Coconut Yogurt Recipe for the Instant Pot (Dairy-Free Yogurt)

March 4, 2018Van

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 13 hours

Serves: 6

My dear friend Roxanne requested a Coconut Yogurt recipe so I developed this for her. Unlike dairy milk, coconut milk doesn’t ever firm up on it’s own when you culture it, it needs thickeners to make it more similar to the texture of traditional yogurt. You have two options for coconut yogurt, you can make a vegan version that’s thickened with Agar Agar, the texture ends up being somewhat like panna cotta or creamy jello, it’s similar to Trader Joe’s Coconut Yogurt. Your other option if you’re just trying to make dairy-free yogurt is Gelatin (not Vegan or Vegetarian), the texture is creamier than the Agar Agar version. If you want it very creamy, use Cococnut Cream instead of Coconut milk. Either way, it’s very easy to make and very delicious!

See the link at the bottom of my recipe for the Probiotic Capsules I used, I chose that specific brand because it actually contains cultures that are normally used to make yogurt: Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Streptococcus thermophiles, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus casei – be on the look out for some of those strains when you’re searching for your starter. You can make this with an Instant Pot that has a Yogurt button or use a Yogurt Maker.

Coconut Yogurt Recipe for the Instant Pot

Coconut Yogurt Recipe

Be sure to click on the accessories list below to get the most out of your Instant Pot.

Coconut Yogurt Recipe for the Instant Pot

March 4, 2018 Van

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 13 hours

Serves: 6

www.foodisafourletterword.com

Ingredients

2 Cans Coconut Milk (full fat) or Coconut Cream, (for Gelatin version, find the ones that have guar gum)
¾ Teaspoons Agar Agar Powder, or 2½ Teaspoons Unflavored Gelatin
2-3 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar (optional), or use your preferred sweetener
2 Dairy Free Probiotic Capsules, or 2 Tablespoon of Dairy Free Store bought Yogurt with active cultures

Method

1)
There are two slightly different methods depending on the thickener you’re using.

Agar Agar (Vegan): In a sauce pan add 2 cans of Coconut Milk, 2 Tablespoons of Sugar, and ¾ Teaspoon of Agar Agar Powder, whisk well and turn the heat on medium and once it begins to boil, turn down the heat to low and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool to 110°F – you should use a kitchen thermometer to check because you don’t want to accidentally kill the yogurt cultures because the mixture is too hot.

Gelatin (Non-Dairy): In a sauce pan add 2 cans of Coconut Milk (you’ll have better success with coconut cream or coconut milk that has guar gum), 2 Tablespoons of Sugar and sprinkle 2½ Teaspoons of Gelatin, wait 3 minutes so the gelatin blooms. Turn the heat on low and heat to 110°F, whisk well so all the gelatin is dissolved. Use a kitchen thermometer to monitor the temperature. (Read the Notes section below ↓)
2)
Open up two Probiotic Capsules and sprinkle it into mixture and whisk very well. If you’re using a store bought yogurt starter, whisk it with a small amount of coconut milk first to get it smooth then whisk it into the rest of the coconut milk.
3)
Pour the mixture into your glass jars and seal the lids on the jars. Place the jars into the pot (it’s fine to stack the jars if you need to). Seal the lid on the Instant Pot.
4)
Use the “Yogurt” button on Normal mode and set it for 13 hours. Refrigerate it for at least 4 hours before serving – the yogurt will set after being refrigerated. Top with your favorite fruit or granola and enjoy!

Notes

*For the Gelatin version, you will get different results depending on the coconut milk you are using. If the coconut milk doesn’t contain guar gum, it’s normal for the fat to separate when it’s cooled. Coconut milk or cream that has guar gum helps keep the fat from separating. Even with some brands that have guar gum, the coconut milk still separates in the refrigerator, a good test is put your canned coconut milk in the refrigerator and see if it separates, if it does, then it should expected that it will do the same after you make yogurt with it. The agar agar version doesn’t have this issue since agar agar gels at a high temperature before the coconut milk can separate.

↓ SUPPLIES TO MAKE THIS RECIPE ↓

19 Comments

Anne Clair

March 5, 2018 at 1:27 am

This sounds so good! Thank you for the recipe!

Reply
1. Van
  
  March 5, 2018 at 6:23 pm
  
  Thank you so much Anne Clair!
  
  Reply
2. Poomiki
  
  September 11, 2020 at 11:15 am
  
  Hi,
  Do you use water to the instant pot? How much?
  Thank you!
  
  Reply
  1. Van
    
    September 11, 2020 at 3:00 pm
    
    Hi Poomiki, you can add 1 Cup of Water to the pot if you are stacking the jars on top of each other
    
    Reply
Laura

March 5, 2018 at 3:22 pm

Can this be made without the sugar?

Reply
1. Van
  
  March 5, 2018 at 6:27 pm
  
  Hi Laura, you can omit the sugar if you prefer or use another type of sweetener.
  
  Reply
Christine

March 5, 2018 at 4:11 pm

So many questions, several about using the Instant Pot for this. 🙂
* So no trivet is used? The jars just sit in the water?
* Should we do a natural or quick release of pressure after the 13 hours is done?
* If natural could this be done overnight, with the completion of the cycle happening while we sleep?

Should the jars be cooled on the counter before they’re refrigerated?

Oh, also, it looks like you’re using 1/2 cup jars; is that what’s called for to make 6 individual servings? Have you ever made this in larger jars?

Thanks so much! I’m really looking forward to trying this! :^)

Reply
1. Van
  
  March 5, 2018 at 9:24 pm
  
  Hi Christine, you don’t need a trivet, the jars can just sit in the water. Just seal the jars before placing them in the pot. The yogurt setting doesn’t use any pressure, it gets to 115F max so you can open and close the lid anytime – since it’s such a low temp it’s safe to do overnight. I place the jars directly into the refrigerator when they are done. I did use 4oz jars but, you can definitely use larger jars if you prefer.
  
  Reply
  1. Genie
    
    July 8, 2018 at 5:01 am
    
    I just pulled thes out of my Instant Pot and it’s still liquid inside the jars. I used two pint sized jars and followed the recipe. Not sure what happened. Should I put it in for longer?
    
    Reply
    1. Van
      
      July 8, 2018 at 5:15 am
      
      Hi Genie, that’s normal for the coconut yogurt to still be liquid when you remove it from the pot, coconut yogurt doesn’t set up like dairy yogurt, that’s why agar agar is needed. It will firm up once it’s been refrigerated.
      
      Reply
Glenda Rogers

March 13, 2018 at 5:51 am

I followed the recipe, I think. But it has the hard shell from the coconut cream on the top of the yogurt and it is not creamy. What did I do wrong? Can I skim the hard cream off and recook the yogurt to get it creamy? Suggestions please. Thank you in advance

Reply
1. Van
  
  March 13, 2018 at 7:47 am
  
  Hi Glenda, if you used gelatin and your coconut milk doesn’t have any guar gum, it’s normal for the cream to rise to the top and get hard when refrigerated. If you want to avoid that next time, find a coconut milk or coconut cream that has guar gum since it keeps the milk from separating. The agar agar version doesn’t have this issue because agar agar starts firming up at a higher temperature, so the coconut milk doesn’t separate when refrigerated.
  
  Reply
Helen Campbell

December 20, 2018 at 5:03 pm

Thank you for this recipe. I am excited to try it.
I do have one question, can you put some fruit preserve in the bottom of the jars before adding the coconut mixture? I do so enjoy fruit bottomed yogurt and it makes packing them for my work lunches so much easier. Just have to grab and go that way,
Thank you
Helen

Reply
1. Van
  
  December 24, 2018 at 2:28 pm
  
  Hi Helen, yes you can put fruit preserves on the bottom. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
  
  Reply
Amanda

June 16, 2019 at 8:07 am

First time yogurt maker here, I am currently making a variation of this now with three ingredients: coconut milk, arrowroot powder, and 2 probiotic capsules. I have checked so many recipes, and yours was by far the most clarifying. Thank you! You have been pinned, but p.s. I had to copy your link in order to pin you. Your photos are not recognized as photos, which is sad because it would help you get more recognition if people could pin your photos straight from your post!! Maybe it’s just my phone. Best wishes and thank you!! – Amanda

Reply
Angel

May 28, 2021 at 10:41 am

Hi there! I don’t own an instant pot
Can I use a pressure cooker or slow cooker? sorry I’m a newby at this cooking thing lol.

Reply
1. Van
  
  May 28, 2021 at 9:41 pm
  
  Hi Angel, does your pressure cooker have a Yogurt option? A slow cooker is too hot to make yogurt.
  
  Reply
Heidi

May 14, 2024 at 11:55 am

Hi, I made the coconut yogurt, and the taste was FABULIOUS!
I prefer a thicker yogurt, so I added 2 tsp of AgarAgar,
however it still did not thicken. Do you have any suggestions, please?
I followed the recipe exactly, using the ingredients that you suggested.

Reply
1. Van
  
  June 10, 2024 at 8:10 pm
  
  Hi Heidi, 2 tsp of AgarAgar should have turned it into jello. Did you bring the coconut milk + agar to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes? That’s what activates the agar agar
  
  Reply