I am excited to be partnering with Stonyfield on today’s post! They are a great organic company that not only does their best to treat both farmers and the planet well, but is also passionate about helping in the fight to label GMOs. And today we are going to be discussing Stonyfield’s signature product – organic yogurt!!
I think it’s safe to say that most of us have eaten yogurt at one time or another. I know my family has certainly had our fair share. That’s the thing though – most of us just sit down and eat yogurt (or add it to a smoothie), but it’s not always top of mind when it comes to cooking and baking. Maybe we don’t think about using yogurt in recipes? Or know how to cook with it exactly? Well whatever the reason, it’s never too late to start experimenting, which is why I am excited to share with you the following Yogurt Substitution Chart!
And to think, just last week some readers were asking me what they could substitute for heavy cream…who knew. :)
I also made a printable version for you in case you want to keep this conversion chart handy! :) If it doesn’t open properly in your browser, just Right Click > Save As to download to your computer.
And whether it’s for cooking, baking, or eating, this is what I personally look for in a yogurt:
- Plain: That way I can sweeten or flavor it myself and know exactly what I am eating (including how much sweetener and what kind).
- Organic: Especially with dairy products, I think it’s important to avoid the added hormones in the animals as well as the pesticides and GMOs in their feed.
- Whole Milk: In general, I just prefer getting as close to the real deal as possible.
Some people are also curious about Greek yogurt. My personal opinion is that Greek yogurt is not really better or worse than the regular stuff – just different!
So before I let you go…how about some recipes that use yogurt to get you started? Enjoy!
Corn Chowder
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, medium, finely chopped
- 4 cups vegetable broth, or chicken
- 2 red potatoes, medium, finely chopped
- 15 oz frozen corn, 1 1/2 10-ounce bags
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- 1 1/2 cups plain yogurt, Stonyfield Organic
Instructions
-
Place a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and sauté onions until translucent. Add broth and bring to a boil. Add potatoes and cook for 8 minutes or until tender.
-
Add corn kernels, red peppers and spices to pot and cook for 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat; pour soup through a strainer, reserving vegetables and broth.
-
Place half of the vegetables in a bowl, and gently mix in the yogurt. This will help to temper the yogurt and prevent it from separating. Combine the remaining vegetables and broth in a blender, and purée until smooth.
-
Place the puréed vegetables and broth mixture in the soup pot over medium heat, and then stir the yogurt and vegetable mixture back into the pot. Serve warm and garnish with a dollop of plain yogurt.
Recipe Notes
We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
Bibb Salad with Sautéed Shrimp
Recipe from Stonyfield
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup plain yogurt, whole milk Stonyfield Organic
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, extra virgin
- 3 tablespoons mustard, coarse grain
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 pound shrimp, raw, large, peeled, and deveined
- 2 cups corn, cut from 4 ears
- 4 radishes, thinly sliced
- 2 heads Bibb lettuce, washed and roughly chopped
Instructions
For the Dressing:
-
Whisk together the yogurt, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, 2 tablespoons of the mustard, ½ teaspoon of the salt, and the pepper; set aside.
For the Salad:
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Combine shrimp, 1 tablespoon of the remaining olive oil and remaining 1 tablespoon mustard in a large resealable bag; toss to coat and refrigerate for 1 hour.
-
Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add corn to pan and cook, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes. Remove corn to a serving bowl.
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Increase heat to high and add shrimp to skillet; sprinkle with remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook 2 to 3 minutes per side or until cooked through; transfer to bowl with corn. Cool 10 minutes.
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Add radishes and lettuce to serving bowl and drizzle with prepared dressing. Toss to combine and serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
Note: We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
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I use yogurt in pancake and waffle recipes (I substitute it for a portion of the milk). It reacts with the baking powder to make the pancakes/ waffles nice and fluffy.
Good to know! :)
I used greek yogurt instead of cream in your tomato bisque–is was great!
Thanks for the great resource! Yogurt is amazing in whole wheat biscuits too. The yogurt adds yummy flavor and texture to the biscuits.
can’t wait to try the corn chowder! this is very interesting thanks!
I was just wondering about this!!! Great! I couldn’t find full fat yogurt at our Kroger, but Stonyfield’s website says we have it here. I’ll have to look better next time I go shopping. Also, I am SO excited to be making a trip to Trader Joe’s this weekend. I hope to find some foods there that are considered real food but not available around here. I am going to stock up!
I have a question about corn. I would love to try your recipes with corn, but would you say organic corn is the way to go? I’ve read that corn is something to stay away from as far as GMOs go. What’s your take on this? I was using 100% whole grain stone ground yellow corn meal Hodgson Mill brand but its not organic. I love your cornbread recipe! Any advice?
Yes, as long as you buy organic then it is not GMO (which is important with high risk GMO crops like corn). Also, here is a post with my favorite Trader Joe’s products :) https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/09/27/what-i-buy-at-trader-joes/
Oh nevermind, I NEVER noticed this on the Hodgson Mill bag. It says NON GMO Project Verified. Does that mean it has no GMOs?
Yes, that is another way to tell (aside from organic)!
Question on plain greek yogurt – why can I never find a full-fat version? It’s always fat free that I can find. What is your take on doing fat free in this product? (I’m not a fat free fan usually per your other posts)
I am with you – I struggle to find full-fat, Greek, plain as well so I usually go with the regular myself.
Strained yogurt is the best! Scoop some Stoneyfield Organic Plain yogurt into a cheesecloth lined sieve and place it in your fridge for 12-24 hours and it is the creamiest thing you can imagine! I add some frozen fruit to it for a super delicious and uber healthy dessert that my children go crazy for. My husband uses it like cream cheese on bagels and the recipe possibilities are seriously endless!!
Oh wow, I’ll have to try that!
I do the same thing. Strain the yogurt and then add some herbs and black pepper and spread it on crackers. I think I got this from an old episode of Good Eats. He called it yogurt cheese. So yummy.
That’s called labneh in the Middle East, you can eat as it is, topped with some crushed dried mint, and some pita bread. You can also use it in recipes that call for sour cream.
That’s actually the way I make cream cheese. I use Trader Joe’s full fat organic yogurt, dump it in a 4 layer cheesecloth-lined strainer over a large glass bowl for 24 hours on the counter, covered with an upside down plate. The next day I tie up the corners and use wooden spoon handles (2) to twist it up, gently. I leave it until the whey stops dripping out (generally, 12 hours). Best.cream.cheese.ever. Oh, and don’t touch it with anything but clean knife or spoon…it has a nasty habit of growing whatever it picks up.
That is a good thought Debbie. If you are making a baking substitution, does it matter is it is full fat or fat free plain yogurt?
I have always loved Stonyfield yogurt. I am thrilled with the conversion chart! Thanks.
We eat greek yogurt at home all the time. I can’t find how to substitute greek yogurt for regular yogurt in Stoney Creek recipes. I don’t want to buy 2 kinds when I already have the one. How would I substitute greek for plain?
Thanks for sharing this. I love stonyfield yogurt (we go through quarts of it each week). We buy mostly the whole milk plain because the vanilla has “natural flavors.” Why is it so hard to flavor vanilla yogurt with say actual vanilla??
LOVE Stonyfield and always start my little ones on their Yo Baby brand. Now they love the greek version! Thanks for sharing the conversion chart–super helpful!
Go one step further and get GRASS-FED, plain, whole milk organic yogurt. Can be hard to find, but my grocery store stocks Dreaming Cow brand yogurt. Its awesome!
Lisa,
My children and myself are lactose intolerant and we have discovered that the Greek yogurt is ok for us as long as we don’t eat it everyday. After research we learned that the Greek yogurt has one extra step to take more of the whey out…thus making it more easily digestable for people who are intolerant. We also prefer the texture of the Greek over Plain so thats good for us. Thanks for aharing this chart! It will be used in our kitchen!
Be Well
This looks so good can’t wait to try.
http://www.laramealor.com/woot-woot-wednesday-dont-expect-dog-set-table/
I just bought a quart of this to make homemade yogurt. I was also looking at recipes to substitute yogurt, I made cornbread last night with it, it was sooo good and moist! Thanks!
Hi! I have converted our family into eating plain yogurt and flavoring it myself. I see that some plain yogurts have different ingredients besides the pasteurized milk. I buy Chobani Greek right now because they have it at BJs :) I would prefer the whole milk but I can’t find it. The ingredients are milk and the cultures. The cultures are ok to see in an ingredient list right?
Hi Christine. Yes, you want the cultures in your yogurt. :) ~Amy
Full fat plain Greek yogurt is available at Trader Joe’s, in a blue and white package. The only place I’ve found it. It is similar to labneh, one of the best Middle Eastern/Arab dips. Yum!
Absolutely LOVE the mayo substitution. I use this with tuna salad and absolutely can not tell the difference. Considering all the positives on the side of yogurt and the negatives on mayo ~ this is a no brainer. Our brand of choice is Stonyfield, too.
We love this brand! It’s definitely on our shopping list each week. I love what they stand for. Thanks for partnering with them, and for sharing the recipes!
Is it ok to use regular , not Greek yougurt in recipies?Just wondering, because that’s what I have in hand…
Hi there. Regular yogurt will work but stock up on Greek, too. :) ~Amy
Thank you so much for this chart!! It will make substitution a lot easier!
http://www.laramealor.com/death-salesman-journey-letting-go/
I normally buy vanilla yogurt but you mentioned sweetening plain yogurt yourself. What would you use to do that? I have six little girls and they love to mix yogurt and granola for breakfast or a school snack!
Hello Brandi. Here is Lisa’s recipe for berry sauce: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/05/03/recipe-berry-sauce/. Honey with a little vanilla is also a good combo but you can play around with various fruits as sweeteners as well. I’ve also made similar sauces with peach and mango. ~Amy
I just don’t like the fact that they use carrageenan in they’re products .
Hi.
Being from Canada, I’m not familiar with your brand of yougurt but I do buy only Organic brands and I make my own. My Mum have me the recipie years ago. So easy to make; I had a hard time keeping it in the house once my kids learnt to mix honey with it. It’s a Dutch recipie. If anyone would like it please let me know.
In regards to Greek vs regular yougurt I must disagree with your comment of no difference between them. There is 6% or greater of protein in pure (& Organic) Greece yougurt. Also, a brand of regular, yougurt such as ASTRO, it is milk and cream and no thickeners or preservatives.
These make a tremendous difference in dishes calling for yougurt or sour cream.
Thank-you for this forum to state my thoughts and views.
Hi Allyson,
I would love to have your greek yogurt recipe
Thanks!
Thanks for sharing, Allyson! I choose Greek yogurt for my kids because it is higher in protein as we eat a mostly plant based diet. ~Amy
Hi Allyson,
I too would be interested in your Dutch recipe. Thank you so very much!
Chris
I would Love your Mum’s recipe for yogurt…Thanks so much!
Hi, I love using yogurt. My question is does cooking destroy the probiotics?
Hi Dorothy. Cooking does destroy most of the good bacteria in yogurt. ~Amy
Many items substitute yogurt for milk or cream – but having lactose issues, I’m really searching for something i can use in place of it – and have found soy upsetting too. Almond milk has worked – but we have found recipes come out too bland or dry. Looking for suggestions. Two areas specifically I’ve been researching is Ranch Dressing, or Blue Cheese dressing. Have a couple recipes that call for that. THank you and keep up great web site.
Is there any chance you will offer selling your school lunch recipes?
Thanks so much!
Hi Amber. We had an offer back in January but I don’t know that it will be repeated. ~Amy
I have a recipe for pumpkin custard that calls for evaporated milk — any ideas for a Stoneyfield sub for that? Thanks!!
Hello Rose. You could try subbing Greek yogurt, though we’ve not subbed for evaporated milk. Let us know how it goes. ~Amy
I used several of theses substitutes – and I never see myself buying sour cream again. I used yogurt to make cream of potato soup, alfredo sauce as well as simply adding fruit and eating. This is the best ever!
Recently I substituted plain nonfat Stonyfield yogurt for buttermilk in an old chocolate fudge cake recipe. The buttermilk sold in stores in the last few years I have found to be like skim milk, so I’m sure the old recipe intended for the reader to use a firmer, rich buttermilk. The substitution worked perfectly, ounce for ounce. I had read on the Stonyfield package that such substitutions would work, and I am sure it worked better than the modern buttermilk would have in the old recipe. Thanks to Stonyfield!
I have a quick question on yogurt….I know you sweeten it yourself with maple syrup and vanilla – I am wondering do you think one could sweeten the whole container once you buy it and will it last? I looked but haven’t really found out how much maple syrup/vanilla to yogurt ratio?
Thanks!
Hi Jessica. We’ve not sweetened large amounts at once. When using the berry sauce: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/05/03/recipe-berry-sauce/, I just keep the sauce in the fridge and add it to yogurt as needed, to taste. The same is true for maple/honey/vanilla. :)
i just bought the book and am having a great time reading. So glad to read this yogurt info. I’ve always bought vanilla yogurt so I’m wondering, do you use either maple/honey/vanilla or all of them and what would be the amount per 1/2 cup of plain yogurt?
Hi Nancy. Use either maple or honey with a bit of vanilla. Add it to your suit your own taste buds. :) I typically 1/2-2 tsp maple syrup and an 1/8 tsp vanilla. ~Amy
Hubby , 10 year old daughter, and I loved it! Picky younger boys did not. Don’t care…I’ll be making this again and adding shrimp to it after it is blended. Actually, going to make it tonight, which should be perfect on a cold day in Ohio.