If you are a baker or interested in baking, you will for sure know that Greek yogurt is a vital ingredient in the baking world. It binds all the dry ingredients together and gives the baked product a structure. It also makes your baked goods moist.

Although, are you planning to bake, and does the recipe ask for Greek yogurt? Don’t rush to the supermarket to buy some! Instead, give this article a read! This article will help you find the best substitutes for Greek yogurt in baking. 

What are some good substitutes for Greek yogurt in baking? The best Greek yogurt substitutes in baking are plain yogurt, sour cream, buttermilk, cottage cheese, mashed bananas, and condensed milk.  

However, before we explore the substitutes, let me help you understand what Greek yogurt is. This will help you choose the best substitute!

Quick Peek: Greek Yogurt

This section will help you understand everything about Greek yogurt. You will understand what it is, its flavor and texture profile, uses, and nutritional information. Read on to explore Greek yogurt!

What Is Greek Yogurt?

Greek  yogurt is known by various other names such as strained yogurt, yogurt cheese, sack yogurt, and kerned yogurt. It is essentially yogurt that has been strained to remove most of its whey.

It results in yogurt with a thicker consistency than plain yogurt. However, yogurt’s distinctive sour taste is still preserved in Greek yogurt.

It is made in the same way as plain yogurt with a starter culture. Then the lactose is converted into lactic acid. As it is thicker, it requires more milk and hence is more expensive than plain yogurt. 

Describing Greek  Yogurt: Flavor And Texture

Greek yogurt has a texture similar to that of plain yogurt, the only difference being that it is much thicker. It can, in fact, be compared with the texture of sour cream. 

When we talk about taste, Greek yogurt has a tart taste compared to plain yogurt. This is because it is more concentrated than plain yogurt. However, the taste is not similar to that of sour cream or even cream cheese. 

Uses Of Greek Yogurt

As you already know, Greek yogurt can positively be used in baking. However, its uses go way beyond just being used for baking! You can have Greek yogurt as a breakfast bowl with various berries and other fruits and nuts. 

Moreover, you can use it in place of sour cream in various recipes. You can also use it as a healthy alternative to cream to add a creamy texture to various foods.

Also, Greek yogurt can be used as a spread on crackers and bread in place of butter, considering its thick consistency. 

Greek Yogurt On The Health Radar | Looking Through The Wellness Telescope

Greek yogurt is generally higher in fat content than plain yogurt as it is thicker and made with more milk. However, there are low-fat and fat-free options of Greek yogurt available. Greek  yogurt also has a higher protein content than plain yogurt.

Some brands do have added sugar in Greek yogurt, so you must choose whether you want added sugar in your yogurt or not. A 200 grams serving of plain, unsweetened, low-fat Greek  yogurt has 146 calories with a high amount of protein. 

Greek yogurt, moreover, has various other vital nutrients. It contains vitamins A, B2, B5, and B12. Greek yogurt is rich in various minerals like calcium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, and selenium. 

Why Use A Substitute For Greek Yogurt?

This might be a question in many people’s minds. Greek yogurt does provide great richness and moistness to various recipes. Moreover, it is packed with nutrition. So why substitute it with something else? 

Well, there are a few reasons why you can consider a substitute for Greek yogurt. For starters, Greek yogurt is expensive. It might not be the first option that comes to mind, while trying to maintain a budget. 

Moreover, it has a distinct sour taste. This might not be preferable for all. Then, there’s the matter of convenience. Why run to the store in a hurry when you can use something already present in your pantry!

I think these are good enough reasons to consider a substitute. 

I think I have given you enough information about Greek yogurt. Now, let us dive into the main point of this article, the best Greek yogurt substitutes for baking. 

7 Best Greek Yogurt Substitutes In Baking

This section will help you with all the best substitutes for Greek yogurt in baking. Moreover, it will also help you understand how each substitute can be used. Read on to know all about it!

1. Plain Yogurt

Greek yogurt is essentially made from plain yogurt. Plain yogurt has a less tangy taste than Greek yogurt and makes a great substitute for the same. 

Plain yogurt is a cheaper option than Greek yogurt. Of course, since the straining process doesn’t happen with plain yogurt! Moreover, it is lower in fat content. 

However, as a rule of thumb, you should use full-fat plain yogurt as a substitute for Greek  yogurt. If you want your plain yogurt to be of a similar consistency as Greek yogurt, you can strain it yourself with the help of cheesecloth. 

While the yogurt you need might differ depending on the recipe, full fat and unsweetened plain yogurt usually work well as a Greek yogurt substitute. As far as substitution goes, usually, a 1:1 ratio for substitution works well. 

2. Sour Cream

Sour cream has a notably cream texture and a naturally sour taste. It works well as a substitute for Greek yogurt. 

The creamy texture of sour cream works especially well as a substitute for Greek yogurt. This is because, just like Greek yogurt, sour cream lends its moistness to most baked goods. 

Moreover, sour cream has a tangy taste, just like Greek yogurt. So if you do have some handy, you can positively use it as a substitute for Greek yogurt. The substitution can be done in a 1:1 ratio. 

Other than baking, you can also make some delicious baked potato with sour cream. Here’s the recipe for crispy baked potato on a grill.

3. Buttermilk

Buttermilk is essentially the liquid left over after the churning process of butter. It has high acidity, similar to sour cream, making it a good substitute for Greek yogurt. 

Buttermilk has a high level of acidity. This means it can also help activate baking soda in various recipes for the dough or cake to rise. Moreover, it provides moisture to the product. 

Usually, baked products made with buttermilk also tend to have a distinctively rich flavor. The only notable difference between the two is the consistency of buttermilk is thinner than that of Greek yogurt. 

So while using it as a substitute, use a quarter the amount of buttermilk as the amount of Greek yogurt. One other thing you could do is reduce the quantity of other liquid ingredients. Here’s the recipe for some delicious blueberry buttermilk muffins.

4. Cottage Cheese

Cottage cheese is another great substitute for Greek yogurt. It has similar fat content to Greek yogurt and is high in vital nutrients, similar to Greek yogurt. 

Cottage cheese is, however, less creamy as compared to Greek yogurt. This problem can be solved by blending the cottage cheese with a small amount of milk to give it a creamier texture.

Moreover, cottage cheese does not have the tang that Greek yogurt does. This may be an added bonus, however, to quite a lot of people that are trying to avoid the distinct taste of Greek yogurt. 

While using it as a substitute for Greek yogurt, you can follow the standard 1:1 ratio. You can reduce the quantity a little bit if the texture seems a bit runny after blending. 

5. Eggs

Other than the fact that eggs are a non-vegetarian option, they give a great result while used in baking. This makes them a good substitute for Greek yogurt. 

Eggs usually help bind all the ingredients together in a recipe, quite similar to Greek yogurt. They are packed with proteins and various vital nutrients, similar to Greek yogurt. Moreover, they don’t impart a sour taste like Greek yogurt. 

Eggs are extremely vital in most baking recipes. In fact, quite a lot of times, Greek yogurt is used as a substitute for eggs, especially in vegetarian baking recipes. Hence, that makes the two ingredients quite interchangeable. 

While using eggs as a substitute for Greek yogurt, you can follow a 1:1 ratio. I know this might seem confusing with eggs. 

However, one simple way to do this is to remember that each egg weighs around 50 grams or 1.77 ounces. This will make it easy to do the substitution. Here’s you can make eggs benedict at home.

6. Condensed Milk

Condensed milk is a dairy product where the water has been removed from the milk. This gives it a thick consistency and can be used as a substitute for Greek yogurt in most baking recipes. 

However, an important thing to remember with condensed milk is that it usually has added sugar and is also called ‘sweetened condensed milk.’ 

To avoid the problem of your baked product getting too sweet, you can reduce the quantity of sugar to ¾ the amount given in the recipe. This will definitely save the taste of your bread, cake, or any other baked product. 

Condensed milk provides a lot of moistness to most baked goods, similar to Greek yogurt. It can easily be used in place of Greek yogurt in a 1:1 ratio. Here’s how you can make Wendy’s like frosty at home.

7. Mashed Banana

Mashed bananas impart a great amount of moisture to most baked products. They work as a great substitute for Greek yogurt in baking. 

One great thing about mashed bananas is that it is a dairy-free alternative to Greek yogurt. It works extremely well in binding ingredients together and imparts a natural sweetness. 

However, if you aren’t a fan of the flavor of bananas, you should avoid using this option. This is because bananas do impart some of their flavor to the baked product. 

Mashed bananas can be used as a Greek yogurt substitute in a 1:1 ratio. If you feel the bananas are adding too much of a sweet flavor, you can reduce the quantity of sugar. 

Short Recap

I am sure that by now, you must have gone through all the substitutes for Greek yogurt. But I am sure it might still be confusing for some of you to decide which one would work best., For that, let me break it down further for you. 

Most Suitable: The most suitable substitute for Greek yogurt is plain yogurt. 

Easily Available: Eggs are the most easily available substitute for Greek yogurt. 

Best Flavor Profile: Sour cream will give the best flavor profile when used as a substitute for Greek yogurt. 

Final Word

As we have come to the end of this article, I hope you were able to find the best substitute for Greek yogurt. All the substitutes given above are extremely worthy substitutes for Greek  yogurt and would give you great results. 

My favorite pick, however, is eggs. Eggs are one of the prime ingredients in most baking recipes. They tend to do the job of binding and providing moistness from the yolks effortlessly. 

However, since Greek yogurt is a vegetarian ingredient, I am sure most of you must be looking for a vegetarian alternative for the same. In that case, the rest of the alternatives do work extremely well too! 

So, try using one of the substitutes in place of Greek yogurt, and I am sure it will leave you extremely satisfied with your baked product!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)