What Can I Substitute for Yoghurt?

You're making a cake, muffins, scones or pancakes where yoghurt goes in alongside bicarbonate of soda.

• sour cream — 250 g for every 250 g yoghurt
• Greek yoghurt — 190 g Greek yoghurt plus 60 ml milk for every 250 g yoghurt
• buttermilk — 250 ml for every 250 g yoghurt
• soured milk (milk and lemon juice) — 235 ml milk plus 15 ml lemon juice for every 250 g yoghurt, stood for 10 minutes

Here yoghurt's main jobs are acid to react with the bicarbonate of soda and moisture for a soft crumb, so anything sour and wet will do; sour cream and thinned Greek yoghurt also keep the body and fat, while buttermilk and soured milk are thinner and need about 30 ml less of the recipe's other liquid.

You're coating chicken or lamb in a spiced yoghurt marinade for tandoori, souvlaki or kebabs.

• Greek yoghurt — 190 g Greek yoghurt plus 60 ml milk for every 250 g yoghurt
• buttermilk — 250 ml for every 250 g yoghurt
• soy yoghurt — 250 g for every 250 g yoghurt

A marinade needs yoghurt's mild acid to tenderise and its body to hold the spices against the meat; Greek yoghurt and soy yoghurt do both, while buttermilk tenderises well but runs off, so it suits soaking chicken for frying better than a thick tandoori-style coating.

You're stirring yoghurt into a hot curry or pan sauce to make it creamy and take the edge off the spice.

• crème fraîche — 250 g for every 250 g yoghurt
• coconut yoghurt — 250 g for every 250 g yoghurt
• sour cream — 250 g for every 250 g yoghurt

In heat, body and richness matter more than sharp tang, and the higher fat in crème fraîche keeps it from splitting even if the sauce bubbles; coconut yoghurt sits naturally in many curries, and sour cream gives the same creaminess but should still go in off the heat.

You're making a creamy dip, dressing or topping where yoghurt is the base but other flavours such as herbs, garlic or spice lead.

• Greek yoghurt — 250 g for every 250 g yoghurt
• sour cream — 250 g for every 250 g yoghurt
• crème fraîche — 250 g for every 250 g yoghurt

Cold dips need body and some tang rather than acid for leavening, so Greek yoghurt can go in straight for a thicker result, and sour cream or crème fraîche give a richer, milder base that you can sharpen with a squeeze of lemon.

You're cooking for someone who can't have dairy and need yoghurt's moisture and tang without milk.

• soy yoghurt — 250 g for every 250 g yoghurt
• coconut yoghurt — 250 g for every 250 g yoghurt

Unsweetened soy yoghurt is cultured like dairy yoghurt, so it brings the closest acidity and tang for baking and marinades, while coconut yoghurt adds richness that suits curries and cakes but tastes clearly of coconut; check the label for added sugar and vanilla before using either in savoury food.

You're making tzatziki, raita, labneh or a lassi, where the cultured tang of yoghurt is the main flavour.

• Greek yoghurt — 250 g for every 250 g yoghurt

Nothing really replaces it here.

Greek yoghurt works only because it is yoghurt, just strained; sour cream, crème fraîche and the plant yoghurts change the flavour so much that the dish stops tasting like tzatziki or raita, so if you have no yoghurt of any kind it is better to make something else.

Your curry or sauce has gone grainy and split after you added the yoghurt or Greek yoghurt.

Why: The milk proteins tightened and separated from the liquid because the sauce boiled after the yoghurt went in, and strained yoghurts with more protein split most easily.

Fix: Take the pan off the heat and blitz the sauce with a stick blender, then stir in a spoonful of cream or crème fraîche; it will be smoother though may stay slightly grainy, so next time stir the yoghurt in off the heat or use crème fraîche.

Your muffin or cake batter looks runny and pours instead of dropping from the spoon after using buttermilk or soured milk.

Why: Buttermilk and soured milk are pourable and miss yoghurt's body, so they add more free liquid than the recipe expected.

Fix: Stir in plain flour about 10 g at a time until the batter thickens to a soft drop, mixing as little as possible, and next time hold back about 30 ml of the other liquid.

Your cake or muffins taste noticeably lemony or sharp after using soured milk.

Why: The lemon juice was probably measured with an Australian tablespoon, which holds 20 ml rather than the 15 ml the amount is based on, so extra acid went in.

Can't be fixed — next time: A baked cake can't be changed, but a sweet icing or a dusting of icing sugar will balance the sharpness; next time measure the lemon juice as 15 ml.

Your dip made with soy or coconut yoghurt is too thin and slides off the crackers.

Why: Plant yoghurts are often looser than dairy yoghurt, and grated cucumber or other wet ingredients thin them further.

Fix: Spoon the plant yoghurt into a sieve lined with paper towel over a bowl, chill for an hour to drain, then remake the dip, squeezing any cucumber dry first.

Is Greek yoghurt the same as natural yoghurt?

No, Greek yoghurt is natural yoghurt that has been strained or thickened, so it is thicker, higher in protein and usually higher in fat. You can use it straight in dips, but for batters and marinades loosen three parts Greek yoghurt with one part milk so it matches the moisture of natural yoghurt.

How many grams is a cup of yoghurt?

One level Australian 250 ml cup of natural yoghurt weighs about 255 g, and one US 240 ml cup weighs about 245 g. Greek yoghurt is a little heavier per cup because it is denser, so weighing it is more reliable than measuring by the cup.

How many grams is a tablespoon of yoghurt?

An Australian tablespoon of natural yoghurt weighs about 20 g because it holds 20 ml, while a UK, New Zealand, US or Canadian tablespoon holds 15 ml and weighs about 15 g. If a recipe from overseas lists yoghurt in tablespoons, using Australian spoons adds a third more, which matters most when the yoghurt is the main acid for bicarbonate of soda.

Can I use vanilla or sweetened yoghurt instead of natural yoghurt?

Only in sweet baking, and even then it changes the result. Sweetened yoghurt adds sugar and often thickeners, so cakes brown faster and taste sweeter, and it will clash with savoury dishes such as curries, marinades and tzatziki.

Can I leave yoghurt out of a cake?

Not without replacing it, because the yoghurt is usually the acid that makes the bicarbonate of soda work as well as a large share of the liquid. Leaving it out gives a dry, flat cake, so swap in sour cream, buttermilk or soured milk instead.

Can I use yoghurt instead of sour cream?

Yes, in most baking and cold dips you can swap natural or Greek yoghurt for sour cream at the same weight. The result is tangier and a little less rich, and yoghurt splits more easily in hot sauces, so stir it in off the heat.