How to Make Coconut Yogurt

It takes just a few key ingredients to make creamy, smooth coconut yogurt: a yogurt starter (good bacteria), a small amount of gelatin or agar agar (natural thickener), and full-fat coconut milk.

I also add a bit of sweetener to make sure the good bacteria are well fed. The bacteria eat the sugars to produce lactic acid, which thickens the milk and gives the yogurt a tart flavor. Unlike dairy-based milk, which is rich in lactose (milk sugar), coconut milk doesn't have lactose, but it does have some sugars and starches for the bacteria to feed on. To make sure the bacteria have enough food, adding a bit of sweetener helps out in the fermentation process. Any natural sweetener can be used, including honey, maple syrup, or date paste.

For yogurt starter you can use a probiotic capsule, a powder, or yogurt that has at least these two bacterial strains: S. thermophilus and L. bulgaricus. Many yogurt starters also add extra strains, including Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium, and Lactobacillus casei for added benefits.

Dairy-based yogurt is lactose-free when it's been fermented for 24 hours, and it's very tart at this point. Coconut yogurt is lactose-free regardless of how long you ferment the yogurt. So if you prefer it a bit less tart, culture it for about 8 hours or so and still have a lactose-free yogurt (especially SCD folks who may prefer a less tangy yogurt).

I recommend heating the coconut milk to 180⁰F to remove unwanted bacteria, pathogens, or yeast spores, and allow your added starter to thrive. The heated milk also helps the gelatin to dissolve. Make sure to cool the milk fully to about 100⁰F because I higher temperature will kill the bacteria in your yogurt starter.

To incubate the yogurt at between 100 and 110⁰F , I use a dehydrator. Many counter top ovens now have a dehydration option. Some other options include an oven with the light on, an Instant Pot, a yogurt maker, or a warming blanket. You just need to make sure it stays at a steady temperature throughout fermentation.

A note about gelatin: You can use gelatin powder or sheets. Sheets are less messy than powder. Powder tends to clump a bit, so when you sprinkle it in the warm coconut milk spread the granules wide and whisk immediately to further disperse and dissolve it. In general, one sheet of gelatin equals about 1 teaspoon of gelatin powder, however check the package to confirm exact measurements. Gelatin sheets bloom in cold water and then dissolve in warm liquid whereas gelatin powder dissolves in warm liquid.