23 Recipes To Use The Open Container Of Buttermilk Sitting In Your Fridge

Buttermilk isn’t exactly a staple for most people, which is probably why it ends up half-used and forgotten. The good news is you don’t need a special occasion or complicated plan to use it up. These recipes are easy, practical, and full of the kind of food people actually want to eat. From crispy chicken to fluffy pancakes and baked goods, this is how you should use up a carton instead of dumping it down the kitchen sink.

Banana Nutmeg Pancakes

These aren’t your usual flapjacks. The yeast makes them rise fast, and the buttermilk keeps them light and fluffy. Great for when you want a breakfast that feels like a big deal without actually being one.
Get the Recipe: Banana Nutmeg Pancakes

Bang Bang Cauliflower

That leftover buttermilk is the base for crispy, golden cauliflower that holds up under a sticky-sweet sauce. This works as a snack, a side, or the thing you eat straight from the pan.
Get the Recipe: Bang Bang Cauliflower

Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Tenders

Toss these in your air fryer and you’ve got something crispy, spicy, and way better than takeout. The buttermilk makes the chicken tender and helps the coating stick without making a mess.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Tenders

Texas Sheet Cake

If that half-used buttermilk is still hanging out in your fridge, this cake gives it a job. It’s quick, feeds a bunch of people, and the frosting basically acts like glue to keep everyone quiet after dinner. Bake it in a sheet pan, slice it up, and boom—your dessert and your fridge problem are handled.
Get the Recipe: Texas Sheet Cake

Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins

These muffins are great if you’re staring at your buttermilk wondering what now. They’re soft, full of juicy blueberries, and take almost no time to pull together. Toss a batch in the oven and call it breakfast for the next few days.
Get the Recipe: Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins

Buttermilk Pancakes

This is what that buttermilk in your fridge was made for. These pancakes come out fluffy and tender with zero drama. Great for slow mornings, late breakfasts, or just when you want to use what you’ve got.
Get the Recipe: Buttermilk Pancakes

Amish Buttermilk Pie

Old-school and low-effort, this pie turns a random cup of buttermilk into something that tastes like you planned ahead. It only needs six ingredients and five minutes of effort before it’s oven-ready. Perfect for last-minute dessert decisions.
Get the Recipe: Amish Buttermilk Pie

Cinnamon Buttermilk Muffins

If your buttermilk needs a purpose, these muffins deliver. They’re soft, loaded with cinnamon, and done before you can finish a podcast. Great for breakfast, snacks, or when you’re over store-bought stuff.
Get the Recipe: Cinnamon Buttermilk Muffins

Air Fryer Cornbread

Don’t let that buttermilk go bad. Use it in this cornbread that cooks right in the air fryer. It’s light, fast, and exactly the kind of thing you can make on a weeknight without thinking too hard.
Get the Recipe: Air Fryer Cornbread

Mochi Donuts

These chewy, crispy donuts give buttermilk a new reason to exist. They’re easier than they look and way more interesting than whatever’s in that bakery box you didn’t really want anyway.
Get the Recipe: Mochi Donuts

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

Buttermilk is the key to fried chicken that doesn’t need a sauce or excuse. It keeps everything juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside. If you’ve got a bottle of it open, this is a solid move.
Get the Recipe: Buttermilk Fried Chicken

Buttermilk Syrup

If your syrup game is weak, this changes everything. Buttermilk makes it rich and buttery without needing to pile on extra ingredients. It also gives that half-empty container in the fridge a real purpose.
Get the Recipe: Buttermilk Syrup

Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins with Lemon Zest

This is a sharper, brighter take on the classic muffin. The buttermilk keeps everything soft, and the lemon cuts the sweetness just enough to keep things interesting. Great for breakfast or snacking.
Get the Recipe: Buttermilk Blueberry Muffins with Lemon Zest

Buttermilk Waffle

These waffles are all crunch on the outside and soft in the middle—exactly what you want. Buttermilk pulls the weight here, and you don’t need anything fancy to make it happen.
Get the Recipe: Buttermilk Waffle

Buttermilk Biscuits

Use that leftover buttermilk to bake biscuits with actual layers, not hockey pucks. These are soft, flaky, and work for everything from sausage gravy to jam. Breakfast just got an upgrade.
Get the Recipe: Buttermilk Biscuits

Moist Buttermilk Cupcake

This is the kind of cupcake that doesn’t dry out by day two. The buttermilk helps lock in that rich texture, and it holds up under frosting like a champ. Great when you want something that actually stays good after baking.
Get the Recipe: Moist Buttermilk Cupcake

Cinnamon Pumpkin Swirl Bread

Got buttermilk and some canned pumpkin? Cool, now you’ve got a soft, spiced bread that tastes like you tried harder than you did. This one’s perfect for fall baking or anytime your kitchen needs to smell amazing.
Get the Recipe: Cinnamon Pumpkin Swirl Bread

Buttermilk Traeger Chicken

If you’re smoking chicken and not using buttermilk, you’re missing out. This one gets soaked in a buttermilk brine, making it juicy and packed with flavor. It’s a great excuse to light up the Traeger on a weekend.
Get the Recipe: Buttermilk Traeger Chicken

Danish Aebleskiver

These little pancake balls are way easier to make than pronounce. Buttermilk keeps them soft and fluffy, and they’re great for breakfast, snacks, or bribing someone to do the dishes.
Get the Recipe: Danish Aebleskiver

Crispy Deep-Fried Cauliflower Bites

That buttermilk in the fridge is begging for this. It helps the batter stick, crisps up like a dream, and turns cauliflower into something people actually want to eat. Great side or snack.
Get the Recipe: Crispy Deep-Fried Cauliflower Bites

Louisiana Crunch Cake

This cake does the most with what you already have. Buttermilk keeps the crumb soft, and the crackly coconut topping makes it feel like more than just another sheet cake. Great for potlucks or lazy weekend baking.
Get the Recipe: Louisiana Crunch Cake

Fried Shrimp

Dunk those shrimp in buttermilk and you’re halfway to something crispy and craveable. This is the kind of dinner that takes barely any time and gets zero complaints.
Get the Recipe: Fried Shrimp

Smoked Fried Chicken

This chicken gets the double treatment—smoked first, then fried. Buttermilk handles the brining, making sure everything stays juicy through the whole process. Great if you want fried chicken with actual flavor.
Get the Recipe: Smoked Fried Chicken