I’ve been asked by several readers to post a recipe for dairy free yogurt. After testing and reviewing several complicated recipes I have found a simple recipe that I feel comfortable suggesting to my dairy free readers.
Many of the coconut milk yogurt products found at the grocery store contain unsafe additives like gums and carrageenan. (There are, of course, some great coconut yogurt brands you can buy.) This homemade coconut yogurt only has three ingredients.
Once you’ve made your coconut yogurt you can add natural sweetener, flavor and spices to suit your taste. I like to add raw honey and vanilla!
How to Make Raw Coconut Yogurt
This recipe makes two cups of yogurt.
And all you’ll need is six young Thai coconuts and four probiotic capsules (or one vegetable culture starter). And it’s a simple process:
- First, open your coconuts and reserve coconut water.
- Then spoon the coconut meat from coconuts and puree in food processor. Add coconut water one tablespoon at a time until coconut puree is at its desired consistency.
- Pour the coconut mixture into a glass jar.
- Open probiotic capsules and mix them into the coconut mixture. (Do the same with the vegetable culture if you’re using that instead.)
- Cover tightly with lid and allow coconut yogurt to ferment for 24-48 hours on the counter.
- Check yogurt after 12 hours and taste. The yogurt should taste slightly sour. (You know, yogurt-y.)
- Once fermented, yogurt can be sweetened (if desired) and stored in the refrigerator. Keeps for one week.
Raw Coconut Yogurt
Ingredients
Equipment
- Food processor or high quality blender
- Glass jar for culturing
Ingredients
- 6 Young Thai Coconuts. Young Thai Coconuts can be found at most health food stores, but check your local Asian Market for the best prices.
- 4 Probiotic Capsules or 1 Vegetable Culture Starter
Instructions
- Open coconuts and reserve coconut water.
- Spoon the coconut meat from coconuts and puree in food processor. Add coconut water one tablespoon at a time until coconut puree is desired consistency.
- Pour coconut mixture into a glass jar.
- Open probiotic capsules and mix them into the coconut mixture. If you are using vegetable culture, open package and add to coconut mix.
- Cover tightly with lid and allow coconut yogurt to ferment for 24-48 hours on the counter.
- Check yogurt after 12 hours and taste. The yogurt should have a slightly sour (yogurt) taste.
- Once fermented, yogurt can be sweetened (if desired) and stored in the refrigerator. Keeps for one week.
What is your favorite yogurt flavor?
Mine? Vanilla. Boring, I know. But its my favorite :).
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Hi i leave in warm country. How long do i need to keep the yogurt out for fermentation.
How many cups of coconut meat is required? Thanks!!
Wonderful thank you! Do you use hard or soft coconut meat to make the yogurt? Guessing both can be used?
I tried this yesterday with fresh coconut milk made from the nuts in my Hawaii garden. It didn’t work at all. All that happened was that the milk separated into oil on top and water on the bottom after 6-7 hours in my yogurt maker. How do I keep it homogenized while it inoculates?
Did you use young, green coconuts or the brown ones? Using young coconuts shouldn’t have an oil issue but the older brown ones would. And you want to use a purée the consistency of yogurt, not a liquid consistency.
I only use probiotics. I also test each bottle I buy.
Small bowl of milk and one capsule. Let it sit on the counter for a night or 2. Check to see if it solidifies.
NOW works well for me.
If left out, coconut goes bad and can make one very sick. Is it the probiotics that prevent the yogurt from going bad? Thanks in advance.
Hi. Thanks so much for this recipe. I have read through the comments below but I’m still not sure – in your experience does frozen young coconut meat work for this recipe/making raw coconut yogurt?
Thanks for your time and assistance 🙂
Is it possible to freeze the yoghurt to save for eating later?
can someone tell me how much it costs for a 1 lb. bag of frozen coconut meat in the stores?
Every store will have a different price. I’ve found some at my local Asian Market for around $2. Some stores charge $4-$5.
thank you for quick response. is it grated or still in pieces, chunk/ whole form?
I have never tried coconut yogurt but I like vanilla raw milk yogurt. You have given me courage to try it!
Come over and share this on Thursday at Tasty Traditions: http://myculturedpalate.com/
Thanks! 🙂
I would love to try this recipe, but I live in an area where fresh coconuts are impossible to get. There are several places that carry young coconuts but 4 out of 5 coconuts in my area are moldy on the inside. I have wasted SO much money on coconuts that I ended up throwing away that I’ve given up on them and turned to packaged coconut products. Is there a good recipe using something like So Delicious coconut milk? Or even unsweetened dried shredded coconut meat? I’d love to make my own, but if the ingredients are not available, then they are not available. I am so hoping to find a recipe that doesn’t depend on finding fresh raw coconuts in good condition.
lindacrh » Here is a recipe that sounds like will work with canned or homemade coconut milk – http://www.cookingtf.com/coconut-milk-yogurt-2/
Hope that helps! 🙂
Thank you for your submission on Nourishing Treasures’ Make Your Own! Monday link-up.
Check back tomorrow when the new link-up is running to see if you were one of the top 3 featured posts! 🙂
That is really good to know about coconuts and pesticides! I hadn’t heard that before. I won’t worry about buying organic coconut products from now on, then. Thanks. 🙂
You are brave–I’ve been too scared to tackle whole coconuts. I also don’t know where to buy them. There’s a big Asian market a couple towns away that we shop at to get coconut cream, though, so maybe I’ll try there. Do you only buy organic coconuts?
I’m sharing this on Facebook and Pinterest.
Meghan @ Whole Natural Life » Hi Megan! No I don’t buy organic coconuts anymore. Bruce Fife says there isn’t any reason to buy organic coconut because pesticides aren’t used on Palm trees.
Hi, I love your recipes and love what you do. I would like to comment on organic coconuts and whether we should consider buying organic or not. Even though pesticides may not be used on Palm trees, young coconuts need to travel more than a month before they reach the US and even longer before they reach our stores. Prior to shipping they are dipped in harmful chemicals to prevent mold and deter bacteria during the transport. So, we may think that we are getting nutritious or fresh coconuts, but it is not so true. Therefore, it is important to use organic. I personally prefer frozen coconut meat for this same reason as it is packed right there at the source and shipped frozen to us. So it seems like it is the freshest form we have available in the US from Thailand. I hope this helps!
Meghan @ Whole Natural Life » Thanks for sharing 🙂
You can get frozen young coconut meat in the freezer section of your Asian market as well!
Alison » I have found frozen young and mature coconut meat from the frozen section too! I use the frozen mature coconut meat for making raw coconut milk and the young coconut meat for making yogurt and raw coconut wraps! https://thecoconutmama.com/2011/03/coconut-wraps-recipe/
Is it possible to use unsweetened shredded coconut if you can’t get the actual coconuts? If so how much would you use?
Sally L » Sally, I’m not sure who it would work! I haven’t tried this recipe with dried coconut meat. There is also a big difference between mature coconut meat and young coconut meat too. You need to use young coconut meat for this recipe. Shredded coconut is made from older mature coconuts.
Sorry I’m not more helpful!
OK. Thanks for your quick reply!!!
So, would I used 1 can of CM to one package of vegetable starter? That’s what I have is packages of starter. I didn’t realize I could use probiotic capsules. Next time I go shopping… lol
Yes! That will make coconut milk kefir! Yogurt is a little tougher to achieve because coconut milk doesn’t thicken like dairy milk does. That is why so many commercial coconut milk yogurts add gums and junk to the product. It makes the yogurt thick!
If I have coconut milk, could I just add the starter to that? I know it may not be raw…
to frement, do you leave it out on the counter or do you refrigerate it?
mishia » Yes, you do! I just updated the recipe to mention that! 🙂