We LOVE Greek yogurt and its so healthy for you. Find more ways to use that healthy Greek Yogurt.
Great Ways to Use Greek Yogurt – What Can I Make with Greek Yogurt?
Many of us are choosing Greek yogurt over regular yogurt, and for good reason! But what exactly can you make with Greek Yogurt?
Plain Greek yogurt offers significantly more protein than regular yogurt while only having about half the calories and sugar, and it’s also a fantastic source of calcium, potassium, and other essential nutrients. It’s also full of probiotics, which help your immunity and digestive health. Plus we all love Greek yogurt for its tangy flavor and rich, creamy consistency.
Oh Yum!
However, even the most impassioned fans can admit that eating Greek yogurt just by itself everyday can get a little boring. Fortunately, Greek yogurt is an amazingly versatile ingredient that transcends cooking, baking, and snacking.
So, think outside the bowl and try a few of of my ways of using Greek yogurt.
Keep in mind, most of my tips are best suited to plain, unflavored Greek yogurt: low-fat or nonfat if you want to minimize calories.
Out of Sour Cream? No Problem
Need to garnish a dish with sour cream but don’t have any around? Use a dollop of Greek yogurt instead. Add in some chives and oh what a delicious topping for potatoes! The cool, tart taste of plain Greek yogurt is so similar that your family won’t really notice the difference. Moreover, you can also swap out sour cream for Greek yogurt in many baking situations, such as sour cream cookies and some cake recipes. Shaving off a little fat here and there can really add up to big calorie savings.
Give Sauces Some Extra Life
Add a bit of Greek yogurt to spaghetti sauces to give them extra richness and a creamy texture. Making mac and cheese? Stir in some Greek yogurt to make it extra rich and smooth (even if it’s made from a box). This also works great for Alfredo sauces, cheese sauces, and just about anything else you want to make richer and creamier. Also try blending some into homemade guacamole for extra heartiness and protein.
Give Smoothies a Protein Supercharge
Do you enjoy a breakfast smoothie or afternoon shake? If you do, try blending in some Greek yogurt to add a healthy dose of extra protein. You probably won’t notice any difference in flavor, but the extra protein will help you feel more satisfied and energetic throughout the rest of your day.
Make a Light & Healthy Breakfast Parfait
Did someone say parfait for breakfast? By itself or in a parfait, Greek Yogurt is a tasty, protein-packed food to start your day. Top the yogurt with fruit slices or mix in a tablespoon of honey for a healthy, light breakfast with a smidgen of sweetness. Apart from fruit, there are plenty of parfait favorites and other toppings that go great with Greek, including blueberries, almonds, walnuts, toasted oats, granola, cinnamon and even more exotic options like curry powder.
Make an Awesome Dip
Greek yogurt is a great foundation for a variety of dips. Try mixing together certain ingredients to specifically complement Greek yogurt, or use it as a substitute for sour cream in your standby dip recipes. Want an idea to get started? Use two cups of Greek yogurt and add in fresh dill, salt, and diced tomatoes for an easy & enticing appetizer. Or, add bacon, blue cheese, diced spinach and chopped tomatoes plus salt & pepper to plain Greek yogurt for an awesome blue cheese dip.
Whip Up a Tasty Salad Dressing
Many salad dressings that usually use cream or mayo can be made just as well with Greek yogurt. Or mix Greek yogurt, Dijon mustard, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to create a homemade salad dressing that’s delicious and quick to make.
GREEN DRESSING:
3 canned anchovies
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 cup plain greek yogurt
1/4 cup fresh chives
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
Put all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend or pulse until smooth.
RANCH DRESSING:
1 container plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried parsley
Mix all ingredients together and use on your salad.
A Partial Butter Substitute
If you’re low on butter or want to cut a few calories out of baking recipes, Greek yogurt can be the answer you’re looking for. You can swap out one-third to one-half of the butter for Greek yogurt in most recipes and still get the moist texture desired. Substituting Greek yogurt also helps cut down on calories and fat content in recipes.
Cream Cheese Alternative
From your morning bagel to dinner recipes, Greek yogurt can replace cream cheese for many purposes. Use Greek yogurt instead of cream cheese to add richness and creaminess to sauces and casseroles. When you’re baking, swap out half the amount of cream cheese in the recipe for Greek yogurt to save calories and fat without altering things too much.
A Healthy Replacement for Mayonnaise
Mayo is filled with fat and not many nutrients to compensate, so use Greek yogurt as a healthier alternative. Making a chicken salad? Leave out the mayo and use Greek yogurt instead: it tastes the same (if not better) and cuts out calories while adding major protein. The same goes for tuna salad, egg salad, pasta salads, deviled eggs, and salad dressings.
Make a Sweet & Easy Snack
There are tons of ways to transform Greek yogurt into a simple and delicious desert. \
Frozen Treats: Take sweetened Greek yogurt (or mix honey into plain), and put it into a frosting bag, then pipe one inch blobs onto a cookie sheet. Top each one with sprinkles or mini chocolate chips. Put the pan into the freezer for several hours, and then enjoy the lightly-sweet, bite-sized morsels.
Another snack idea is mixing in vanilla extract and coconut, then adding granola or graham cracker crumbs on top. Or, mix a scoop or two of Greek yogurt with flavored protein powder (chocolate and strawberry work great). While it might seem strange to add protein powder to an already protein-rich food, it’s good for you, tastes great, and is extra satisfying, too.
Here is one of our favorite recipes that uses Greek Yogurt! Easy Tzatziki with Yogurt and Sour Cream.
