DAIRY-FREE YOGURT

If you have the time to make dairy-free yogurt from scratch, you will need a live culture, commercial dairy-free yogurt, or a pack of dry cultures and dairy-free milk. After six to eight hours in a consistently warm place, the heat will culture the plant-based milk and take on a tangy flavor with a creamy consistency.

RECIPE CARD PDF

When selecting your milk, note that soy milk thickens the most because the proteins in soy milk help thicken the yogurt. If you use almond, cashew, or coconut milk, adding agar, pectin, chia seeds, or a little arrowroot, the mixture will thicken and become creamy, with a thick texture. If you can’t find a non-dairy yogurt culture, buy online or substitute store-bought dairy-free yogurt.

INGREDIENTS
1 quart/945 ml almond, coconut milk, or soy (if you use soy milk, double cashews)
1/2 cup/125 ml raw cashews (enrich and thicken)
2 tbsp/30 ml arrowroot or cornstarch
¼ tsp/1ml agar powder or 1 tsp/5ml pectin
1 packet commercial non-dairy yogurt culture
or 1/4 cup/60 ml store-bought dairy-free yogurt

Optional add some sweetness
1 tsp/5 ml vanilla extract
1 tbsp/15 ml agave or maple syrup

METHOD
Place the milk, cashews, arrowroot, and agar in a blender and process until smooth and creamy. Pour mixture into a large saucepan over medium heat and simmer. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until mixture thickens. Pour the mixture into a 1-quart jar, let it rest, and cool until the temperature drops to 110°F/43°C. Gently stir in the dairy-free yogurt or packet of non-dairy yogurt culture. Add the vanilla and sweetener, if desired. Put the airtight lid on the jar and put it in a warm place where you can maintain a temperature of 110°F/40.5°C - 110°F/43°C for the entire 6 to 8 hours for the lactic acid bacteria to grow and make the yogurt thick and tangy. Cool and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks - yogurt will thicken further after refrigeration

Suggest regularly checking the temperature with an instant-read thermometer. To keep a consistent temperature, try placing it beside a warm oven, in the hot sun, using a slow cooker or rice cooker partially filled with water or a dehydrator.

VARIATION – Use 3 tbsp/45 ml chia seeds instead of cornstarch, arrowroot, agar, or pectin
Process the milk and cashews in the blender until smooth. Pour into a saucepan and heat the dairy-free milk to 110°F/40.5°C. Stir in chia seeds and remove from heat to thicken before placing in a warm spot to culture.

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DAIRY-FREE YOGURT

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