Coconut Yogurt
- 4 c. 100% coconut milk or coconut cream
- 1 Tab. raw sugar, honey or maple syrup
- 1 packet yogurt starter (or 4 Tab. coconut yogurt)
- optional thickener (2 tsp. gelatin, agar agar flakes, arrowroot starch or tapioca starch)*
Heat the coconut milk and sweetener just to a boil and remove from heat. In a glass bowl (a 1 quart glass pyrex measuring cup works well), allow the milk to cool to 115º F. Be patient as the cooling process can take 30-45 minutes.
- If using a thickener, you will add it while the coconut milk is cooling.
- For starch/gelatin: Place the starch or gelatin in a small bowl, add a small amount of the coconut milk and stir until dissolved, then add to quart of coolng coconut milk and stir well to combine.
- For agar agar: Sprinkle agar agar over the cooling coconut milk but don’t stir to combine it while it's cooling.
Once the coconut milk reaches 115 degrees F, add the yogurt starter and stir to combine well. (I like to add a teaspoon of the coconut milk to the yogurt starter in a small bowl, stir until dissolved, then add back into the quart of coconut milk.)
Pour the mixture into the yogurt cups, place in yogurt maker and cover. (Do not put individual lids on yogurt cups.)
Allow the yogurt to culture for 24 hours without disturbing. Do not move the yogurt cups or yogurt maker once you begin the fermentation process. You’ll likely need to re-set your yogurt maker because many units max at 12 - 15 hours.
After the 24 hours, cover the yogurt cups with their lids and place in the fridge for at least 6 hours. I prefer letting the cultured yogurt firm up overnight or longer. The longer you refrigerate, the thicker the yogurt will become. The yogurt will separate while chilling; you can eat just the thick white top layer and use the bottom layer of coconut water in recipes. Consume within 10 days.
*Note: If you prefer a thicker yogurt but don’t want to use a thickener, there are several options. 1) Stir 1 tsp. chia seeds into each jar of cultured yogurt then chill for an additional 4 hours, 2) Stir ¼ tsp. ground psyllium husk into each yogurt cup, or 3) Transfer the chilled cultured yogurt to a strainer lined with a cheesecloth set over a bowl and allow to strain overnight in the refrigerator.
