vanilla Buttermilk Pound Cakes

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Vanilla Buttermilk Pound Cakes

Tart buttermilk and sweet vanilla mingle flawlessly in this pound cake. You can also prepare these cakes in two (8 x 4–inch) loaf pans. Bake at 350° for one hour or until done.

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Seashell Salad with Buttermilk-Chive Dressing

Photo: John Autry
View Recipe: Seashell Salad with Buttermilk-Chive Dressing

Prosciutto, peas, and buttermilk-chive dressing make this superfast salad the perfect quick-meal contender.

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Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits

The less you knead the dough, the lighter and more tender your biscuits will be. Fat-free buttermilk adds a lovely tang and encourages a moist texture. This method of folding the dough creates irresistible flaky layers. To maximize the number of biscuits you get from the recipe, gather the dough scraps left after cutting, and gently pat or reroll them to a ¾-inch thickness.

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Chocolate Buttermilk Cake

Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Chocolate Buttermilk Cake

This soft, moist, and super delicious Chocolate Buttermilk Cake can cure even the strongest chocolate cravings. Perfect for any occasion, this cake never fails to satisfy.

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Whole-Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Whole-Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes

Whether you're serving up breakfast for dinner or a delicious weekend brunch, make an extra batch and freeze to save for busy mornings. Bonus: Many of our online reviewers have called these fluffy, flavorful pancakes the best they've ever tasted.

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Avocado-Buttermilk Soup with Crab Salad

Photo: Johnny Autry
View Recipe: Avocado-Buttermilk Soup with Crab Salad

This recipe has simple orange-infused crabmeat floating atop a rich, creamy soup for a unique combination. The entire recipe comes together without turning on the cooktop, making it an ideal warm-weather dish.

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Buttermilk-Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

Photo: Ellen Silverman
View Recipe: Buttermilk-Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

Be sure to purchase a crumbly wedge of Parmigiano-Reggiano for this super quick potato side dish. The salty flavor will give just the right bite to these melt-in-your-mouth mashed potatoes.

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Creamy Buttermilk-Herb Potato Salad

View Recipe: Creamy Buttermilk-Herb Potato Salad

This gourmet take on potato salad is a perfect pair for BBQ or sandwiches. Crème fraîche is a thickened cream product with a mildly tangy, nutty flavor; you'll often find it in tubs near the gourmet cheeses.

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Orange-Buttermilk Dinner Rolls

Photo: Jonny Valiant
View Recipe: Orange-Buttermilk Dinner Rolls

Citrusy sweet, these rolls won't take away from the main show, but they sure will add to it! Pull them from the oven just a few minutes before you serve to allow them to cool slighly.

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Chicken Stew and Dumplings

Photo: Jennifer Causey
View Recipe: Chicken Stew and Dumplings

Using cake flour and nonfat buttermilk cuts the fat by half and puts a healthier spin on these ultralight dumplings.

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Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes

Photo: Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes

Start a happy weekend morning tradition with homemade pancakes for the family. Blueberries, either fresh or frozen, give ordinary flapjacks a big flavor boost.

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Orecchiette with Peas, Shrimp, and Buttermilk-Herb Dressing

Anna Williams
View Recipe: Orecchiette with Peas, Shrimp, and Buttermilk-Herb Dressing

This herby pasta salad is perfect for a picnic or potluck gathering; double the recipe to serve a crowd. Medium shell-shaped pasta will also work in place of orecchiette.

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Wax Bean and Radish Salad with Creamy Parsley Dressing

Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Wax Bean and Radish Salad with Creamy Parsley Dressing

To make this salad a vegetarian meal, ditch the bacon and crumble in smoked blue cheese in place of regular. You’ll get meat-free smoked flavor.

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All-American Meat Loaf

Photo: Oxmoor House
View Recipe: All-American Meat Loaf

Meat loaf showed up in American cookbooks in 1899, and it’s been a national weeknight staple since, enjoyed hot or cold. This version includes sharp cheddar cheese and tangy buttermilk.

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Crab Eggs Benedict

Photo: Oxmoor House
View Recipe: Crab Eggs Benedict

A mock hollandaise sauce, made from mayonnaise and buttermilk, replaces the traditional clarified butter. Big chunks of sweet lump crabmeat drenched in creamy egg yolk are a welcome, fancier change from the traditional Canadian bacon. Serve with steamed asparagus.

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Fluffy Buttermilk Drop Biscuits

Photo: Randy Mayor
View Recipe: Fluffy Buttermilk Drop Biscuits

Our whole-grain biscuits are lightened with nonfat buttermilk, ready in 20.

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Carrot Cake Pancakes

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner
View Recipe: Carrot Cake Pancakes

Stuffed with toasted walnuts, shredded carrots, and all the spices found in carrot cake, these light buttermilk pancakes are a guilt-free breakfast pleasure. Top with some homemade honey butter or light pancake syrup.

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