13 Ways To Use Up Yogurt That’s About To Expire

What is it about yogurt that makes us overestimate how much we can eat between shopping trips? The overstocking impulse seems to come from a good place— it’s a healthy food, especially if we get the Greek kind; it’s often portable; kids love it. But the truth is no matter how good our intentions, more often than not we’re staring down a quickly-expiring container with not enough appetite, or a few spoonfuls left that aren’t enough for a full snack but we’d hate to toss down the drain. Luckily, there’s a way not to let it go to waste, and it doesn’t involve choking it down when you’re full. In fact, there are 13 ways! Our friends at Food 52 gathered up some fantastic yogurt ideas that are not only quelling our worries about using that yogurt up, they’re actually sending us to the store to buy more. Did you know you could use yogurt to:

  1. Replace sour cream? Anytime and anywhere you’d use the former, yogurt is a great, healthier option: baked potatoes, soup, chili, guacamole, tacos, you name it.
  2. Make coffee? You add milk to your morning brew, after all! Yogurt will give it a consistency like a coffee milkshake or a caffeinated smoothie!
  3. Be pasta sauce? You can either use it to replace sauce entirely for pasta dishes, or add it to risotto or pan sauces when you make steaks or curries.
  4. Bake? It’s a fantastic healthy substitute for butter, shortening, and eggs in recipes for cakes and quick breads.
  5. Fluff pancakes? Added to the mix, they give the breakfast fave a light, airy, not-too-sweet kick.
  6. Devil eggs? Mix it in with the yolks and your other favorite ingredients for an extra-tangy treat.
  7. Whip cream? Mix ½ cup of it with 1 cup of heavy cream for a dessert topper that’s perfect for summer.
  8. Spread on burgers and sandwiches? It’s especially good paired with lamb burgers, but works just as well as a general mayo substitute!
  9. Mix a cocktail? Get a light, frothy drink that doesn’t require any eggs or heavy cream.
  10. Create candy? Just squeeze drops out of a plastic baggie onto a baking tray, freeze, and voila! A healthier candy you can also dress up with chocolate, sprinkles, or whatever you like.
  11. Dress a salad? Yogurt’s perfect for making salad dressings, especially creamy ones like blue cheese.
  12. Marinate chicken? Just mix a little bit with pesto and you have an easy, delicious marinade.
  13. Make more yogurt? Don’t replace it by running back to the store. Take those cultures and whip some up yourself!

Wasting not, wanting not— and getting creative in the process! We love learning new uses for old staples, especially when it means we don’t have to throw away food. Thanks again to our partners at Food 52, who you should definitely check out for even more yogurt uses. Are there any we missed you like to do? How much yogurt do you eat, and how often do you end up tossing some?