Whether you enjoy yogurt because of its creamy texture, tangy taste, or for the whole host of health benefits it offers, there’s certainly a lot of reasons to love yogurt! One thing not to love however, is that it is made from animal products, scratching it off of the list for anyone who follows a vegan diet.
As such, we’ve gathered together a list of our top vegan yogurt alternatives, offering some satisfying solutions that you can use to replace the yogurt in your breakfast bowls as well as sharing some great ideas for replacing yogurt in your favorite dairy free recipes.
Table of Contents
What is Yogurt?
Yogurt, in brief, consists of milk which has been intentionally cultured with lactic acid bacteria. As these bacteria consume the natural milk sugars, they produce lactic acid as a byproduct, giving yogurt its characteristically tart flavor! The milk thickens as this process happens, giving yogurt its resultant creamy texture.
Real yogurt is rich in gut healthy probiotics thanks to all of those little microorganisms and these probiotics serve many important purposes such as maintaining healthy digestion, supporting the immune system, and keeping harmful bacteria at bay.
Why is Yogurt Not Vegan?
The fact that traditional yogurt is made from cow’s milk, or the milk from other animals such as sheep or goats, is what makes this product not suitable for a vegan diet. Some plant based eaters do choose to consume dairy products, following what is more well-known as a vegetarian diet and in this case, yogurt would be suitable for them.
Top 8 Vegan Substitutes for Yogurt
Due to its relatively complicated nature, yogurt delivers an equally complex flavor profile to recipes when called for. It adds both tang and sweetness as well as imparts creaminess and moisture, meaning that any vegan substitute for yogurt has some pretty big shoes to fill!
Not every vegan yogurt substitute will tick all of the boxes, but a few of our favorites that come pretty darn close are:
- Store Bought Dairy Free Yogurt Products
- Homemade Vegan Yogurt
- Coconut Cream
- Coconut Milk
- Applesauce
- Store Bought Vegan Sour Cream Products
- Bananas
- Silken Tofu
You’ll notice a few store bought vegan dairy products are included in our list. Truth be told, these are some of the best replacement options as the flavors and textures achieved by the commercial manufacturing just can’t be beat!
If you opt for one of these products, be sure to check the label and verify that you are indeed selecting a vegan product (sometimes other organic and natural products have that "vegan look" to them, but actually do contain dairy ingredients!) and to be sure it doesn’t contain any particular allergens that are of concern to you.
1. Store Bought Dairy Free Yogurt Products
First and foremost, the easiest option. Simply pickup a container of dairy free yogurt from your local supermarket! There seem to be more and more vegan yogurt options by the day, and honestly, most of them are quite excellent as far as taste and texture go.
Vegan yogurts may be made from a range of different ingredients and you’re likely to find coconut yogurt and oat yogurt as well as options made from almond milk, soy milk, pea protein, flax seeds, and even raw cashews!
Due to the variety of different yogurt bases, plant based yogurt products run the gamut as far as consistency and flavor, whether you have flavored or plain yogurt. Some contain real fruit and are thick like Greek yogurt while others may be runnier! The good news is that no matter which store bought vegan yogurt you opt for, you can likely go right ahead and use it to replace regular yogurt in a recipe, as well as eat it straight from a bowl.
How to Substitute:
You’ll need:
- Store bought vegan yogurt
Simple--just pick up some of your favorite brand of vegan yogurt and use the same amount of it in place of regular yogurt in your recipe or dish! Make sure to pay special attention to any flavors, colors, and sugar content before working the yogurt into a recipe.
2. Homemade Vegan Yogurt
If you like the idea of a simple vegan yogurt for traditional yogurt swap, and you have a bit of time to dedicate to the task at hand, try out a homemade vegan yogurt recipe! We think our Instant Pot Almond Milk Yogurt is a great place to start as it requires far less babysitting than stovetop or oven-centric homemade vegan yogurt recipes, but of course you may also use a yogurt maker if you have one.
When making your first batch of this yogurt recipe--or any homemade yogurt recipe for that matter--you’ll need a bit of the store bought stuff to serve as your yogurt starter. As is the case with baking sourdough bread or brewing kombucha, you need a few happy little live probiotics to get things going! This is where the starter culture comes into play.
If you don’t feel like picking up some store bought dairy free yogurt, you can also use probiotic powder. Just be sure that the product bears a vegan label, as some probiotic capsules and powders are produced by way of real dairy ingredients.
How to Substitute:
You’ll need:
- Almond milk
- Store bought almond yogurt, plain
- Vegan gelatin such as agar agar
- Arrowroot flour
- Option flavorings or sweeteners such as vanilla bean, agave nectar, maple syrup, or fruit
Follow the instructions for our Instant Pot Almond Milk Yogurt, or, use your own favorite homemade yogurt recipe! Once your yogurt is finished, you can use it to replace regular yogurt in the same quantity your recipe calls for.
3. Coconut Cream
If you prefer not to use vegan yogurt at all, whether store bought or homemade, one great option is coconut cream! The super thick texture of coconut cream is, in a word, amazing. It has a consistency similar to that of thick Greek yogurt and a similar saturated fat content as well. Don’t worry though, it has plenty of health benefits so don’t shy away from this one. Coconut cream is loaded with fats known as MCT’s, which are an impressive energy source as well as have some antibacterial properties.
Be careful to make sure you select coconut cream and avoid anything that says cream of coconut. The former is a pure product, consisting of the most fat-rich part of coconut milk which has been separated out. The latter, on the other hand, is coconut milk which has been flavored and sweetened, resulting in a syrupy product that is more like sweetened condensed milk.
How to Substitute:
You’ll need:
- Pure coconut cream
- Lemon juice, if desired
Stir a few drops of lemon juice into the coconut cream if you wish to impart a bit of tang so as to bring the flavor profile more in line with that of yogurt. Use your coconut cream to replace yogurt in a 1:1 ratio for baking and cooking.
Note that we don’t recommend eating straight coconut cream in a bowl with granola and fruit as this would be an extremely rich experience. If you feel inclined to use coconut cream as a replacement for your morning fruit bowl, just go ahead and thin it out with some regular coconut milk or other plant based milk so as to cut the richness.
4. Coconut Milk
This option produces a result that is the same as the coconut cream we described above, but it requires a little bit of a different process to get there!If you can’t get your hands on a can of coconut cream, or if you already happen to have some coconut milk and would like to save yourself a trip to the store, you can easily use it instead.
You must be sure to use full fat coconut milk here, not reduced fat versions and certainly not coconut water. Yes, the fat content of this vegan yogurt substitute will be quite high, so keep that in mind but also but as mentioned above, the fats in coconut milk are extremely healthful.
How to Substitute:
You’ll need:
- Full fat coconut milk
- Lemon juice, if desired
Place your sealed can of coconut milk in the refrigerator and allow it to chill overnight. Open the can and carefully scrape the thick white layer off of the top of the coconut milk. This is the coconut cream which has risen from the rest of the coconut milk and consolidated at the top!
You can use lemon juice to add a bit of tang to your homemade coconut cream if you like, and then use the mixture to replace yogurt in recipes at a 1:1 ratio.
5. Applesauce
You already know that applesauce tastes great as a yogurt accompaniment, but did you know it can serve as a yogurt replacement as well?
Now of course it won’t be the same experience to eat applesauce where you would normally enjoy a cup of yogurt, nor will it deliver that refreshing and creamy texture to dipping sauces, but what it can do is replace yogurt in baking recipes! Applesauce adds moisture, sweetness, and acidity to batters and doughs and is a great way to keep the moisture in your baked goods while also reducing the overall fat content if that is something you’re watching.
Now, this solution may not work in all cases as applesauce and yogurt are two wildly different products. But if you’d like to give it a shot in your recipe, opt for applesauce which is unflavored and doesn’t have added sugar.
How to Substitute:
You’ll need:
- Unsweetened, unflavored applesauce
In baking recipes where the addition of apple will be a welcome shift in the flavor profile, replace the amount of yogurt called for with about ½ the amount of applesauce to avoid making the recipe too sweet or acidic. Check the consistency of your batter and if it is too dry, continue adding applesauce 1 tablespoon at a time if needed.
6. Store Bought Vegan Sour Cream Products
When seeking a vegan yogurt substitute, try reaching for other non-dairy products such as vegan sour cream. Seeing as yogurt and sour cream are two very similar products, it makes sense that one can easily sub in for the other. And thankfully, just like there are many store bought vegan yogurts to choose from, there are a great number of prepared vegan sour creams as well.
These products are made from a range of bases from plant based milks or tofu to nuts or even pea protein! Depending on the ingredients used, these types of products can come with some unique flavors and textures, so be sure to take this into account when making your substitution. One thing’s for certain though: vegan sour creams always contain active cultures, giving them that special tang which results in a flavor that is extremely similar to that of yogurt.
Also keep in mind that this option may not be ideal for those who prefer whole food ingredients as it’s not uncommon to find thickeners, stabilizers, and other processed ingredients in these products. And, if a nut allergy is at issue, take extra care to check the ingredients label on these types of products.
How to Substitute:
You'll need:
- Store bought vegan sour cream
Vegan sour cream in place of vegan yogurt is an easy swap, just replace one for the other at a 1:1 ratio!
7. Bananas
Honestly, is there anything that bananas can’t do? They are one of the best frozen fruit options for smoothie making, they are filling enough to satisfy those mid-afternoon snack cravings, you can bake bread from them, and now to find out they can serve as a vegan substitute for yogurt as well!
Not only does a banana have an inherent thickness which is perfect for replicating the richness that yogurt would bring to your recipes, but it also will add sweetness and act as a binder as well. Ripeness matters here, as you want a very ripe banana that can be easily mashed into a paste but not overly ripe as this will just make for a mushy-mealy mess. You need just a couple of other ingredients to maximize your banana’s yogurt-replacing potential-- just follow our easy recipe below!
How to Substitute:
You’ll need:
- A ripe banana
- Plant based milk such as oat milk or almond milk, or water
- Lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, if desired
Use a fork to mash the banana into a smooth paste, then stir in a splash of milk or water until the desired consistency--something akin to a pasty yogurt--is achieved. Add a few drops of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar if you would like some tang, then use this mixture to replace yogurt in your favorite vegan baking recipes.
8. Silken Tofu
Because no list of plant based substitutes can be considered complete without at least the mention of tofu, our last--but still a fantastic!--option for replacing yogurt comes down to this iconic soy product.
Once blended with a bit of liquid tofu becomes viscous and creamy. You must be sure to use silken tofu here, as firm tofu will not become thick and smooth in the manner you’re looking for. Though the result will have a similar texture to that of yogurt, it will not have any live cultures, meaning it will have a rather plain flavor as opposed to tangy.
One great thing about using silken tofu is that you can adjust the consistency to meet your expectations based on the type of yogurt you are trying to replace in a recipe, adding less liquid if you are looking for a thick yogurt or more liquid if you are looking to replace more fluid yogurt in a recipe.
How to Substitute:
You’ll need:
- Silken tofu
- Plant based milk of your choice
- Lemon juice, if desired
Break the tofu into large chunks and process it in a high speed blender with a splash of dairy free milk until smooth. Check the texture and add more milk if you’d like a thinner result. This mixture can then be acidified with a bit of lemon juice if you want some tang too!
How to Choose the Right Vegan Yogurt Substitute
Now that you have all of the options, how do you go about making the best choice for your recipe or dish? First things first--and especially if you are already in the middle of making a recipe when you realize that you need a vegan yogurt alternative--the best option may be the one that you already have on hand! However if you have a bit of time to weigh your options, here are a few factors to take into consideration.
- How are you planning to enjoy your vegan yogurt replacement, straight up with fresh fruit and maple syrup or as part of a heavily seasoned recipe? Some replacements, such as will only be suitable for baking and cooking into recipes where they can blend into the background whereas others are excellent when enjoyed on their own!
- If you are replacing yogurt in a recipe, what type of recipe is it? Savory recipes that call for yogurt are generally more flexible as far as flavor profile, while baking recipes tend to require more precision with measurements due to the scientific nature of things.
- What type of regular yogurt are you aiming to replace? A replacement for thick Greek yogurt will be a different thing than regular yogurt and this distinction is important to consider ahead of time if you are counting on the textural characteristics of the yogurt in your final dish.
- Most yogurts have a substantial protein content and may be high in fats, depending on the type of milk used. Therefore, if you are looking for a vegan yogurt substitute to throw in a smoothie or otherwise use as a meal replacement, you want to be sure to take nutrition into consideration as well.
Vegan Yogurt Substitute FAQs
Is it Cheaper to Make Your Own Vegan Yogurt?
Yes! Many store bought dairy free yogurts are anywhere from $2.00 to $3.00 per serving, but if you make your own yogurt at home, you can easily cut this cost in half. If you find yourself making homemade yogurt often, you’d do well to buy the yogurt-making ingredients in bulk as this will save you even more.
What do Vegans Use Instead of Greek Yogurt?
Thankfully there are a few ready-made vegan Greek yogurt options out there in the non-dairy section of most major grocery stores! Though not made from cow’s milk like traditional Greek yogurt, these products are specially formulated to be extra thick and creamy.
In the absence of store bought dairy free yogurt such as this, the next best bet is to use coconut cream as it will be the closest to actual Greek yogurt in terms of texture and viscosity.
How Long Do Vegan Yogurt Substitutes Last?
The shelf life of the vegan yogurt substitutes we’ve discussed will vary from one to the next, but generally speaking, you can expect any store bought non-dairy products--whether vegan yogurt or sour cream--to be good for up to one week after opening.
Opened coconut cream or coconut cream should be used within 5 days after opening, while the banana and silken tofu substitute options should be used right away! Applesauce, whether you purchase some from the store or make your own, will last for quite some time.
Recapping the Best Vegan Substitutes for Yogurt
As you can see, there is a whole wild world of vegan yogurt alternatives out there! Your easiest and most similar option would of course be any of your favorite store bought brands of non dairy yogurt, whether they be made from almond milk, soy milk, oat milk, or beyond.
In the absence of these choices there are plenty of other options which would suit different purposes. Coconut cream, coconut milk, or silken tofu are great choices for bringing the creaminess factor, while applesauce or banana puree do well to replace yogurt in baked goods.
No matter which vegan yogurt substitute you choose, be sure to carefully think through the role the yogurt is playing in your recipe before making the swap. Of course, if you are simply looking for something to top with granola and eat by the spoonful, the only factor you must consider in this case is your own tastes!
