Barb Hodgens
Barb Hodgens

Barb Hodgens loves to cook with alternative, healthy whole food ingredients, with a focus on gut health. Barb has overcome her own gut health issues through healthy eating. Share your ideas, comments and photos at the end of this post :)

homemade coconut yogurt

Easy method, awesome texture!

If you are finding homemade coconut yogurt a challenge, this coconut yogurt thickened with glutinous rice flour is a game-changer. The consistency, texture and mouth feel is comparable to all the top store-bought coconut yogurt brands out there, however without the mysterious ingredients and unwanted plastic. Making it at home with a good quality starter you are also seeding your jar with far more probiotic bacteria than anything you can buy at the store.

homemade coconut yogurt

WHAT IS GLUTINOUS RICE FLOUR?

Glutinous rice flour is made from ground short-grain sweet white rice, it’s also known as sweet rice flour or sticky rice flour and is a popular ingredient in many Asian desserts and savoury snacks. The term ‘glutinous’ refers to its characteristic consistency and texture and does not contain gluten. This variety of rice flour is starchier than regular rice flour, it’s super white, fine, and powdery, and after cooking becomes gel-like and thickens.

Confusing as the name may be, sweet rice flour does not contain sugar, it simply refers to the type of rice it is made from. It has a neutral, slightly milky taste that is ideal for yogurt making. Unlike other starchy flours, which need to be added in the form of a slurry, glutinous rice flour can be mixed directly into liquid without clumping. It also homogenises fats which is a big bonus with coconut milk yogurt as it prevents the separation of coconut water and cream.

You’ll find glutinous rice flour in the Asian section of your supermarket. We used 1 tablespoon (10g) per 400mL can but add a little more to achieve a thicker consistency if you prefer. The taste and consistency of canned coconut milk varies greatly from brand to brand and depending on the fat/water ratio, you may need to adjust the quantity accordingly. Adding more will not affect the taste of your coconut yogurt.

homemade coconut yogurt

STARTER CULTURE

You will need a yogurt starter culture to introduce the fermentation of bacteria to the coconut milk. Use the amount of starter culture indicated on the packet. We used Nourish Me Organics pure coconut starter culture but any dairy-free starter may be used.

FEED THE BACTERIA SUGAR

In traditional dairy milk yogurt, the bacteria in starter culture thrive on the sugar (lactose) content, naturally found in milk. The bacteria populating your coconut yogurt must have something to feed on to allow the culturing process to take place. One teaspoon of sugar or one tablespoon of pasteurised honey is enough to kick start fermentation. Raw honey may have an antibiotic effect and is therefore not suitable for making yogurt.

homemade coconut yogurt
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homemade coconut yogurt
homemade coconut yogurt

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homemade coconut yogurt