The First Dairy-Free Buttermilk Hits Stores: Where to Find It

Without buttermilk, dairy-free home chefs have struggled to cook everything from pancakes to cornbread, typically adding an acid like vinegar to plant-based milk to achieve the taste. Now, dairy alternative company Mill It has developed the solution, with its brand new dairy-free buttermilk that uses a proprietary blend of ancient grains to replicate the taste and nutritional value of traditional buttermilk. The plant-based brand developed its buttermilk recipes by fermenting both millet and sorghum, mirroring the fermentation and curdling of traditional buttermilk.

The new Mill It Plant-Based Buttermilk is the first product of its kind to become commercially available. The new buttermilk product is developed to completely replicate the functionality of its animal-based counterpart. The ancient grains allow the company to ferment the new plant-based milk alongside the added benefit of gut-friendly probiotics.

Mill It claims that the new Buttermilk product works as a seamless substitute for any curry, sauce, smoothie, bread, or dessert recipe. Beyond its versatility, the Mill It buttermilk is also low in sugar and calories. Per serving, the Mill It Plant-Based Buttermilk only contains 60 calories whereas one cup of traditional buttermilk averages 100 calories per serving.

“As a crop, these grains are drought and extreme-weather resistant. They require less fertilizer and water than soybeans and almonds and provide high yields. They are relatively easy to grow, generate low runoff contamination, and have reduced risk of crop damage,” the company stated. “Through our patented formulation, we have crafted the first-ever plant-based buttermilk and plant-based buttermilk dressings that match the taste, texture, and consistency of dairy, while being rich in micronutrients and hypoallergenic.”

Surprisingly, the company unintentionally developed this buttermilk. The plant-based brand – known for its selection of vegan dressings – developed vegan buttermilk as a base for its other products, before it realized that no plant-based buttermilk existed commercially. Now, Mill It’s plant-based Buttermilk is now available nationwide. Shoppers can find the 32-ounce bottle at supermarkets for between $4.99 and $5.99.

“Our buttermilk performs as a one-to-one replacer of traditional buttermilk in any recipe. This allows consumers to convert any of their favorite traditional recipes into plant-based versions,” Meyers said to VegNews. “This is superior to any home methods of curdling plant milk because the lemon juice or vinegar used can cause significant flavor defects and when the ratio of acid to plant milk is unbalanced it can ruin a recipe.”

What is Sorghum?

What's so special about Mill It's ancient grains? The protein-pack grain sorghum has long been overlooked in the United States, but recently, food developers and shoppers have taken note of the several health benefits that this Mediterranean grain holds. As a cousin to millet, sorghum cooks and tastes extremely similar to the more widely known ancient grain.

So what is so special about sorghum? First, this specialized grain contains 10 grams of protein in every half cup. But beyond the protein count, this grain is full of Potassium, Niacin, Thiamin, Vitamin B6, Magnesium, and Manganese. Also, sorghum is one of the most sustainable foods to grow, capturing carbon and requiring minimal water.

Check out The Beet's sorghum guide to learn more about this ancient grain.