Use Greek Yogurt as a Substitute in Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Use Greek Yogurt as a Substitute in Recipes? ›

Greek yogurt can substitute milk, sour cream and heavy cream. Milk: If you're short on milk, half and half or light cream, Greek yogurt can be used to make up for the difference. If your recipe calls for one cup of milk, use three-quarter cup of milk and one-quarter cup of Greek yogurt instead.

Greek Yogurt as a Substitute for Sour Cream can be readily used in Chilled Recipes. Yogurt – especially Greek yogurt – makes a terrific substitute for sour cream in dips, salad dressings, and garnishing chilled soups. It's also perfect for marinades, either on its own or as a stand-in for buttermilk.

As Janet Fletcher, author of Yogurt: Sweet and Savory Recipes for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner, explains it, "Greek yogurt has less whey so your batter will be thicker, and it has significantly more fat and protein.

Swapping out a high fat or high calorie ingredients like oil, butter, Mayonnaise, buttermilk, sour cream, and even cream cheese is an easy way to cut calories and fat out of your meals. Swapping in Greek yogurt can actually boost the nutritional value of your meal, too.

Greek yogurt and milk

Blend together equal parts Greek yogurt and whole milk and use it in place of the same amount of heavy cream. Note that this substitute can add thickness to dishes like soups or sauces, but it shouldn't be used in recipes that require whipping.

Also, Greek yogurt is generally lower in fat and calories, making it a healthier alternative for those watching their weight or heart health. However, sour cream also has its own benefits. It is rich in calcium and vitamin A, making it a nutrient-dense addition to your diet.

For swapping a dollop of sour cream on your baked potato, taco or chili, a 1-to-1 ratio for non-fat free Greek yogurt will do the trick. In addition, Greek yogurt can be added to dressings or dips as a substitute for cream or mayonnaise (at least in part).

Whether you're baking muffins or making lasagna, Greek yogurt is versatile enough for both sweet and savory dishes. Substitute Greek yogurt as a replacement when you're out of a key ingredient, or to add tangy depth of flavor.

Both yogurt and buttermilk are good substitutes for eggs. It's best to use plain yogurt, as flavored and sweetened varieties may alter the flavor of your recipe. You can use 1/4 cup (60 g) of yogurt or buttermilk for each egg that needs to be replaced. This substitution works best for muffins, cakes, and cupcakes.

Its creaminess helps keep baked goods moist. Its tanginess imparts a crave-worthy, old-fashioned flavor. Its acidity helps activate baking soda, which can make baked goods fluffy and light. It can step in for sour cream, mayonnaise or crème fraîche, bringin the same tangy with less guilt.

How to add Greek yogurt to baking? ›

How to substitute it: for every 1 cup of butter, substitute ½ cup of plain Greek yogurt. In general, I recommend using a full-fat or at least 2% fat Greek yogurt as the fat will help keep the texture nice and tender. To start, I usually try replacing only half of the butter with Greek yogurt.

How come? During its production process much of the lactose is removed. Besides that the live active cultures, also called probiotics, inside Greek yogurt help digest lactose!

Our creamy, tangy Greek Yogurt is a great substitution for sour cream or other high-fat cream in soups, sauces and stews. But heat can cause yogurt to separate, so whisk it in off the heat at the end, gently re-warming the dish over low heat if necessary, but not letting it simmer or boil.

Yogurt in sauces and hot dishes

There is one hurdle to overcome: yogurt forms small, annoying lumps when it is cooked and this makes sauce look curdled. Proteins are already fragile due to the presence of lactic acid in the yogurt. They begin to clump together and form lumps when exposed to heat.

While Greek yogurt's temperamental relationship with heat makes baking with it somewhat more complicated, it is still possible. You just have to thin it out a bit before incorporating it into a recipe like raspberry yogurt muffins. That way, it'll perform more like regular yogurt, which has a thinner consistency.

Greek yogurt can contain twice as much protein per serving as regular yogurt. Protein is an important part of a healthy diet and helps keep you fuller longer. If either type of yogurt has added fruits or toppings, the sugar content can be higher than normal, but typically, Greek yogurt is lower in sugar and carbs.

So far, these two high-protein snacks are neck in neck when considering protein, calcium and calories. But one clear distinction steers the choice: Cottage cheese can be loaded with sodium. Just 1 cup of cottage cheese can deliver 8 to 9 times the sodium found in Greek yogurt.