How to Make Instant Pot Coconut Yogurt
I first started making this dairy-free coconut yogurt back in 2014. When my daughter was born, she had a Milk and Soy Protein Intolerance (MSPI, for short), meaning that even the slightest bit eaten by me would come through my breastmilk and cause her incredible stomach upset. It only lasted six months, but in that time, I discovered that my body functions better without dairy. It was confirmed later when I did my time on the AIP diet to find food intolerance.
That's how I discovered the amazing versatility of cashew cream. And that's when I started making my own dairy-free Instant Pot coconut yogurt. It's such a great AIP breakfast option (or any dairy-free diet).
Why should I make this coconut yogurt recipe?
Making yogurt in the Instant Pot (dairy-free or otherwise) is so incredibly fool-proof. If you've ever been intimidated by making your own yogurt before, the Instant Pot is your answer. It makes it so hands-off and so simple-it's honestly almost easier than just going to the store to buy premade coconut yogurt.
And my gosh, can you save some serious cash by making your own yogurt at home-especially the dairy-free stuff. At our local grocery store, a five-ounce cup of coconut milk yogurt runs about $1.99. You can make an entire quart-32 ounces worth-of Instant Pot coconut yogurt for less than $4. It'd cost you $12.74 to buy that much pre-made! And when you go through as much yogurt as we do, that adds up fast.
Another (huge) added benefit: you can control everything about your yogurt-the thickness, the tanginess, and most importantly to me, the probiotic levels. Most store-bought yogurts are barely fermented at all-some sources say that yogurt from the store can be fermented for as little as one hour! One hour does not get you much healthy bacteria, but you know what does? Using your Instant Pot to ferment for 24 hours or more. Yogurt that is fermented for 24 hours has more healthy probiotics per cup than any over-the-counter probiotic pill-we're talking billions of good guys helping to keep your gut happy! And it's way more delicious than popping a pill.
Are there any drawbacks to making Instant Pot coconut yogurt?
The one caveat with Instant Pot coconut yogurt-it's never going to get as thick as cow's or goat's milk yogurt without some help. That's because coconut milk just doesn't have the lactose and proteins that transform the texture when fermented.
How do I make thick, creamy homemade coconut yogurt?
If you love good thick yogurt like I do, I highly recommend using any or all of these three ways to get there:
- Use the right coconut milk. Full-fat coconut milk from the can (not "Lite" coconut milk or the coconut milk from the refrigerated cartons) is going to give you the thickest, creamiest yogurt. In fact, if you can find straight-up coconut cream (this is what I usually use), you're going to get the best results.
- Go for a long ferment. Yes, coconut milk won't thicken like cow's milk during fermentation, but it will thicken some. The baseline time I recommend to turn your milk into yogurt is eight hours-but that's not going to thicken your yogurt at all. If you set your fermentation time for closer to 24 or even 36 hours, you're going to get a naturally thicker yogurt.
- Use a thickener and chill. This is absolutely optional, but I usually thicken my yogurt using unflavored beef gelatin (I've also had good results using agar agar for a vegan version). I just add enough to give it a little bit of body-and not turn it into yogurt Jello-and then I chill until completely cold.
It might take you a bit of experimentation to figure out the right combo that makes your family happy. But once you land on it, you'll never go back to buying yogurt again!
What kind of starter do I need for this coconut yogurt recipe?
When you're making your yogurt, you will need to inoculate your batch with either yogurt starter culture or pre-made plain yogurt from the store. I've done both, and they both turn out beautifully. If you choose to use a yogurt starter, this Yogourmet starter is my absolute favorite*. It has very specific strains of bacteria that are great for your tum-tum-my naturopath has actually recommended I eat yogurt only when it's made with the strains in this yogurt starter to protect my gut health.
(*Please note: this starter contains skim milk powder. If you're looking for a completely dairy-free way to start your batch of coconut yogurt, you'll want to use a different starter or a dairy-free yogurt with live active cultures like we mention below!)
The way easier (and cheaper) route is to use premade yogurt as your starter. Just take three tablespoons of whatever plain yogurt you'd like (dairy, soy, coconut, almond-all fine) that has live, active cultures in it-and whisk that in to innoculate your batch of yogurt. Then, when your batch is done, reserve about ¼ cup of it to make your next batch. You'll never have to buy yogurt again! It's the gift that keeps on giving.
What if I don't have an Instant Pot?
Of course, you absolutely don't have to have an Instant Pot to make yogurt. You can do it in the slow cooker or on a heating pad (my preferred method pre-Instant Pot) or even under the light in your oven-basically, any way you can consistently keep your yogurt around 100°F for 8-36 hours while it ferments will do the trick. The Instant Pot just makes keeping the temperature there SO FLIPPING SIMPLE. It removes all the variables and just makes for perfect yogurt every. single. time. Happy yogurtmaking!
How do I flavor or sweeten homemade coconut yogurt?
When the yogurt is finished and cooled is a great time to stir in any sweetener, jams, fruit butters or flavoring like vanilla extract to add flavor. Here are some good options:
- homemade pumpkin butter
- homemade apple butter
- simple blueberry jam
- strawberry jam
- strawberry-rhubarb jam
You can also obviously use this yogurt in any recipe that calls for yogurt. Here are some good places to try out your new batch of yog:
- healthy overnight oats
- strawberry chia pudding
- yogurt with fruit on the bottom
- fruit and yogurt parfaits
📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Coconut Yogurt
Ingredients
- 1 quart full-fat canned or boxed coconut milk I get best results from this coconut cream, but any full fat coconut milk will work
- ¼ cup maple syrup do not sub in honey-it has its own bacteria that will fight the yogurt culture
- 3 tablespoons plain yogurt with live active cultures dairy, soy, coconut, almond-all fine OR one packet of freeze dried yogurt culture (I like this one)
- OPTIONAL THICKENER: 1 to 2 teaspoons unflavored grass-fed beef gelatin OR ½ to 1 teaspoon powdered agar agar
Instructions
- Pour the coconut milk and maple syrup into the pot of the Instant Pot. Whisk well, then press the "Yogurt" button, and then adjust the setting until you see "boil." Let the Instant Pot run through the process (it's getting the milk up to a temperature of around 185°F), whisking occasionally. No need to place the lid on the Instant Pot during this stage.
- When the Instant Pot beeps that it is finished, allow the milk to cool until it is between 100ºF and 110ºF. This can take upwards of an hour.
- If using starter yogurt: When the milk is at the correct temperature, ladle out about ½ cup of the warm milk into a small bowl, and whisk with the 3 tablespoons plain starter yogurt until smooth. Pour the mixture back into the Instant Pot and whisk well.
- If using freeze-dried yogurt culture: When the milk is at the correct temperature, sprinkle on one packet of the starter culture and then whisk very well to combine.
- If using a thickener, sprinkle on top of the warm milk, and then whisk very well to combine.
- Close the lid of the Instant Pot (no need to seal), and press the "Yogurt" button. Adjust the setting until you see the time display. Set for the desired amount of fermentation time. Eight hours is bare minimum, but I *much* prefer yogurt that has been fermented closer to 24-36 hours. This results in a naturally thick and tangy yogurt-very like regular Greek yogurt. Plus, it has more probiotics! (See notes for more info about time and temp)
- When the fermenting time is up, transfer the yogurt to a glass storage container (I use a wide mouth quart jar) and keep in the fridge. It will thicken up considerably as it cools.
Video
Notes
- If you like thicker, Greek-style yogurt, I recommend using either the gelatin or the agar agar. However, if you want to leave those our, the longer you ferment, the thicker the yogurt gets naturally.
- If you do use the thickeners, the upper range will get you a thicker, Greek-style yogurt, while the lower will just thicken to a "normal" yogurt consistency.
- Since coconut milk doesn't have the same kind of sugars that cow's milk has, the added maple syrup is to give the bacteria a jump-start meal-they eat almost all the sugars and the resulting yogurt isn't sweetened at all.
- My favorite starter (linked in the post and the recipe above) contains skim milk powder. If you're looking for a completely dairy-free way to start your batch of coconut yogurt, you'll want to use a different starter or a dairy-free yogurt with live active cultures.
- Some people recommend using opened probiotic capsules as yogurt starter, and it can work-depending on your probiotic. Proceed with caution though, as some can make yogurt taste really not good.
- When you spoon your yogurt into a container for storage, make sure to reserve a little bit for the next batch of yogurt in a small jar (I just fill one of these quarter-pints). That way, you'll never be without yogurt starter.
- I love my Thermapen for yogurt-making (and honestly, everything else in the kitchen), but if you don't have a thermometer, it's not a big deal. Another trick is to place a (clean!) finger in the milk-when you can hold your finger in the milk while counting to ten, it's cool enough to pitch in the yogurt starter.
- Some folk in the comments mentioned that their Instant Pot only maintained the desired yogurt fermentation temperature (around 110°F) when set for up to 8 hours. Set for longer than 8 hours, their IP used a lower temperature (around 88°F). Our IP doesn't adjust the temperature in this way, so please check your owner's manual before choosing your time setting!
Nutrition
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My first attempt was a fail 🙁 I followed the recipe using Cocojune plain coconut yogurt as my starter yogurt and Trader Joe's canned coconut cream. When it was finished it was pure runny liquid. After refrigerating, it separated with the coconut cream on top and liquid on the bottom. It sound like others had this problem using Trader Joe's brand?
Hi Jenni! Different brands of coconut milk or cream can give different results. Were you able to blend the refrigerated yogurt back together? We've had something similar happen before, and a quick blitz in the blender was all it took to come together and be creamy and smooth again!
Could you please tell us how many probiotic Capsules are needed for this recipe? Thanks!
Hi Cher! We don't usually recommend probiotic capsules because some will create an off-flavor in the final yogurt. If you'd still like to try it, we recommend seeking out a recipe specifically developed for using probiotic capsules. The range of capsules needed will be specific to the brand you're using and the recipe's needs. So it's not something we could approximate here.
Would it be possible to use chia seeds instead of agar?
Those work differently, so you couldn't swap in chia seeds and get the same results. After fermenting the yogurt, you could add chia seeds, but then you'd have chia pudding instead of plain thickened yogurt!
Hi! How long does this yogurt last in the fridge? Thank you!
Hi Emily! Because of the long fermenting time, this yogurt is packed with good bacteria. That means you can expect it to last as long as "regular" store-bought yogurt—easily 1-2 weeks in an airtight container in the fridge!
Do you have to boil the milk first? I've made soy yogurt without boiling and it turned out great so just wondering if that step can be omitted to make for less work/quicker result 🙂
Hi Leanne! Yogurt-making best practices say that, yes, you need to heat your milk first. It doesn't need to boil, but it does need to get hot enough to kill any not-so-good bacteria that might be lingering. There are folks who skip this step, but you do run the risk of encouraging not-so-good bacteria to grow or compete with your culture. For those reasons, we recommend heating the milk!
Hi I made this te pie and it came out good but there are a few lumps in it how do you make it smooth? I used Thai kitchen coconut cream thanks
Hi Lynn! A quick whirl in the blender will smooth it out. If you don't have one or prefer not to use it for this, some good, old-fashioned elbow grease will work, too—just whisk until smooth!
For those who ended up with a separated mess with hardened coconut oil on top... I think it's certain brands of coconut milk. I've made coconut yogurt successfully 5-6 times with Native Forest and Thai Kitchen brands. But when I used Trader Joe's it separated again after fermenting. The tangy taste is good but the texture is unpleasant. I'll be going back to the other brands!
Hello,
My coconut milk has been in the instapot for about 34 hours and is not thick at all. This is my first time using the instapot and I think the first 24 hours it was on the less setting for yogurt which is the default but also annoying because why have that option if it isn't going to work? I tried again for 10 hours but it is still room temperature and not thick at all. I used coconut milk, agar agar and probiotics. Not sure what I did wrong.
Hi Tracey! So sorry your settings were off—it sounds like the temp was too low to keep the yeast active. Our best suggestion would be to try again with a new batch. If you're still having trouble even on the correct setting, we'll be happy to help you troubleshoot it more!
Thanks for the recipe. It turned out great and I'm now making my second batch. I used half coconut milk and half oat milk b/c that is what I had on hand. I also added vanilla for flavoring and cornstarch for a thickener. The result was creamy and delicious. It was still on the runny side but I didn't mind at all. I agree with some of the other comments that it was a bit sweet with the 1/4 c. of maple syrup, but it does balance out the tartness if you leave it in your instant pot long enough (24-36 hours for me). Thanks again!
Hi Cynthia! We're so glad to hear it worked out well for you. Thanks so much for coming back to tell us what you did and how it turned out! =)
Hey Cynthia! How much cornstarch did you use?
Can this recipe be doubled?
Hi Micca! This recipe should be fine to double, especially if you've already had success with a single batch. As long as it fits in your Instant Pot, it should work the same when doubled. Let us know how it turns out if you try a larger batch!
I was so excited to try this. It was a bit of a fail. I kept it in my Ninja Foodi- for 16 hrs, following your directions and the Ninja Foodi direction. I used canned, full fat coconut milk and maple syrup. Also Used the teasooon of Agar Agar and store bought plain (organic) coconut yogurt.
The coconut fat separated, once i refrigerated it, and the liquid underneath never thickened.
I’m really not sure what went wrong.
(I used Trader Joe’s full fat coconut milk from cans)
Followed the recipe exactly. I used full fat coconut cream, but no thickener. I used this vegan culture starter (Vegan with Live and Active Probiotics Makes 4 Quarts, Non-Dairy, Non-GMO, Gluten Free Yogurt Starter by Belle + Bella https://a.co/d/bLyqZzs). Fermented 23hrs in my 6 quarto Duo Instant Pot. The results were a soupy mess with colored bacteria growing ;(
I live in an area of the world where homemade yogurt is a must becasue either you can't find vegan yogurt or its 5-10 times the cost of yogurt in the US. I've spent hundreds of dollars in equipment, starters, non-dairy milk, etc., to make non-dairy yogurt at home and have yet to actually make anything remotely edible. At a loss at why this didn't work as it seemed so simple..
For a thickener for my coconut yogurt I use 1 TBS of Gefen Clear Unflavored Jello (heated to 180 F) available from AMAZON. As this is a vegan product made from seaweed using the AROZ D coconut cream you suggested the and a vegan starter the final yogurt is vegan.
Please take the word vegan off the recipe if you're going to suggest using beef, gelatin or dairy yogurt starter. Those are not vegan.
Hi Helen! We've provided vegan alternatives such as agar agar for thickening and dairy-free starters in the post, but we understand your concern. We've taken the vegan label off, but kept the vegan options in the post for those who want or need them. Thanks for helping make our user experience better!
I used your recipe to make coconut yogurt for the first time. It worked like a charm! The yogurt is creamy and absolutely delicious!! Thanks for the recipe and the link to the coconut cream you use - it's my new favorite.
Yay! We're so happy to hear that, Amanda! Thanks for taking the time to come back and tell us about it. =)
Worked like a dream. However it was too sweet for me, family loved it. For me I will omit the maple.
We're so glad it worked well for you, Judy! If you found the end result too sweet, we recommend reducing the maple syrup but not leaving it out entirely. It's the food for your starter culture, so you'll want to keep some of it in!
Just made this and it turned out great! However, it’s reeeaaally sweet (at least for me)! Is it possible to skip the syrup going forward since it’s in the first batch, or will it not work without it? What about even using a smaller amount? Thank you!
We're glad it worked out well for you, Maggie! You could try using a smaller amount, but we wouldn't recommend leaving it out entirely. The maple syrup is the food for the yeast, so it won't work without it. If you try using less, let us know how it goes!
Unfortunately, I followed the recipie to the T but like others it completely separated into a brown thick glob on top and what looked like coconut oil underneath. It's a real shame as it was costly to try out and we were really looking forward to it.
Sorry to hear the recipe didn't turn out for you, Jesse! Please let us know if you'd like to troubleshoot further—we're happy to help!
I’ve had this happen too and I just whisked it and poured it in my jars and put in the fridge! Turned out great!
Does the instapot need to be on the “low” setting for yogurt if using coconut milk?
Hi Andrew! You'll want to use the setting you would for regular yogurt, no matter what type of milk you're using! If you're not sure what that is, please check your user manual. For some models, it's the "More" setting; for others, it's the "Normal" setting. For most Instant Pots, the temperature setting on "Low" will be too low to keep the yeast active. Definitely check out your manual to be sure you know the right setting, and then you should be good to go!
My instant pot only does minutes and it goes up to what would be 4.5 hours. Would I just keep restarting it until I reached my desired amount of time for the fermentation process?
Hi Madie! It's possible that restarting it would be okay, but we're not sure since we've never had to do that. With so many different Instant Pot models on the market these days, our best recommendation would be to refer to your user manual. In it you should find the proper settings for the Yogurt function, which will help you adjust the time. I hope this helps!
I followed the recipe to the letter, just replaced the starter with a vegan one...added the agar agar and had it in the instapot for 30 hours. I poured them in the jars and left them overnight in the fridge, about 14 hours in total. This morning, I had a topping that resembles coconut oil and underneath it was all liquidy - nothing like the greek yogurt consistency I was expecting. How long does it need to sit in the fridge and is anyone else having this experience? I don't want to do it again -- any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Svetlana! We're so sorry this didn't turn out the way you expected. We're not sure what might have caused it to separate like that. Maybe the particular brand of coconut milk made a difference? We've seen that affect the consistency, but never experienced it in the way you're describing. Did it look like it could be blended back together into the right consistency? Did you use 1/2 or 1 teaspoon of agar agar? It shouldn't have caused it to solidify like that, but maybe trying it with less next time would help. Let us know if you give it another go!