Homemade yogurt has a ton of health benefits and comes in handy for many recipes. If you don’t want to consume dairy, however, yogurt can be tricky. It can be hard to find non-dairy yogurt in all grocery stores, and it’s usually expensive. I have tried to avoid including yogurt in my recipes for this very reason. However, I’ve started to make it lately and it’s not as hard as I once thought. Here is everything you need to know.
What you’ll need to Make Homemade Non-Dairy Yogurt
- Soy Milk. There are many different milks you can use. I’ve tried a few, and the best results and easiest process is making soy milk yogurt. I also like it because soy has the most protein. The ingredients need to be JUST soy beans and water. Trader Joe’s Brand, Eden Soy or West Life are a few brands I know of without any additives. If you don’t want to make soy milk yogurt, check out this recipe for cashew milk yogurt.
2. Yogurt Starter. You’ll also need a starter, which has the bacteria that ferments the milk into yogurt. Some methods use a probiotic capsule, but I find store-bought yogurt to be the easiest starter. I go to Trader Joe’s or Walmart and get their soy milk and a small container of cashew yogurt or Silk yogurt. You can also of course use dairy yogurt. Those are all the ingredients you need!
3. Two glass quart jars.
4. Instant Pot. An Instant Pot has a yogurt setting which keeps the jars at the perfect temperature while they ferment. If you don’t have one, use the oven method as described here.
Health Benefits of Soy Yogurt
The probiotic content of this yogurt supports gut health, aiding digestion and boosting immunity. Also, homemade versions allow for full control over ingredients, ensuring no artificial additives or excessive sugars are included. I like to eat it plain with granola and fruit, or stir in some strawberry jam, or maple syrup and vanilla extract.
Is homemade yogurt thick?
With this homemade soy yogurt, you have two options.
- Eat it as is, which is a thin yogurt. I often embrace the thinness and it’s quick and easy and you get way more volume than if you strain it. It’s especially great for overnight oats and chia pudding!
- Strain it for 2+ hours. Simply line a colandar with a paper towel or cheesecloth, and set it over a bowl, and pour one jar of yogurt in. Within one hour even, you’ll have an inch of liquid in the bowl to pour out. Leaving it for longer will create thicker yogurt, but also decreases the volume of what you made.
What to do with your Homemade Vegan Yogurt
- Chia pudding: Adding yogurt to chia pudding is a complete game-changer. My favorite recipe using yogurt is this chia pudding!
- Yogurt Parfait: Layer plain non-dairy yogurt with fresh fruits like berries, granola, and a drizzle of agave or maple syrup for a nutritious and satisfying breakfast or dessert.
- Yogurt Smoothie: Blend plain non-dairy yogurt with your favorite fruits (such as bananas, mangoes, or berries), a handful of spinach or kale, and a splash of plant-based milk for a creamy and nutritious smoothie.
- Yogurt Dressing: Use plain non-dairy yogurt as a base for dressings and sauces. Mix it with garlic, lemon juice, fresh herbs (like dill or parsley), salt, and pepper for a tangy and creamy dressing perfect for salads or as a dip for veggies. I have a quick ranch dip mix you can stir into yogurt in the my free convenience foods e-book!
- Yogurt Marinade: Use plain non-dairy yogurt as a marinade for tofu, vegetables, or plant-based meats. Combine it with spices such as paprika, cumin, garlic powder, and a squeeze of lemon juice for a tangy and tenderizing marinade before grilling or baking.
- Creamy Hot Sauce: Stir plain yogurt with hot sauce for a creamy condiment on tacos, such as my tofu tacos.
- Overnight Oats: Like chia pudding, adding yogurt to overnight oats makes them much more creamy and flavorful!
- Popsicles: Make my strawberry yogurt popsicles!
Watch my Instagram Reel to see how easy it is to make this yogurt!
Easy Homemade Soy Yogurt
Equipment
- 1 pressure cooker (like an Instant Pot)
- 2 glass quart jars
Ingredients
- 1 quart soy milk, made of only soybeans and water (Trader Joes brand or West Soy are two options) (MUST be soy milk, other plant milks will not work)
- 1 container (any size) any yogurt with live, active cultures (dairy, cashew, almond--any kind!) --you'll only need a few tablespoons
Instructions
- Put about one tablespoon of yogurt (you can eyeball it) into the bottom of each jar. Divide the quart of soy milk between the two jars. If you want to make a bigger batch of yogurt, you can put 2-3 tablespoons of yogurt into each jar, and fill with 3 cups of milk in each (using a quart and a half of soy milk). Stir gently.
- Put lids on the jars, and place them into a clean Instant Pot pot. Put the lid on and push the Yogurt setting. Set to 14 hours. This just keeps it at the right temperature to let the yogurt bacteria grow and thicken the soy milk.
- When the time is up, the yogurt should be thickened. It will be thin yogurt, but full of healthy bacteria that are great for your gut!
- To thicken it, put a fine-mesh colandar over a bowl, and line the colandar with a paper towel or cheese cloth. Pour a few cups of yogurt in, and let it sit in the fridge for a few hours until the bowl has a lot of liquid collected in it, and the yogurt is thick, Transfer the yogurt to an airtight container. Set a few tablespoons aside to make your next batch! In my experience, it will last a couple times before you need to get fresh commercial yogurt again.
- Stir jam in the yogurt or maple syrup, honey, and fruit. A little vanilla and salt is also delicious. Make chia pudding with yogurt, parfaits, or eat with granola and fruit for a protein-rich, healthy snack or breakfast.
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