16 Recipes With Buttermilk That Are So Indulgent and Delicious

Even the word buttermilk sounds so appetizing. Maybe it’s because we know it imparts baked goods with those irresistible oxymoronic qualities of tangy but rich, sturdy yet tender. But it’s aces as a marinade or brine as well, its acidity tenderizing meat and its milk solids aiding in tasty caramelization upon cooking. Whether working stealthily as a secret ingredient or featured as a main flavoring, buttermilk seems to turn any recipe (from pancakes or waffles to fried chicken or fluffy biscuits) into a keeper. It doesn't matter if you've made your own from scratch or have a little bit left in the carton that needs using up, these recipes are the best way to cook and bake with buttermilk.

Don’t get sucked in by those waffle recipes that have you separating eggs—that’s too much to ask first thing in the morning. You’ll adore how quick and easy these waffles are, but even more so, how perfectly crispy and light they are, and not too sweet.

Those golden edges. Those buttery layers. These tall, light and handsome biscuits come together simply, but in their simplicity lies the genius that is a biscuit in the first place. The more you make them, the more meals you’ll find are incomplete without a warm basket of them.

When Dorie Greenspan adds an ingredient, you know it’s for a good reason. This absolutely gorgeous layer cake will be your go-to for any chocolate lovers in your life, just a straight-up crowd pleaser every time.

You don’t need us to tell you that pigs-in-blankets win the party every time. But sometimes you want to go a step above just pulling them out of the freezer. This recipe from Guy Fieri cranks it all to eleven, with homemade sausage and a cheesy pastry, kept light with the inclusion of the buttermilk, wrapped around. Even the mustard sauce gets a smoky hit from chipotles and a tinge of agave.

Let’s turn our sights to something a little different here—rather than being a low-key ingredient as in the previous three recipes, this pie represents buttermilk’s star turn. A Southern staple, buttermilk pie was also known as “desperation pie” for its ability to turn a seemingly empty pantry into an insanely delicious dessert. The texture is quite custardy, and though sometimes the buttermilk will be its only flavoring, Kardea Brown likens it to a blank canvas, here including lemon zest and juice for some refreshing zip.

This showstopper of a dessert tops the most tender chocolate cake—courtesy of our friend, buttermilk—with a flan! Made in a Bundt pan, it’s also, dare we say, very cute, and uses a bit of magic in the process: Though the chocolate batter goes in the pan first, it ends up switching places with the flan custard while baking. The flan, flavored with cajeta, also known as dulce de leche, pairs very well with the bittersweet cake.

When you take the time to fry, you want to be sure that the result will be worth the effort. These onion rings truly deliver what they promise, the ideal crisp crust infused with subtle garlic, paprika and mustard powder and perfectly-cooked onions inside.

Believe it or not, just as buttermilk tenderizes meat, it also tenderizes gluten, which is one of the reasons it’s such a favorite ingredient in the baker’s pantry. Here, it brings great depth to a Bundt studded with fresh blueberries. Lovers of Tangtown can even sub some more buttermilk for the regular milk in the icing.

These are the ne-plus-ultra of juicy chops, brined and seasoned at several stages in their preparation. The buttermilk also acts as an additional base layer before the breading process, making the resulting final crust so complex. A super bright slaw makes an excellent adornment.

You won’t taste the buttermilk in Molly Yeh’s donuts themselves, as there are so many other elements at play—namely, brown butter and almond extract—but a little nip keeps them from tasting too heavy. In the icing, though, their subtle sour note comes forward, perfect for cutting the richness.

Even without its skin, this chicken gets a gorgeous char, due to the buttermilk in its marinade, its milk solids and sugars browning those edges deliciously. The marinade also encourages the herbs to go deep in seasoning the meat.

A simply ho-hum recipe for mashed potatoes is fine when you’re also serving gravy, but when you’re eating them on their own, you want them to be GOOD. A little twist, like subbing out some of the milk and adding buttermilk, gives them a savory-enhancing tang and keeps them from going insipid.

Somewhere along the line, Big Pancake Mix convinced us that turning out blue-ribbon flapjacks required some formula that must be so challenging that we should never attempt it from scratch. But particularly when you have buttermilk on hand, nothing could be further from the truth. These are tender, light and flip-worthy whether you’re Team Butter Only, Syrup Only, The Works or Plain, Hot Off The Griddle.

Do we even have to sell you on buttermilk ranch? Arguably one of America’s crowning culinary achievements, buttermilk ranch makes not only all salads taste better, but just about anything dipped in it, as well. Here, Ina elevates the wedge salad by going with Bibb (or Boston) lettuce instead of iceberg, but the dressing is the true star (n.b. the sly recipe title gives away what the main point of this recipe is).

This multi-purpose sherbet will become your new summer favorite. Put it out between courses for a fancy-pants palate cleanser, or eat it straight or with berries for a super-refreshing cool dessert. Similarly, it complements berry pies in a very interesting way. This is much quicker to make than homemade ice cream, since you don’t have to make a custard first; just whisk everything together and let the ice cream machine do the rest.