How Much Sugar Is in Buttermilk?
1 cup of buttermilk has about 12 g of sugar, most of it added during processing rather than naturally occurring.
in 1 cup · about 2.9 teaspoons
- Per serving
- 12 g
- Per 100 g
- 4.9 g
- Type
- Added sugar
- In teaspoons
- ≈ 2.9 tsp
Fine in a portion — worth keeping an eye on.
Buttermilk carries roughly 12 g of sugar per 1 cup, which works out to about 4.9 g per 100 g. That places it in the 'moderate' band for a typical serving.
Because this sugar is added during processing, it digests quickly with nothing to slow it down — check the ingredient label if you want to see exactly which sweeteners are used.
How buttermilk compares
Out of 205 everyday foods and drinks we track, buttermilk ranks #104 for sugar per serving — more than 50% of them.
- Plain Soy Yogurt12g
- Canned Peaches12g
- Buttermilk (this page)12g
- Nectarine11g
- Papaya11g
Bars show sugar per serving. Tap any food to see its full breakdown.
Lower-sugar swaps
- This is already a moderate-to-low sugar choice for its category
Frequently asked questions
- Is the sugar in buttermilk natural or added?
- Most of it is added during processing, not naturally occurring in the base ingredients.
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Sugar values from USDA FoodData Central; actual amounts vary by brand, ripeness, and recipe. Last updated 2026-08-30.