I learned one day that you can make a homemade coconut yogurt with just 2 ingredients using the cream portion of a can of full fat coconut milk and probiotic. I was using a store bought coconut yogurt occasionally but wasn’t a huge fan of the texture and wondered the quality of the probiotic stains in them.
By making your own at home, you can use your favorite probiotic (if you have one) and only use the ingredients you would like, as with any homemade foods.
So I went ahead and tried making it. The result reminded me of coconut whip cream instead of yogurt, not exactly the taste I was after. Then I found some organic cashew yogurt at a health food store that had very clean ingredient list. It was made with: cashew milk, tapioca starch, locust bean gum, coconut cream, and live active cultures. I couldn’t wait to try it and also thought to myself that I could probably make this with less ingredients since coconut yogurt only required 2 ingredients.
The yogurt I attempted to make turned out very creamy in texture just the way I envisioned it to be but do you know what else? I learned that homemade version is even tastier.
Cashew Coconut Yogurt
Ingredients:
1 cup cashews, soaked overnight
1/2 cup to 1 cup of water (if you use less, the the texture will be more dense)
2 cans (5.4 fl oz /160 ml each) of coconut cream
2-4 capsules of probiotic (you will only use the powder inside)
Tools you will need:
Clean glass bowl
Wooden or other non-metal spoon
*For the probiotic, I learned that you want to make sure that it has one of the following strains:-Lactobacillus bulgaricus -Streprococcus thermophilus-Bifidobacterium lactis -Lactobacillus acidophilus
Direction:
Drain and rinse the soaked cashews
Put the cashews, water, and the coconut cream in a blender and blend for about a minute (until it looks smooth).
Pour the mixture into a clean and dry glass container (I used a glass tupperware) and mix in the powder portion of the probiotic.
Combine the two with a non-metal spoon (I use a wooden spoon) to avoid the metal from reacting with the probiotic.
Cover the glass container with a cheesecloth and put a rubber band around it to secure it in place.
Let it sit at a room temperature for up to 24 hours and taste test, if you are happy with the taste, put it in a fridge for several hours so that it hardens and become creamier.
*1. I’ve only made this in the summer time so I am not sure yet how it will be like to make it in the winter. I probably would leave the container in an oven or a microwave if I make this during the winter months.
*2. If you are after more of a sour taste, leave it out a bit longer and check again. The longest I’ve left it out is 26 hours. If making this while the temperature is quite hot, please watch for mold growth. I made a mistake the other day by leaving it out too long while the house was quite warm and pink patches formed so had to toss.
*3. I read that you should not use probiotic that includes prebiotic but it has worked fine for me.
Enjoy it with some granola, fresh fruits or as topping to some dessert. Possibilities are many.
