Greek yogurt is one of the more nutritious beverages. And even if you do not have it in your fridge, you can easily find a substitute for Greek yogurt. Cooking and substituting ingredients expands your skills and recipes. Greek yogurt brings a ton of health benefits to every dish. We love it. But sometimes you just do not have it in your fridge. And you feel lazy to go to the supermarket.
Thankfully, we have a solution for this type of scenario. We try to make sure we deliver healthy substitutes without skimping on flavor. Greek yogurt is such a versatile ingredient. You can use it as a substitute in other dishes, and you can substitute it in your dishes.
Yogurt helps give baked goods a moist texture. And when you add yogurt to savory dips, you add creaminess.
So, what we have here is a guide about substituting Greek yogurt in different dishes. Look at it as a general guide. You can change the ratio if you want to experiment with flavors and taste.
When you substitute Greek yogurt in dishes, take a gradual approach. Start with less, and ease your way as you move forward. Do not expect people to get used to the new taste instantly. Now, let’s take a look at the substitutes for Greek yogurt.
Sour Cream
You can use sour cream in almost any recipe that originally calls for Greek yogurt. And when it comes to dressings and sauces, sour cream fits perfectly. You can use the same amount of sour cream as you would yogurt.
When you use sour cream, expect a bit of an indulgent bite to your dish. The texture remains the same, but the taste is a bit different.
Vegan Sour Cream
Do you want a Greek yogurt dairy-free alternative? Well, you can try vegan sour cream. It has a similar flavor and texture to yogurt. Usually, vegan sour cream contains cashews, lemon juice, and/or tofu.
Now, we wouldn’t advise substituting vegan sour cream for sour cream in baking recipes. But if the recipe calls for yogurt, you can also try vegan sour cream.
What is the difference between regular and vegan sour cream? Regular sour cream contains 11.4g of saturates. Vegan cream contains only 3.3g. It also contains less sugar, fat, and calories.
Cottage Cheese
Cottage cheese has a tapioca-like consistency. That is one reason many people try to avoid it. But cottage cheese contains a high amount of healthy nutrients. It is high in protein, low in sugar, and full of calcium.
You can use it as an alternative to Greek yogurt in a 1:1 ratio. Try cottage cheese in pancakes, cheesecakes, salads, toast, and many different recipes. We recommend blending the cottage cheese before putting it in the recipe to get a smoother consistency.
Buttermilk
What is buttermilk? It is the liquid that remains after you churn the butter. For some people, buttermilk sounds gross. But do not let it stop you from using it. Buttermilk is rich in flavor, and it will help your cakes and breads rise.
Buttermilk gives a tang and tenderness to your recipes. When it comes to alternatives to yogurt, we recommend using less buttermilk than the recipe calls for yogurt.
Cream Cheese
Cream cheese is the perfect alternative to Yogurt toast. Try picturing cream cheese and cucumber on toasty bread. It is the perfect way to start the morning.
And the best news? You can substitute the same amount of cream cheese for yogurt in baked goods.
Tofu
Here is another vegetarian choice. And also an option for anyone following a dairy-free diet. Silken tofu makes a great replacement for yogurt in recipes. And it is less expensive than some of the other non-dairy options.
Before using tofu, always blend it. This will deliver a smooth consistency. Then, add a few teaspoons of lemon juice and you will get similar acidity as the one of yogurt.
Avocado
Raise your hand if you thought avocado can substitute yogurt. But hey, we are here to learn something new, right?
For vegans, avocado is one of the best alternatives for Greek yogurt. Smash it into a puree, and then add it to any sauce, dressing, and even baked goods. You will get a slightly different flavor. Remember, avocado has a fairly neutral flavor. It won’t affect the final dish too much.
If you want to bring out the avocado flavor, add lime or lemon juice to mashed avocado before adding to the bowl of ingredients.
Mayo
Mayo is a condiment that often gets a bad reputation. Yes, we know mayo contains fats and a high amount of calories. But mayo can make a good substitute for yogurt.
Do you know that there are cakes that praise mayo as a secret ingredient? After all, mayo is eggs and oil.
Plain Yogurt
Plain yogurt is cheaper than Greek yogurt. And it doesn’t have a strong flavor. For any recipe that calls for Greek yogurt, you can use plain one as an alternative. Use the same amount of plain yogurt. It is slightly less creamy and tangy.
And if you like, you can turn your plain yogurt into Greek yogurt.
DIY Greek Yogurt
For our last substitute, Greek yogurt, we take you back to the kitchen. You can make your own yogurt, and you will pay less than you would at the store. Depending on the milk and starter you use, you can end up with a different type of yogurt. It is a relatively easy process, and you can find a lot of tutorials on YouTube for how to make your own Greek yogurt.
Essentially, you need two ingredients, milk and a starter. You can choose any milk, whole milk, 1%, 2%, skim milk, or anything else. Some people go for skimmed milk, others go for unflavored milk, and so on. The second ingredient is the starter, a set of bacterial cultures that will ferment the milk’s natural lactose sugars into lactic acid.
Essentially, the starter will thicken the milk and sour it at the same time, turning it into yogurt. Check some tutorials and start making your own yogurt.
Thank you for the suggestions. I am allergic to any type of yogurt, but I love the tangy, creamy sauce on my Gyros. There is a takeout place here that will make a Gyro for me and leave the yogurt sauce off. I needed a substitute for that messy sauce. I have Greek seasoning that I can mix with the substitutions and maybe come up with something that is close. 🙂