Silk Non Dairy Yogurt
After trying a pot of super creamy, slightly tangy coconut yogurt from the supermarket, I started to wonder how it was made — and if I could make it myself. A bit of research and experimentation later, I discovered it’s not hard at all! As soon as you’ve gathered a few supplies, you’ll be well on your way to making (and falling in love with) this delicious dairy-free yogurt.
Regular cow’s milk yogurt relies on bacteria to thicken the yogurt, give it a tangy flavor, and add some beneficial probiotics. Because coconut milk has a very different structure, we have to use other methods to turn it into creamy, spoonable yogurt: probiotic powder for the health benefits and flavor, and agar agar or tapioca starch for the thickener.
For the probiotics, I use probiotic capsules that are certified vegan and gluten-free. If you’re the UK, go with these. If you’re in the US, try these capsules or this yogurt starter culture packet. Check the list of probiotics on the packet — you want a few of the following: Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium lactis and Streptococcus thermophilus. You can also add a few tablespoons of store-bought coconut yogurt or vegan soya yogurt with live cultures. If you’re not bothered by dairy, you can use normal cow’s milk yogurt, too.
I recommend using either agar agar (a vegan alternative to gelatin) or tapioca starch to thicken the coconut yogurt. Most store-bought coconut yogurt that I’ve seen use tapioca starch. Both of these thickeners are easy to work with and produce reliable results: a pourable yogurt, similar in texture to the low-fat plain yogurt I usually buy for baking, making smoothies, and eating with granola or muesli.
You can also make a fairly thick yogurt without using any thickener at all. Instead of using the whole can of coconut milk, just use the extra-thick creamy layer that rises to the top. To do this, refrigerate the can of coconut milk overnight, open up the can, and scoop the layer of thick white cream off the top. It’s naturally thick, so there’s no need to add thickening agents to it, and you can also skip the heating step (which makes the process quicker). The only downside is that this yogurt is incredibly rich, so it’s better as a topping for pancakes or desserts, in my opinion.
So Delicious Dairy Free Coconut Milk, Almond Milk and Soy Milk, Beverages, Desserts, Creamers and Yogurts are Ideal Milk Alternatives for the Non-Dairy, Vegan, or Lactose Free Diets. So with that being said, let's get started! Dairy Free Yogurt List Here's the complete listing of the best dairy free yogurts. Here are all the Silk dairy free.
One final option for making Greek-style yogurt is to make tapioca- or agar agar-thickened yogurt and then strain it through cheesecloth overnight. This also produces a fairly sweet and rich yogurt, though nicely thick.
How To Make Dairy-Free Coconut Yogurt
Makesabout a quart
Ingredients
- 2
(14-ounce) cans coconut milk
- 2 teaspoons
agar agar flakes, or 2 tablespoons tapioca starch (see Recipe Notes)
- 4
probiotic capsules, or 4 tablespoons store-bought coconut yogurt
- 2 tablespoons
raw sugar or maple syrup, optional
Equipment
Glass jars with lids, for storing the yogurt
Thermometer, optional
Instructions
Warm the oven and sterilize the jars: Warm the oven for about 5 minutes, until it reaches about 100°F, then turn off the heat — leave the light on to help keep the oven warm. Fill the jar(s) you'll use for storing the yogurt with boiling water to sterilize them. Let stand a few minutes, then pour the water out. Alternatively, you can run the jars through the dishwasher.
Pour the coconut milk into a saucepan: Shake the can of coconut milk, open it, and pour it into a medium pot. Whisk until the milk is smooth and uniform.
Add the thickener:If you're using agar agar, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of agar agar flakes into the pot over the coconut milk — but don’t stir! If you're using tapioca starch, scoop out roughly 1/3 cup of the coconut milk and transfer to a bowl with the starch. Whisk this together until the starch is dissolved, then pour back into the pot.
Warm the coconut milk: Place the pan on the stove over medium heat and warm until the coconut milk starts to simmer. (The agar agar will also start to melt together.) Whisk the milk and turn down the heat to low. Continue cooking on low, whisking occasionally, for 5 to 10 minutes, until the agar agar flakes are fully dissolved or the tapioca starch has thickened the mixture.
Cool the milk: Cool the milk until it's just warm to the touch, about 100°F.
Add the probiotics: Twist open the probiotic capsule and pour the powdery contents over the milk (discard the capsule’s casing). Whisk to combine. Alternatively, whisk in 4 tablespoons store-bought coconut yogurt.
Add the sugar or maple syrup. Whisk together well.
Pour into jar(s) and allow the yogurt to set for 12 to 24 hours: Pour the coconut milk into the sterilized jar(s) and screw on the lid(s). Place into the oven — turn the oven light on to keep the environment warm. Alternatively, use a yogurt maker or place into a dehydrator at 110°F. Leave for 12 to 24 hours without disturbing.
Chill the yogurt: Place the set yogurt into the fridge and chill for at least 6 hours. The yogurt will become thicker as it chills. After this stage, you might find that the mixture has separated with a yellowish, translucent layer at the bottom and a thicker white layer on top. Stir to recombine or scoop off the top layer for thicker coconut yogurt.
Keep coconut yogurt refrigerated and use within 2 weeks.
Recipe Notes
If the yogurt develops a pink or grey discoloration on its surface, that means it has been contaminated with bad bacteria. Throw it away and do not eat it!
Thickener-free coconut yogurt: The night before making the yogurt, chill the can of coconut milk. Do not shake. Open the can of chilled coconut milk and scoop off the top layer of cream, leaving behind the liquidy coconut water below (you can discard the water or use it for making smoothies or cooking oatmeal). Add the probiotics and continue making the yogurt as directed.
Making extra-thick coconut yogurt:
→ Scoop about 1 tablespoon of the fermented yogurt into a small bowl and stir together with 1 teaspoon ground psyllium husk. Pour back into the jar and stir together well.
→ Stir 3 tablespoons of chia seeds into the jar of fermented yogurt. Chill for 4 hours until thickened.
→ Transfer the yogurt to a strainer lined with cheesecloth and set over a bowl. Allow to strain overnight, just like when making Greek-style yogurt.
Q:John – I have a lactose problem, but I still want the probiotic help that comes in a good natural yogurt. Is there a soy yogurt that has similar probiotic benefit or do I have to stick with the real stuff?
A:Alisa – The short answer is yes, there are several non-dairy yogurts available that will offer probiotic benefits equivalent to dairy-based yogurt. In fact, for those who are lactose intolerant the non-dairy yogurts may have more noticeable benefits since you won’t be contending with lactose maldigestion symptoms from the yogurt too. I have included some soy yogurt options below and will also go into a bit more detail on this topic and address what a “natural yogurt” could be.
Probiotics Improve Digestion in Dairy or Non-Dairy Yogurt
It is not uncommon for someone with lactose intolerance to be tolerant of good quality dairy yogurt. This is because certain strains of probiotics have been found to aid in the digestion of lactose.
Though L. acidophilus has long been recognized as the digestion hero, it was actually found in studies to have very little effect on the digestion of lactose. But another member of the Lactobacillus family, L. bulgaricus showed improvements for the hydrogen breath test (a basic lactose intolerance test) and symptoms. (Source: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition) For more information on lactose intolerance and the tests available, see Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook.
L. bulgaricus is commonly used as a starter for yogurts, both dairy and non-dairy, so it is fairly easy to find. Also, based on the studies I read, it looks like you will get the same benefits from this probiotic no matter the medium (whether in a cow’s milk yogurt or a soy yogurt). The benefits of probiotics are created in the process of fermentation, so the medium is not necessarily what is important. This is why Kimchi, a fermented vegetable Korean dish, has been used for centuries as a tummy-tamer at meals.
Probiotic Preservation: Why Store-Bought Isn’t Always Best
Silk Non Dairy Yogurt Ingredients
What is important is the level of live active cultures in the finished product (those not destroyed in the production of the yogurt), and how well it is stored to avoid destruction of these cultures before they are able to reach your gut (chilled mediums are usually best for both supplements and foods).
Silk Non Dairy Yogurt Reviews
Keep in mind, most commercial yogurts are pasteurized (killing off many of the live active cultures) and have probiotics added in after the fact. These may not have the same gut benefits as the cultures from the original fermentation. Check with the yogurt manufacturer to find out their processes and the live active cultures in their finished products.
Better yet, make your own yogurt at home! The definition of a “natural yogurt” can vary since it is not a regulated term – it may simply be one made with all natural ingredients, Greek-style yogurt, yogurt made from a prior batch of yogurt, or a plain unsweetened yogurt. The best way to qualify your non-dairy yogurt as “natural” by any of these standards is to make it yourself. You can easily prepare a batch of yogurt with your own makeshift apparatus or by using a relatively inexpensive yogurt maker.
Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook offers recipes for homemade Soy Yogurt, Coconut Yogurt, and Cashew Yogurt (the latter two also being soy-free options) and full instructions.
The Best Store-Bought Soy Yogurts Available
My favorite soy yogurt brand, Whole Soy & Co, went out of business. I’m still waiting for another option to emerge that is as healthy as that brand was! Nancy’s also discontinued their Organic Cultured Soy Yogurt, but they have replaced it with dairy-free Oat Milk Yogurt. Luckily, there are still a couple great brands on the market:
- Silk Dairy-Free Yogurt made with Soy – This is a delicious yogurt that’s very close to yogurts like Yoplait in taste and consistency. However, they don’t have an unsweetened version and the flavors are relatively high in sugars (like Yoplait!).
- Stonyfield Organic O’Soy Yogurt – There was a big uproar when people discovered this soy yogurt brand wasn’t actually dairy-free. They do now label their product as vegan, but I would still check on the growth medium if severe milk allergies are a concern since they also make dairy yogurt.
The above mentioned products can be found at Whole Foods and other natural food stores. However, I have also seen each of these brands in the natural food aisles (refrigerated) of my local mega-grocer. They are each widely distributed in the United States.
Not into soy? There are almond, coconut and many other types of dairy-free yogurt now available! See our Substitutes Review Section for information on several soy-free, dairy-free yogurt brands.
What Is Non Dairy Yogurt
For more dairy-free Q&A topics, see our Ask Alisa Page.