Looking for an easy coconut milk yogurt recipe? In this tutorial, I share how easy it is to make coconut milk yogurt at home with just a few ingredients! 
Homemade yogurt is one of the easiest cultured foods you can make in your kitchen. All you need is good quality milk and yogurt from a previous batch or a yogurt starter culture.
Coconut milk yogurt is a little more difficult to make. It’s usually very thin and more of a drink than something you eat with a spoon.
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How To Make Coconut Milk Yogurt
The four things that I’ve found that make the biggest difference in making coconut milk yogurt is the quality of the coconut milk, using a thickener (I use gelatin), a high quality yogurt starter or probiotic and making sure you have sugar mixed in with the coconut milk during the culturing process.
Coconut Milk: Use quality coconut milk that has no additives or thickeners listed on the ingredients. Natural Value and Trader Joe’s canned coconut milk are two brands that I know of that do not have additional ingredients other than coconuts and water.
Thickener: Gelatin works wonderful as a thickener so the coconut milk yogurt sets up like a typical yogurt thickness. Agar Agar flakes can be used instead if you prefer.
Yogurt Starter or Probiotic: I made this coconut milk yogurt recipe with both a
yogurt starter culture and a probiotic capsule. Both batches turned out excellent!
Sugar: Adding maple syrup, date paste or organic cane sugar is important in my option. I know some will want to make this sugar free, but the bacteria in the yogurt needs to feed on this during the culture process.
PrintEasy 4 Ingredient Coconut Milk Yogurt Recipe
- Yield: 4 cups 1x
Ingredients
- 2 – 14oz Cans of additive free Coconut Milk
- 2 Probiotic Capsules or Yogurt Culture Starter
- 2 Teaspoons of Gelatin (agar can be used in place of gelatin if you prefer)
- 2 Tablespoons of Coconut Sugar, Date Paste, Organic Cane Sugar or Maple Syrup
Instructions
- Dissolve gelatin with 1/4 cup of milk and set aside.
- Heat the remaining coconut milk up over low heat until it’s hot but not boiling.
- Remove the heated coconut milk off the stove and mix the gelatin mixture and sugar into the hot coconut milk.
- Let it cool until it’s about 90 degrees.
- Pour the coconut milk into a clean 2 quart size jar. I recommend using sterilized glass jars.
- Now it’s time to add the starter culture! Pour the starter culture into the coconut milk and mix well.
- If you’re using a probiotic capsule then this is the step to add it. You must open the capsule and pour the probiotic into the warm coconut milk. Stir well.
- Cover with a lid and keep the coconut milk at 100-115 degrees for 18-24 hours. I made coconut milk yogurt in both my dehydrator and in oven. If you use your oven, all you have to do is turn the light on and wrap the jar with a towel to hold the heat in. You can also use a yogurt maker too.
- When the coconut milk is finished it will taste sour and the yogurt will be a little thick (it’ll thicken more once you refrigerate it).
- Store the yogurt in the refrigerator. It’ll be good for up to 2 weeks!
- If you want thicker yogurt you can strain it in a cheesecloth or Nut Milk Bag.
Notes
Ready to make another batch?
Keep 1/4 cup of your coconut milk yogurt to use to make your next batch of yogurt. The process is the same but you won’t need to use a probiotic or starter culture. Instead, add 1/4 cup of coconut milk yogurt from the previous batch to the warm coconut milk, gelatin, sugar mixture
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Clark Smith
April 20, 2019 at 4:39 amIt looks too tasty!
Will definitely try it
Thanks to you for sharing awesome recipe!
Kudos to you!
Liza Roy
April 11, 2019 at 4:42 amIt looks yummy!
thnaks for sharing
Nancy
April 4, 2019 at 7:12 amWhich yogurt starter?
Haniye
March 2, 2019 at 11:33 amTried and totally loved it, thumbs up!!
★★★★★
Emliy Jeson
February 28, 2019 at 10:43 amThank You So Much For This Awesome Sharing 🙂 By the way, Your Also Best Photographer
★★★★★
Sheila Truncale
December 30, 2018 at 10:39 amIs it possible to use agar agar powder instead of flakes? If so, how much? I can’t wait to start making this for my grandson when he is old enough to eat it.
Thanks!
karan zale
August 28, 2018 at 11:37 pmPerfect for family breakfast. Its low in carb & health for day energy.
I will give it a try thanks for sharing.
Barb
October 20, 2018 at 7:52 amWhy does the coconut milk have to be heated up to almost boiling point.
Megan
August 25, 2018 at 6:24 pmGoing to try to tonight!
Daniel Lewis
July 2, 2018 at 2:24 amCoconut milk yogurt, homemade and super easy to prepare, thanks.
Kale
June 23, 2018 at 8:42 amI like using the instant pot as it saves me loads of time. I put on stews in the morning and they are ready in the evening when I come home from work.
Michelle
January 11, 2019 at 11:51 amAre there different instructions to use to make coconut yougurt in the Instant Pot?
Alisa
April 3, 2019 at 11:50 amHow do you use the insta pot? I’d love to give that a try. Thanks!
Alex
May 16, 2018 at 10:10 amIt looks easy!!
Will try it tonight. Thanks for sharing!
Blue
March 26, 2018 at 1:09 pmFor those that had watery coconut yogurt You need to use only the coconut fat Place the cans in the fridge before using and skim only the fat off You do not need to add sugar I never do) I have not used this will the coconut milk in the cartons nor have I tried it with fresh coconuts If the temps are not consistent you will have a very thin substance I use a yogurt maker (its 40 years old and works great)I do not add any gelatin (I am vegan) I have made yogurt out of soy,almond and cashew milk I ner add sugar or anything else The key is in the temps and keeping them consistent as well as the starter
wendy powell
April 22, 2018 at 8:29 amHi Blue,
I am just starting on Vegan diet and I use a yogurt maker to make my dairy yogurt now but just wondered which culture you use with your canned milk? Thank you:)
Ellen
December 10, 2018 at 6:08 amBlue:
I make my own plain yogurt. I heat my milk, then add my starter from previous yogurt & let set & refrigerate. That being said, I added the cream from the top of the coconut milk can (refrigerated) to my heated milk. Then added my starter, it set but had clumps of coconut in it.
Can you suggest what I am doing wrong. I do not want sugar or probiotics.
Thank you,
Ellen
kate
January 12, 2018 at 2:57 ami am looking to make coconut yogurt in my yogurt maker – i was hoping to use the uht version of coconut milk (not a can) does this work? I am not intolerant to milk but just want to cut down so can i use a natural dairy based y ogurt as a starter thx
Stefanie
December 24, 2017 at 8:33 amI made this and it tasted so good, but in the jar, the bottom third was watery, while the top was thick like yogurt should be. What happened?
★★★
Monica
November 16, 2017 at 12:10 amHi, just wondering why do you have to heat milk?
I am going to use yoghurt maker which has boiling water in it, bit puzzled
Thankyou
JR
April 3, 2019 at 10:38 amIt seems the heating in this recipe is to help dissolve the sugar and gelatin
Kane Johnston
July 28, 2017 at 8:21 pmDamn coconut is the low carb dieter’s swiss army knife… I wonder how it would taste without the extra sugar though? Hmm..
★★★★
Rebecca handy
May 7, 2017 at 4:56 pmHi I am interested in using my dehydrator. Exactly what are the directions and using it. I’m concerned about contamination since I would not be able to use sterilized jars. Before I try this I was just wondering exactly how you did it! Thank you for replying back
laura
April 26, 2017 at 10:17 pmI often make my own coconut milk with shredded coconut. Do you think it could work in this recipe?
Gary from Boca
February 27, 2019 at 11:27 amyes I do it all the time but I add 1/2 teaspoon of guar gum and 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan gum and blend after fermenting. The yogurt will then firm up nicely and not seperate. I also use two-three packets of sugar as the coconut milk does not have enough to support fermentation consistently on its own, The starter culture will consume the sugar and you can consider it sugar free,
Alice
March 15, 2017 at 5:23 amHmm. Added coconut sugar and the whole mixture turned caramel coloured…
Currently waiting for the mixture to finish it’s time fermenting/setting/creating (whatever it’s doing in my oven overnight!) but pretty certain this will mean I have caramel coloured yoghurt. Hmm….
★★
Joi
February 14, 2017 at 6:21 amHi Tiffany, this was very easy-to-follow and my kids loved it.
Thank you.
★★★★★
Lisa
February 11, 2017 at 7:21 amI made this and it tastes yummy but the original recipe gave me a yogurt drink. I warmed it up slowly and only to 95 degrees to not destroy the probiotics. I know that gelatin disolves at 95 degrees. I bloomed an added tablespoon of gelatin in some cold coconut milk and then added it to the yogurt mixture and stirred until the gelatin was disolved. I put it in small mason jars and let it set on the counter for about an hour then refrigerated it. The result was a wonderful yogurt. Next time, I will add a tablespoon of gelatin at the beginning.
★★★
Lisa
February 8, 2017 at 1:09 pmWell, it’s sitting in my oven….. I used homemade coconut milk. I hope it works. The recipe was really easy.
★★★★★
Caroline
January 30, 2017 at 10:35 pmYumm! This seems like a great recipe.
If I use probiotic from a bottle, not capsule, how much would I need?
I’m keen to give it a try!
Sara
December 14, 2016 at 8:26 pmIs there a way to adapt this recipe using an instant pot?
Meagan
November 25, 2016 at 9:44 pmCan I use honey instead of sugar or maple syrup?
Lisa
February 11, 2017 at 7:23 amYou can use honey. Anything that the probiotics can use to grow will be fine. Do not use stevia or other sugar substitue. This will keep the probiotics from having something to feed on.
Prateeksha Phalke
November 19, 2016 at 12:30 amHi dear….I am dying to make the coconut yogurt & your recipe looks great. Can we use regular yogurt (cow or Buffalo milk yogurt) as a starter ?
We have 7 fresh coconuts…so I was planning to extract fresh coconut milk. Please let me know how you feel about it.
Finding the probiotic capsules is little difficult.
★★★★★
JR
April 3, 2019 at 10:42 amI’m wondering if I can use my favorite store bought coconut yogurt to make the recipe also. I think it’s possible bc her comment at the end is to use 1/4 cup of the current for the next batch but I’m not sure if store bought or dairy yogurt would do the same.
Lorena Jean Baptiste
June 15, 2016 at 9:04 amThanks for sharing this recipe. A video of the recipe would be awesome.
Angie
June 9, 2016 at 8:47 amI made this coconut yogurt and mine turned out bubbly,thin and tastes carbonated. What happened? I used all the correct ingredients and probiotics.
Suzanne
June 7, 2016 at 9:05 amSo I made this without the sugar- looked good, then refrigerated. The next morning the cream was hard on top- what do I do with that?!?
Suzanne
June 7, 2016 at 9:06 amMy milk was homemade.
Kate odonnell
March 21, 2016 at 5:50 pmHave you had any success making this with homemade milk instead of canned? Thanks!
as
February 21, 2016 at 12:53 pmHow did you get your yogurt to be white?
the coconut sugar turned mine brown/tan.
neither coconut sugar, organic cane sugar or maple syrup are white.
thanks
Millason @SimplyNaturalMama
March 25, 2017 at 9:40 pmI am wondering the same thing. Mine is in the yogurt maker right now, and it’s brown. I used coconut sugar.
Kristen
February 4, 2016 at 7:02 amDo you drain the liquid out of the coconut milk (I’m assuming it’s the kind in the can) before mixing it?
Rebecca
February 1, 2016 at 1:01 pmI followed this recipe precisely. I even bought the Natural Value coconut milk and Great Lakes gelatin. Although my flavor was great, it had quite a strange texture. The fat rose to the top and solidified and the bottom was a clearish gel. There was no way to stir it up and get it to come together. I used it all in smoothies. Any ideas?
Tasha
February 4, 2016 at 11:38 pmMine did that too Rebecca, I followed the recipe and there was a solid film on top and yellowish-clear gel on the bottom. I ended up composting mine, didn’t think I could eat it. I’m not sure what I did wrong 🙂 Any thoughts?
Heather
January 18, 2016 at 8:59 amThank you for your coconut milk recipe. It worked and tasted great and has certainly saved me $$. I am wondering if you have had an issue with separation of the coconut water and the coconut fat when making the yogurt. Mine kept separating and I wasn’t sure if I should mix it up while it was incubating or not. About 3 days into eating it, I used a stick blender and mixed it all up and haven’t had the issue since but worry I’ve ruined the probiotic culture integrity doing this.
Sarah
October 22, 2015 at 2:07 amDo you let the yogurt cool before putting in the fridge?
Tia
October 20, 2015 at 7:49 pmCould I use stevia instead of the sugar or maple syrup.
Cat
October 8, 2015 at 1:47 pmHow do I make coconut yoghurt with fresh coconut meat please?
Kathryn Grace
December 6, 2015 at 10:22 amThank you for posting this recipe. As a long-time yogurt maker, and now coconut milk maker, I’ve been thinking about making coconut milk yogurt, and I have a question for you about the addition of gelatin or agar agar to help the yogurt set up. With dairy yogurt, the bacteria thickens the milk and begins the cheese-making process. Thickeners are not needed. My question is this: Is there something about the coconut milk that prevents the bacteria from growing enough to set up? Again, thank you for the recipe!
Sharon
October 8, 2015 at 3:57 amI enjoy your posts. Thank you for the work you do in sharing these recipes and the information. I want to try this yogurt recipe…I’ve tried others that haven’t worked. Maybe this time!
Alisha
October 8, 2015 at 1:41 amis the sugar/maple syrup necessary for the probiotics to grow or can it be replaced with a low carb alternative such as stevia?
Vicki
October 7, 2015 at 6:18 pmCan you tell me how much phosphorus is in the coconut milk yogurt ? I need a low phosphorus diet to help control calcium. This sounds amazing !!