Top 7 Quark Substitutes

A fresh dairy product that has a unique flavor and texture, quark isn’t one of the most common food items you’ll find on the shelves of your local supermarket.

If you can’t find quark in your grocery store, don’t worry! There are many similar dairy products that you can use instead.

What are the best quark substitutes?

There are a number of similar dairy products that you can use in place of quark. Various types of yogurts and cheeses, such as cream cheese, cottage cheese, mascarpone, and ricotta cheese, are excellent quark substitutes.

If you keep reading, you will discover which are the best substitutes for this healthy dairy product. We’ll also answer some common questions that arise when cooking with quark or looking for quark substitutes, as well as discussing the types of recipes quark is commonly used in.

The 7 best quark substitutes

To know how to substitute it, it is important to first understand what a quark is.

Quark is a fresh dairy product made by adding lactic acid to milk , and tastes much like yogurt or cottage cheese.

One of its greatest qualities is that it is a very healthy dairy option, since it has very few calories and low levels of fat.

1. Greek yogurt

Due to its similar texture, Greek yogurt is a great substitute for quark, especially when making dips or spreads.

Simply substitute the quark for the same amount of Greek yogurt called for in the recipe.

Keep in mind that quark is a bit thicker and more solid than Greek yogurt, which could affect the texture of your dish.

However, for those who appreciate quark’s nutritional value, Greek yogurt is a great substitute, as it is also a very healthy dairy product.

2 .Cream cheese

If you can’t find quark, cream cheese is an easily available substitute that will help you maintain the thick, creamy texture that quark offers.

However, it is not as tart or spicy as quark, so you may want to add an extra touch of acid, such as lemon juice, when substituting quark for cream cheese in a recipe.

Cream cheese is an especially suitable substitute for quark when baking, as you can easily substitute it in a cheesecake recipe or when baking cookies.

3. Sour cream

Very similar to Greek yogurt, sour cream is another common dairy product that makes an excellent quark substitute.

Its smooth consistency is incredibly similar to quark, although it’s not as thick as quark, so if you use it in a dish as a dip, you can tell the difference.

4. Mascarpone

One of the reasons why mascarpone is a great substitute for quark is that they both have very similar textures.

Both quark and mascarpone are smooth but thick dairy products, so substituting one for the other will create similar textures in any recipe you use them in.

However, keep in mind that mascarpone is incredibly high in fat content .

That said, if you appreciate quark for its nutritional value, mascarpone may not be the right quark substitute for you.

5. Ricotta cheese

Another fresh dairy product, ricotta cheese can be a good substitute for quark in certain situations, although it’s important to note that it has a significantly different texture than quark.

While quark is smooth and creamy, ricotta is much grainier, so you don’t want to use it in recipes where this difference might be noticeable.

Perhaps the best way to substitute ricotta for quark in a recipe is to use 2 parts ricotta and 1 part sour cream or Greek yogurt. This will give you a slightly smoother texture than if you only used ricotta cheese.

6. Cottage cheese

The same rules apply when substituting cottage cheese in a recipe as when substituting ricotta for cottage cheese.

Cottage cheese also has a much grainier texture than quark, so consider compensating for this by mixing it with Greek yogurt or sour cream.

However, for the health conscious, cottage cheese is a great option, because it is much lower in calories and lower in fat than other quark substitution options, such as cream cheese or mascarpone.

In addition, its high protein content gives it added nutritional value.

7. Crème Fraîche

Crème Fraîche is a fresh dairy product often used in dessert making, so if your quark is going to be used that way, it can be a great substitute.

Also, when a recipe calls for cooking with quark over high heat (such as in sauces), crème fraîche is perhaps your best bet.

Due to its high fat content, it holds up better to extreme temperatures than Greek yogurt or sour cream.

Quark Substitutes: Comparison Table

Now that you know a little more about the best quark substitutes, here is a summary of the table of the 7 that we chose the most.

Related questions

Can you make your own quark?

Although using one of the products mentioned above is a perfectly adequate way to substitute quark, you can also make quark at home .

It is quite a complicated process, so it may not be the best option for those who are short on time. 

To make quark at home, the process involves cooking buttermilk for a long time (more than four hours) at a very low temperature (150 degrees F). Next, you will drain the liquid through cheesecloth and mix the remaining solids with milk or cream to achieve the desired texture.

Are there dairy-free alternatives to quark?

If you are vegan or lactose intolerant, you will not be able to use any of the quark substitutes listed above. Although dairy products are the ideal quark substitutes, dairy avoiders have a few options.

The best dairy-free alternative to quark would probably be dairy-free yogurt, preferably plain flavored.

Another option would be soy sour cream processed with soy cream cheese.

For those trying to avoid soy products, you could try using full-fat coconut cream, but it’s important to note that this would substantially alter the flavor.

What is the quark used for?

Quark can be used in a wide variety of recipes, from appetizers to main dishes and desserts.

It can be used to make delicious sauces, as a substitute for ricotta cheese in lasagna, and even to make cheesecake.

The type of quark substitute that is best for you depends on the type of dish you use it in.

Which cottage cheese substitute is best for savory dishes?

If you plan to make a sauce or spread that calls for quark, you can substitute Greek yogurt or sour cream for a similar texture and flavor.

When making lasagna, turn to ricotta, and when making other types of pasta dishes, crème fraîche is a great option.

In cold salads, such as pasta salad or potato salad, using ricotta or cottage cheese instead of quark can create a unique texture.

Lastly, if the purpose of the quark is to add creaminess to a frittata or quiche, you can substitute it for sour cream or Greek yogurt with no problem.

Which quark substitute is best for sweet dishes?

When it comes to baking, it’s best to substitute cream cheese or mascarpone for the quark , as both products are commonly used in baking.

If a cheesecake calls for quark, for example, you should have no problem using cream cheese as a substitute.

If you’re making tiramisu or a meringue tart , for example, mascarpone will be a perfectly adequate substitute for quark. If you plan to coat fresh fruit with quark, consider using crème fraîche.

Cottage cheese or fresh cheese: which is healthier?

Quark is an extremely healthy dairy product, but if you can’t find it, that doesn’t mean you have to settle for a nutritionally inferior substitute.

Greek yogurt is the best substitute for curd.

Greek yogurt is low in fat, high in protein, and low in calories , making it a great healthy substitute for quark.

In fact, it’s healthier than its similar dairy cousin, sour cream, which offers the same quarky texture as Greek yogurt.

If you’re not so concerned with texture, cottage cheese is another very healthy option . Although its grainy consistency differs from the thick and creamy consistency of quark, it has the highest protein concentration and lowest sugar content of Greek yogurt.

Check out this nutritional breakdown of quark, Greek yogurt, and cottage cheese: