Are you running out of yogurt to bake? If this is the case, don’t rush out to the store to get yogurt. You can undoubtedly choose these best substitutes for yogurt in baking available in your kitchen. Keep reading this post to learn exactly what you can use instead.

Yogurt isn’t only a convenient grab-and-go breakfast and a common ingredient in muffins, cakes, smoothies, dips, sauces, and other baked goods. Healthy baked goods often include yogurt. After all, it is low in calories, high in protein, and adds a lot of moisture and taste to desserts.
However, if you don’t have yogurt or are allergic to dairy, these yogurt substitutes can help. We have curated the best substitutes for yogurt, so you never stop making awesome cakes. So, by now, you must have wondered what the best yogurt substitutes are.
The best yogurt substitutes in baking is sour cream, Greek yogurt, buttermilk, silken tofu, and cream cheese. But before we discuss the substitutes for yogurt in baking, I would like to tell you a little more about yogurt. Knowing a little more about it will make it easier for you to pick your substitute.
Quick Peek: Yogurt

This section is yogurt for baking 101. You will understand how this ingredient came to be, its flavor and texture, its profile, its uses, and all its nutritional information. So, let’s get started!
What Is Yogurt?
Yogurt is a breakfast staple and is eaten with every meal around the world. It’s a fermented product of milk. Yogurt always has a smooth and creamy texture depending on the type. It can be sweet, savory, sour, and rich in taste.
Yogurts are easily available in the market with various types of flavors too. Yogurt is, in some ways, bad milk. So, what makes it so delicious? The yogurt has a rich texture and somewhat sour flavor, so it makes a fantastic flavor combination that you can utilize in many ways.
Yogurt gets its name from the Turkish verb’ yogurmak,’ which means “to thicken.” In ancient India, yogurt and honey became the “food of the gods.”
Describing Yogurt: Flavor & Texture
Yogurt has a soft, smooth, and pudding-like texture, and from the bottom, it has a firm texture. Moreover, yogurt has a sour tang and a smooth and creamy texture. It can be sweet, savory, sour, or rich.
There are various types of yogurt, like probiotic yogurt, greek yogurt, and regular yogurt. Each is specialized in terms of flavor, texture, and consistency levels. Regular yogurt is more about calcium.
Probiotic yogurt contains probiotics that are good for the digestive system. When we talk about Greek yogurt, it has a smooth texture and contains a lot of protein.
Uses Of Yogurt In Baking
Yogurt does an excellent job when adding to your baking recipes. The creaminess of yogurt helps keep baked recipes moist. Also, the tanginess imparts the taste of the recipes and makes them crave-worthy, old-fashioned flavor.
Moreover, yogurt has high acidity levels, so it helps activate baking soda faster. So, you feel more of your baking recipes fluffy and light. Yogurt is healthy and lends itself beautifully to bread, muffin, cookies, cakes, and pastries and provides a light and fluffy texture. It is used in a wide variety of sweet and dessert dishes.
Yogurt On The Health Radar | Looking Through The Wellness Telescope
Yogurt is a staple cuisine in many cuisines, particularly in Western Asia and the Middle East. Yogurt contains a variety of minerals, including protein and calcium. It also has B vitamins, phosphate, potassium, and magnesium. Yogurt is also a natural immunity booster that protects our bodies from bacterial infections.
Moreover, it boosts metabolism and gives you a sense of fullness. Yogurt contains lactobacillus bacteria, which destroys dangerous bacteria in the intestines and improves the health of our digestive system. Consider yogurt in your daily diet and the best natural sources of probiotics.
Why Should We Substitute Yogurt?
I think you probably must have wondered by now why you would even want to use a substitute for such a versatile ingredient. That is a very valid point, for sure. However, there are a few reasons to consider using a substitute for yogurt.
So, running low on yogurt and not having time to go to the store? Don’t worry! You can use these best yogurt substitutes in baking. Yogurt can be easily replaced with various substitutes and can easily be available in your home pantry.
Yogurt may not be the first choice for you in baking. But if the recipe calls out for the yogurt, you don’t need to make adjustments for the same in a quick time. You can use yogurt substitutes in baking to make your recipes not suffer from the results or taste.
A lot of the substitute options given in this article work the same way as yogurt. Besides that, yogurt has a sour taste that might not be to everyone’s liking. Again, in this case, if you want to please everyone’s taste, you can easily use a substitute for yogurt that has a milder taste.
Moreover, some people might have lactose intolerant problems. In that case, using other yogurt substitutes can be pleasing to them in baking recipes. I have rambled enough about yogurt now, haven’t I? Okay, so now, without further ado, I am going to take you to the main attraction of this article, the best yogurt substitutes in baking!
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5 Best Yogurt Substitutes In Baking
This section has all the best substitutes you can use in place of yogurt in baking. You will also get to know what recipes the substitutes work best in and the ratio of substitution for each substitute. So, let’s get started!
1. Sour Cream

Sour cream is the most similar yogurt substitute for baking for its creamy texture and sour flavor. So, you can easily use a cup of sour cream instead of yogurt in many situations. Sour cream is a full-fat ingredient that gives the best result to your baking dish.
It comes in a thin texture, making it the best yogurt alternative. You can easily interchange sour cream and yogurt for baking. Sour cream is created by infusing dairy cream with lactic acid-producing bacteria, resulting in a slightly acidic taste.
In the United Kingdom, sour cream is known as soured cream. It is used for quick dips, thickening sauces, making creamy icing, and garnishing soups as well. It can also tenderize and soften baked goods since it is typically used at the end of cooking or before serving.
2. Cream Cheese

Now, if you’re considering replacing yogurt with cream cheese, it’s a good idea. Cream cheese is a combination of milk and cheese. It has a moderate flavor and a delicate texture.
Cream cheese is the most common ingredient used in baking. One cup of cream cheese can be substituted for 1 cup of normal yogurt. Please keep in mind that cream cheese has a cheesy and salty flavor. So, use according to the taste profile you want to achieve with cream cheese.
Cream cheese is a soft, bland cheese prepared from cow’s milk and cream. This butter is extremely versatile with its mild tanginess, slight sweetness, and silky smooth texture. Spread it over a bagel, and mix it well in your cookie dough or cake batter for your creamy frosting.
3. Buttermilk

Can you believe buttermilk is a wonderful substitute for yogurt in baking? There are a few reasons why buttermilk is a wonderful yogurt substitute. Buttermilk has the same sour flavor and acidity level as plain yogurt.
It is a fermented dairy beverage from cultured milk and produced from yogurt. Simply adding some water to yogurt and mixing it produces buttermilk. You can add buttermilk to your baking mix, just like yogurt. Use the same amount of buttermilk as you may use yogurt in your baking recipes.
The texture of the buttermilk is buttery and high-fat milk. Buttermilk has less fat than ordinary milk and, in fact, includes no butter. Buttermilk is derived from the churning of butter.
It has an acidic flavor and gives creamy richness to recipes ranging from savory to sweet. Buttermilk acts as a perfect baking agent. Buttermilk has a perfect sour flavor and is exceptional in baking. Make amazing pancakes, cookies, and cakes from the buttermilk.
4. Silken Tofu

Silken tofu is another substitute for yogurt in baking. Make tempting recipes from these alternatives. If you want some tangy flavor to your dishes, add lemon juice with silken tofu and enjoy the taste just like yogurt. Silken tofu is pureed into a nice consistency and used as a substitute for yogurt in a 1:1 ratio.
Dressings, sauces, and desserts use silken tofu blended or pureed for a thick and creamy texture. Silken tofu is best known for vegan recipes. You can make exciting desserts with tofu without compromising its taste. As it’s soft, it crumbles quickly. So, you can easily incorporate it into your baking recipes for a soft texture.
5. Greek Yogurt

If you are not finding plain yogurt around you, Greek yogurt will do magic for you. Greek yogurt can easily become a substitute for yogurt in baking. It can be used to make anything from bread and cakes to dips, sauces, and spreads.
Greek yogurt has a thicker consistency than yogurt, so diluting it with water will give you a perfect texture. The consistency and protein level are different between yogurt and Greek yogurt.
Your baking recipes will be harder and tougher if you use regular dairy yogurt. Making soft, moist, and creamy baked recipes, Greek yogurt will do that job for you. Before using it as a substitute, you have to keep some things in mind. Always use two-thirds of Greek yogurt when substituting with 1cup of yogurt in baking recipes.
Short Recap For The Best Yogurt In Baking
That was an extensive read on the best yogurt substitutes in baking. The following points will make things easy for you to remember about yogurt and its substitutes:
Best Yogurt Substitutes in Baking In Terms Of Flavor and Texture-
- Sour cream
- Cream cheese
Best Yogurt Substitutes in Baking That Are Not Cream Based-
- Silken tofu
Best Yogurt Substitutes in Baking Should Be Least Considered-
- Silken tofu
- Buttermilk
How To Use Yogurt Substitutes In Baking In Your Recipes
Yogurt Substitutes In Baking
Ingredients
- Sour Cream
- Cream Cheese
- Buttermilk
- Silken Tofu
- Greek Yogurt
Instructions
- Go through the substitutes and see which one seems fit for the recipe.
- Collect your ingredients and use your preferred substitute.
- Use the substitute in the required amount and proceed to make the dish according to the recipe.
Final Word
I hope you found this article interesting and helpful enough to get the best yogurt substitute in baking recipes. Yogurt is definitely a wonderful ingredient to incorporate into your cake mixes. However, if you are allergic to yogurt or you are lactose intolerant, you can use these substitutes in replacement for yogurt.
Also, if you want less tangy and mild flavor in your baking recipes, you can always go for these substitutes as they are less mild than yogurt and more creamy texture-wise.
Having said all of this, the next time you are out of yogurt, definitely do give one of the substitute options a try. You can use a substitute depending on the type of recipe you need it for and I am sure you will get great flavors and textures in your baking.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What Does Yogurt Do In Baking?
Yogurt has an acidic flavor and gives a tangy flavor to baking recipes.
Can You Use Yogurt Instead Of Butter In Baking?
When you use Greek yogurt in baking, it adds a rich and tangy flavor. Moreover, it contains less fat and calories. When substituting yogurt for butter in baking recipes, use a 1:1 ratio.
What Happens When You Add Yogurt To The Cake Mix?
Adding yogurt to the cake mix gives a rich and moist texture to your cakes.
Does Yogurt Keep Cake Moist?
Yes, yogurt adds more moisture to the cake batter. A cake baked with yogurt is never dry.
Can You Use Yogurt Instead Of Sour Cream In Cheesecakes?
Yes, if you use greek yogurt in cheesecake, it will give a good flavor and texture.