Greek yogurt substitutes
Greek yogurt substitutes — 3 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use Regular yogurt
Same amount as the Greek yogurt
Similar dairy with different texture.
The best substitutes for Greek yogurt are regular yogurt, sour cream, or buttermilk, depending on the use.
- Verdict —
- Tweak it
- What changes —
- similar taste, different texture
- Best for —
- cooking
Updated 26 Jul 2026 · no sponsored swaps
But first: what’s the Greek yogurt doing?
Pick your caseDo you need the thickness, or do you need the tang?
Sour cream is the straight swap: the same thickness and a little richer. Regular yogurt will do this job only if you strain it first, and buttermilk is pourable and will not do it at all.
Notes on sour cream
Same amount
The acid is the part that matters and all three options have it, so this is the forgiving case. Regular yogurt is fine and brings back some of the liquid; buttermilk is excellent here because thin is no disadvantage in a batter.
Notes on regular yogurt or buttermilk
Same amount
You want acid to tenderise and enough body to cling. Regular yogurt is the natural choice and clings well enough. Buttermilk is the classic tenderiser and works, though it drips rather than coats, so marinate in a bag or a bowl rather than on a tray.
Notes on regular yogurt or buttermilk
Same amount
Greek yogurt is a poor choice for this to begin with, and regular yogurt is worse — both split. Use sour cream, add it off the boil, and stir it in at the very end. If the sauce genuinely has to boil, reach for crème fraîche or heavy cream instead.
Notes on sour cream
Same amount
Greek yogurt is ordinary yogurt with the whey strained out. Removing that liquid leaves it thick enough to stand up in a spoon and concentrates the protein, but the tang is the same lactic acid it started with. So it is doing two jobs at once: it is the acid in a batter or a marinade, and it is the body in a dip. Most swaps give you one of those and not the other.
Fat & richnesssecondary
This one depends entirely on which tub you bought. Full-fat is around 10% and makes a rich dip and a moist cake; 0% is essentially fat-free, and the same cake made with it comes out noticeably drier and tougher.
Moisture & hydrationsecondary
Even strained it is mostly water, so in a cake or muffin it counts as part of the liquid — but it holds much less than unstrained yogurt does, which is why a batter made with it comes out stiffer than you expect.
Acidprimary
At roughly pH 4.4 it reacts with baking soda to make gas, and it keeps a crumb tender by slowing gluten development. In a marinade the same lactic acid softens the surface of chicken or lamb without the mushiness a long lemon marinade causes.
Thickeningprimary
Straining is what makes it thick, so it gives body to a raita, a dip, or a sauce stirred in off the heat. This is cold body, not the kind a roux gives you: heat it hard and the protein clumps and the sauce breaks. And it slumps — it will never hold a cut edge the way a set custard does.
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of Greek yogurt | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Regular yogurtcooking | Same amountTweak it | Tweak it |
| 2 | Sour creamcooking | Same amountTweak it | Tweak it |
| 3 | Buttermilkcooking | Same amountYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
Regular yogurt
similar taste, different texture
Similar dairy with different texture.
- Covers
- Fat & richness
- Moisture & hydration
- Acid
- Misses
- Thickening — not covered
- Best for
- cooking, baking, toppings, dips
Different texture, similar flavor - strain to thicken.
Sour cream
different taste, similar texture
Similar dairy with different source.
- Covers
- Fat & richness
- Moisture & hydration
- Acid
- Thickening
- Best for
- cooking, baking, toppings, dips
Different source, similar texture.
Buttermilk
different taste and texture
Similar dairy with different form.
- Covers
- Moisture & hydration
- Acid
- Misses
- Fat & richness — not covered
- Thickening — not covered
- Best for
- cooking, baking, marinades, dressings
Different form, similar tanginess.
Questions
3 questionsCan I use regular yogurt instead of Greek yogurt?
Yes, but you may need to strain it to thicken it, or use it as-is for most cooking applications.
What's the difference between Greek yogurt and regular yogurt?
Greek yogurt is strained to remove whey, making it thicker and higher in protein than regular yogurt.
Can I use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream?
Yes, Greek yogurt is a healthier substitute for sour cream in most recipes.
Tips for substituting Greek yogurt
4 tips- To thicken regular yogurt, strain it through cheesecloth for 2-4 hours
- Greek yogurt has more protein and less sugar than regular yogurt
- For baking, Greek yogurt adds moisture and tanginess to recipes
- Greek yogurt can be used as a healthier substitute for sour cream