April Recipe of the Month – Homemade Coconut Yogurt
Written by Danielle Currey, NDLiving in a dairy free household, there are some things that I miss, one of them being yogurt. Buying coconut yogurt can get pretty spendy, so I decided to give homemade a try.
The results are a bit more of a kefir consistency, but this can be resolved through adding a thickening agent or by straining the yogurt through a tea towel or layered cheese cloth.
Materials:
- Slow cooker or Oven with a light
- 1 quart glass jar with lid
- thick kitchen towel
Ingredients:
- 2 cans coconut milk (about 3 cups)
- 1/2 tsp or 2 capsules probiotic of your choice or 1/4 cup coconut yogurt (I used HMF powder and it worked nicely)
- optional – thickening agent eg 2 tbsp tapioca starch, 1 tsp xantham gum, 2 tbsp ground flax seeds or chia seeds
Directions:
- Mix coconut milk and probiotics or yogurt.
- If you will be adding a thickening agent, do so now
Slow cooker directions:
- Add mixture to your slow cooker and set on low. Allow yogurt to warm on counter and ferment for 6-8 hours.
- Pour into 2 quart jar, close, and allow to cool and thicken in the refrigerator overnight (8-10 hours)
Oven directions:
- Heat mixture on stove until steaming (but not simmering/boiling – this will kill your culture).
- Pour into a 2 quart jar, close, wrap in a thick dish towel and place in oven with light on for 6-8 hours.
- Move jar into refrigerator and allow to cool and thicken overnight (8-10 hours)
At this point, you can enjoy your creation or you can strain it to thicken the consistency. To do this pour mixture into a tea towel or several layers of cheesecloth suspended over a bowl and allow to drain for 2-3 hours in a refrigerator.
Mix in suggestions:
- fruit
- honey
- nuts
- granola
Or use in your favorite smoothy recipe.
Enjoy!