Substitutes for Curd in Baking

Substitutes for Curd in Baking

Best Substitutes for Curd in Baking

This ingredient is more than just chunky leftovers in milk when it sours. In the culinary world, curd is a dairy product perfect for desserts and savory dishes. It is also an essential ingredient in creating your favorite baked goods. 

Curd acts as an elastic agent for batter or dough, enabling you to handle it without the fear of cracking it. However, no matter how you want to use it, curd is often difficult to find as it is not always available in your supermarkets or grocery stores. 

In the event of a curd crisis, it is important for you to know what you can replace it with. Try substituting curd with yogurt, heavy cream, sour cream, cultured buttermilk, cream cheese, and bananas. 

6 Best Substitutes for Curd in 2024

There are only two things you need to consider in choosing a substitute for curd: flavor and texture. You can still achieve the quality and results you’re going for without having to face your greatest kitchen nightmares. Simply continue reading more of this article to find out.

Here’s a list of curd substitutes you can use to save your day:

Yogurt

Other than being everyone’s favorite snack food, it is also used in baked goods. Yogurt adds a subtle delicious tang that makes your dessert recipes moist and tender. It has the right amount of acidity when you need that hefty rise in your cakes, bread, or muffins. 

Yogurt has a similar consistency to curd and even adds an extra layer of flavor that doesn’t overpower, but instead balances your dishes. As a bonus: it is widely available almost everywhere, even in your neighborhood’s convenience stores!

You can use plain yogurt or Greek yogurt depending on how sweet and how thick the consistency it is you want to achieve. Make sure you go for the full-fat product version to provide the most moisture.

Cream Can Be A Good Alternative For Curd
Cream Can Be A Good Alternative For Curd

Heavy cream

Another all-rounder, widely available substitute in this list is heavy cream. It has about 40% milk fat, with the same thickness as curd but offering a richer, creamier taste. 

Heavy cream is perfect for whipping up stiff, long-lasting peaks in your desserts. It is also a good choice for decorating pies and cakes, filling in baked goods and pastries, or for thickening ganache, custards, and sauces. 

Remember to add a generous, but appropriate amount of heavy cream that suits your preference in the recipe you’re going to make.

Sour cream

You can never go wrong with cream-based substitutes for curd. Not only does it provide the same consistency but it also gives the same tangy flavor to your recipes and makes them creamier. 

Sour cream provides a tender, velvety texture to your baked goods by adding moisture without thinning the batter. It’s often mixed in with eggs, flour, butter, and sugar which results in a smooth, airy batter. 

Acting as the star ingredient for cheesecakes, it is also great for sheet cakes, pies,  cheesecakes, bavarians, and cake bars. You can use it as frosting, topping, or filling too. 

Buttermilk gives a Special Taste When Used as a Substitute for Curd
Buttermilk gives a Special Taste When Used as a Substitute for Curd

Cultured Buttermilk

Ran out of dairy products in your kitchen? You can use cultured buttermilk. It is the remaining fluid-like product when fat is skimmed off by churning cream into butter. Then, it is condensed or dried for baking and frozen desserts purposes. 

Cultured buttermilk has a mild acidic flavor, similar to curd, with a smooth viscous texture. It is used in making biscuits, pancakes, scones, and other baked products. 

You can make a mixture of 1 part fresh butter and 2 parts buttermilk if you want a richer result. 

Cream Cheese

A soft cheese that is subtly sweet, mildly tangy, and silky smooth, cream cheese is versatile and can be used for a variety of baked recipes and desserts. 

Cream cheese has 36% milk fat, allowing your dishes to become thick in its consistency. You can use it as bagel spread, mix into cake batter or cookie dough, or as a base for your frosting. There are countless ways you can incorporate this ingredient if you’re up for creativity. 

Ensure that you freeze it to keep it from spoiling, especially when you know you’re not going to use the full product right away. Remember to soften it when needed. 

Bananas

Yes, you read that right. The last substitute in this article is not milk- or cream-based, but is simply a fruit. Bananas, mashed bananas to be exact, can achieve the same consistency as curd. It adds a sweet flavor to your baked recipes when you’re in the mood for some experimenting. 

One banana can replace one egg in a dessert recipe but be wary of how it complements other ingredients. Sometimes, extra leavening may be required such as additional baking powder or soda. 

You can use mashed bananas for frosting, filling, or as the main ingredient in bread, muffins, cookies, and cakes. 

Is Curd The Same With Yogurt?

No. Both products have probiotic bacteria in them but differ in the bacterial strain or family, preparation, and quantity. Curd is usually made by whisking old curd or adding it with lemon juice and warm milk while yogurt is produced by fermenting milk with artificial acids and is usually done commercially. 

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