Shrikhand substitutes
Shrikhand substitutes — 6 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use Greek yogurt beaten with powdered sugar, cardamom and saffron
Per about 1 cup shrikhand
1 cup Greek yogurt + 1/3 cup powdered sugar
Not really a substitute so much as the shortcut version of the real thing, since Greek yogurt is already the strained curd that shrikhand starts from. The only difference from a traditionally hung-curd shrikhand is a very slightly looser set and a marginally cleaner, less concentrated tang.
The fastest honest substitute is one you make yourself in five minutes: beat 1 cup of full-fat plain Greek yogurt with 1/3 cup powdered sugar, ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom and a pinch of saffron soaked in a tablespoon of warm milk. If you need a ready-made stand-in, sweetened labneh is closest, mascarpone whisked with yogurt is richer, and sweetened quark is the leanest option. Use powdered sugar, not granulated, or the mixture turns runny.
- Verdict —
- Works
- Best for —
- shrikhand for a meal or festival
Updated 26 Jul 2026 · no sponsored swaps
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of shrikhand | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Greek yogurt beaten with powdered sugar, cardamom and saffronshrikhand for a meal or festival | 1 cup Greek yogurt + 1/3 cup powdered sugar per about 1 cup shrikhandWorks | Works |
| 2 | Home-strained plain yogurt (chakka)authentic shrikhand | 2 cups plain full-fat yogurt = about 1 cup chakka = 1 cup shrikhand once sweetenedWorks | Works |
| 3 | Labneh, sweetenedquick sweetened yogurt desserts | 1 cup labneh + 1/3 cup powdered sugarTweak it | Tweak it |
| 4 | Mascarpone whisked with plain yogurtdinner-party desserts | ½ cup mascarpone + ½ cup plain yogurt + 1/3 cup powdered sugarYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| 5 | Quark, sweetenedlighter or high-protein versions | 1 cup quark + 1/3 cup powdered sugarTweak it | Tweak it |
| 6 | Sweetened whipped cream cheese (least-bad option)dessert fillings and tarts | ¾ cup whipped cream cheese + ¼ cup milk + 1/3 cup powdered sugarYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
Greek yogurt beaten with powdered sugar, cardamom and saffron
similar taste and texture
Not really a substitute so much as the shortcut version of the real thing, since Greek yogurt is already the strained curd that shrikhand starts from. The only difference from a traditionally hung-curd shrikhand is a very slightly looser set and a marginally cleaner, less concentrated tang.
- Best for
- shrikhand for a meal or festival, puran poli and puri accompaniment, layering in desserts and parfaits, amrakhand with mango pulp
Bloom the saffron in a tablespoon of warm milk for ten minutes before adding it, or the threads stay hard and the color never spreads through.
Home-strained plain yogurt (chakka)
similar taste and texture
The traditional route and the best-tasting one. Yogurt hung in cloth for four to twelve hours loses its whey and its flavor concentrates, giving a denser, silkier, more deeply tangy base than any tub of Greek yogurt. Worth the wait if you have it.
- Best for
- authentic shrikhand, festival cooking, make-ahead desserts
Use whole-milk yogurt with no gelatin or starch. Strain it overnight in the refrigerator, then beat it with a whisk or blitz briefly for a completely lump-free texture.
Labneh, sweetened
different taste, similar texture
Labneh is strained yogurt from the Levant, so structurally it is the same product. The catch is that most shop-bought labneh is salted, and salt in a sweet dessert reads as slightly savory and confusing. Buy unsalted if you can, and taste before adding all the sugar.
- Best for
- quick sweetened yogurt desserts, spooning over fruit, dessert dips
If the labneh is salted, mask it with an extra tablespoon of sugar and a little extra cardamom rather than trying to rinse it.
Mascarpone whisked with plain yogurt
different taste and texture
A richer, dessert-forward interpretation. Mascarpone brings butterfat and a silky, almost mousse-like body, and the yogurt puts back the tang mascarpone completely lacks. Beside a real shrikhand it tastes noticeably creamier and less sharp, closer to a spiced cheesecake filling than to a yogurt dessert.
- Best for
- dinner-party desserts, piped and layered desserts, tart and pastry fillings
Whisk gently. Mascarpone splits into grains if you beat it hard, and once it does the texture cannot be recovered.
Quark, sweetened
different taste, similar texture
Thick, high in protein and already drained, so the body is right. What is missing is sourness - quark is mild and milky, so the finished dessert tastes softer and blander than shrikhand should. A teaspoon of lemon juice or a couple of spoons of plain yogurt sharpens it up.
- Best for
- lighter or high-protein versions, baked yogurt desserts, spooning over fruit
Quark from a firm block needs a minute of whisking with a spoon of milk before it turns creamy.
Sweetened whipped cream cheese (least-bad option)
different taste and texture
Worth being straight about: this is the fallback when there is no yogurt in the house, and it is clearly not shrikhand. Cream cheese is salted, dense and coats the mouth, so the result eats like a cardamom cheesecake filling - pleasant, but heavier and without the light sour lift that makes shrikhand refreshing after a rich meal.
- Best for
- dessert fillings and tarts, frosting-style toppings
Add the cardamom and saffron generously here, since the fat blunts aromatics and you will need more than you would in a yogurt base.
Questions
5 questionsWhat can I use instead of shrikhand?
Make it rather than replace it: full-fat Greek yogurt beaten with powdered sugar, ground cardamom and bloomed saffron gives you a legitimate shrikhand in five minutes. If you need something off the shelf, unsalted labneh sweetened the same way is the nearest match, and mascarpone whisked with plain yogurt gives a richer dessert version.
Is shrikhand just sweetened Greek yogurt?
Essentially yes, plus aromatics. Shrikhand is strained yogurt - chakka, or hung curd - beaten with sugar and flavored with cardamom and saffron, and often nuts. Greek yogurt is the same strained curd, so the only work left is the sugar and the spices.
Can I use regular yogurt instead of strained yogurt for shrikhand?
Not without draining it. Unstrained yogurt holds too much whey, and once you add sugar it will loosen further and end up soupy. Strain it in a cloth-lined sieve for at least four hours in the refrigerator - two cups of plain yogurt reduces to roughly one cup of usable base.
Can I leave out the saffron?
Yes. Saffron is mostly there for color and a subtle floral note, and plenty of home versions skip it. Cardamom is the flavor you really cannot lose - without it the dessert is just sweet yogurt. If you have no saffron, a drop of rose water or a little grated nutmeg gives the dish something aromatic to hold onto.
How long does shrikhand keep?
Three to four days covered in the refrigerator, and it thickens slightly as it sits. If you have added fresh mango pulp, eat it within a day or two, since fruit purees thin the mixture and turn it more sour over time. Do not freeze it - it goes grainy on thawing.
Tips for substituting shrikhand
5 tips- Shrikhand is thick strained yogurt doing three jobs at once: tang from the culture, body from the drained curd, and aroma from cardamom and saffron. If a substitute is missing the tang, add lemon juice or plain yogurt. If it is missing the body, drain it. If it tastes flat, the aromatics are what is short.
- Use powdered or superfine sugar, never granulated. Granulated sugar sits in the yogurt drawing out water and refuses to dissolve in the cold, so within an hour a beautifully thick bowl of shrikhand has slumped into something loose and gritty.
- Bloom saffron in a tablespoon of warm milk for ten minutes and add the milk along with the threads. Dry saffron dropped into cold yogurt gives you specks of red and almost no flavor or color.
- Cardamom loses everything within a few weeks of grinding. Crush the seeds from three or four green pods for each cup, in a mortar or under the flat of a knife, right before you use them.
- Chill the finished shrikhand for at least two hours. It firms up considerably, and the cardamom and saffron only really come forward once it has rested. Fold in mango pulp at the end and you have amrakhand.