How to make dairy-free coconut yoghurt

If you don’t know how to make dairy-free coconut yoghurt, prepare to be surprised at just how simple it is! There’s basically only 3 ingredients to make the base yoghurt, and I add in chia seeds to thicken it, and frozen berries for the kids. It really does taste delicious poured over your own homemade muesli!

Coconut yoghurt is a great dairy-free yoghurt replacement; perfect for little ones who are lactose intolerant. It’s creamier than regular yoghurt, although it doesn’t go as thick. Also, you may need to experiment with the brand of coconut milk and probiotic powder that you use, as some work better than others.

Probiotics can be found at pharmacies and health shops, and many supermarkets are stocking them now too. The ones you want to look for are those kept in the fridge aisles. You want to look for the ones with some of the following: Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium lactis and Streptococcus thermophilus

They are expensive, but when you use them to make coconut yoghurt, they multiply exponentially so you end up with a lot more probiotic power for your money! My boy gets eczema so we buy one that is designed to help with it.

The chia seeds are high in calcium and omega 3s so they make this really nutritious. They have the added benefit of thickening the yoghurt so it’s less messy to eat with a spoon. Depending on the fruit you use, you may like to add some honey to sweeten it slightly.

How to make dairy-free coconut yoghurt

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How to make dairy-free coconut yoghurt

I make this once a week and when it's ready I make it up into fruit yoghurt for school lunches. Although I love plain yoghurt on my cereal, the kids won't touch it without a good amount of fruit included!

Ingredients

• 1 tin of coconut milk for a pouring yoghurt, or coconut cream for a creamier yoghurt
• 1 teaspoon probiotic powder
• 1 tablespoon of brown sugar
• 1/4 cup of chia seeds optional, but will help to thicken the yoghurt, especially if using coconut milk
• 1 cup frozen mixed berries again optional

Instructions

1. Turn the oven on to lukewarm, 50c degrees or less.
2. Pour the coconut milk into a pot. Warm the coconut over a medium heat, until it just starts to simmer.
3. Add the chia seeds, turn the heat down to low, stir, and just simmer it for around 5 minutes. Take the coconut milk off the heat and stir through the sugar, mixing well.
4. Once the mixture has cooled until it's just warm to the touch, stir in the probiotic powder.
5. Turn off the oven and pour the yoghurt into sterilised jars. Now place them in the warm oven for around 24 hours. (You could try the hot water cupboard if you need to access your oven during this time.)
6. Stir the mixture every 6 hours or so, and taste a tiny bit. It's ready once it has developed a bit of a tang. Don't worry if it separates, you can just stir it together.

Recipe Notes

If it develops any pink or purple spots, or grey discolouration, it's gone too far, or has been contaminated with bad bacteria - throw it away and have another go!

Dairy-free coconut fruit yoghurt

I make this once a week and when it’s ready I make it up into fruit yoghurt for school lunches.

Although I love plain yoghurt on my cereal, the kids won’t touch it without a good amount of fruit included!

To do this, I blend 1 cup of frozen berries (thawed) or 1 tin of unsweetened fruit until it’s super-smooth, then I mix this into a batch of coconut yoghurt. If this is still too tart for your young ones, you can add a small amount of honey, or maple syrup to sweeten it a little.