I’m brand new to Vegan yogurt making. In fact, I received my first yogurt machine only two weeks ago. But I’ve spent some time reading my Vegan yogurt making guide over these past few weeks, and I wish that all of this information had
been in one place. So, I’ve made an attempt to lay it all out here for you, in
case you are inspired to make your own Vegan yogurt. I sure hope you do, it’s
amazing what happens with a little knowledge and some guts. It’s also important to know that if you’re going to follow a vegan diet, you will also need some supplements. To find out more about these supplements, you can go to supplementrelief.com.
been in one place. So, I’ve made an attempt to lay it all out here for you, in
case you are inspired to make your own Vegan yogurt. I sure hope you do, it’s
amazing what happens with a little knowledge and some guts. It’s also important to know that if you’re going to follow a vegan diet, you will also need some supplements. To find out more about these supplements, you can go to supplementrelief.com.
Before I get started, I need to thank Debby, The Healthy Librarian (happyhealthylonglife.com), my muse, guide and mentor. Without her, I would never have known that I could make my own Vegan yogurt, nor would I have known how, nor had the guts to actually try it. So, Debby, a big giant “Thank you!” to you.
Stuff you will need:
- Alternative
milk, 1 quart (4 cups). Of course you could make more, but all of the
proportions in this blog post apply to 4 cups of milk. If you do
decide to double the amount of milk, you will need to double the amount of
thickener, but not the amount of Vegan Yogurt Starter/Culture (stick with
one packet). - Vegan
Yogurt Culture/Starter - Thickener
- Candy
Thermometer - Measuring
cup (a two cup liquid measuring cup works perfectly) - Measuring
Spoons - Medium saucepan
- Whisk
- Yogurt
Machine, or your oven, dehydrator, crock pot, or brand new Instant Pot–Whatever your method, it is imperative that you test it out before making yogurt to ensure that you can achieve a steady temperature of between 108 and 112 degrees. You can do this with a water test and a thermometer. Just let your method run for hours, testing the water every hour or so. It turned out that my first Cuisinart machine was defective and I didn’t know it until after three failed attempts at yogurt making. I was so frustrated! Then I ran the water test and found out that my machine was running at 125 degrees, killing the yogurt culture! Uuuuuuuggggggghhhhh. I replaced my machine with a new one and ran a new water test. My second machine worked fine and guess what? My first attempt at making yogurt in it was met with success.
Milk Choice:
Choose an unflavored variety of alternative milk with the least
number of additives possible.
The higher the fat content of the milk, the thicker the final product will be.
Organic Soy Milk-the fewer ingredients the better, see the label—this can be as simple as filtered water and soybeans. Eden Soy Organic and Unsweetened has the highest fat content, which makes better yogurt. West Soy (sold at Trader Joe’s for about half the price of the EdenSoy) has less fat, but it’s a good second option.
Oat milk
Coconut Milk–Coconut milk yogurt can be made with canned, boxed, or homemade coconut milk.
Almond Milk–edited to note: there is a great recipe for yogurt made with homemade almond milk here. My friend Debbie from yoga class made it and said that I must include it in this blog post!
Hemp Milk
The rumor is that rice milk does not work as well as the others because the finished product separates. If that doesn’t bother you, you can shake or stir it before serving.
Thickening options:
The more thickener you use, the thicker
the final product will be. The consistency can approach that of Greek yogurt
when you use the maximum amount of thickener.
The following thickeners should be added in the method as
described in steps number 3 and 4 below:
described in steps number 3 and 4 below:
2-4 Tbsp organic cornstarch (3.5 Tbsp seems to be the magic number)
2-4 Tbsp flax seed
2-4 Tbsp arrow root
2-4 Tbsp tapioca flour
1-2 tsp guar gum
The following thickeners can be added directly to the
simmering milk and whisked vigorously:
simmering milk and whisked vigorously:
½-1 tsp agar agar powder (According to Cultures for Health,
the way to use Agar is as follows: For every 3 to 4
cups milk, dissolve 1/2 teaspoon agar into 1/2 cup of water. Bring the agar and
water mixture to a boil. Allow the mixture to cool sufficiently prior to adding
it to the heated milk (just before adding the culture).)
the way to use Agar is as follows: For every 3 to 4
cups milk, dissolve 1/2 teaspoon agar into 1/2 cup of water. Bring the agar and
water mixture to a boil. Allow the mixture to cool sufficiently prior to adding
it to the heated milk (just before adding the culture).)
½ -1 tsp xantham gum
soy lecthin granules–use a mortar and pestle (or a small
grinder) to reduce 1/2 tsp-1 tsp granules to powder
grinder) to reduce 1/2 tsp-1 tsp granules to powder
¼ tsp liquid soy or sunflower lechtin
Starter/Culture Options:
Cultures for Health Vegan Yogurt Starter http://www.culturesforhealth.com/vegan-dairy-free-yogurt-starter.html
FYI, this is not a certified Kosher product, but the ingredients are as follows:
Rice maltodextrin, live active bacteria (Bifidobacterium bifidum, Lactobacillus
acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp bulgaricus,
Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Streptococcus thermophilus).
FYI, this is not a certified Kosher product, but the ingredients are as follows:
Rice maltodextrin, live active bacteria (Bifidobacterium bifidum, Lactobacillus
acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp bulgaricus,
Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Streptococcus thermophilus).
Whole Foods carries a Vegan Yogurt starter on their shelves. The brand is called Yogo.
But you can use store bought yogurt with live and active cultures as your starter. 1 Tbsp to ½ cup of any store bought Vegan yogurt (soy or
coconut, etc.) should work as well as a packet of starter. More is not necessarily better. I have read that 1 Tbsp might
actually work better than mare than that because the bacteria like to have a
lot of room to breathe.
coconut, etc.) should work as well as a packet of starter. More is not necessarily better. I have read that 1 Tbsp might
actually work better than mare than that because the bacteria like to have a
lot of room to breathe.
Sweetening/Flavoring Options:
Maple Syrup
Stevia
Fruit Preserves
Fresh fruit
Frozen fruit
Extracts
There are five stages of yogurt making:
Sanitation
Thickening
Cooling
Culturing
Cooling
Method:
- Make
sure that everything you are using to make the yogurt is very clean. You
can even go as far as pouring boiling water on everything, or dipping
everything into a large pot of boiling water, but it doesn’t
seem necessary. - Remove
one packet of Vegan Yogurt Starter from your refrigerator or freezer or between
1 Tbsp and ½ cup of plain Vegan yogurt (soy or coconut, etc.) from your
refrigerator and let it come to room temperature. - In a medium
saucepan, pour 1.5 cups of your alternative milk of choice. Begin heating on LOW
temperature. You do not want the milk to scald (burn) or boil. If it does,
you must toss it out and start over, so keep that heat on low. The milk
should simmer between 150-180 degrees. Use your candy thermometer to
ensure that the temperature does not go over 180 degrees. - While the milk is warming, place
your thickener into a small bowl with ½ cup of the milk from the carton
(the room temperature milk). Whisk until thickener is totally dissolved.
This is your slurry. - Pour
slurry into the saucepan with the simmering milk and whisk. Continue to
heat and whisk until you start to get some thickening, similar to a light
gravy or sauce. Once again, do not bring to a boil. Once thickened, remove
from heat. - Pour
the remaining room temperature milk from the carton into the saucepan with
the thickened milk and whisk. - OPTIONAL: And this is totally optional folks, you could let the milk simmer here for a while to get really thick. Whisk it from time to time. It all depends on how thick you want the final yogurt to be. If you want a Greek yogurt consistency, this could be the way to go. Once thick, remove from heat.
- LET
THE MILK COOL: You can speed up the cooling process by placing the saucepan onto
a bowl of ice water. The ice method makes a huge difference in the amount of time this whole process takes, I highly recommend it. Using your candy thermometer, measure the temperature of the mixture. - TRANSFER
THE MILK: When the temperature of the milk mixture is under 110 degrees,
pour the milk into the plastic container of your Cuisinart yogurt machine.
If you are not using the Cuisinart, see Note 1. - Stir
the milk with the whisk to make sure that the temperature is consistent throughout the
milk. Measure again and if the temperature is in fact under 110 degrees, whisk
in the Vegan Yogurt Starter or your desired amount of plain vegan yogurt. - Keep
the mixture warm at 108-112 degrees for 6-9 hours.
·
The longer the culturing time, the more sour the
yogurt will be. I have found that I can culture my yogurt at 8-9 hours
in my Cuisinart Machine to achieve that yogurt taste.
The longer the culturing time, the more sour the
yogurt will be. I have found that I can culture my yogurt at 8-9 hours
in my Cuisinart Machine to achieve that yogurt taste.
·
A yogurt machine does the warming work at a
constant temperature for you.
A yogurt machine does the warming work at a
constant temperature for you.
·
If using store bought Vegan yogurt as your
culture, it may take longer than 8 hours (maybe even up to 12) for the yogurt
to reach your desired taste.
If using store bought Vegan yogurt as your
culture, it may take longer than 8 hours (maybe even up to 12) for the yogurt
to reach your desired taste.
·
If you do not have a yogurt machine, see
instructions for other options below.
If you do not have a yogurt machine, see
instructions for other options below.
- After
6-9 hours of culturing (you set the exact time on the Cuisinart), the
Cuisinart machine will begin the cooling process automatically (the Cuisinart machine is the only machine that will switch from warming to cooling for you, without you needing to be both awake and at home for this step,, which is why people pay the big bucks for it). If you are
not using the Cuisinart, simply place the yogurt into your refrigerator
(with an airtight lid) for a minimum of 5 hours and up to 8-12 hours. The
yogurt will thicken a lot during the refrigeration step. - Optional
sweetening and/or flavoring the yogurt can be done only after it has completely
thickened and cooled, but you will be surprised at how delicious it is plain!
NOTE 1: If you are not using the Cuisinart machine, when the
milk reaches 110 degrees, stir in the starter right in the saucepan. Then transfer
the mixture to whatever container(s) you are culturing the yogurt in. You can
make yogurt in any container that you can keep warm. Oftentimes with other
yogurt machines, this will be small individual containers. But you can use
mason jars, bread pans, etc.
milk reaches 110 degrees, stir in the starter right in the saucepan. Then transfer
the mixture to whatever container(s) you are culturing the yogurt in. You can
make yogurt in any container that you can keep warm. Oftentimes with other
yogurt machines, this will be small individual containers. But you can use
mason jars, bread pans, etc.
Culturing yogurt without a yogurt machine:
- In an electric
oven: Turn on the light in an electric oven, then wrap the yogurt in a
dishtowel and put it inside the oven.
- I a
crock pot: http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/2010/08/homemade-vegan-yogurt-in-the-crock-pot/
If you are not looking for a thick yogurt, you can skip the thickening
step all together and go with this extremely simple method for making
crock pot Vegan yogurt: http://www.easy-homemade-yogurt.com/Homemade-Soy-Yogurt.html#.Uuqjtj1dUl9
- In a
new Instant Pot: http://www.hippressurecooking.com/video-how-to-make-yogurt-in-instant-pot-duo/
- In a
dehydrator: keeping the yogurt in a dehydrator on the lowest temperature
setting (no higher than 110 degrees) with the shelves removed for 6-8
hours
- In an
insulated cooler: wrap the jar in a dishtowel and put it in an insulated
cooler with the cover on.
Note: “You can test the
temperature of each of these methods ahead of time by heating some water
to 110°F and holding the jar of water for the required number of hours
using the method of choice. Test the water temperature periodically to ensure
that the incubation method will hold the warmth properly.”
culturesforhealth.com
temperature of each of these methods ahead of time by heating some water
to 110°F and holding the jar of water for the required number of hours
using the method of choice. Test the water temperature periodically to ensure
that the incubation method will hold the warmth properly.”
culturesforhealth.com
Optional: Strain the Yogurt
To achieve a very thick yogurt (which you might need for
certain dips or recipes) or cheese, you can even go the extra mile and strain the yogurt
after the cooling step. You can strain the yogurt
through a cheese bag or coffee filter, or use this gizmo (which I did purchase and LOVE!)
certain dips or recipes) or cheese, you can even go the extra mile and strain the yogurt
after the cooling step. You can strain the yogurt
through a cheese bag or coffee filter, or use this gizmo (which I did purchase and LOVE!)
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which will let a good deal of the excess water drip out, leaving you with a thicker
yogurt. With the method that Debby taught me that I have outlined above, the yogurt comes out so thick that you might find it to be similar to Greek Yogurt.
Edited to note:
Optional: Making Vegan Yogurt the Easy Way
It was brought to my attention that yogurt could be made very simply by just adding one packet of Vegan yogurt starter to a box of soy milk, closing the cap, shaking the milk, pouring the milk into the container of your yogurt machine, turning the machine on and viola! In 8-9 hours Yogurt! (Well, after the 8-9 hours the yogurt needs to cool for many hours, but you get my point.) No pots, no whisks, no heat, no time . . . nada! So I did it. And it does work. So if all this seems daunting to you, just do it the simple way! The difference will be that the end result is not nearly as thick as what happens when you use the method detailed in this blog post. You might still love it! But now that I am used to the thicker Vegan yogurt, I’m going to say that it’s worth the extra time and clean up to make the thick yogurt. I just loved it and since I started making it a day has not gone by that I haven’t eaten homemade Vegan yogurt. What a wonderful addition to my diet.
3/13/14, edited to add:
Making Larger Batches of Yogurt in Your Cuisinart:
A few people have asked me about making larger than 4 cup batches (of alternative milk) yogurt at a time. One standard box of alternative milk is 4 cups, so that’s the standard recipe a lot of the time for Vegan homemade yogurts. I’m happy to report that I made a batch last night with 1.5 containers of soy milk (6 total cups) and it came out perfectly in my Cuisinart. I increased the thickener, in my case from 3.5 Tbsp to 5.25 Tbsp of organic cornstarch. I did not use any more than one packet of Vegan yogurt starter. That is very important to note: you do not need more yogurt starter.
The batch came out just as well as my smaller batches have, and I have to say that I don’t think I will go back to making 4 cup batches. With 6 cup batches I can make yogurt less frequently and also have enough yogurt during the week for things like Vegan Tzatziki and Vegan Raita to go with out dinners. Score!
The batch came out just as well as my smaller batches have, and I have to say that I don’t think I will go back to making 4 cup batches. With 6 cup batches I can make yogurt less frequently and also have enough yogurt during the week for things like Vegan Tzatziki and Vegan Raita to go with out dinners. Score!
I have recently delved into making yogurt for my son who is dairy and soy intolerant. Last night I used cashew milk and added a tablespoon of rice flour, and a tsp of guar gum, simmering and whisking with cocoa powder and a bit of sugar until very thick. It got easily as thick as a greek yogurt. I cultured overnight with probiotics and voila. Chocolate yogurt, thick and creamy, this morning. I had not seen anyone suggest rice flour, but, I felt like the tapioca starch tasted kind of chalky and rice flour is used to make those rice drinks. It worked really well.
Thanks for the great tips!
Do you have a yogurt maker that you might recommend? A machine would be more compatible for me as I have difficulties using my hands.
I look forward to reading your opinion.
Best Regards.
Because it’s the only machine that cools the yogurt down after the long heating cycle, I only recommend the Cuisinart yogurt maker. Here’s a link to it in my Amazon store: http://astore.amazon.com/healthygirlsk-20/detail/B00ARSC1MK. Good luck! Making your own yogurt is AMAZING.
This recipe looks great, and I am super excited to try it. Just out of curiosity, what is the bacteria’s food source when you use unsweetened soy milk? Thanks!
There are 2 grams of sugar per cup serving that naturally occur in the soy milk that I use. I never thought about that before, but I just checked the container!
I was wondering the same as my milks have zero sugar in them and I read on my starter it needs to have sugar. I am experimenting with different milks and no one on the vegan facebook page that makes it ever said to add sugar they say to use a milk that only has water added to it. If all my milks have zero grams of sugar then that would be an issue id think lol. I am going to add sugar to be on the safe side.
Hi! thank you so much for this post, I have been struggling with making my own dairy free yogurt for a while now. Been researching for a while and am just now making my third batch (1st attempt, with coconut milk turned out pretty good but didn’t taste lovely, 2nd attempt, with store-bought almond milk didn’t thicken but tasted good. But they were both not sour enough!). Right now I’m trying your method with a yogurt maker, again store-bought almond milk and agar agar powder. I didn’t really understand what to do with te agar agar though. Should i boil it in water and add it just before the starter, at the end, as you said when talking about thickeners, or should I dissolve it in milk and follow your general instructions? Thank you so much for your help!
In case Camile comes back…Here is how I made Silk Plain Soy Milk, agar agar powder, 1 t. sugar, and 5 probiotic capsules into yogurt.
1. Sterlize all tools
2. Microwave on high for 4 mns 4 C. of refrigerated mylk in pitcher style measuring cup
3. Sprinkle the contents of 5 capsules (total 50 billion bacterium), and the 1 t. sugar then stir to disolve and distribute (bought least expensive brand ofshelf stable probiotics sold by Costco, $13)
4. Sprinkle 1/2 t. Agar agar powder (found at Asian market, pkt of Telephone brand, $1), stir in gentle “S” pattern with a spoon to dissolve and distribute
5. Pour from large measuring cup to 1 quart mason jar, liquid is about baby bottle warm (sorry, no thermometer at hand)
6. Put into preheated dehydrater (remove trays, set to 110°). Leave for 6-12 hours.
7. Check to see if it is getting thick at 6 hr mark, but kept in dehydrater to see if it got tarter or thicker, mine didn’t.
Mine was a solid jar of yogurt with no separation or whey accumulated. I could spoon out a slippery but solid similar to a pudfing or mayo. With some liquid around the edges.
In taste, it was similar to a store bought coconut mylk yogurt I had tried a couple of years ago, mildly sweet, mildly tart.
I took half the yogurt and using a strainer and a flour sack dish towel, strained it over a bowel overnight in the fridge giving a soft cream cheese result we will use on bagels. 2 days later it’s all gone so I will try making two jars next time so we have enough for a week’s use.
Other sites said if gray or pink color developed to toss out enture batch, clean everything and start again. The wrong bacteria developed. If you do develop a separation (white solids on top, whey on bottom) you can either stir together or strain off. I would like a thicker yogurt so I would strain solids from whey should this happen.
Hope this helps!
Like you mentioned at the beginning of your post, I have been reading every version of vegan yogurt making I can find. It is all so confusioning whether to heat or thicken or add sweetener like dates or maple syrup to “feed” the bacteria, using probiotics vs yogurt starter vs a previous batch of yogurt and whether the method changes if using soy or coconut or almond milk. I wish I had found your blog sooner! You have summarized everything I learned in one place. Thank you, thank you! I have an Instant Pot and can’t wait to give it a try.
So I’ve made yogurt using your technique but added gelatin one time and didn’t like it… i do add a tbsp of fiber and 2 of tapioca and that does the trick.
I like this box method that you added there… has anyone tried? I’m thinking of doing it with the tbsp tapioca, fiber and starter pack.
Any thoughts?
A friend of mine just started making vegan yogurt with coconuts and cashews. Sometimes the yogurt comes out with too much CO2. Should he let the culture ferment longer, or is he letting it ferment too long? I know that’s not a lot of details, but just wondering if this is a common problem. I can get more details if needed.
There are some inconsistencies between your method and what’s on Culture for Health’s website, so I’m a bit lost! You stated one method, but on their website it says:
Agar Powder – When to Add: Add to milk before heating and culturing. Instructions: For every 3-4 cups milk, dissolve ½ teaspoon powdered agar into the milk. Heat to 190⁰F and hold for 10 minutes. Cool to culturing temperature and add culture.
I’m trying to make yogurt with Ripple Pea Milk and thicken with agar powder, but I’ve seen a lot of different methods. This blog http://sotexan.com/2017/08/instant-pot-dairy-free-yogurt-recipe-with-ripple-milk/
(only one I’ve found w/ Ripple milk used) uses 4 teaspoons of agar powder. Is there a maximum amount you can use? Any advice for this endeavor & the discrepancy in the methods?
I read your post. I mixed coconut milk and almond milk. Added tapioca flour. A bit of maple syrup. A small container of natural organic coconut yogurt from store. It is in oven now. I used my instapot for chicken broth and I did not feel like cleaning it out!
Will check taste tomorrow morning. Plan on putting it in mason jars and layered with fresh fruit! A parfait!
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Thank you so much for this step by step! I have failed 3 times now and hoping this gets me there! – Monica