coconut yogurt
Coconut yogurt was something that took me FOREVER to master. I was using Minimalist Baker’s recipe to start out with (which is JUST coconut milk and probiotics), but I could never get it right. It would always end up too thin, and the flavor of the canned coconut milk tasted kind of “tinny” to me (I tried over 10 times and even the exact milk and probiotic she used). Then one of you lovely readers told me about Miyoko’s recipe for vegan soy yogurt- she blends with cashews for thickness, creaminess and depth of flavor. I did that with my coconut milk and OMG! 100% success and perfection. My favorite 2 brands of canned coco milk: Field Day and 365 organic (the Whole Foods generic store brand). One of you told me you subbed pumpkin seeds for the cashews and it turned out great, too. Another person said they used fresh young coconut meat and macadamias and that worked well.
I use this coconut yogurt mainly for burcha breakfasts, kids snacks (with a little spoon of jam), and easy crema/sour cream. Simply whisk some yogurt with a little lime zest, salt, and optional garlic with enough water to thin to your desired consistency. Add a little cucumber, garlic and dill for a great tzatziki. This makes the perfect dollop for curries, mujaradda, grain bowls, pureed soups, enchiladas, beans, tacos, you name it. The kids enjoy a scoop with homemade chia jam and fresh fruit + sprouted crunchy buckwheat.
The most important thing about this recipe is using the highest quality probiotics you can. If you already have store bought live culture yogurt in your fridge, you can also use a few tablespoons of that to start it instead of probiotics. What I’ve been doing to prolong my probiotics is saving a few tablespoons of my last batch to culture my new batch. I’ve made about 4 subsequent batches now from the resulting original yogurt, which is about as many as you can get from it before you need to start with a new batch adding fresh probiotics.
I usually use one 90 billion capsule, but depending on what I have also use 2 of a lower strength probiotic instead- just make sure it’s fresh and refrigerated and that it has multiple strains. If, for some reason, yours doesn’t set up properly and is thin, don’t toss- save to add to smoothies, freeze in ice cubes to use later, or drink it!
Some tips for success- Make sure you follow the recipe: use the cashews, make sure that it’s blended SUPER smooth, make sure your probiotics are active, and keep experimenting with it. Fermentation is more of an art than a science and so many factors affect it- temperature, humidity, probiotic to name a few. I have NOT had success with Chaokoh coconut milk so avoid that brand for this.
simple coconut yogurt (yields about 2 cups)
1 can of full fat coconut milk, I use the 365 organics or Field Day
1/4 cup cashew pieces, soaked in hot water for a few hours- if you have a vita mix you can just soak ~ 15 mins
2 high quality probiotic capsules
Blend the coconut milk and the drained, soaked cashews in a blender until totally smooth. The milk should get a little warm from this process. Make sure it is not too hot or it will kill the probiotics. Empty the probiotic capsules into the blender (just the powder inside) and blend for a second or two just to combine.
Pour into a clean jar, making sure to leave at least 2 inches of space in case of expansion. Cover with a clean cloth napkin or kitchen towel and secure with a rubber band.
Leave out on the counter, away from direct light, in a preferably warmer place in the house- this will help it culture best. After 24 hours, check the taste and texture. My husband and kids prefers it at this stage, its mild and lightly tangy, like a regular store yogurt. If you like how it tastes now, simply put a lid on it and refrigerate! It will thicken more as it cools. I like it with a little more tang, so I let mine culture another few hours, but again, please be sure to check it for yourslef- your environment and temp will be different than mine resulting in faster or slower culturing times.
This will keep in the fridge about 2 weeks.
Et voila, homemade creamy coconut milk yogurt. I haven’t tried with almond milk, but let me know if you do! I think it should still work but may not be as thick. Soy milk instead of coconut works well.
some helpful items
