The best substitutes for Greek yogurt in baking

Greek yogurt is one of those foods that have become very popular in recent years, and for good reason.

It is incredibly rich in protein. It is much denser, thicker and creamier than regular yogurt. In addition, it is versatile and can be used for a wide variety of recipes, including pastries.

As much as we want to use it, it’s inevitable that you’ll find yourself in a situation where you simply don’t have any on hand. In those cases, you have to think on your feet. After all, flexibility is one of the things that makes a home cook great.

What are the best substitutes for Greek yogurt in baking?

The best substitutes for Greek yogurt when baking are regular whole-grain plain yogurt, sour cream, buttermilk, and cottage cheese. Good substitutes should have similar properties to Greek yogurt, such as fat content, consistency, acidity, and creaminess.

To help you with your substitutions, we’ve put together a guide on how to effectively substitute Greek yogurt the next time you’re short on a recipe.

Before that though, we also take a closer look at what exactly Greek yogurt does and what it adds to.

Greek Yogurt - Overview

You’re probably already familiar with Greek yogurt.

Also called strained yogurt, Greek yogurt is a variant of yogurt that has undergone an intense straining process that removes excess lactose and water content.

Once your whey is thoroughly drained, you are left with a rich and creamy yogurt with lower sugar content and fewer carbohydrates. Its thicker consistency and noticeably sour taste help differentiate it from regular yogurt.

Keep in mind that this type of yogurt has been around for a long time. It first gained popularity in the Middle and Near East and in parts of Eastern Europe.

It’s called “Greek” yogurt because a Greek company brought it to the US, even though it probably wasn’t originally Greek. It is more likely to have a Turkic origin.

That being said, Greek yogurt has seen a dramatic rise in popularity and has made its way into mainstream diets ever since. Since then it has become an integral part of countless recipes, leading to a boom in its production.

It is clear that Greek yogurt is far from being a fad.

Of course, it should also be noted that, just like plain yogurt, Greek yogurt is incredibly healthy and nutritious. Below is a breakdown of the different nutrients and minerals you can expect from a 100g serving.

Nutritional value of Greek yogurt (in a 100-gram serving)

As the table above shows, Greek yogurt is high in protein. In addition, it is also low in fat and calories. This makes yogurt an effective way to sustain your energy throughout the day without having to worry about the number of calories.

At the same time, Greek yogurt also contains a ton of probiotics. As you know, probiotics are those healthy bacteria that help strengthen your immune system and digestive tract.

Along with its fiber content, Greek yogurt is an effective way to keep your stomach healthy.

Using Greek Yogurt for Baking

There are many reasons why Greek yogurt is one of the most widely used baking ingredients. It is used for a wide variety of pastry recipes.

Listed below are some of the pastas you can make with this ingredient:

• waffles
• baked donuts
• donut parfaits
• Pie
• Bread
• muffin
• cheesecake bars
• Biscuits
• Biscuit
• cup cake

It goes without saying that the above list is by no means exhaustive. We would not have enough space if we were to list all the baking recipes that you can try with Greek yogurt.

There is no shortage of uses for this ingredient.

You may wonder why. After all, there must be something that makes Greek yogurt stand out as a baking ingredient.

With this in mind, we have listed some of the things that Greek yogurt provides:

• Healthy Option : Greek yogurt is quite a healthy ingredient for baking recipes. Not only does it have reduced amounts of lactose and sugar, but it also has fewer carbohydrates, fewer calories, and more protein.
• Creamy Texture : Another big reason why Greek yogurt is so popular is its creamy texture. As you probably know if you’re an avid baker, you want to give your baked goods the right level of moisture. Greek yogurt does this very well.
• Spicy Flavor : Flavor is one of the most distinctive elements of Greek yogurt. It’s a classic flavor that sticks to your palate and makes you want it more. It is a creamy, light and versatile flavor, with a bit of heat, a perfect complement to many recipes.
• Acidity : Another important, but underrated, element of Greek yogurt is its acidity. As you may know, acidity plays a crucial role in cooking, as it can help activate the baking soda. Doing so results in something incredibly light and fluffy.

It goes without saying that when looking for the different alternatives to Greek yogurt, we will want to take these characteristics into account. Any substitute has to satisfy most or all of these factors.

To be more precise, we have to find the right kind of ingredients that can justifiably take their place. To do this, we have to look for different ingredients that can do what Greek yogurt does best during the cooking process.

Why substitute Greek yogurt?

As you may have noticed, we have a lot of work ahead of us. However, we will never back down from a culinary challenge like this.

So, before we delve into possible alternatives to Greek yogurt, we should perhaps look at the different reasons why you would want to do it in the first place.

After all, as the previous sections have shown, Greek yogurt brings incredible richness to any recipe. Plus, it’s also creamy and packed with nutrients, including high levels of probiotics, protein, and calcium.

It seems strange that we look for ways to replace it. However, there are several reasons why you would want to do so.

Here are some of the cases where you might consider substituting something else for Greek yogurt for your baking project:

• Practicality : One of the main rules for running your kitchen is to always be practical, both in your choices and in your methods. For some, Greek yogurt may be too expensive an ingredient, or not worth keeping on hand if you rarely eat or cook with it. So instead of avoiding recipes altogether, you may have to improvise and find other items that can take their place.
• Personal Preferences : While we simply love that distinctive tangy flavor Greek yogurt has, we also understand that it’s not for everyone. After all, there is no shortage of polarizing foods in the culinary world. Unfortunately, Greek yogurt is also on that list. Some people consider that its flavor is too intense and it is not to their liking. If you are one of those people who does not appreciate its strong flavor, you will surely like our list of alternatives.
• Convenience : Another common reason people choose to substitute Greek yogurt is a matter of convenience. Specifically, sometimes you run out and find it too inconvenient to go to the store to look for it. For example, if you have prepared the dough and have let it rise, the last thing you want is to waste time. So, in those cases, you have to get your wits about you and work with the ingredients you have.

If you ever find yourself in such a situation, fear not, because we have prepared a perfectly doable solution for your problem. After all, no ingredient is perfectly irreplaceable.

You just have to be creative and have an eye for detail.

Greek Yogurt Substitutions

Now we have come to the heart of the matter. In this section, we have selected some of the best substitutes for Greek yogurt that you can try.

We’ve tried to make the list as comprehensive as possible, so while there are some obvious choices, we’ve also made some unexpected ones. So be sure to check them out.

1. Plain yogurt

First, we have natural yogurt. This is perhaps the most obvious choice and probably not a surprise.

After all, it is the material from which Greek yogurt comes. It has several advantages that make it one of the most popular Greek yogurt alternatives.

For example, if the flavors of Greek yogurt seem overwhelming to you, you’re in luck. Plain yogurt is noticeably less spicy. It is the best option for those looking for a lighter flavor profile in their baking ingredients.

The downside, however, is that plain yogurt is a bit less creamy.

On the other hand, natural yogurt is usually more affordable than Greek. This makes sense. After all, plain yogurt has not been subjected to the lengthy straining process. Since it is less processed, it is usually cheaper.

As a general rule, you should always use plain whole-grain yogurt when substituting for it in baking recipes.

Although it can vary depending on the particular recipe, plain unsweetened yogurt will always work best as a substitute for Greek yogurt.

To make an even better substitution, you can try doing the casting process yourself. All you need is plain whole milk yogurt and cheesecloth.

By straining plain whole milk yogurt, you are emulating the process of making Greek yogurt, removing some of the excess moisture and thus changing the texture to make it thicker.

As for the substitution of natural yogurt for Greek, the process is very simple. The ratio is 1:1, which means that most of the time you won’t have a problem substituting the Greek yogurt for the same amount of regular whole grain yogurt.

2. Sour cream

Another popular baking ingredient is sour cream.

It has a remarkably creamy texture that lends itself effectively to baked goods, making them moister than they might otherwise be. Needless to say, this makes it perfect for recipes like biscuits, which are notoriously difficult to moisten.

The similarity in consistency makes sour cream an ideal substitute for Greek yogurt, in a pinch.

Interestingly, this isn’t the only thing sour cream has going for it. To be more precise, it also has that strong taste that you get from Greek yogurt.

So if you need a convenient substitute for Greek yogurt, you can rest easy knowing you can use sour cream. If you always have sour cream on hand for enchilada night, this is the substitute you need.

This goes for almost any baking recipe that calls for Greek yogurt. You’ll barely notice any difference in texture and flavor, as the sour cream provides a near-perfect recreation of the Greek yogurt experience.

With that said, you’ll also be happy to know that the formula for substituting these two ingredients is incredibly simple. Also in this case a ratio of 1:1 applies. So simply use the same amount of sour cream that you would use with Greek yogurt.

3. Buttermilk

Another popular baking ingredient and effective substitute for Greek yogurt is buttermilk. Buttermilk is also used on its own in a wide variety of baking recipes.

For example, if you’ve ever been out for lunch, you’ve probably noticed the huge popularity of delicious buttermilk biscuits that are ever-present on restaurant menus. Hmm.

Simply put, buttermilk is fermented milk. It is the liquid left over from the churning process that is essential for making butter.

Like Greek yogurt, it also has a high level of acidity. This means that the buttermilk can help activate the baking soda and make the dough rise faster and faster.

Also, baked goods made with buttermilk taste very rich. Both of these factors make buttermilk a great alternative to Greek yogurt.

Of course, one of the things that stands out is the difference in consistency between these two ingredients. While Greek yogurt is incredibly dense and thick, buttermilk is much thinner.

To remedy this, you should use less buttermilk in your recipes. To be more precise, you should use as little as a quarter of the amount called for in the recipe when substituting Greek yogurt for the buttermilk.

You can try using more buttermilk, but it would be a good idea to try using less of your other liquid ingredients at the same time.

4. Cottage cheese

Another ingredient that we highly recommend as a substitute for Greek yogurt is cottage cheese.

This ingredient is also incredibly versatile. It can be used for a wide variety of baking recipes, such as pancakes, cheesecakes and the like. You just have to explore the possibilities.

Of course, one of the things that people point out is the problem of the consistency of the cottage cheese. It brings to mind the image of thick tapioca.

That being said, there is a simple solution for this. By pre-mixing the cottage cheese, you can achieve a smoother consistency, very similar to Greek yogurt.

If you opt for this substitute for Greek yogurt, you should keep in mind that it has a much smoother and creamier flavor. This is because cottage cheese doesn’t have that distinctive flavor that you get from Greek yogurt.

Although this may be disappointing for some, it is also good news for others.

Also keep in mind that cottage cheese has the same level of fat. It gets it mainly from its dairy content. In addition, it also contains high levels of calcium and protein, keeping sugar levels low.

To substitute Greek yogurt for cottage cheese, you can probably use a 1:1 ratio, but you can start with a little less if the texture seems too runny after mixing.

There you have our complete guide to substitute Greek yogurt in your pastry recipes.

Be sure to take note of the suggested ratios and proceed accordingly. In this way, you will always be able to bake all those wonderful recipes that you love.