How to Bake with Greek Yogurt by Bridget

Greek yogurt has become a staple in our house. We might not have bread or bananas, but there is almost always a container, or three, of Greek yogurt in the fridge. I started baking with it out of necessity; when I was out of sour cream or buttermilk, Greek yogurt came to the rescue.

Let me show you three ways to bake with Greek yogurt! For baking, I strongly suggest using full-fat or 2% yogurt, not fat-free. And use plain, not … key lime pie flavored yogurt.

 
 

Substitute for sour cream

One of my favorite ways to use Greek yogurt is as a substitute for sour cream. Swap it out 1:1; it has a similar tang and texture. Stay tuned for an old-fashioned chocolate snacking cake made with Greek yogurt. (I’ve even used Greek yogurt atop Mexican food in place of sour cream. No one was the wiser.)

 
 

Substitute for buttermilk

I think this all started for me several years ago when my sister called to say that she’d made pancakes with Greek yogurt. (You and your sister have meaningful conversations about pancakes too, right?) I always mean to have buttermilk on hand, but typically, it’s been pushed to the back of the fridge and two months past its expiration date. To substitute, use about 2/3 Greek yogurt and 1/3 milk for the amount of buttermilk you need.

 
 

Substitute for heavy cream

This is a good trick when heavy cream isn’t the key player. In other words, I wouldn’t serve Greek yogurt whipped cream. Try this cheesecake, though. I shared the recipe here last year, and I used Greek yogurt instead of heavy cream. The resulting cheesecake is luscious, creamy, but lighter. Use a 1:1 ratio, or thin with a little milk, depending on the recipe consistency.

 
 

Now let me introduce you to this Old-Fashioned Greek Yogurt Chocolate Snacking Cake. This is based on a recipe I got from my mom about 25 years ago, and I’m not sure how long it had been around before that.

 
 

The cake originally called for sour cream. I swapped sour cream for Greek yogurt and made a few other tweaks to the recipe and method. The resulting cake is moist, tender, and the perfect cake for a midday snack or a weeknight dinner. The whole thing is topped off with an easy, beautifully swirly chocolate frosting.

 
 

Try Greek yogurt in some of your favorite recipes and report back! It’s a staple in my kitchen, whether for eating with a spoon or baking, and I bet it will become one in yours as well.