Substitution For Greek Yogurt: Simple Options Anyone Can Use

I love greek yogurt and tend to keep it on hand to use for a snack, in my smoothies, and recently as a major ingredient in my cooking. Greek yogurt is a great way to sneak a bit more protein into our food without tasting a difference.

Sometimes for our favorite recipes, I need a substitution for greek yogurt because well-keeping things the kids like in the house with this many kids running around every day is difficult.

The best substitution for Greek yogurt: Sour cream 

The best substitution for greek yogurt in recipes is sour cream. The consistency and flavor profile of sour cream is very similar and these two in ingredients are a perfect substitution for each other in all recipes.

When using sour cream as a substitution for greek yogurt your recipes you can swap the two in a 1 to 1 ratio.

This works as a great substitution for greek yogurt for me because the kids will not eat sour cream so I can keep it on hand. It only tends to disappear when we have guests over toco night. The only thing that goes faster is the Pico De Gallo or Mango Salsa.

Sour cream has enough acid to react well with baking soda to give you the perfect consistency for baking when used as a substitute for greek yogurt.

Substitution for greek yogurt in baking

Regular yogurt

Regular yogurt makes a great option for replacing greek yogurt in recipes. Plain unsweetened yogurt can be used in a 1 to 1 ratio with greek yogurt in your cooking.

To help get a thicker consistency if you want a thicker batter you can use a simple trick that is part of the process of making greek yogurt.

Strain the yogurt through some cheesecloth to remove more of the liquid and thicken it up. When baking with regular yogurt as a substitution for greek yogurt, if you do not strain way more of the liquid you may want to reduce the other liquids in the recipe to prevent the batter from getting too wet.

Greek Yougurt Subsitution: Heavy cream

Heavy cream is a great substitute for greek yogurt when making creamy sauces and gravies on the stovetop. Heavy cream is always a go-to for creamy sauces and greek yogurt was actually a substitute for it originally because of the added protein. 

For baking, you can use heavy cream as a substitution for greek yogurt by turning it into a thick substitution for buttermilk. To do this simply add 1 teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup of heavy cream and let sit for 5 minutes.

This can be used as a 1 to 1 substitute for greek yogurt in baking. If you use this you may want to reduce the other liquids in the recipe to help avoid making your muffins, cakes, and other soft fluffy baked goods too wet and heavy.

Substitution for green yogurt: Condensed milk

The use of condensed milk in many recipes is common. Condensed milk is easy to store in your stockpile to help make it easier to feed your family on a budget you can stock this when the sales hit during the holiday baking season. 

 It is common to use greek yogurt for these recipes for the creaminess, cultured protein, and heavy texture.

In creamy and cheesy dishes and sauces, condensed milk is a perfect substitute for greek yogurt. In order to use this in baking, add a teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar to the can of condensed milk and let sit for at least 5 minutes.

Using this recipe, buttermilk will be created as a leveling agent that can replace greek yogurt. If you are substituting condensed milk for greek yogurt in baking, you might need to reduce the amount of liquid slightly.

Buttermilk as a substitution for greek yogurt

Greek yogurt reacts to baking soda when used as a leveling agent. Buttermilk can be used instead.

You will not get a creamy texture, but your cakes, quick bread, and muffins will be fluffy and moist. Because of the thinner texture, you may need to reduce other liquids in your recipe to avoid leaving your batter too liquidy. 

Cottage cheese

You can substitute cottage cheese for greek yogurt in recipes that call for greek yogurt for its creamy texture but not for its tang.

Make your cottage cheese smooth and creamy by running it through a blender. You will be left with a light, creamy flavor that’s perfect for soups, sauces, and even smoothies.

To use cottage cheese as a substitute for greek yogurt in your baking you will need to add a teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice to raise the acidity to cause the evening reaction with the baking soda in the recipe. 

Cream cheese

In some cases, cream cheese can replace greek yogurt, much like cottage cheese. The cheese is simply heated to room temperature, mixed with a spoon, and added to your recipes once you have made it creamy.

You do not need a blender for this recipe. If you want to use cream cheese in place of greek yogurt in baking you will need to add 1/2 teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice to race the acidity enough to get the wanted chemical reaction. 

Non-dairy substitution for greek yogurt in baking

The good news is that you can use non-dairy and lactose-free options to help substitute greek yogurt in your favorite recipes.

Coconut milk

Vegans and non-dairy eaters alike will appreciate this substitution for green yogurt in cooking. A teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar can be added to add the required acid if you need to level baked goods.

You can use this in a 1 to 1 ratio for creamy recipes. To prevent your batter from becoming too thin, start with half and add more if needed. 

Coconut yogurt

Coconut yogurt is a popular alternative to dairy-based yogurts. You can use this in place of green yogurt in all of your recipes. Opt for a full-fat unsweetened verity for making with coconut yogurt as a substitute for greek yogurt.

For baking, you may want to add 1/2 teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice to raise the acid levels to get the right fluffy texture in your muffins, bakes, and other baked goods. 

Make your own greek yogurt

If you need greek yogurt and all you have is regural yogurt either store bought or homemade on hand you can sue it as is or take the time to strain the yogurt with cheese cloth to remove more of the liquid.

This will give you a thicker consistency like greek yogurt. Greek yogurt is made by removing the excess liquid to make a thicker concitancy yogurt.

Subsitutions for greek yogurt in a smoothie

Greek yogurt is a popular ingrediant in many smoothie recipes. The good news is that if you do not have greek yogurt on hand you can still make your smooth with other options. the best substitutions for greek yogurt in smoothies are:

• yogurt
• vanilla ice cream
• cream cheese
• heavy cream
• coconut milk