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Published September 4, 2019 By Gigi Mitts 24 Comments

How to Make Vegan Yogurt [Non Dairy Yogurt Recipe]

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my link.

How to Make Vegan Yogurt [Non Dairy Yogurt Recipe]
antonbelo /Depositphotos.com
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Vegan yogurt is delicious, healthy, and easy to make, and you can even use it as a substitute in your baked goods and most other recipes that call for regular (dairy) yogurt.

Moooove along, cow’s milk! 

Cow’s milk and its yogurt often contain antibiotics and growth hormone residues called rBST which you certainly do not want in your body. This is one of the main reasons why people have given up cow’s milk and are turning to non-dairy alternatives.

When veganism first came on the scene, people had a hard time finding non-dairy milk replacements. That is not the case anymore. Today, given the wide range of plant-based milk options, there’s no need for cow, goat, sheep, or even buffalo milk. The most popular non-dairy milk substitutes are rice, soy, almond, cashew, grain milk, and yes, even oat milk.

Vegan or non-dairy milk is readily available everywhere these days. It even comes in delicious flavors like strawberry, vanilla, chocolate, etc. You can also find skimmed or fat-free versions of vegan milk. There are fortified or vitamin-rich vegan milk available too. 

In many countries, vegan milk is attractively priced, aesthetically packed in aseptic containers, and even comes in individual, quart, half-gallon, or gallon-sized packs. 

But why buy when you can make your own? Vegan milk is easy to make at home and all it takes is a bit of soaking and blending nuts or grains. I will be discussing non-dairy milk later in the recipe.

oats milk yogurt
antonbelo /Depositphotos.com

Vegan buttermilk and yogurt – delicious, versatile and healthy!

You can use vegan yogurt and buttermilk in many recipes including bread puddings, pies, smoothies, shakes, cookies, cakes, cupcakes, and even for frosting. 

Just remember that the consistency of vegan yogurt is different than dairy yogurt and that can impact your final recipe. For example, if you use soy yogurt, then remember that it is quite thick, while coconut yogurt is slightly thinner. So soy yogurt may be a better substitute for dairy yogurt that is made using whole milk. 

Vegan yogurt adds moisture to baking recipes and gives a great texture to your cakes or baked treats. 

Making homemade vegan yogurt is very easy too. Some recipes need a yogurt maker though, especially if you live in a cold climate. Plain soy milk works best for making yogurt for vegans. 

You can also use flavored soy milk and this yogurt can be easily used in fruit-based vegan recipes like strawberry muffins and smoothies. Have you tried vegan buttermilk? Let me tell you it is delicious! You can make it using two easily available ingredients: lemon juice and vinegar, which you add to soy milk. 

Vegan Greek-style yogurt

If you can make vegan yogurt, then you can certainly make Greek-style vegan yogurt. Many oat milk yogurts yield tart, thick and tasty yogurt recipes. Many brands of commercial vegan Greek yogurts are also available readily in the market.

Does dairy-free vegan yogurt contain live bacteria?

In my research, I have found that many dairy-free yogurt varieties contain a greater diversity of probiotic strains than dairy yogurt. Naturally, this, in no way means that vegan yogurt is better than cow’s milk yogurt but if you are vegan for health or eco-friendly reasons, you can at least still reap some of the health benefits.

Let’s discuss some tips to ensure that you only buy healthy vegan yogurt:

Tips for buying Vegan yogurt

The yogurt should state that it has β€˜live’ cultures

You need to buy non-dairy yogurt for the culture to make your first batch which you can reuse for subsequent batches. No matter which variety of yogurt you buy, the brand must have the words β€˜live’ and β€˜active’ on it. This way, you know for sure that the yogurt will benefit your gut microflora.

It should not have any hidden sugar content

Some vegan yogurts, especially the fruit-flavored ones, contain a whopping amount of sugar. Unless you plan to eat the yogurt as a treat, it is best to avoid brands containing more than 15g of sugar per serving.

It should not be heat-treated

If the yogurt is heat-treated, then it is likely to lose the beneficial probiotic bacteria in it. Heat- treated yogurt, vegan or otherwise, will not give you the health benefits you may be looking for.

It should not contain fillers

Any yogurt with colors, flavors, dyes, preservatives, or ingredients like xanthan gum is best avoided, in my opinion.

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Healthy breakfast. Yogurt with oat flakes

Oats Milk Yogurt Recipe


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5 from 6 reviews

  • Author: Gigi Mitts
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Description

Did you know that you can make delicious milk from oats? Oat milk is thick, creamy, and has a natural nutty and sweet flavor that is great in coffee. It is also rich in protein content. One cup of oats produces very thick, almost pudding-like yogurt. If you prefer it thin, just halve the quantity of oats.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 cup rolled or steel-cut oats
  • 3 tbsp or 45 grams non-dairy yogurt like coconut yogurt

Equipment

  • Thermometer
  • Mesh strainer
  • Funnel

Instructions

  1. Soak oats in water for about 15 minutes.
  2. Blend on high until the mixture is nice and creamy.
  3. Use cheesecloth or fine mesh strainer and strain the mixture.
  4. You may have to strain the mixture twice.
  5. Transfer the oats milk to a saucepan and gently heat it to 180 F. It is important that you not boil the milk.
  6. You also need to whisk often during the heating process. This is because oat milk tends to gel at the bottom of the pan.
  7. Cool the milk down to 115 F. You do not want anything hotter than this temperature as heat kills the cultures.
  8. Now add the non-dairy yogurt to the milk. Whisk well.
  9. If you have a yogurt maker, follow the instructions for that. If you do not have a yogurt maker, simply place the inoculated milk in an insulated pot or glass jar and cover the pot/jar with thick towels to maintain the heat. You may even place the pot or jar in an oven that has been preheated to about 110 F. Switch the oven off but leave its light on. A microwave oven also works well; simply place the pot inside the microwave and do not turn it on. It is only for insulation.
  10. Let the oat yogurt sit for at least 8 hours. The longer it sits, the tangier its taste.

Did you make this recipe?

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Conclusion

Vegan yogurt is healthy, delicious, and versatile. Try the above recipe and once done, enjoy it as is, or add fruits, flavors, essences, herbs, or sweeteners to enhance its taste. You can even use it as a substitute in place of regular yogurt. Store the yogurt in the refrigerator and make sure to save some for the next batch.

Related posts

How to Make Yogurt

How to Make Greek Yogurt

How to Choose the Best Yogurt Starter Culture

How to Flavor Plain Yogurt

How to Choose the Best Yogurt Maker

Filed Under: Recipes

Author

Gigi Mitts
Hi! I’m Gigi. A fermentation nerd passionate about healthy food and great diet. I believe that our wellbeing and beauty starts in our gut and that each of us has a responsibility to get informed, take action, and look after their body. I’m here to spread that message, bring back the benefits of ancient nutrition to modern life, and show you all the latest cool ways to ferment and preserve food at home.

Comments

  1. Karen says

    March 1, 2020 at 11:40 am

    That’s what I needed. I’m vegan but my husband is a vegetarian. We always “fight” about probiotics in cow yogurt. Luckily, he recognizes that cow’s milk may be bad for adults. I’ll try to make vegan yogurt. So happy to learn that it has probiotics…

    Reply
    • Gigi Mitts says

      March 3, 2020 at 7:00 pm

      Glad you found the recipe πŸ™‚

      Reply
  2. Louise says

    March 15, 2020 at 6:49 pm

    Can you use the leftover oat pulp afterwards?

    Reply
    • Gigi Mitts says

      March 18, 2020 at 6:06 pm

      You can. I would probably add it to pancake batter or simply compost it for my plants. Alternatively, you can make crispy falafel balls by mashing up boiled potatoes and canned chickpeas, adding some spices, and tossing in the oat pulp. Hope this helps!

      Reply
  3. Morgan says

    April 25, 2020 at 4:28 pm

    So you don’t need any thickeners like gelatin, agar, or cornstarch? Like in almond milk yogurt?

    Reply
    • Gigi Mitts says

      April 25, 2020 at 9:31 pm

      No, you don’t. If you follow the recipe the end result will be a thick and creamy yogurt πŸ™‚

      Reply
  4. Illora says

    April 27, 2020 at 7:58 am

    Hello! I’m excited to try this shortly, so thank you for posting. My question is, once you have the fermented oat yogurt, can you use some of that yogurt in place of the store bought yogurt called for in the recipe? (Similar to how you would use a sour dough starter or kombucha SCOBY?)
    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Gigi Mitts says

      April 27, 2020 at 6:31 pm

      Hi Illora,
      Yes, I’ve tried using it in no-bake desserts which were delicious. I haven’t tried in any other recipes but I’m sure it would be fine.

      Reply
  5. sally berger says

    May 7, 2020 at 9:03 pm

    Can I use store bought oat milk such as Oatley ?

    Reply
    • Gigi Mitts says

      May 10, 2020 at 8:45 am

      Sure, you can use Oatly to make the yogurt. You will also need to add a thickening agent like tapioca. Let me know how it goes!

      Reply
  6. Ariel says

    May 17, 2020 at 10:54 pm

    I made this today and it turned out pretty good πŸ™‚ the rest of my family is so interested in what I made haha. What would the nutrition facts be per serving? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Gigi Mitts says

      May 18, 2020 at 11:19 pm

      That’s awesome Ariel! I don’t have nutrition facts handy but I plan to add them to recipes soon. It’s on my to do πŸ™‚

      Reply
  7. veggue says

    June 22, 2020 at 1:36 am

    hi thanks very much for your recipe. Why shouldn’t it boil? other oat yogurt recipes boil it

    making oat milk is very messy! I kept whisking as it heated but the oat milk glugginess seemed to confuse the thermometer which gave different readings depending on where i placed it even while whisking at the same time

    I hope it turns out nicely. I avoid cooking with oat milk as it always has an odd cardboard like flavor for some reason. Eating this cold though so should be good. Thanks again for sharing
    .

    Reply
    • Gigi Mitts says

      June 23, 2020 at 7:40 am

      Thanks for your kind words πŸ™‚ I let the milk simmer instead of boiling it as a precaution to avoid potential burn. I hope you’re happy the way your yogurt turned out πŸ™‚

      Reply
  8. Sophie Pierce says

    August 14, 2020 at 5:40 am

    If you use store bought oat milk for this recipe, how much should you use? Thanks

    Reply
  9. Tamara says

    September 20, 2020 at 2:23 am

    When I tried making oat milk earlier it got very slimy. Is that to be expected or did I do something wrong?

    Reply
  10. talya barash says

    November 4, 2020 at 6:54 am

    how long after making does the yoghurt keep in the fridge?

    Reply
    • Gigi Mitts says

      December 1, 2020 at 6:45 am

      You can keep it in the fridge for up to 7 days.

      Reply
  11. Anne says

    March 3, 2021 at 11:54 am

    Made this yesterday and I am so pleased with how good it is. Thank you for your recipe

    Reply
    • Gigi Mitts says

      March 14, 2021 at 5:27 am

      Awesome, thanks for sharing Anne πŸ™‚

      Reply
  12. SusanC says

    May 7, 2021 at 9:58 am

    Can I use probiotic capsules instead of yogurt?

    Reply
    • Gigi Mitts says

      May 8, 2021 at 1:50 am

      Hi Susan, I’m aware that probiotic capsules can be used but haven’t personally tried making yogurt with them.

      Reply
  13. Danielle says

    May 15, 2021 at 1:05 pm

    One question… you said to use vegan yogourt like coconut vegan yogourt… if I can’t find this type, can I use soya yogourt or almond yogourt to make the oat milk yogourt? And if they are all available, do you have any preference? Thank you so much in advance, your recipe looks wonderful. I plan to make it like you said, but to put it in my Nynja Foodie 8 hours at the dehydrate function at 180 degrees, this is how I make my regular milk yogourt, It gives wonderful results… i guess it would work too?

    Reply
    • Gigi Mitts says

      May 16, 2021 at 9:02 am

      I personally haven’t tried using any other yogurt other than coconut for this recipe. You should be able to use Ninja Foodi, have heard good things about them. Good luck and hope it tastes delicious πŸ™‚

      Reply

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A word from the Founder

Hey, Gigi here. I developed an interest in fermented foods a couple of years ago when I recalled that my mum used to make it when I was a kid. Once I rediscovered the world of fermenting, I started reading about and making the food myself. Here at MyFermentedFoods.com I blog about my journey and share my knowledge with you. I hope you enjoy reading it. Read More…

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