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Buttermilk is a wonderful kitchen ingredient. It makes baked goods softer while adding a little tang, and I’ve never met a piece of fried chicken that wasn’t exponentially improved by a buttermilk brine. That being said, who else is guilty of letting a carton of buttermilk expire in their fridge? Buttermilk, for most people, is a specialty item you buy to make one recipe and then find yourself with quite a bit left over. However, if you’re in need of ways to put that buttermilk to use, you’ve come to the right place.
Yes, freezing it is a worthwhile option, but honestly, there are plenty of ways to use up this luscious, fermented dairy product — from biscuits and pancakes to coleslaw. Here are some of our favorite recipes that will help you use up that carton — and perhaps make you reconsider it as a pantry staple.
Salads and Slaws
Buttermilk lends creaminess and tang to salads and slaws — and, honestly, who doesn’t want that?
1 / 6
Buttermilk Cucumber SaladThis refreshing rendition of the classic creamy cucumber salad still has all the zip and crunch, but incorporates elements from raita and tzatziki, other cooling cucumber-and-dairy dishes.
Go to Recipe Biscuits and Breads
Buttermilk gives baked goods a softer texture, more body, and a hint of tang.
5 / 7
CornbreadThis easy cornbread has crispy edges and a moist and fluffy center, and is packed with rich, buttery flavor.
Go to Recipe Pancakes and Waffles
Our very favorite pancakes and waffles call for buttermilk. Enough said.
3 / 8
Lofty Buttermilk PancakesThe secret to amazing pancakes? In many pancake recipes you separate the egg white from the yolk, beat the white until peaks form and then gently fold the white into the batter. But in this recipe, curiously, you don’t beat the white before adding it into the batter!
Go to Recipe 5 / 8
Pumpkin Pie PancakesAlthough it's easy to grow weary of the pumpkin madness that hits the universe come October, these pumpkin pie pancakes are in another league.
Go to Recipe 6 / 8
Sweet Potato PancakesWhat you get in these sweet potato pancakes are all the things you love in buttermilk pancakes, like a light and fluffy texture with a crisp edge all around the outside from the hot butter in the pan.
Go to Recipe Sweet Treats
Buttermilk desserts are worthy of buying a fresh carton or using one up.
2 / 10
Whoopie Pies Soft and round, not too sweet, and traditionally chocolate, whoopie pies are sandwiched between a fluffy white filling.
Go to Recipe 7 / 10
Chocolate Pound CakeChocolate pound cake comes together so easily that it’s an everyday cake, but the taste and texture — that close-knit, tight crumb unique to a pound cake — plus the deep chocolate flavor make it feel like a luscious, special-occasion treat.
Go to Recipe 8 / 10
Chocolate & Vanilla Swirled Marble CakeThere’s just something so appealing about the marbled swirl that appears when you cut off a slice of this cake. The flavor is not too rich but still satisfying, and we appreciate how it diplomatically resolves the whole chocolate vs vanilla debate.
Go to Recipe 9 / 10
Southern Butter RollsA nearly forgotten celebration of southern ingenuity, butter rolls live at the center of a Venn diagram of frugality, simplicity, and deliciousness.
Go to Recipe 10 / 10
Upside-Down Carrot CakeThis version takes the classic upside-down cake and turns it on its head. Very thinly sliced carrots form the pretty, striped top. It might not have cream cheese frosting, but it’s got pizzazz.
Go to Recipe More Buttermilk Recipes
There’s really no limit to what you can make with buttermilk, from mashed potatoes to fried green tomatoes.
1 / 11
Shrimp Po' BoyThanks to crispy fried shrimp and a tangy, zesty remoulade sauce, this sandwich is packed with flavor and texture.
Go to Recipe 10 / 11
Southern-Style Cornbread DressingThis is truly as Southern as it gets. With two sticks of butter, five cups of chicken stock, and five eggs, we can promise you it’s the moistest, most delicious cornbread dressing you’ll ever taste. In fact, we guarantee it.
Go to Recipe 
