This raw coconut yogurt is creamy, silky smooth, and thick yet it doesn’t contain any thickeners or emulsifiers. Not only is the yogurt raw, but it’s also vegan (dairy-free), grain-free (gluten-free), soy-free, nut-free, and refined sugar-free.
There are two types of coconut yogurt – raw coconut yogurt (from the flesh of young coconuts) and pasteurized coconut yogurt (from canned coconut milk and/or coconut cream).
Making raw coconut yogurt is a rather simple process, though involves cracking into said coconuts. Fortunately, with the right technique, opening coconuts doesn’t take longer than a few seconds.
How to Open a Young Coconut
One thing that will make your life much simpler is to buy a coconut with the husk already removed. Once that’s out of the way, all you need is a cleaver or chef’s knife with a heel to crack it open. Here’s how to do it:
- Prepare the coconut. Start by trimming away the soft skin from the top of the coconut with a sharp knife to expose the hard (round) shell.
- Make the first incision. Place the coconut on a flat, non-slippery surface. Assuming you are right-handed, hold the coconut steady with your left hand around the base (not the pointed top). Using the bottom corner of a cleaver, hack the coconut at a 45-degree angle, about 1-2 inches/2.5-5 cm below the tip of the coconut. Strike hard enough to crack through the inner shell of the coconut, not just the soft outer fiber.
- Make the next three incisions. You’ll be making four cuts in total to form a square shape. So, turn the coconut and create a second incision, perpendicular to the first one. Turn the coconut one more and create the third incision, parallel to the first one. You should now have three incisions forming a “U” shape around the top of the coconut. The last (fourth) incision should connect the three incisions, forming a square around the top of the coconut.
- Open the top of the coconut. Using the corner of the blade, pry the “lid” open.
- Pour out the coconut water. Drain the coconut water through a fine mesh strainer to remove any bits of husk that might have fallen in.
- Scoop out the coconut flesh. Using a spoon, scrape the soft white coconut flesh out of the shell.
Now onto making the actual yogurt.
Tips for Making Coconut Yogurt
Ingredients
Raw coconut yogurt is one of the easiest dairy-free yogurt recipes because it requires only two ingredients:
- Young coconuts: look for the whitest, brightest Thai coconuts with as little discoloration as possible. The top is usually the first part of the coconuts to turn brown with a little bit of age (because the husk is the thinnest there). Good coconuts should feel heavy for their size, and be firm (no cracks or soft spots). Mature (brown) coconuts don’t work in this recipe because mature flesh is too dry for blending into a smooth consistency. One more note – if you want to make the coconut yogurt quickly and easily, you can use frozen young coconut flesh (from the freezer section).
- Probiotics: it wouldn’t be yogurt if it didn’t contain live cultures. You can either use probiotics or plant-based yogurt starter. The advantage of using a yogurt starter is that it contains cultures specifically found in yogurt. If you go with probiotics, look out for probiotics with lactic acid forming bacteria. At a minimum you want Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophiles strains. Other good bacteria include Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium lactis.
- Coconut water: bacteria need something to feed on to allow the culturing process to take place. Coconut flesh has very little naturally occurring sugar. Coconut water (from the young coconut), on the other hand, has much more. If you wanted to use plain water to make coconut yogurt, I would recommend adding a little bit of sweetener – maple syrup, coconut sugar, coconut nectar, date paste, etc. all work.
How to Make Coconut Yogurt
The most labor-intensive part of this recipe is opening the coconuts. Once you have the young coconut flesh ready (see the tips above), the rest is a breeze.
- Blend. Add the young coconut flesh and water into a high-speed blender and blend on high until completely smooth. I recommend starting with only a little bit of water and adding more as you blend. This is because every coconut is different. Some young coconuts have very little flesh; some have a lot. Sometimes the flesh is very tender and gelatinous and sometimes it’s a bit dry and fibrous. Also, the amount of water will depend on how thin/thick you like your yogurt. Once blended, transfer the blended coconut into a sterilized glass jar.
- Add the live cultures. Using sterilized non-metal utensils, stir the live cultures into the blended coconut. Metal self-sterilizes, i.e., it kills bacteria, including the good bacteria, so avoid metal bowls and utensils. Make sure the starter culture is well mixed in, so the good bacteria are evenly spread out.
- Let the coconut milk culture. Cover the jar with a piece of cheesecloth, and let the coconut culture at a consistent temperature for a few hours. The time will depend on the strength of the probiotics, the number of strains the probiotics contain, and the temperature at which the milk is culturing. I used a 50 billion probiotics with 20 different strains, and let the yogurt culture at 77°F/25°C for 18 hours. The longer you let the coconut yogurt culture, the tangier it will be.
- Refrigerate the yogurt. Once the coconut yogurt reaches the tanginess you like, place it in the refrigerator to stop the culturing process. As the yogurt cools, it will thicken.
How to Serve Coconut Yogurt
I typically have plain coconut milk yogurt for breakfast with fresh fruit and a sprinkle of grain-free granola or muesli. Another great add-in is this high-protein cereal with chia seeds.
If you don’t like plain yogurt or want switch things up a little, there are many ways to flavor plain yogurt and create exactly the kind of taste you want. Here are some of my favorite ways to flavor yogurt to get you started:
- Layer ½ cup pureed fruit with 1 cup yogurt.
- Swirl 3 Tbsp. jam into 1 cup yogurt.
- Add a sweetener, such as maple syrup, date syrup, or coconut nectar, to taste.
- Stir in 3 drops of extract – vanilla, lemon, orange, cherry, and strawberry are my favorite- per cup of yogurt + sweetener to taste.
- Mix in 1 Tbsp. cocoa powder + 1 Tbsp. maple syrup per 1 cup yogurt.
Make sure you add any of the flavorings after the yogurt has finished culturing so you don’t upset the bacteria.
More Dairy-Free Yogurt Recipes
- Coconut milk yogurt: if you don’t have access to young coconuts but still want to make coconut yogurt, coconut milk yogurt (from canned coconut milk) is a great alternative. It’s just as thick and creamy (thanks to the added agar), but the flavor is not as coconutty.
- Almond milk yogurt: another great dairy-free alternative to regular yogurt. Almond milk yogurt is just as thick, creamy, and tart as coconut yogurt, but it’s made from blanched almonds.
If you try any of these recipes, please, leave a comment and rate the recipe below. It always means a lot when you do.
Coconut Yogurt
This raw coconut yogurt is creamy, silky smooth, and thick yet it doesn’t contain any thickeners or emulsifiers. Not only is the yogurt raw, but it's also vegan (dairy-free), grain-free (gluten-free), soy-free, nut-free, and refined sugar-free.
Servings: 4 (1/2-cup) servings
Ingredients
- 2 cups young coconut meat *
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 probiotic capsules **
- 1/2 Tbsp, maple syrup (optional)
Instructions
- Blend. Add the young coconut flesh and water into a high-speed blender and blend on high until completely smooth. I recommend starting with only a little bit of water and adding more as you blend. This is because every coconut is different. Some young coconuts have very little flesh; some have a lot. Sometimes the flesh is very tender and gelatinous and sometimes it’s a bit dry and fibrous. Also, the amount of water will depend on how thin/thick you like your yogurt. Once blended, transfer the blended coconut into a sterilized glass jar.
- Add the live cultures. Using sterilized non-metal utensils, stir the live cultures into the blended coconut. Metal self-sterilizes, i.e., it kills bacteria, including the good bacteria, so avoid metal bowls and utensils. Make sure the starter culture is well mixed in, so the good bacteria are evenly spread out.
- Let the coconut milk culture. Cover the jar with a piece of cheesecloth, and let the coconut culture at a consistent temperature for a few hours. The time will depend on the strength of the probiotics, the number of strains the probiotics contain, and the temperature at which the milk is culturing. I used a 50 billion probiotics with 20 different strains, and let the yogurt culture at 77°F/25°C for 10 hours. The longer you let the coconut yogurt culture, the tangier it will be.
- Refrigerate the yogurt. Once the coconut yogurt reaches the tanginess you like, place it in the refrigerator to stop the culturing process. As the yogurt cools, it will thicken (you can always add a splash of water and give it a stir for a thinner consistency).
- Store. Leftover coconut yogurt keeps well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Recipe Notes
*I used two young coconuts If you can't find young Thai coconuts, you can purchase frozen coconut meat. If you go that route, you'll need to let the coconut flesh thaw first.
**I used 50 billion probiotic capsules with 20 different bacterial strains, including Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and Bifidobacterium lactis.
***Nutrition information is approximate and many contain errors. Please, feel free to make your own calculations.
Nutrition Facts
Coconut Yogurt
Amount Per Serving (1 of 4)
Calories 142
Calories from Fat 117
% Daily Value*
Fat 13g20%
Sodium 9mg0%
Carbohydrates 5g2%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 1g2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Hi, when I put coconut meat in the blender with water make a milk , not this tthiick product
Hi Rehab – did you start with 2 young coconuts and 1/4 cup water? You should have very thick yogurt with those measurements. 1/4 (60 ml) water is very little compared to the amount of coconut meat you get from 2 coconuts. Or did you use anything else for the base? Let me know – hopefully we can figure out what went wrong.
Hi!! Thanks for this recipe!! I just wonder if I skip the probiotics using only apple cider vinegar, do I need to let the yogurt to ferment or not? Thanks again!!
Looks good, would like to taste it 🙂
Thank you!❤
This sounds like a must try!
Thanks so much Petra!
Sharmeen
Thank you Sharmeen!
Looks good. How many plant based starters are there and how can i use it to make yogurt if i don’t want to go the probiotic way
Hi Geraldine – there are A LOT of brands that sell vegan yogurt starter. I always buy organic and try to make sure that it has several different bacterial strains. Watch out for additives and maltodextrin, which are common ingredients in a lot of yogurt starters. You will need to follow the instructions on the yogurt starter. Every brand is different. Some require a yogurt maker (some don’t), some require a specific culturing temperature (some don’t), etc. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Will you one day actually do an almond yogurt – I really don’t like the taste of coconut but I’ve been trying desperately to figure out how to do the almond yogurt. I can see I can buy it but I’d really prefer not to have all the extras that they put in the bought me version so if you could do a step by step video so we can see it, I’d really appreciate that – thank you
Hi Jan – thank you for the suggestion. I will put it on the list! It might not happen within the next few weeks, but hopefully I will get around to it soon.
I’d love to try the almond version too, cause where I live it’s not that easy or affordable to find coconuts, but this recipe just looks amazing! Looking forward to seeing a video about the almond one or even just an explanation of the amount of ingredients necessary 🙂
Hi Federica – I will try to film a video for almond yogurt in the next few weeks. Stay tuned 🙂
Hola , soy Paola me gustaría si puedes hacer los vídeos en español por favor …mil gracias
Hi Paola – are you thinking Spnish subtitles for the videos?
Could I substitute apple cider vinegar for the lemon juice in this recipe? My daughter has an intolerance to citrus so I have to find alternatives. I love your site, the explanations and simple ingredients are amazing.
Hi Angela – thank you so much for the encouraging comment ❤️ Yes, absolutely! Both lemon and apple cider contain acids (the former has citric acid and the latter has acetic acid). Both of these acids are considered weak, so you can substitute one for another no problem.
Hi Petra
How many tins of coconut cream would i need to make this yogurt and if i use the nuts how much nuts
Hi Geraldine – the amount of coconut cream depends on how much yogurt you want. Depending on the thickness of your cream, you might need to thin it out with a little bit of water, ideally distilled. Generally speaking, you will want 2 probiotic capsules for 1 14-ounce can of coconut cream (or even full-fat coconut milk). I use 50 billion probiotic with 12 different probiotic strains. As far as the nuts go, the same will apply. I tend to use 2 capsules for 1 cup of nuts.
Hi Petra, me again. Anything to substitute for the probiotic? Can I just use lemon juice? I want to try to make this without buying the pack of probiotic, but if it needs it I will. Can’t wait to try this yogurt! I miss my parfaits, I used to have one everyday with greek yogurt, berries and granola. I’m so happy to have your site at hand, I can’t tell you how its helped me and the family with since we’ve switched over to Vegan.
Loria
Hi Loria – feel free to ask any time you have a question 🙂 You could skip the probiotics if you’re not making cultured yogurt. You can just use lemon juice to mimic the sour/cultured flavor.
Yes please
Was excited to try this… until I went to the store and found 2 coconuts alone (1 batch) would cost me $12!! I can’t afford to make this on a regular basis. Have you ever made a good quality, creamy yogurt from oats?
Hi Doreen – I know, coconuts can be expensive, sigh. I have never tried making yogurt out of oats, but I am trying to perfect plant-based yogurt out of almonds. I know, still pricey, but not as much as young coconuts.
Very good recipe, but in my opinion, it is too fat,,
Thank you for the feedback, Katrin.
Hi, If I want to use a store bought yogurt to start the culture, how many yogurt should I add? I am not vegan so, can I use Greek yogurt for that?
Hi Suzanne – yes, you can definitely use non-dairy yogurt. The amount will depend on how much coconut meat you get out of the coconuts. You will want to use ~ 2 Tbsp. of yogurt for 1 cup of blended coconut meat. Make sure the yogurt you use has live, active cultures (this part is very important). It’s also best to avoid a yogurt that uses additives or thickeners. Fat content doesn’t matter. If using previously made homemade yogurt as a starter, it’s best to create only six to eight batches from the original batch. After that, the acidity balance can get off. Let me know if you have any questions 🙂
Hi.
I have done your recipe deverão times. My question is, can i freeze it?
I meant several…. My portuguese dictionary playing it’s tricks
I meant several…. My portuguese dictionary playing it’s tricks
Thanks for the recipe. What I have is a vegan yoghurt starter and I will be using two cups of soaked cashews ,what amount of starter should I use? Thanks
Hi Blossom – every yogurt starter is different. Does your yogurt starter come with package instructions to determine how much starter to use? If not, generally speaking you will want to use 1 packet for 4 cups of nuts.
Hi Petra
You have mentioned “If you choose a different brand, make sure that it contains a few of the following strains: Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium lactis and Streptococcus thermophilus.”
I found a cheaper one but it’s missing Bifidobacterium bifidum.
Instead, you have Bifidobacterium lactis (Bl -04), Bifidobacterium breve (Bb-03) and Bifidobacterium longum (Bl-05).
The one you linked to includes all the 4 types of Bifidobacterium.
Do you think it will make any difference? 🙂
Thanks!
HI Efraim – it will be fine. However, you absolutely need Lactobacillus acidophilus and Streptococcus thermophilus. Does the probiotic also contain Lactobacillus bulgaricus? That would be a huge plus. These species eat sugars in the milk (in our case coconut), and produce lactic acid. The lactic acid makes milk proteins curdle and gives yogurt a tart, tangy flavor. These bacteria are what makes yogurt, well, yogurt 🙂 Please, let me know if you have any other questions.
Hi,
It’s weird that I did not get a notification by email after you replied to my message.
No, it doesn’t contain Lactobacillus bulgaricus
https://www.iherb.com/pr/Now-Foods-Probiotic-10-50-Billion-50-Veg-Capsules/21131
I managed to find Renew Life on Iherb… it has the same name but it’s not the same.
iherb.com/pr/Renew-Life-Extra-Care-Ultimate-Flora-Probiotic-50-Billion-Live-Cultures-30-Vegetable-Capsules/7157
I think that I will give up haha
Hi Efraim – it doesn’t have to be Renew Life. As long as the probiotics contain the strains I mentioned above. I just did a search on iHerb, and this probiotic, for instance, happens to have all the strains (and more!) that I talk about. They most likely have more brands – this one just popped up on the first page of my search. Hope this helps 🙂 Please, let me know if you have any questions or need more help searching.
Oh, and I also wanna mention that you can use a yogurt starter (that usually contains all the probiotic strains necessary for yogurt making) instead of probiotic capsules.
Thank you!
You’re very welcome, Efraim!
Hi, I’m thinking of making this. My boyfriend doesn’t like plain yogurt either so I want to make it with vanilla like you did. When you say you added vanilla- do you mean vanilla extract? I know you added vanilla bean paste too. I have never used that. How much would you use of the paste? Thank you!
Hi Belinda – yes! I used 1/4 tsp. vanilla bean paste (you could scrape 1/2 pod of vanilla bean instead) and 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract (for 2 cups of yogurt).
Hi Petra, can I use canned organic coconut milk. If so, do I just pull out the cream if I want a thick yoghurt? If I use 2 cans, how many probiotics would i need? I have renew life. Should i use agar agar or is this not healthy to do? Thanks Laura
Hi Laura – yes, you can! You can make yogurt using the entire can of coconut milk, but it won’t be really thick. Coconut cream works better for thick, creamy yogurt. No need to use agar. It’s not really important what brand of probiotics you use. What’s more important is the strength of your probiotics (the higher the strain, the better).