How To Make Coconut Milk Yogurt In Instant Pot

Must Try

Why Does My Coconut Yogurt Separate

Instant Pot Coconut Milk Yogurt

Check your yogurt after about 12 hours dont wait for the entire 15 hours. If you culture your yogurt for too long, it can cause it to separate or get lumps in it.

If you notice that your yogurt is lumpy, just strain it to remove the whey, then beat the solids in a bowl with a whisk. It shouldnt take too much work to make it smooth again.

A lot of people refrain from eating yogurt on a low carb diet. But, when you use coconut cream, you know its got to be very low in carbs.

Theres debate on the accuracy of carb count listed on yogurt anyway. So the carbs in yogurt are generally less than stated on the label.

What Is A Yogurt Starter

Why does this recipe for yogurt call for yogurt? Because yogurt has bacteria in it or active cultures you need them to incubated to make yogurt. Not to worry its a good bacteria that eats lactose turning it into lactic acid. This gives yogurt its tangy flavor and helps control the consistency of yogurt. Now what can you use as a starter for your yogurt? The answer is simple. Any yogurt from the grocery store that says active cultures on the label.

Once you make yogurt you can save 2 tbsp of your yogurt as a starter. Its called an heirloom starter and you can freeze it for 30 days.

Making Coconut Yogurt Is Probably Easier Than You Think

Although it sounds complicated , making yogurt is probably less effort than picking it up at the store . . . and cheaper, too! The basic recipe is coconut milk + good bacteria + warmth = tangy, coconutty goodness.

However, because I like CREAMY, tangy, coconutty goodness, I add a thickener into the mix. Gelatin is my go-to, although Ive heard others have had success with agar agar powder. So my process looks like this:

  • Add gelatin to one cup of of room temperaturecoconut milk and stir to combine.
  • Activate the gelatin by adding one cup of hot coconut milk and stir again.
  • Cool the mixture down by adding two more cups of coconut milk so you dont kill the good bacteria when you add them.
  • Add the good bacteria plus some food for them to eat
  • Let warmth and time work their magic. In 12-24 hours youll have creamy, homemade coconut yogurt.
  • Also Check: What Is Instant Pot Poultry Mode

    Which Instant Pot Do I Have

    I have two Instant Pots. The one I used here is the 6 quart duo. Its perfect for making recipes like this. For making side dishes or smaller portions I love to use my 3 quart. Making mashed potatoes I always do it in my 3 quart with a steamer basket. If you are cooking for a bigger family or like to make a lot of soups I would recommend getting the 8 quart.

    Looking for a way to store your Instant Pots? Check out how I use this Instant Pot cart.

    How To Thicken Coconut Milk Yogurt

    Instant Pot Coconut Milk Yogurt

    To keep this dairy-free yogurt vegan I decided to use agar agar flakes instead. If youre not familiar with Agar Agar, it is a dried seaweed that acts very similar to gelatin. I bought in the exotic foods aisle where they sell Nori sheets for making sushi in my local Whole Foods, but if its not available to you locally you can also . One bag will last you quite a while, and you can use it to make other recipes like my Vegan Strawberry Cream Pie or Vegan French Silk Pie.

    Theres also the possibility of using no thickener if you want to use straight coconut cream to make your yogurt instead. I dont care for the taste or texture of the yogurts made with only coconut cream, as I think they taste too rich and fatty, but feel free to go that route if youd like to.

    As written, this coconut milk yogurt recipe produces a very thick result, similar to a Greek-style yogurt, thanks to the thickener and fat content of the full-fat coconut milk. The yogurt will be very thin and runny when its in the Instant Pot fermenting, but it will thicken up perfectly once you transfer it to the fridge to chill.

    Don’t Miss: Pressure Cook Frozen Ground Beef

    Homemade Coconut Milk Yogurt Ingredients And Tools

    • candy thermometer or even a meat thermometer
    • Instant Pot or yogurt maker
    • whisk or hand immersion blender
    • microwave or stovetop

    Notethat you can use real maple syrup instead of the honey if you wish or a can of coconut cream instead of the milk.

    Also with the probiotics I was using it took 3 capsules. Each capsule contained 5 billion PFUs. You want to get about 15-20 billion PFUs total in this size batch.

    Making Vegan Yogurt In An Instant Pot

    • Add the coconut or other non-dairy milk to a sterilized insert .
    • Stir in the thickener according to the information above. Push the “Sauté” button and stir the milk until it reaches about 180 degrees F and the thickener is dissolved.
    • Remove the insert and cool the milk to 110 to 115 degrees F. Stir in the probiotics and sugar, return the insert to the Instant Pot and hit “Yogurt.” Adjust the screen to read 8:00 hours, close the lid, and let it incubate.
    • Check the texture and reset the timer if necessary, depending on how thick or thin you prefer your yogurt.
    • Transfer the finished yogurt to clean jars and refrigerate.

    Also Check: Instapot Sushi Rice

    Coconut Cream Vs Coconut Milk For Instant Pot Dairy

    Some of you might be wondering, Can I use coconut cream instead of coconut milk to get an even thicker consistency? The answer is absolutely! When I was developing this recipe, I wanted a recipe everyone could make. Canned coconut cream isnt always easily accessible , but if you can get your hands on some coconut cream , feel free to swap it out for the canned coconut milk. Id love to know what brand you used and what you thought of the end result.

    Aroy-D does make a canned coconut cream, but when Ive purchased it in the past, it seemed like it was the same thickness as their regular canned coconut milk, so I didnt continue to buy it.

    Can I Still Make This Dairy

    How to make Instant Pot Coconut Yogurt (Paleo, Dairy-Free)
    • Wrap the jar in a towel, and place the jar in a turned off oven. Turn on the oven light, which should provide just enough heat to ferment the yogurt. The exact time needed will vary from 4 hours to possibly overnight.
    • Use a yogurt maker.
    • If you have a dehydrator with temperature control, set it at about 110-115 degrees and place the jar inside the dehydrator. The exact time needed for the yogurt to ferment could vary between 4 hours to possibly overnight.
    • I hesitate to suggest a crock pot, but if you have one with a WARM setting, that could possibly work for making yogurt. I think a crock pot on a LOW setting would be too hot and could kill the probiotics instead of encouraging them to ferment. The exact time needed for the yogurt to ferment could vary between 4 hours to possibly overnight.
    • A heating pad if it doesnt have an auto shut off . Wrap the jar up in the heating pad and place on a heat-safe surface. Turn the heating pad to the lowest setting.The exact time needed for the yogurt to ferment could vary between 4 hours to possibly overnight.

    I hope you enjoy this IP coconut milk yogurt as much as my family does! xo,

    Don’t Miss: Sprouts In Instant Pot

    Can You Use Coconut Yogurt As A Starter

    Although it can, and has, worked for many people, Ive found that the best and most consistent results come from using a powder yogurt starter or a store-bought yogurt instead of the probiotics. Use 1 tsp powder yogurt starter. Make sure to set aside 1 tBsp coconut milk to mix the yogurt starter into.

    How To Make It In A Yogurt Maker

    • Do steps 1 through 4 above. Then put it in the yogurt maker over night. I put mine in at 7:30 pm and got it out at 6:30 am. You can play around with how long it cooks. Usually the longer you let it cook, the more sour it will get. You want to shoot for about 10 12 hours.
    • Once its done it might separate but just whisk it and put it in the refrigerator to firm up. After a few hours, if it has a grainy texture or the consistency is jello-y then just whisk or blend it with a hand blender and you will get a creamy, thick consistency.

    So this is what mine looked like. It had a slightly sweet taste from the coconut and a yummy, creamy texture.

    This recent batch of yogurt was so good with my sugar free blueberry topping .

    The thing I like about this homemade yogurt is that its so good for you. No dairy or preservatives like store bought yogurt, but rather good for you coconut milk, gelatin, honey and healthy probiotics.

    So this is my process to make the coconut milk yogurt in the Instant Pot. I hope you like it as much as I do. This is just a simple recipe and if you are low carb try that low carb blueberry sauce to top. Its delicious!

    Its a big hard to calculate the nutrition for this recipe as bacteria feeds on the honey during the fermentation process but just taking the ingredients as is and calculating the nutrition, 1 half cup serving has 122 calories / 9g fat / 6g carbs / 1.8g protein

    NOTE: If you want to lower the carbs, you can eliminate the honey completely.

    Recommended Reading: How To Install Instant Pot Sealing Ring

    Instant Pot Coconut Yogurt Recipe

    May 19, 2021

    If you are looking for a dairy free yogurt try making your own with this easy Instant Pot coconut yogurt recipe! Its rich, creamy and has a yummy coconut flavor. The coconut milk yogurt is a healthy and fun recipe to make even if you are not lactose intolerant.

    You might also like dairy free ranch dressing recipe!

    This post contains affiliate links. For more information visit our policies page.

    This homemade coconut yogurt recipe was one of my very first posts for the blog so it needed a lot of cleaning up.

    Originally I made it in a yogurt maker but thought Id try it out with my Instant Pot instead. Total success! The Instant Pot keeps the yogurt at the proper temperature for fermentation so there is no guesswork.

    If you have an Instant Pot and it has a yogurt function I will show you how easy it is to make this Instant Pot coconut yogurt recipe. The nice thing is that you can make a big batch and eat it all week!

    Also this yogurt recipe is fairly low carb. The beneficial bacteria feeds on the honey so it doesnt really add to the carb count. However if you are on a keto diet, you can eliminate the honey completely to make it more keto.

    How To Make Coconut Milk Yogurt In Instant Pot:

    Instant Pot Vegan Coconut Milk Yogurt
  • Fill a sterilized pint-sized canning jar with coconut milk.
  • Break open the probiotic capsules and carefully stir the contents into the coconut milk.
  • Place a lid on the jar to keep out condensation.
  • Add 1 cup of water to the Instant Pot bowl, and then place the stainless steel rack on the bottom of the bowl.
  • Place canning jar on the steam rack and lock the Instant Pot lid in place.
  • Incubate for 8-10 hours using your Instant Pots Yogurt setting.
  • Immediately remove the canning jar from the Instant Pot and place the yogurt in a blender, along with the gelatin. Blend until smooth.
  • Pour yogurt in a clean container, that holds at least 2 cups, and refrigerate 6-8 hours, or until chilled through.
  • Also Check: Ground Beef Defrost

    Why Coconut Milk Yogurt And Why In The Instant Pot

    Buying a dairy-free yogurt in the stores usually means choosing one that is heavy on the sugar or is flavored and sometimes wed just like a plain dairy-free, lower-carb yogurt that isnt going to feel like weve eaten a candy bar. We loved the idea of doing it in the Instant Pot because it means we dont need to buy a separate gadget to incubate the yogurt . Of course, we are talking about an Instant Pot that has a yogurt function button. However if you do have a dedicated yogurt maker, you can certainly use it with this recipe as we opt to heat the milk on the stove because we didnt like that heating it in the Instant Pot left the milk stuck to inner pot and in turn left the resulting yogurt chunky. If you prefer to skip this and just do the whole thing in the Instant Pot you can! All you need to do is hit the yogurt button until it says boil, and then let the Instant Pot do the rest. You follow the remainder of the steps after that.

    How To Use Coconut Yogurt

    You can enjoy homemade coconut yogurt as-is or enjoy it with a fruit or in a smoothie. You could also prepare delectable recipes like Lassi, raita, cake or several Indian curries that call for yogurt. This could be the best sugarless yogurt you have ever eaten. But if you prefer it sweet, you could always sweeten it up with table sugar.

    Don’t Miss: Glass Bowl In Instant Pot

    Can You Save Homemade Yogurt To Use As Starter

    Yes, once you have completed one batch of homemade yogurt, you can set aside 1 or 2 tablespoons of the completed yogurt to use for your next batch of dairy free yogurt. You can store in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 30 days. Just allow your yogurt to fully thaw before using to make another batch of homemade yogurt.

    Important to Note: When using yogurt as your starter, you will need 1 tablespoon plain yogurt for every 15 ounces of coconut milk.

    Perfect Instant Pot Coconut Yogurt

    EASY Instant Pot Coconut Milk Yogurt Recipe

    You may be asking What if you don’t have an Instant Pot?

    Well, I feel bad for you, because it is amazing 7-minute chicken breasts, steamer, slow cooker, yogurt maker. I love my Instant Pot . I did see a coconut dairy-free yogurt recipe using just a warm spot or oven light .

    There are coconut yogurt recipes using probiotic pills, , without gelatin and coconut milk instead of coconut cream .

    This coconut yogurt how-to can be changed and substituted a million different ways, but this method is for the Greek style rich and tart plain yogurt that is my personal preference.

    Watch for some dips and dressing springing from this Instant Pot Coconut Yogurt in the future!

    • Cook Time:8 hours 30 minutes
    • Total Time:8 hours 30 minutes
    • Yield:3-4 cups 1x

    Read Also: How To Steam Artichokes In Instant Pot

    What Does Coconut Milk Yogurt Taste Like

    I think its also important to note that if you dont care for the taste of coconut milk, you probably wont care for the taste of this yogurt. It definitely tastes like coconut milk, though you can adjust the flavor however you like when its done fermenting, either by adding some sweetener or fruit. Coconut milk can also have a slightly grainy-texture from the desiccated coconut, so dont expect the coconut milk yogurt to be quite as silky-smooth as dairy-based yogurts are.

    I have been enjoying this yogurt served with my Grain-Free Pumpkin Seed Granola as quick breakfast or snack, so I hope youll enjoy this probiotic-rich yogurt just as much. I think it tastes similar, if not better, to the store-bought brands and costs just about $1 per serving, to help fit into your healthy eating budget!

    Which Milk To Use

    If you are not using the boil method the best milk to use is ultra filtered and ultra pasteurized milk. The most common milk available in most grocery stores is Fairlife. The more fat that is in the milk reflects the thickness of the yogurt. This is why you want to use whole milk.

    Now I will say I have made yogurt with skim, 1% and 2% milk. The secret is to just add your whole small container of yogurt. 2 tablespoons just doesnt give it the proper thickness.

    If you do use skim, 1% or 2% milk you can strain it strain it for a thicker texture. You can use cheese cloth or buy a yogurt strainer like this one.

    You May Like: How To Cook Brussel Sprouts In Instant Pot

    How To Make Coconut Yogurt In An Instant Pot Oven Or Yogurt Maker

    Heather Dessinger This post contains affiliate links.

    This creamy, thick coconut yogurt is an easy way to support immunity with probiotics, and you probably have everything you need to make it right now. Unlike some methods, you dont need a thermometer or a lot of hands-on time. Its super easy, delicious, dairy-free, way more affordable than store-bought and did I say delicious?

    Although the exact type of good guys in your yogurt will vary depending on which kind of starter you use , in general probiotics are associated with all kinds of good things immune health, clear skin, heart health, blood sugar balance, improved digestive function and more.

    And of course it will also be rich in nourishing fats like medium chain triglycerides, which are associated with cognitive function and a healthy metabolism. Coconut milk or cream is also one of the best sources of monolaurin, which supports the immune system.

    Heres the best part, though . . .

    Latest Recipes

    More Recipes Like This