Making your own dairy-free cultured yogurt at home is simple with our Homemade Coconut Greek Yogurt recipe. These days, there are many yogurt options on grocery store shelves but few options for those who are searching for a wholesome, dairy-free option. Use coconut milk for healthy fats and a creaminess that is only enhanced by the gelling power of our Beef Gelatin. An optional step to culture the yogurt, or allow gut-boosting live cultures to naturally develop in the creamy coconut milk, happens easily overnight with the use of a simple oven light. Add in vanilla and honey for a sweetness that pairs well with fruit, nuts, granola, or is great on its own.
Homemade Coconut Greek Yogurt
Ingredients:
- 2 14-oz. cans of organic light coconut milk
- 2 T raw honey
- 1 vanilla bean, split and deseeded
- 1 scoop Vital Proteins Beef Gelatin
- Pinch of sea salt
- 1-2 live cultures probiotic capsules (optional)*
Directions:
- Combine the coconut milk, honey, vanilla bean and inner seeds, Beef Gelatin, and a pinch of sea salt in a medium saucepan and whisk well.
- Turn the heat to medium and stir occasionally until small bubbles appear at the edges.
- Turn off the heat, cover with a lid, and allow it to cool until it is no longer hot to the touch (115°F or lower if you have a thermometer to gauge it).
- Then remove the vanilla bean and discard it.
- Open the probiotic capsules and add in desired amount of probiotic powder to the warm coconut milk — the greater the amount added, the stronger the resulting "tangy" flavor will be.
- Stir well and pour the mixture into a glass jar. Place the jar on the top rack of your oven with the oven light on. Close the oven and leave for a minimum 12 hours to allow the coconut milk to culture. It can go longer than 12 hours but that will only intensify the "sour" flavor. Taste it to gauge flavor for your own personal preference.
- After culturing, move it to the refrigerator to firm up. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to a week.
*Note: If choosing not to culture the coconut milk, just pour it into a glass jar after removing the vanilla bean and place it into the refrigerator until fully cooled, 1 hour or more. You'll still end up with a thick and creamy end product but it won't have the tang from live cultures that regular yogurt does.
**Note #2: The coconut milk used can effect the final consistency of your yogurt. Whether the coconut milk has guar gum or not and if so, how much of it, can yield a thicker or thinner yogurt. If your end product is too thick, thin it out with a bit more coconut milk. If it ends up too thin, wait for the next batch to adjust by adding a bit more Beef Gelatin (½ tsp. at a time) until you've got the perfect balance for the coconut milk brand you prefer.
