Buttermilk is a key ingredient when making a stack of thick and fluffy pancakes, but there is a substitute for buttermilk that works even better: sour cream.

Just like buttermilk, sour cream is an acidic dairy product that can create fluffy, delicious pancakes while also imparting a distinctly tangy flavor.

However, you can't substitute sour cream for buttermilk in a one-to-one ratio due to composition differences. Buttermilk's starter ingredient is milk, while sour cream's is cream.

This results in two different final fat and water contents. Buttermilk has more water and less fat content, while sour cream has less water and more fat content.

To make the swap, the general rule of thumb is to combine sour cream with a liquid (usually milk, but water can work) to increase its moisture content to match that of buttermilk.

For example, for every cup of buttermilk, you can substitute ½ cup of sour cream and ½ cup of milk whisked together or ¾ cup of sour cream and ¼ cup of water.