Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Pinterest Twitter Instagram RSS Facebook
    Buy GO DAIRY FREE and EAT DAIRY FREE today!
    Go Dairy Free
    • Need to Know
      • Newbies Start Here!
      • Take the Challenge!
      • Dairy-Free FAQs
      • Latest News
      • Milk Allergies
      • Lactose Intolerance
      • Other Health Issues
      • Testimonials
      • Calcium Guide
      • Holidays & More
      • Best Books
      • The Community
    • Recipes
      • Recipes by Category
        • Alisa’s Recipes
        • Sarah’s Recipes
        • Appetizers
        • Beverages
        • Bread
        • Breakfast
        • Cheese Substitutes
        • Condiments & Dressings
        • Cream Substitutes
        • Desserts
        • Entrees
        • Kids Can Cook
        • Milk Substitutes
        • Pasta
        • Salad
        • Sandwiches
        • Sauces
        • Sides
        • Snacks
        • Soup
      • Full Dairy-Free Recipe Index
      • Gluten-Free Recipe Index
      • Vegan Recipe Index
    • Reviews
      • Dairy Substitutes
        • Butter
        • Cheese
        • Cream
        • Creamer
        • Dessert Toppings
        • Ice Cream
        • Ice Cream Novelties
        • Milk
        • Yogurt
        • More Kitchen Essentials
      • Sweets & Snacks
        • Protein Shakes
        • More Creamy Beverages
        • Snack & Protein Bars
        • More Snacks
        • Chocolate
        • Cookie Dough
        • Cookies & Brownies
        • Pies & Cakes
        • Pudding & Mousse
        • More Sweet Treats
      • Meal Makers
        • Baking Mixes
        • Bread Products
        • Breakfast Pastries
        • Cereal & Granola
        • Cheesy Pasta & Rice
        • Frozen Pizza
        • More Entrees
        • Dip and Spreads
        • Salad Dressing
        • Sauces
      • All Product Reviews
        • New Product Reviews!
        • Browse by Product Type
        • Full Review Index
        • Gluten-Free Review Index
        • Vegan Review Index
    • Grocery Guide
      • Alisa’s Dairy-Free Kitchen
      • Brands We Love
      • Dairy Substitutes
      • Dairy Ingredient List
      • Understanding Food Labels
      • No Dairy Product Lists
      • Ordering Specialty Foods
      • Best Grocery Stores
    • Eating Out
      • Fast Food Listings
      • Recommended Restaurants
    • My Books!
      • Go Dairy Free 2nd Edition (best seller!)
      • Eat Dairy Free 1st Edition (full color!)
      • eBooks & Printables
      • Book Supplements & Resources
    • About Us
      • Meet Us
      • Contact Us
      • Join Us
      • Work With Us
    Go Dairy Free
    You are at:Home»Dairy Substitutes»How to Substitute Yogurt

    How to Substitute Yogurt

    8
    By Alisa Fleming on July 2, 2012 Dairy Substitutes

    Most of the information below on how to substitute yogurt for dairy-free and vegan diets is excerpted from my book, Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook. However, I’ve also added product reviews and a few fun recipes that are here on the website.

    How to Substitute Yogurt - Dairy-Free & Vegan Options for recipes and everyday, probiotic-rich eats

    Quick Ideas to Substitute Yogurt

    Easy Buttermilk Alternative

    This works very well for marinating and cooking purposes, and is also recommended when yogurt is called for in baked goods, dressings, and sauces. You can substitute one cup of Buttermilk Alternative for one cup of yogurt in recipes.

    Coconut Cream

    This is a dairy-free wonder food. Refrigerate a can of full-fat coconut milk for several hours or overnight. The coconut cream will rise to the top and can easily be skimmed off. Depending on your needs, coconut cream can substitute yogurt in a 1:1 ratio. Be aware that Coconut Cream is much higher in fat than the other options listed.

    Homemade Dairy-Free Yogurt

    Some people love to make dairy-free yogurt at home. It can be much more economical, tastier, and a fun DIY project. Homemade dairy-free yogurts are often thinner than dairy yogurt, so I recommend starting with one of our tested recipes below.

    Pureed Silken Tofu

    Medium Firm Silken Tofu will puree into a nice consistency, and may substitute yogurt using a 1:1 ratio. Obviously, this sub is only for recipes, and since it does lack the tartness of yogurt, it is most suitable for “heartier” dishes. You can add a little lemon juice to your recipe if some tang is desired.

    Sour Cream Alternative

    This works well as a straight substitute for yogurt in salad dressings and dips. Use one of our Sour “Cream” recipes for a simple option if you can’t locate a variety in store.

    Store-Bought Dairy-Free Yogurt

    Soy-, coconut-, almond, and cashew-based yogurts are popping up all over the place, and they contain that same great “healthy bacteria.” For the most part, dairy-free brands work as an equivalent substitute yogurt. Some brands have received rave reviews, and others, well … let’s stick to the ones with rave reviews. Check our product reviews for some options.

    Recipes: Homemade Yogurt Alternatives

    Dairy-free yogurt is becoming so popular that it can even be found in many small towns. Unfortunately, it can also be expensive. So many people like the option of making their own. Homemade yogurt takes a little bit of time to make, but it involves very little hands on work. Yogurt is a cultured product, so most of the time involves waiting for the yogurt to ferment.

    Homemade dairy-free yogurt will almost always differ a bit from store-bought, but in many people’s opinions, that isn’t a bad thing. And if at first you don’t succeed, definitely try again. Very few people have complete success on their first batch of yogurt. It takes a bit of practice to get it right. But once you do, the financial and edible rewards are great. And I have some helpful tips to get you started on that journey to your perfect homemade dairy-free yogurt.

    Yogurt Starter

    To make your own dairy-free yogurt, you need to begin with a starter culture. This is live active cultures that will help populate your yogurt with good bacteria, or probiotics. Starter culture itself is merely bacteria. It doesn’t contain ingredients such as milk. However, the bacteria must be grown on a medium, and that medium is often dairy.

    For most dairy-free or dairy-low consumers, a starter culture grown on dairy isn’t a problem, since the bacteria or starter is completely removed from the medium before use. However, if you are dealing with a severe milk allergy, have any concerns about trace dairy, or are strictly vegan and want to ensure there was no dairy used in the making of the product, look for a dairy-free or vegan label, and then contact the company to verify their processes.

    I also want to give you a heads up that the bacteria names themselves can sound like dairy. Many start with “lact” or have the term “casei” in them, which can sound like lactose and casein. These are just scientific bacteria names based on what they do. The names do not reflect the medium that the bacteria was grown on.

    There are three things that are commonly used as a starter for homemade yogurt.

    Another Yogurt

    You can use a store-bought dairy-free yogurt or a finished homemade dairy-free yogurt as the starter for your next batch. If going with store-bought, make sure the container says something to the effect of: made with live cultures.

    Alternatively, you can save a little of your homemade dairy-free yogurt to use as the starter. It has been reported that using your own starter can lose potency over time, so you might want to use a fresh starter periodically.

    In terms of how much dairy-free yogurt to use, I’ve read varying reports. Some say as little as 1/4 teaspoon of dairy-free yogurt per 4 cups of liquid, while some recommend a full 1/2 cup. I usually say around 2 to 4 tablespoons, to stay on the safe side without getting excessive. Keep in mind that the longer you ferment, the more it will populate. So if you do start with a lesser amount of dairy-free yogurt or starter, allow a longer amount of incubation time.

    Starter Culture

    You can actually purchase yogurt starters. Most are grown on a dairy medium, but if you need dairy-free purity, a few brands do claim to be non-dairy, dairy-free, and/or vegan. These include Custom Probiotics, Eugurt, Cultures for Health Vegan, Vegan Bio Yogurt, and Belle+Bella. But check the label and with the manufacturer to ensure ingredients and processes are safe for your needs.

    Probiotic Capsules

    Store-bought probiotics can be used, but make sure you are dealing with a good brand that has been properly stored. You can buy probiotics in powder form, but most are sold in capsules. To use it as a starter, simply open the capsule and pour the powder out.

    To reiterate, probiotics are simply bacteria, and are removed from the medium that they are grown on. Nonetheless, where dairy is a strong concern, make sure to look for brands labeled as “dairy-free” or “vegan.” And double check with the manufacturer to find out their processes and the medium they used to grow the bacteria. Just a few probiotics that are touted as dairy-free include Ther-Biotic, PRO45, and Garden of Life. But again, double check to make sure they are safe for your needs.

    Other Homemade Yogurt Ingredients

    You can technically use any dairy-free milk to make yogurt, but the results will vary. And they will often end up more like a drinkable yogurt than a spoonable one. To compensate, some recipes use thickeners like agar powder, agar flakes, gelatin (not appropriate for vegans/vegetarians), or starch. And higher fat ingredients, like coconut milk, coconut cream, or homemade nut cream (easy recipe in Go Dairy Free), are sometimes used instead of dairy-free milk for thicker results.

    Yogurt-Making Equipment

    First and foremost, it’s essential to sterilize all of your equipment to prevent the growth of any “bad” bacteria. You will need a blender, a large pot, and a thermometer. You will also need something to incubate your yogurt. Some people use the oven, some use a crockpot, but we do like the ease of a yogurt maker. In fact, if you plan on making your own yogurt regularly, a yogurt maker can really pay for itself.

    The Aroma 8-Cup Digital Yogurt Maker and the Euro Cuisine Electric Yogurt Maker have both received rave reviews and are reasonably priced. These are great for making your substitute yogurt in single-servings. If you just want a tub of dairy-free yogurt, the Belle+Bella Yogurt Maker is actually a cute small appliance.


    Dairy-Free Yogurt Recipes 

    If you are ready to substitute yogurt with your own dairy-free blend, these recipes will help get you started.

    • I have a time-tested recipe for Coconut Yogurt in Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook.
    • My good friend Alexa has an Almond Milk Yogurt recipe with the option for using probiotic capsules as a starter.
    • For top allergen-free, Cybele Pascal has a homemade Sunflower Seed Yogurt.

    Products: Yogurt Alternatives at the Store

    Below are the products we’ve had a chance to taste-test and review here on Go Dairy Free. You can use them to substitute yogurt for breakfast or in recipes. But the taste and consistency vary widely by brand.

    • Cocoyo Coconut Yogurt Comes Alive with 7 Probiotic-Rich Flavors
    • CoYo Coconut Milk Yogurt Alternative: Pure, Low-Sugar, Dairy-free Luxury
    • GoodBelly Shots offer 11 Probiotic Ways to Make Your Tummy Smile
    • Kite Hill Almond Milk Yogurt Gets a New Look and Taste
    • So Delicious Coconut Milk Yogurt Still Dazzles in a Dozen Flavors

    Want More Dairy-Free Recipes & Tips? Get My Cookbooks:

    Eat Dairy Free - Your Essential Cookbook for Everyday Meals, Snacks, and Sweets

    Go Dairy Free 2nd Edition - The Ultimate Guide and Cookbook for Dairy-Free Living with Over 250 Recipes!

    Alisa Fleming
    • Website

    Alisa is the founder of GoDairyFree.org, Food Editor for Allergic Living magazine, and author of the best-selling dairy-free book, Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook for Milk Allergies, Lactose Intolerance, and Casein-Free Living, and the new cookbook, Eat Dairy Free: Your Essential Cookbook for Everyday Meals, Snacks, and Sweets. Alisa is also a professional recipe creator and product ambassador for the natural food industry.

    Related Posts

    Dairy-Free Stuffed Mushrooms Recipe - creamy, cheesy, rich, and fulfilling. Optionally gluten-free, nut-free, and soy-free. Plant-based nd vegan-friendly.

    Dairy-Free Stuffed Mushrooms with Perfect Cheesy Creamy Flavor

    Pizza Pizza Dairy-Free Menu Guide with Vegan Options

    Pizza Pizza has the Biggest Dairy-Free & Vegan Menus Around

    Over 50 Dairy-Free Valentine's Day Treats you can Buy at the Store with Allergen Notes and Vegan Options!

    50 Dairy-Free Valentine’s Day Treats you can Buy at the Store

    8 Comments

    1. Lesley F on January 3, 2020 6:31 am

      Can I replace 2 cups of yogurt with tofu in a bread recipe that has oats, yogurt , baking soda and salt for it’s ingredients?

      Reply
      • Alisa Fleming on January 3, 2020 8:03 am

        In that recipe, it sounds like the yogurt is also acting to help leaven the bread. It reacts with the baking soda. If you did opt to use pureed tofu, you would want to add something like vinegar (I believe 1 tablespoon per 1 teaspoon baking soda, if I recall correctly) to react with the baking soda. I haven’t made bread with pureed silken tofu, but it could work.

        Reply
    2. Karen Tobin on July 18, 2018 10:04 pm

      Is there a RETAIL dairy free product that you know of. I LOVE YOGHURT ?
      But l suffer IBS & Extreme bloating.
      My diet is limited. I feel if l could delete dairy l would be much better off….. l would love something to replace my YOGHURT intake… though the yogurt l eat is natural & very high in protein.
      I would Love YOUR ADVISE
      KIND REGARDS
      Karen ?

      Reply
      • Alisa Fleming on July 20, 2018 2:33 pm

        Karen, in this post there are links to brands, too. They are also in this section – https://www.godairyfree.org/product-reviews/alternatives-other-dairy

        Reply
    3. Jessie on January 9, 2016 8:50 am

      Throughout your website where you say below, see our product alternatives to this or that, in this case yogurt…. There is no link that shows. Nor are there any products. Must be a glitch in the website

      Reply
      • Alisa Fleming on January 9, 2016 4:29 pm

        Hi Jessie, I think you are just referring to a few of the posts in the dairy subs section – yes, I need to fix those! It is a glitch from our website transition. Here are all of the product reviews by category – http://www.godairyfree.org/new-dairy-free-product-reviews

        Reply
    4. K on February 10, 2015 4:12 pm

      Where can I find recipes that do not have milk and milk products. Also can not eat soy or made from Edmar.

      Reply
      • Alisa Fleming on February 10, 2015 7:32 pm

        Head to the recipe section- http://www.godairyfree.org/recipes – this is a dairy-free / milk-free website.

        Reply

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    Go Dairy Free - The Guide and Cookbook for Milk Allergies, Lactose Intolerance and Casein-Free Living
    Free Food Journal! With detailed symptom tracker. Electronic - you can fill, save, and email it on your phone, tablet or computer! Or print it out! Great for Elimination Diets, Health Goals, Doctor and Dietitian Appointments, and More.

    The FREE Food Journal that You and Your Doctor will Love

    Over 50 Dairy-Free Valentine's Day Treats you can Buy at the Store with Allergen Notes and Vegan Options!

    50 Dairy-Free Valentine’s Day Treats you can Buy at the Store

    Enjoy Life FoodsFames Chocolates. From Brooklyn with loveEat dairy free book
    Go Dairy Free is the leading website for information on the dairy-free diet. We share dairy-free recipes, product reviews, news, recommendations and health guides to aide those with milk allergies, lactose intolerance or a general need or desire to live without dairy. Dairy-free does include milk-free, lactose-free, casein-free and whey-free, too! We also offer ample resources for gluten-free, soy-free, food allergy, vegan and paleo diets. Please note that ingredients, processes and products are subject to change by a manufacturer at any time. All foods and products should be considered at risk for cross-contamination with milk and other allergens. Always contact the manufacturer prior to consumption. Disclaimer - All Rights Reserved - Privacy Policy Go Dairy Free © 2005-2022 Fleming Marrs Inc.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.