These Are the Best Yogurt Swaps for Oil, Buttermilk and More

From adding moisture to cakes to tenderizing meat, yogurt comes to the rescue in the most unexpected ways.

Yogurt is one of those underrated, yet highly versatile, ingredients in the kitchen. Not only is yogurt delicious on its own, but it has many unexpected uses for cooking and baking.

For baking:

Look to yogurt as your go-to backup for those moments when you’re missing a key ingredient like oil, buttermilk, mayonnaise or sour cream. Here are the ratios to use:

Substitute regular yogurt for buttermilk: 1-to-1
Substitute regular yogurt for oil: ½ to 1 (substitute ½ cup yogurt and ½ cup oil for 1 cup oil)
Substitute Greek yogurt for sour cream: 1-to-1
Substitute Greek yogurt for mayonnaise: 1-to-1

Be sure to check out our handy yogurt substituting cheat sheet below for easy reference!

Keep in mind these swaps only apply to full-fat yogurt. Low-fat and nonfat yogurts may contain stabilizers and fillers that can mess with your baked goods.

For cooking:

Yogurt can do more than serve as an alternate for sweet stuff. When it comes to savory dishes, yogurt stars in dressing, sauces and marinades. Swap lower-calorie yogurt for some of the oil in dressings or use it to marinate and tenderize meats.

Whether you’re using yogurt as a backup, replacement or just because you love it, it’s a must-have.