Gather

Substitutions / mayonnaise

What to use instead of mayonnaise

Use greek yogurt in equal amounts. Tangier and lighter; works well in dressings and dips but thinner in texture.

Every option, best first

Ratios are per one unit of mayonnaise — read "1:1" as an equal swap.
Use instead How much What changes
Greek yogurt 1:1 Tangier and lighter; works well in dressings and dips but thinner in texture.
Sour cream 1:1 Richer tang, slightly looser; holds up well in cold dishes but won't emulsify like mayo.
Avocado 1:1 Creamy and mild, but changes the flavor noticeably and browns quickly once cut.

How much is a cup of mayonnaise?

Substituting by volume and weighing are different problems, and the second one has an exact answer. Weigh mayonnaise in grams →

A word on how to read these

A substitution is a trade, not an equivalence. The ratio gets the quantity right; the third column is the part worth reading, because it tells you what you are giving up. In a stew, most of these are invisible. In a cake — where flour, liquid, fat and leavening are in a fixed relationship — the same swap can change the crumb.

Why baking notices and stew doesn't →

Where these came from

These substitutions were written by Gather's own kitchen model — the same one the app uses when you tap an ingredient and ask what else would work — then checked and saved as a fixed list in July 2026. Nothing on this page is generated while you read it. They are a good starting point and not a substitute for tasting as you go.

Substitute something else

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