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 compared to regular yogurt. Moreover, it is versatile and can be used for a wide array of recipes, including baking.
As much as we want to use it, you will inevitably find yourself in a situation when you simply don’t have some at hand. In those instances, you have to think on your feet. After all, flexibility is one of the things that make a home chef great.
What are the best substitutions for Greek yogurt in baking? The best substitutes for Greek yogurt when baking are regular whole-fat plain yogurt, sour cream, buttermilk, and cottage cheese. Good substitutes should have a similar properties to Greek yogurt such as fat content, consistency, acidity, and creaminess.
To help you with your substitutions, we have come up with a guide on how to effectively replace Greek yogurt the next time you come up short for a recipe.
Before that, however, we also take a closer look at what exactly Greek yogurt does and what it brings to the table.
Greek Yogurt – Overview
You are probably familiar with Greek yogurt already.
Also called strained yogurt, Greek yogurt is a variant of yogurt that has undergone a strenuous straining process that eliminates excess lactose and water content.
Once its whey has been thoroughly drained, we are left with a rich and creamy yogurt with a lower sugar content and fewer carbs. Its thicker consistency and a notably tart taste help differentiate it from regular yogurt.
Take note that this kind of yogurt has been around for a while now. It first gained popularity in the Middle and Near East and parts of eastern Europe.
It’s referred to as “Greek” yogurt because a Greek company introduced it to the U.S., though it was likely not originally Greek at all. Turkish origins are more likely.
That said, Greek yogurt has experienced a dramatic surge in popularity and has since broken through mainstream diets. It has since become an integral part of countless recipes which has led to a boom in its production.
Clearly, Greek yogurt is far from a fad.
Of course, it is also worth noting that like plain yogurt, Greek yogurt is incredibly healthy and nutritious. Presented below is a breakdown of the different nutrients and minerals you can expect from a 100g serving.
Greek Yogurt Nutritional Value (in a 100 gram serving)
Nutrients/Minerals | Amount |
Total Fat | 0.4 g |
Calories | 59 |
Cholesterol | 5 mg |
Sugar | 3.2 g |
Protein | 10 g |
Total Carbohydrate | 3.6 g |
Sodium | 36 mg |
Potassium | 141 mg |
Calcium | 11% of RDI |
Cobalamin | 13% of RDI |
Vitamin B-6 | 5% of RDI |
Magnesium | 2% of RDI |
RDI = Recommended Daily Intake
As the table above shows, Greek Yogurt has a lot of protein. Moreover, it is also low-fat and low-calorie. This makes that the yogurt provides you an effective way to keep your energy up throughout the day without having to worry about your calorie count.
At the same time, Greek yogurt also comes with loads of probiotics. As you know, probiotics are those healthy bacteria that help strengthen your immune system and your digestive tract.
Coupled with its fiber content, Greek yogurt is an effective way to keep your stomach healthy.
Using Greek Yogurt for Baking
There are a lot of reasons why Greek Yogurt is one of the most widely used baking ingredients around. It is used for a wide array of baking recipes.
Listed below are just some of the pastries you can make with this ingredient:
- Waffles
- Baked Donuts
- Donut Parfaits
- Cake
- Bread
- Muffins
- Cheesecake Bars
- Cookies
- Sponge Cake
- Cup Cake
Needless to say, the list above is far from a comprehensive one. We simply wouldn’t have enough space if we were to list down all the different baking recipes that you can try with Greek yogurt.
There is no shortage of uses for this ingredient!
Now, you may be wondering why that is. After all, there must be something that makes Greek yogurt stand out as a baking ingredient.
With that in mind, we have listed down some of the things that Greek yogurt brings to the table:
- Healthy Option: Greek yogurt is a fairly healthy ingredient for baking recipes. Not only does it have reduced amounts of lactose and sugar, but it also has lower carbohydrates, fewer calories, and higher protein levels.
- 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 that well.
- Tangy Flavor: The taste is one of the most distinctive elements of Greek yogurt. It is a classic flavor that just sticks to your palate and makes you crave it more. It’s a light, versatile creamy flavor with just a bit of tang, a perfect addition to many recipes.
- Acidity: Another important, but an underrated element of Greek yogurt is its acidity. As you may know, acidity plays a crucial role when baking as it can help activate the baking soda. By doing so, you are given something incredibly light and fluffy.
Needless to say, as we look for the different alternatives for Greek yogurt, we will want to consider these characteristics. Any substitute needs to satisfy most or all of these factors.
To be more precise, we need to find the right kind of ingredients that can justifiably stand in its place. To do that, we need to look for different ingredients that can do what Greek yogurt does best during the baking process.
Why Replace Greek Yogurt?
As you may have figured out by now, we have our work cut out for us. However, we’ll never back down from a culinary challenge like this.
So, before we delve into the possible alternatives for Greek yogurt, we may need to look at the different reasons why you would want to do that in the first place.
After all, as shown in the previous sections, Greek yogurt brings incredible richness to any recipe. Moreover, it is also creamy and comes packed with loads of nutrients including high levels of probiotics, protein, and calcium.
It would seem strange for us to look for ways to replace it. However, there are several reasons why you would want to do just that.
Presented below are some of the instances wherein you might want to consider replace Greek yogurt with something else for your baking project:
- Practicality: One of the major rules of running your kitchen is always being practical – both in your choices and your methods. For some, Greek yogurt can be too expensive an ingredient, or not worth keeping on hand if you rarely eat or cook with it. So, rather than avoid recipes altogether, you may need to improvise and look for other items that can stand in its place.
- Personal Preferences: While we simply love that distinctive and unmistakable tangy flavor that you get from Greek yogurt, we also understand that it isn’t for everyone. After all, there is no shortage of polarizing foods in the culinary world. Sadly, Greek yogurt belongs on that list as well. Some people find its flavor too intense and not to their liking. If you are one of those people who don’t appreciate its strong flavor then you will surely like our list of alternatives.
- Convenience: Another common reason why people opt to replace Greek yogurt is a matter of convenience. Namely, sometimes you just run out and it would be far too inconvenient for you to go out and get some from the store. For instance, if you have prepped your dough and let it rise, the last thing you want is to waste time. So, in those instances, you need to have your wits about you and work with the ingredients you have.
If you ever find yourself in situations like this, have no fear, as we have prepared a perfectly doable solution to your problem. After all, no ingredient is perfectly irreplaceable.
You just have to be creative and have a keen eye for the finer details.
Greek Yogurt Substitutions
Now, we have reached the heart of the matter. In this section, we have selected some of the best Greek Yogurt replacements you can try.
We’ve tried to make the list as inclusive as possible, so while there are some obvious choices, we have made some unexpected ones as well. So, be sure to check them out.
1. Plain Yogurt
First, we have plain yogurt. This is perhaps the most obvious choice and likely comes as no surprise.
After all, this is the stuff that Greek yogurt comes from. It has several advantages that make it one of the most popular Greek yogurt alternatives.
For instance, if you find the flavors of Greek yogurt to be overwhelmingly sharp, then you are in luck. Plain yogurt is notably less tangy. This is the best option for people looking for a lighter flavor profile in their baking ingredients.
However, the drawback is that plain yogurt is a little less creamy.
On the other hand, plain yogurt tends to be more affordable than Greek yogurt. This makes sense. After all, plain yogurt hasn’t been subjected to the time-consuming process of straining. Since it is less processed, it tends to be cheaper.
As a rule, you should always use whole-fat, plain yogurt when substituting in baking recipes.
While it may vary depending on the specific recipe, plain, unsweetened yogurt will always work best as a Greek yogurt substitute.
To make an even better substitution, you can try performing the straining process yourself. All you need is plain whole-milk yogurt and a cheesecloth.
By straining the plain whole-milk yogurt, you are essentially emulating the process of making Greek yogurt – removing some of that excess moisture and thereby altering the texture to make it denser.
In terms of substituting plain yogurt for Greek yogurt, the process is as straightforward as it can get. The ratio is 1:1, meaning that most of the time you should be fine replacing Greek yogurt with the same amount of whole-fat regular yogurt.
2. Sour Cream
Another popular ingredient for baking is sour cream.
It has a notably creamy texture that effectively lends itself to baked goods – making them moister than they may otherwise be. Needless to say, this makes them perfect for recipes like sponge cakes which are notorious hard to get moist.
The similarity in consistency makes sour cream an ideal replacement for Greek Yogurt, should the need arise.
Interestingly, this isn’t the only thing that sour cream has going for it. To be more precise, it also has that sharp tang that you would get from Greek yogurt.
So, if you find yourself in need of a handy Greek yogurt replacement, you can rest easy knowing that you can use sour cream. If you always have sour cream on hand for enchilada night, this is the substitute for you.
This is true for almost any baking recipe that would require Greek yogurt. You’ll hardly notice any difference in the texture and taste as sour cream provides a near-perfect recreation of the Greek yogurt experience.
That said, you’d also be glad to know that the replacement formula for these two ingredients is incredibly simple. A 1:1 ratio applies in this scenario as well. So, simply use the same amount of sour cream as you would with Greek yogurt.
3. Buttermilk
Another popular baking ingredient and effective Greek yogurt replacement is buttermilk. Buttermilk is also used in a wide array of baking recipes on its own.
For instance, if you have ever gone out for brunch, then you will have probably noticed the sheer popularity of delicious buttermilk biscuits that are ever-present in restaurant menus. Mmm.
In a nutshell, buttermilk is fermented milk. It is the liquid leftover following the churning process that is essential to making butter.
Similar to the Greek yogurt, it also has a high acidity level. This means that buttermilk can help activate your baking soda and help your dough rise higher and faster.
In addition to this, baked goods made with buttermilk have a distinctively rich flavor to them. Both of these factors ultimately make buttermilk a great alternative to Greek yogurt.
Of course, one of the things that stand 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 for your recipes. To be more precise, you need to use as little as a quarter of the amount that the recipe calls for when substituting Greek yogurt for 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 we would highly recommend as a Greek yogurt replacement is cottage cheese.
This ingredient is also incredibly versatile. It can be used for a wide array of baking recipes including 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 with cottage cheese’s consistency. It brings the image of a thick tapioca to mind.
That said, there is a simple solution to this. By blending your cottage cheese beforehand, you will be able to get a smoother consistency that is very similar to that of Greek yogurt.
If you choose to go with this Greek yogurt substitute, you’ll need to take note that it has a much milder creamy taste. This is because cottage cheese doesn’t have that distinctive tang that you get from Greek yogurt.
While this may be a disappointment to some, this is also welcome news to others.
It is also worth noting that cottage cheese also has the same level of fat. It gets this primarily from its dairy content. In addition to this, it also comes packed with high levels of calcium and protein while keeping sugar levels low.
To replace Greek yogurt with cottage cheese, you can probably get away with a 1:1 ratio, but you can start with a little less if the texture seems too runny after you blend it.
There you have it, our comprehensive guide to replacing Greek yogurt for your baking recipes!
Make sure to take note of the suggested ratios and proceed accordingly. This way, you’ll always be able to bake all those wonderful recipes that you like.
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