If soy yogurt has turned up in a recipe or caught your eye at the store, here's what you need to use it with confidence and how to choose it, cook it, store it, what to substitute, and 9 recipes to try it in.

What is soy yogurt?

Soy yogurt is a dairy-free yogurt made by culturing soy milk with the same live bacteria used in regular yogurt. The bacteria ferment the natural sugars in soy milk, thickening it and giving it the familiar tang, all with no animal milk involved.

It is the original plant-based yogurt and still one of the highest in protein, since soy milk carries roughly as much protein as cow's milk. Texture ranges from pourable and drinkable to thick and spoonable, depending on the brand and whether it is strained.

It was the first plant yogurt on shelves.

For anyone avoiding dairy, whether vegan or lactose-intolerant, soy yogurt is the closest stand-in for the real thing in both cooking and a breakfast bowl.

Cooking With Soy Yogurt

Use soy yogurt anywhere you would use dairy yogurt, hot or cold. It folds into a Red Pepper Couscous Ring with Vegetables and dresses a chilled Awesome Lentil Salad, bringing the same cool, slightly sour creaminess.

In baking, it adds moisture and a tender crumb. Vegan Blueberry Yogurt Muffins rely on it to replace both the dairy and some of the fat, keeping the batter rich without eggs or butter.

It also works as a marinade base and a dip. The yogurt in Potato Tikki with Almond-Cilantro Chutney cools the spice, and a spoonful thinned with lemon and herbs makes a quick raita-style sauce.

One caution: it does not love high heat, so add it to hot dishes at the very end (more on that below).

Pairing and Common Mistakes

Soy yogurt pairs with the same flavors as dairy yogurt: berries and honey on the sweet side, garlic, cucumber, mint, and warm spices on the savory one. Its faint beany note actually suits Indian and Middle Eastern dishes, where bold spice covers it.

The most common mistake is boiling it. Like dairy yogurt, it splits into grainy curds under high heat, so temper it with a little of the warm liquid first, then add it at the end and keep the pan below a simmer.

The second is expecting plain and sweetened to behave alike. Many tubs are vanilla-sweetened, which ruins a savory sauce, so buy unsweetened plain for cooking and check the label.

What to Use Instead

The closest swaps are other plant yogurts. Coconut yogurt is richer and milder but has far less protein; almond and oat yogurts are thinner and need straining or a thickener to match soy's body. Any of them works one for one by volume in most recipes.

For baking specifically, you can replace soy yogurt with the same amount of unsweetened applesauce or mashed banana, accepting a little added sweetness and a softer set.

If dairy is fine for you, plain whole-milk yogurt substitutes directly and gives a thicker, richer result. Greek yogurt stands in where you want extra body and tang.

Buying and Storing Soy Yogurt

Look for soy yogurt labeled with live or active cultures, and choose unsweetened plain unless a recipe wants it sweet. Check the protein on the label: a true soy yogurt should show around 4 to 6 grams per serving, more than most other plant yogurts.

Keep it refrigerated at or below 40°F (4°C) at all times, the same as dairy yogurt. An unopened tub lasts to its printed date, usually a couple of weeks; once opened, use it within 5 to 7 days and keep the lid on tight.

Some watery separation on top is normal, not spoilage, so just stir it back in. Toss the tub if it smells off, puffs up, or grows any mold.

Soy yogurt does not freeze well for eating plain, since it turns grainy, though the thawed product is fine blended into smoothies or batter.

Quick facts

In Chinese

大豆酸奶

British (UK) term

Soy yogurt

en français

yaourt de soja

en español

yogur de soja

Recipes using soy yogurt

There are 9 recipes that contain this ingredient.

All 9 recipes