Dairy-Free Coconut Cashew Yogurt
It’s not complicated to make cashew yogurt at home! However, the process is different from homemade traditional dairy yogurt.
To make thick and creamy dairy-free yogurt, it is best for you to start with ingredients that are already naturally thick before you incubate the yogurt. That’s why cashews and coconut cream make the best dairy-free yogurt base.
How to Make Cashew Yogurt
Various probiotic bacteria play essential roles in the production of yogurt. Most often, species of Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Streptococcus are the microbes we find in yogurt.
Specific types of yogurt, such as Greek and Belgian, are distinguished by the species of bacteria used to culture milk into yogurt.
In animal-sourced milk, the bacteria can use lactose for energy. This produces a byproduct of lactic acid. Lactic acid builds up in the milk causing the coagulation of milk proteins. This is what transforms the milk into a semi-solid known as yogurt.
Cashew Yogurt Fermentation
Lactic acid fermentation is not the same in dairy-free/vegan yogurt. Plant-sourced milk, for instance, does not contain lactose.
Instead, bacteria utilize other sugars and proteins for metabolism. The bacteria still produce some acid in dairy-free yogurt, so the flavor is slightly tart. However, plant-based milk does not have the same proteins that coagulate to form yogurt.
So for this recipe, we aren’t using any plant-based milk. You can make delicious, vegan yogurt using already thick ingredients like cashew cream and coconut cream.
To make yogurt using plant-based milk and thickeners, CLICK HERE.
Ingredients and Supplies
One of my favorite things about this recipe is that you can use a yogurt incubator, but if you don’t have one, no worries!
You can incubate at room temperature in a warm-ish spot, like on the counter near the back end of your refrigerator. The timeline will be slightly different without an incubator.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- A Blender (I have a Vitamix, and it is perfect for blending the ingredients into smooth yogurt)
- Yogurt Maker (optional) and Jars
- Vegan Yogurt Cultures or Already-Made Vegan Yogurt
- Lemon Juice
- Coconut Cream
- Unsalted Cashews
- Maple Syrup
For this recipe, it’s essential to clean your jars and equipment thoroughly. The cashews must also be soaked in boiling water before making the yogurt to prevent cross-contamination.
Dairy-Free Coconut Cashew Yogurt
Learn how to make cashew yogurt from scratch. This cashew yogurt recipe combines cashews and coconut cream for a perfect silky smooth yet thick yogurt texture. You can make the creamiest vegan yogurt at home with only five ingredients.
- Prep: 20 minutes
- Cook: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Unsalted Raw Cashews
- 1/3 Cup Lemon Juice
- 24 Ounces Full Fat Coconut Cream
- 1/4 Cup Maple Syrup
- Yogurt Starter Cultures
Instructions
- Add your cashews to a glass bowl. Top with boiling water and let soak for 30 minutes.
- After you soak the cashews, drain and rinse with hot water.
- Combine all of the ingredients, except the starter cultures, in a blender and blend on high until smooth.
- Heat the mixture to 181° F in a glass container set over boiling water. If you have an instant pot, you can sterilize the mixture on the high yogurt setting.
- Allow the mixture to cool to 110° F, then add the starter cultures.
- You have two options for incubating:
- Dispense the yogurt into jars and place the jars in a yogurt maker for 6-8 hours, then immediately refrigerate.
- Incubate the entire mixture in the instant pot container on the low yogurt setting at 107° F, then dispense into jars and refrigerate.
- Chill yogurt in the fridge for at least 4 hours to solidify.
- Top with some fresh fruit, and enjoy!
Notes
- For yogurt starter cultures you can use a starter culture packet OR sub for 3 Tablespoons already made vegan yogurt
- This yogurt should keep in the fridge for approximately 14-21 days.
- You must use raw cashews for a smooth texture
Hi Kaitlynn!
I’m super excited to try this – it sounds so easy and delicious! I’m wondering what brand/kind of coconut cream you used?
Thank you!
I use coconut cream from Trader Joe’s. I’ve also used the 365 brand coconut cream from Whole Foods.
This recipe was very easy to follow, and the yogurt came out awesome! I used a sweetened vegan yogurt as my starter, so I left out the maple syrup. Came out perfect!
Can I use coconut keifer as a starter instead of yogurt?
you can, but the yogurt may be effervescent (bubbly, gassy) if you do.
Made this yesterday. Very thick and creamy
Hi! I just saw an idea online that suggested blending silken tofu with soy milk to make a thicker vegan yogurt in the Instant Pot. Do you think this would work? I’ll use either the Belle & Bella nondairy starter or some store-bought vegan yogurt as the starter. Thanks!
hello! I’m not sure how it will work because I haven’t tested it and I don’t know what recipe you are referring to. I feel like in theory, it should work… but I can’t validate unknown recipes.
Can you make this recipe with zero sweetener, and once it is made into yogurt, add whatever sweetener that you might like or no sweetener at all?
yes, you sure can!
Another question, Have you made this vegan yogurt with coconut milk instead of full fat coconut cream? I’d like to tone down the fat content.
Yes, but they do not sub evenly. You’ll need to reduce the amount. So instead of 24 ounces coconut cream, you can try 12 to 15 ounces of coconut milk.
If im gonna sterilize the yogurt in the instant pot on the high yogurt mode how long should k put it for please . Thank u so much for the recipe 🌹
There is a yogurt setting, with two options- sterilize and incubate. You have to use an instant pot with a yogurt setting. One mine the time is automatically set. Check our blog post “how to make yogurt in an instant pot“
I made a recipe that is very similar to yours (no lemon juice and with a probiotic supplement instead of starter culture), which I incubated in the instant pot for 8 hours. The end result was pourable, rather than thick but the flavor is wonderful. I’m working in the office today and packed my lunch. I put a small portion of yogurt in a glass container which then sat in my insulated lunch bag with other cold items but no cold pack (it’s in the 30s in the morning here) and then commuted to work (about 1.5 hours) and placed it in the fridge. This afternoon when I went for my snack it had thickened! It tasted and smelled good. My question is: does this mean that it needed to incubate longer and therefore the slightly warmer temperature in my lunch bag did the trick?
Did you chill it in the fridge before putting it in your lunch bag? It probably just needed time to set at cold temperatures.
Thanks so much for the reply. Yes, that is what was interesting about it. Prior to putting it in the smaller container, it had been chilling in the fridge for 2-3 days. That is why I thought that either the brief/slight warm-up or the smaller container (it was in a 22-ounce jar in the fridge and I put about 1/3 cup in a smaller jar for transport) was what helped it thicken…
Loved. This. Recipe!!! I omitted the maple syrup… it got even yummier after a few days in the fridge.
I love this recipe! I’ve been making it for over a year, and it never fails. It is luxuriously rich—I can only eat half a serving at a time. Just FYI, I use 1.5 cups cashews so it’s not quite as thick, a yogurt maker with 7 individual cups, and let it incubate for 9 hours. I use plain almond milk yogurt as the starter. It does take awhile to soak the cashews, heat the mixture, then cool it, so while making it is easy, it does require about 2 hours for me prior to incubation. It’s well worth it.
I’ve made several other recipes and this one turns out VERY thick and creamy! I absolutely
L❤️VE this recipe!! It is the best one if you like your yogurt to be thick like Greek yogurt & not watery like Kiefer. The other ones I’ve made taste good but they were more like a drinkable consistency. The lemon juice adds a little tartness which is an awesome addition.
Thank You so much for such a FABULOUS RECIPE! 🙏
Thank you for leaving a review! I’m glad to hear you loved the recipe.
Great recipe! Would this work just as well with other nuts?
I’ve tried with raw pecans, and it worked well. Not sure about other nuts!
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THIS IS THE BEST YOGURT RECIPE EVER!! It is SOOO Much better than any plant based yogurt you can buy in the store and I have tried them all. I add some real vanilla to mine when it’s all done & it is absolutely amazing. I make it on a regular basis & do not buy yogurt at the store anymore. I have also tried other recipes and this one is the absolute best, it’s thick and creamy like Greek yogurt while all the others were thin and watery.
THANK YOU 🙏 KAITLYN FOR SUCH AN AWESOME RECIPE 🥰
I’m so happy you love this yogurt recipe!! It’s definitely the best way to make dairy free yogurt!
I don’t like my yogurt super tart- will adding less lemon juice mess with the consistency or overall process at all?
the lemon juice helps preserve it. adding a little less should be okay.
I have attempted this recipe 3 times now. The flavor comes out great, but the consistency is TOO thick. Which I think is my fault not the recipe’s. For the record, I have omitted the lemon juice and maple syrup, and adjusted the coconut cream and cashew levels to reach the same liquid-solid ratio. I incubate in a homemade chamber (mini fridge set up with a temperature controller and heating element) at 105-107F for 8-10 hours. The yogurt comes out of the incubation a perfect consistency but after a few hours in the fridge becomes more of a cream cheese consistency rather than Greek yogurt. Is the lemon juice doing more for the consistency than I’ve been realizing? Does the citric acid help keep it from solidifying? The last batch I even reduced the cashews by about a third, and still had the same issue. At first I used Cadia organic coconut cream, which has guar gum, so I thought the guar was perhaps acting as a thickener. But for the other 2 batches I used Trader Joe’s coconut cream which is just coconut and water, with the same results. I have also had difficulty heating the mixture to 181F over a double boiler (glass mixing bowl set over pot of boiling water). It has stalled around 165F and thickened up into an almost doughy consistency, so I’ve found heating to only 120F has yielded a pourable yogurt consistency that I then add vegan yogurt to as a starter (Cocojune brand) before pouring into jars and incubating. But still the same issue of thickening too much in the fridge. Sorry for the long comment, but I hope you’ll have an insight into the role of the lemon juice! Thank you, love the recipe and the flavor is amazing, I just keep making it thicker than it should be haha!
Since maple syrup and lemon juice are both liquids, yes, eliminating them will change the consistency of the yogurt. I’ve only tested this recipe as it is written, so if you made changes to the recipe, naturally, your results will vary.
Thanks for your reply. I did adjust the coconut cream and cashew levels to make up for eliminating the maple syrup and lemon juice, and attempt reach the same liquid-solid ratio. I even substantially reduced the cashews in my last attempt, with the same thick results. I will try it again with lemon juice and let you know how it turns out. Thanks again for replying. I’m doing some R&D on a vegan yogurt recipe for work, which is why I tried stripping the recipe down to its barest bones while following your general outline. I will now do what I should have done to begin with, and attempt the recipe as written before trying to make any tweaks lol! Cheers!
This recipe was easy to follow and turned out perfectly. I used the Insta pot to incubate. It was exactly what I was looking for! Thank you.
Thank you for leaving a review! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Can I do it in the oven ? I don’t have a crockpot or a yogurt maker?!
you can do it anywhere that’s warm! Like 98-110 degrees. Some people put jars in an ice chest with warm water in the bottom and that’s worked for them.
I have made numerous vegan yogurts, and this is by far the best ever. thick, creamy and delicious. can’t ask for anything move. thank you
This is definitely my favorite and the best way to do a dairy free yogurt! Glad you enjoyed it!
I made this yogurt with half the amount of coconut cream, the rest coconut milk. I think I cooked it over 188 because it was quite thick by the time it was cooling down. First time it was a good consistency, second time I think I cooked it even more and now it’s like I have cashew butter lol. But I can’t complain, the flavor is amazing, it’s cheaper than other vegan yogurt and doesn’t have all the unnecessary ingredients. So thanks again for a great recipe, at some point I need to try all your recipes!!
Thank you for leaving a review! Glad you’re enjoying the yogurt!
Hi! It took a long time for the yogurt to get to 181 degrees, and by then it had separated into a solid, lumpy mass and a yellowish liquid. Is that normal? (I don’t have an instant pot, just tried to figure something out with a glass bowl and large pot.) Also, am I supposed to cool it to 110 degrees while it’s still over the water, or should I remove it from the heat? I hope this makes sense! Thank you!
That doesn’t sound normal! It may have been over heated. You can let it cool after removing it from heat.