Homemade coconut yogurt is creamy, gently tangy, and naturally dairy-free!
Homemade coconut yogurt is easy, fun, super delicious, and dairy-free. The texture is even creamier than regular yogurt (thanks to canned coconut milk), and it combines the natural sweetness of coconut with the tang of live probiotic cultures. I think coconut yogurt has the most appealing flavor of all the dairy-free yogurts I’ve tried ~ but it’s often pricey (and comes in teeny tiny jars!) Time for a homemade version!
let’s dig in
what you need to make coconut yogurt
- canned full fat coconut milk
- Be sure to use unsweetened canned coconut milk, not the refrigerated kind in a carton.
- probiotics (you have 3 choices)
- A powdered vegan yogurt starter, I used this brand
- or probiotic capsules, I used this brand
- or commercial coconut yogurt, I used this brand
tips for making coconut yogurt
Be sure to start with full fat canned coconut milk, and whisk it thoroughly until it has a uniform creamy consistency.
For a thicker result, drain off some of the water from your coconut milk before fermenting.
Make sure your jar is super clean before adding your yogurt mixture. Any unwanted bacteria can interfere with your yogurt.
Make sure you’ve got a warm (@110F) spot for your yogurt to ferment.
what to expect from non-dairy coconut yogurt
THE PLUSES: As I said above, coconut yogurt has a wonderful flavor, the natural sweetness of the coconut comes through. When I dipped my little tasting spoon into the finished batch, the bells went off. The taste was velvety smooth and pure coconut. It had none of the cloying sweetness or gelatinous texture of the commercial brand.
THE DRAWBACKS: Coconut yogurt can struggle to thicken compared to other vegan yogurts. It’s low in protein, naturally higher in water, and doesn’t firm up the way dairy yogurt does during fermentation.
On the bright side, it makes a great drinkable yogurt, and the looser texture works beautifully with granola and muesli.
5 ways to ferment yogurt at home
When you ferment yogurt you ideally want a temperature of around 110°F. This is warm enough to activate the cultures without killing them with too much heat. Note this is higher than warm room temperature, and lower than the “keep warm” function on your oven.
A yogurt maker
- If you love to make yogurt this is a great appliance to have. I highly recommend getting a yogurt maker like this one, but there are many on the market. Follow your machine’s instructions for the proofing period. (There’s no need to pre-heat the yogurt for this recipe.)
A proofing box
- I have a collapsable proofing box with a thermostat. I set it to 110°F. This is the one I use and I love it. I use it for breads and yogurt.
Your oven set to 110F
- If your oven doesn’t go that low, but has a 60 watt or higher bulb in it, you may be able to store your yogurt in the oven (no heat) with the light on. Wrap it with a towel. You can experiment with different wattage bulbs to get your desired temperature.
Instant Pot
- Ferment the yogurt using the yogurt function on your IP. Again, no need to boil the milk first.
An electric heating throw or pad
- In a pinch an electric heating pad or small electric throw blanket wrapped around the yogurt and set on low to medium will do the trick. If you use a heating pad, cover the whole thing with a towel.
homemade coconut yogurt faqs
Canned coconut milk is already pasteurized, a process that uses heat to eliminate harmful bacteria. This pre-heating step eliminates the need to heat it again for yogurt making.
You can make or store your yogurt in one jar, or several individual jars, just be sure they are squeaky clean.
Homemade yogurts and coconut yogurt in particular is more runny than commercial yogurts, especially if you’re used to Greek style yogurts which often contain thickeners and stabilizers. There are a couple of things you can do to thicken your yogurt further:
Strain the Yogurt: after fermentation, strain the yogurt through cheesecloth to remove whey. The longer you strain, the thicker the yogurt will get.
Add Thickening Agents: you can incorporate thickeners like gelatin, agar agar, or even powdered milk to enhance the body of the yogurt.
Coconut yogurt has a natural affinity for fruits, as well as granolas and mueslis. I’m especially looking forward to using it alongside a hot curry.
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How to make Coconut Yogurt
Ingredients
- 40 oz canned full-fat coconut milk, (this is 3 13.5-ounce cans)
- 1 Tbsp powdered gelatin
- 1 direct-set yogurt starter* or 6 oz coconut milk yogurt with live cultures
Instructions
- Pour the coconut milk into a saucepan and heat to 180°F — hot but not boiling.
- Sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the hot milk and whisk until completely dissolved.
- Let the mixture cool to 110°F. This temperature is key: warm enough for the cultures to activate, but not so hot that they’re destroyed.
- Whisk in the yogurt starter (or coconut yogurt) until fully blended.
- Transfer the mixture to a yogurt maker and incubate at 105–110°F for 10–12 hours. Overnight works perfectly.
- Refrigerate the yogurt for several hours to fully set.
- For thicker yogurt, line a colander with two layers of cheesecloth, set it over a bowl, and drain the yogurt for about 1 hour.
Notes
- This coconut yogurt is dairy-free but not vegan, as it uses gelatin for structure. For a vegan option, use a plant-based thickener such as agar-agar instead.
- Full-fat canned coconut milk is essential for good texture.
- Gelatin gives coconut yogurt structure that fermentation alone can’t provide.
- For the most consistent results, a direct-set starter is more reliable than reusing yogurt batch to batch.
This was my first time making the AIP compliant yogurt! It looks like maybe mine separated. It still tastes good. I just mix it all together. It has 3 layers. Any ideas or suggestions?
Would the yogurt button on my instant pot work?
Yes, it should!
My coconut yoghurt comes out quite thick. Takes about 10 minutes to prepare. I don’t use heat, just pour 1 litre of coconut cream in a clean jar, throw in a few tablespoons of a commercial product, and mix. Put lid on. Leave in warm area and taste now and again. Our store brought coconut yoghurts are extremely good, therefore putting a quality starter in the mix. For subsequent batches I use a few tablespoons from previous mix. After a while, probiotics can be added as a boost.
it takes a few days in refrig. to firm up, yummy
Did not work for me. Just as runny 12 hrs later. I don’t use a yogurt maker, I put it in the oven with the light on which works great when I make dairy yogurt. I am willing to try nondairy again, though, but maybe try a different approach.
My hubby is lactose intolerant, so I was very excited to try this recipe. It’s fabulous! I make my yogurt in my instant pot in individual canning jars with plastic lids on loosely. I also set the pot for 24 hours – works great!!
I haven’t tried this in the instant pot, I’ll do that, thanks 🙂
I left my coconut yogurt in maker 24 hours. Just put in fridge. Is that too long? Hope it’s not unhealthy. Is there a test for live cultures? Haha
Used organic milk yogurt as a starter. And carton of coconut milk. Pretty watery. Will wait then add to oatmeal/fruit, etc.
I was so excited when I came across this recipe. I made the recipe that evening! I left it overnight on the yogurt maker. When I checked on it in the morning, the cream separated to the top. Everything looked very watery. I put it in the fridge and it set by the time I got home from work. It’s a good thing I didn’t throw it out! I did add a 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract thinking it wouldn’t have enough flavor but the natural sweetness was amazing! There was even a hint of tartness that dairy yogurt would have. Deeelish! Thanks for sharing!!
This can be tricky so I’m so glad it all worked out for you Tina, I’m experimenting with an Instant Pot Coconut yogurt recipe this week!
How can this be vegan when gelatin is an animal product? I’m pretty sure gelatin is made from boiled down animal hooves.
You can use agar agar, which is derived from seaweed.
I don’t label this as vegan, Andrea, not sure where you saw that. You might look for a vegan gelatin alternative.
I LOVE coconut yogurt! I had been buying Liberte’ brand coconut yogurt for almost 2yrs. I was addicted but, wasn’t that crazy about the pulp. Well, now no one sells it anymore & didn’t know what to do. Aha, I’ll see if I can make my own. I bought the “Euro Cuisine” yogurt maker from Amazon. It took me awhile to find a decent recipe like yours. But my problem is, it just doesn’t taste very coconutty like store bought. Do you think if I used coconut cream instead it would taste more coconutty?
It’s worth a try, Cindy. I found the coconut flavor was really good, and I thought the store bought had a ‘fake’ kind of flavor. You could also consider adding a bit of real coconut extract to the finished product.
Actually, Cindy I believe the Liberte brand was a dairy yogurt and just coconut flavored (naturally). I’m sure it had coconut in it. It was yummy! This post is about yogurt actually made with coconut milk which is non-dairy. I have cut way down on dairy. Hence I have been eating So Delicious brand which is terribly expensive (very few coupons available I might add). I tried once before to make my own and it was very runny. I am now trying this recipe as it has gelatin in it. Mind you, the plain coconut yogurt available commercially has no protein. I add gelatin anyway to get enough protein in my diet. Hoping it comes out better this time. I’m using 1 can coconut milk and 2 pkg coconut cream diluted with 2 cups water each. I have not added the starter yet (waiting for it to cool). It already appears thicker than last time. I will leave it in my oven for 24 hours. Another site also recommends adding 2 TBSP honey or maple syrup to help feed the culture. (I used honey). By tomorrow afternoon I will be trying it! Waiting impatiently!