This easy homemade coconut yogurt is perfect if you’re dairy-free and looking for a yummy, healthy breakfast alternative. With only 4 ingredients, it’s simple, packed with natural probiotics and can save you a ton of money!
You know that I’m a huge fan of greek yogurt and skyr. I put it in my protein smoothies, I make parfaits and I top it on my protein pancakes. But if you’re dairy-free, then we have a simple and delicious alternative for you.
AEN Team member Katy has been whipping up coconut yogurt for her own meals for a while, so I convinced her to share the recipe with the community in today’s blog post.
Scroll down for the details!
Tips From The Nutritionist
Autumn Bates, CCN, MS, BS, CPT
Unlike dairy-based yogurt, coconut yogurt is naturally low in protein. If you’re using this as a swap to greek yogurt, make sure to supplement in protein powder or another source of protein to make up for the difference.
Recipe Highlights
- Natural ingredients: Our dairy-free coconut yogurt relies on coconut milk, beef gelatin and a yogurt starter. Nothing artificial here!
- Loaded with healthy fats: Coconut is rich in medium chain triglycerides for a sustainable and blood sugar stabilizing source of energy.
Key Ingredients:
Canned Coconut Milk and Coconut Cream
Canned coconut milk is made from the shredded meat of a coconut. It’s high in fat to help keep you satiated and prevent hunger. Just make sure you opt for the canned coconut milk. Coconut milk in a carton will not work for this recipe.
Yogurt Starter
The “starter” adds good bacteria that has been specifically cultivated to thrive in coconut yogurt. This helps to ferment the yogurt and provide that tangy goodness typical yogurt offers. Plus, it makes it a good source for natural probiotics.
You can either use a packaged yogurt starter or certain premade coconut yogurts. The packaged starter is a great option if you don’t have any quality coconut yogurts close to you because the packaged starters are shipped directly to your house.
Beef gelatin
Gelatin is nutritionally similar to collagen. It’s used in this recipe to help make the yogurt thicker and not runny.
Equipment Needed
- Yogurt incubator
- Digital thermometer
- Blender
- Hand frother (optional)
Storing
Store coconut yogurt in sealed glass containers in the fridge for up to 7 days.
Other Recipes You May Love
- Blueberry Mint Probiotic Smoothie; Packed with protein and gut health goodness!
- High Protein Yogurt Bowl; Sub out the greek yogurt for coconut yogurt.
- High Protein Chia Pudding With Raspberry Compote; Another simple greek yogurt swap!
FAQ’s
It definitely can be! Because it doesn’t contain protein, I don’t view it as an even swap to regular greek yogurt, but it is a great source of healthy fats.
This one does! The probiotics are formed during the fermentation process.
Yes, you just need to use a “starter” coconut yogurt instead. One great brand is CocoYo.
Love this recipe? Let me know in the comments below!
Coconut Yogurt Recipe
Ingredients
- 25 ounces canned full-fat coconut milk
- 10 ounces canned coconut cream
- 1 packet yogurt starter
- 2 teaspoons beef gelatin
Instructions
- Heat the milk: Pour the coconut milk and coconut cream into a medium saucepan. Heat the milk and cream over medium heat to 110 degrees F, stirring occasionally. You can use a handheld digital thermometer to help measure the heat of the milk, which should heat fairly quickly, within a few minutes. If you accidentally overheat the milk, simply set the pan aside off the burner and allow it to cool down to 110 degrees F.
- Blend: Once the milk is at a stable 110 degrees F, pour into a large blender and add your yogurt starter and 2 tsp of gelatin. Blend for 30 seconds at medium high speed until everything is fully incorporated.
- Ferment: Carefully pour the milk into your jars and place them into the incubator, uncovered. Once all jars are in place, close the incubator with the lid and leave your yogurt to sit anywhere from 16-24 hours, depending on how tangy you like your yogurt. Once your yogurt has fermented for at least 16 hours, you can remove the jars from the incubator. You may see some separation of the coconut water and the cream, with a slight skin on top of the yogurt, which is normal.
- Store: You can refrigerate the yogurt immediately, but you will have a much better consistency if you use a small handheld frother or fork to gently stir the separated yogurt back together in the jars before refrigeration. This will help the gelatin set the yogurt for a creamier consistency.
Notes
Equipment
Nutrition
Did you try this recipe?
Don’t forget to leave a comment below and share your thoughts!
