Out of Cream cheese, one case
Can you substitute Greek yogurt for cream cheese?
4 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use Full-fat Greek yogurt
Same amount as the cream cheese
Yes for dips, spreads and sauces: use the same amount of plain full-fat Greek yogurt, with ¼ tsp salt per cup. It is tangier, leaner and looser than cream cheese. In baking, replace no more than half the cream cheese. It will not make a frosting that holds, and it curdles if it boils.
- Verdict —
- You'll taste it
- The tweak —
- Use plain, unsweetened, full-fat yogurt and stir in ¼ tsp salt per cup. Pour off any liquid on top first.
- Best for —
- dips and creamy dressings
- Pantry —
- Likely in your cupboard
One casethe full cream cheese card
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of cream cheese | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Full-fat Greek yogurtdips and creamy dressings | Same amountYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| 2 | Strained Greek yogurt (yogurt cheese)bagels and sandwiches | Same amountTweak it | Tweak it |
| 3 | Half Greek yogurt, half cream cheesebaked cheesecake | ½ cup yogurt + ½ cup cream cheese per cupTweak it | Tweak it |
| 4 | Neufchatel cheesefrosting | Same amountWorks | Works |
Full-fat Greek yogurt
sharper and lighter, without the richness
Thick strained yogurt. It has the tang of cream cheese and then some, with far less fat, so it is spoonable where cream cheese is firm.
- Best for
- dips and creamy dressings, spreading on toast or a bagel, stirring into a sauce or soup off the heat
- Prep
- Use plain, unsweetened, full-fat yogurt and stir in ¼ tsp salt per cup. Pour off any liquid on top first.
- Contains
- dairy
- Where it fails
- Frosting, no-bake cheesecake and cheese balls: it never firms up. It curdles if it boils, and low-fat or fat-free yogurt curdles sooner.
Strained Greek yogurt (yogurt cheese)
tangy and clean, like labneh
Greek yogurt drained overnight until it is as thick as cream cheese. This is the form to use when the swap has to spread or hold a shape.
- Best for
- bagels and sandwiches, thick dips and stuffed vegetables, replacing part of the cream cheese in cheesecake
- Prep
- Line a sieve with cheesecloth or a coffee filter, add the yogurt with ¼ tsp salt per cup, and drain in the fridge 8 to 12 hours. Measure after draining: start with about 1 ½ cups to end up with 1 cup.
- Contains
- dairy
- Where it fails
- Still leaner than cream cheese, so a frosting made with it is soft and a baked filling is less rich.
Half Greek yogurt, half cream cheese
a little tangier and lighter
For when you are short of cream cheese, not out of it. The cream cheese keeps the structure and the yogurt makes up the volume.
- Best for
- baked cheesecake, cheesecake bars and swirled brownies, baked dips and casseroles
- Prep
- Beat the cream cheese smooth first, then mix in the yogurt on low speed.
- Contains
- dairy
- Where it fails
- No-bake fillings and piped frosting, which need all of the cream cheese's firmness.
Neufchatel cheese
the same tang, slightly less rich
If yogurt is wrong for the recipe, this is the one that behaves like cream cheese: the same block, with about a third less fat.
- Best for
- frosting, no-bake cheesecake, any recipe that needs the cheese to hold a shape
- Contains
- dairy
- Where it fails
- Sets slightly softer than full-fat cream cheese.
Tips for substituting cream cheese
5 tips- Dips and spreads: same amount of full-fat Greek yogurt, ¼ tsp salt per cup. Skip any lemon juice the recipe adds until you have tasted it; yogurt is already more tart than cream cheese.
- Hot dishes: take the pan off the heat, stir a few spoonfuls of the hot liquid into the yogurt, then stir that back in. Do not let it boil afterward.
- Baking: replace up to half the cream cheese. A full swap puts in much less fat and much more water than the recipe was built for.
- For a thicker result, drain the yogurt in a cloth-lined sieve in the fridge for 8 to 12 hours before measuring.
- Use full-fat yogurt. Fat-free Greek yogurt is chalky in a dip and breaks more easily when heated.
Questions
4 questionsCan I use Greek yogurt in place of cream cheese in frosting?
Not as a full swap. Yogurt is too wet, and sugar draws more liquid out of it, so the frosting runs. Strained yogurt can replace up to half the cream cheese for a soft, spoonable topping. For a frosting that holds, use Neufchatel or mascarpone.
Can I use Greek yogurt in place of cream cheese in cheesecake?
For up to half the cream cheese in a baked cheesecake, yes: the cake is lighter and tangier. On its own, yogurt is too lean and too wet to set into a cake that slices, and a no-bake cheesecake made with it stays loose.
Do I need to add lemon juice to Greek yogurt to make it taste like cream cheese?
Usually not. Greek yogurt is already tangier than cream cheese. What it lacks is salt and richness, so add ¼ teaspoon of salt per cup and use full-fat yogurt. Add lemon only if the dish tastes flat after that.
Will Greek yogurt curdle in a hot sauce or soup?
It will if it boils. Take the pan off the heat, temper the yogurt with a little of the hot liquid, and stir it in at the end. Full-fat yogurt holds better than low-fat. Cream cheese is more forgiving, so treat the yogurt more gently than the recipe says.