This deliciously thick and creamy homemade coconut yogurt could not be any easier to make. No heating of the milk, no thermometers, no fancy yogurt making devices required.
Ever since I saw the Minimalist Baker’s 2 ingredient coconut yogurt recipe I’ve been trying my hand at homemade coconut yogurt. I tried every brand of coconut milk I could get my hands on locally in Spain but I did not have success. The yogurt tasted amazing but I could not get it to thicken up.
All is not lost because in the end I was able to make a delicious, easy homemade coconut yogurt that’s paleo and keto diet approved!
I felt defeated until one day my Instagram friend Katy shared a lifesaving tip for a thick and creamy homemade coconut yogurt.
Its … adding a thickening agent
Katie uses cashews in her yogurt but I decided to go with coconut meat.
And it works!
What you need to make homemade coconut yogurt from scratch
1.Coconut Milk
The coconut milk should be full fat canned coconut milk, preferably one without any gums or fillers. NOT homemade coconut milk , NOT the coconut milk from the carton, full fat canned coconut milk.
2.Probiotic capsule
You will need two probiotic capsules to ferment the coconut and turn it into yogurt. Ensure that your probiotic does NOT contain prebiotics.I use this Kyo-Dophilus 9 brand because it contains all the necessary strains of bacteria AND it’s low histamine which is an issue for me.
UPDATE!
Amazon Spain no longer carries the Kyo-Dophilus brand of probiotic so I’ve had to seek out alternatives. I found this probiotic by Primal Blueprint and I’m loving it so far. The optimal fermentation time with this probiotic has been 36hrs.
Information
Wanna make coconut yogurt without probiotics?
It is possible to make this coconut yogurt recipe without probiotics but you will need a starter. A couple tablespoons of store bought yogurt in place of the probiotic capsule should do the trick but you’d need to experiment to find the best ratio.
3.Coconut Meat
You’ll need about 3.5 ounces /100 grams of coconut meat to be used as a thickener in this recipe. Make sure to peel the meat to remove the brown skin.
How to make coconut yogurt step by step
Step 1.
Gather the 3 ingredients. Ensure that everything that will come into contact with the yogurt is thoroughly clean.
Step 2.
Open up the probiotic capsules and add the contents along with the coconut milk and coconut meat to a blender.
Note : I have tried stirring the probiotic powder in with a spoon but it remains lumpy and yes I have heard the rumour that metal damages the probiotic but this has not been an issue for me. If you are concerned about the effectiveness of the probiotic being reduced you can process the coconut milk and meat until smooth and then blitz in the probiotic powder for a few seconds at the end. I have been doing this lately.
Step 3.
Blend until you have a smooth mixture. It should be nice and thick like a smoothie with no bits.
Step 4.
Add the mixture to a glass jar and cover with a piece of cheesecloth or other tightly woven but breathable fabric. Secure with an elastic band.
Step 5.
Place the jar in a cool, shady spot to ferment. Fermentation may take up to 3 days depending on the temperature in your home. Taste the yogurt each day until you have a tangy flavor.
If at anytime you notice a greyish / yellow film during fermentation toss that batch of yogurt!
How to thicken homemade coconut yogurt
If like myself you prefer an extra thick Greek style yogurt and coconut meat is hard to find you still have a few alternative options for thickening your homemade coconut yogurt.
- 1 teaspoon arrowroot starch
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum (if you’re ok with that)
- ¼ cup frozen fruit like berries, mango or pineapple
- ¼ cup soaked cashews
Enjoy your homemade coconut yogurt with granola, pancakes and more!
Homemade Coconut Yogurt Troubleshooting
If after 48 hours your Homemade Coconut Yogurt tastes too tangy / sour reduce fermentation time and / or the number of probiotic capsules.
Homemade Coconut Yogurt Nutrition
Making homemade coconut yogurt may take some trial and error but once you nail the process down it’s so worth it!
Will you give it a try?
If you love dairy free yogurts make sure you check out the latest addition to my yogurt family!
Homemade Macadamia Cashew Yogurt
Homemade Coconut Yogurt
Ingredients
- 1 can full fat coconut milk (13.5 ounces)
- 3.5 ounces coconut meat, skin removed
- 2 probiotic capsules
Instructions
- Turn your can of coconut milk upside down and place it in the fridge to chill. This allows the cream to separate from the water and solidify at the top.
- When you’re ready to make your coconut yogurt spoon off the coconut cream and use this part only. You can save the water for adding to smoothies or oatmeal etc.
- !! If you’re anxious to try this recipe and don’t want to wait for your can of coconut milk to chill then go ahead and use the whole can, it will be fine but probably not as thick 🙂
- Open up the probiotic capsules and add the contents along with the coconut milk and meat to a blender.
- Blend until you have a smooth mixture. It should be nice and thick like a smoothie with no bits.
- Add the mixture to a glass jar and cover with a piece of cheesecloth or other tightly woven but breathable fabric. Secure with an elastic band.
- Place the jar in a cool, shady spot to ferment. Fermentation may take up to 3 days depending on the temperature in your home.
- Taste the yogurt each day until you have a tangy flavor.
- When you have the desired flavour, cover the jar and place it in the fridge. The yogurt will thicken further as it is refrigerated.
- If at anytime during the fermentation process you notice a greyish / yellow film during fermentation toss that batch of yogurt!
wont this have chucks of coconut meat in it? Blenders, not even the vitamix which I own can make hard coconut pieces undetectable. I want it smooth. Thanks
Hi, I use an average blender, nowhere as fancy as a Vitamix and it blends it smooth to a thick smoothie consistency without any bits. If you’re concerned you can always try to make the coconut yogurt without adding the coconut meat and just using the probiotic. Some people have had success with it thickening up like that but I have not.
Do you have any nutritional information on this yogurt? Mainly carbs?
Mine was so delicious I used frozen coconut pulp and it thickened perfectly.
Hi Louise I’ve added the nutrition label to the post. I’m so pleased that you had success with this homemade coconut yogurt!
Hi,
Why is it that the probiotic used as a starter cannot contain prebiotic?
My batch didn’t work (it stinks and has a layer of clear liquid at the bottom of the jar). I amJust trying to work through possible causes.
Hi Karina, making a fermented food often takes experimentation. There are numerous reasons why the batch did not turn out. The probiotic used, the coconut milk used, the temperature (too warm) and length of time (too long) at which it was allowed to ferment at, the condition of the utensils and jar used. With so many variables its hard to say.
hey, I think I left mine for too long so now it is very tangy, almost fizzy! there aren’t any grey spots or anything but is it still safe to eat? thanks!
Hi Sophie, the coconut yogurt is probably safe to eat if there is no mold. I’m guessing it doesn’t taste the best at this point though so you may want to mix it in with some coconut cream to make it more palatable.
What brand of coconut milk do you use as you mentioned it needs to be without gum or fillers
Can I make coconut yogurt using my home made plain yogurt?
Please explain HOW?
Thank you
Hi Ellen, you could try using a couple tablespoons of your home made plain yogurt as a starter in place of the probiotic.