bowls of yogurt with fruit, nuts, and granola

Make Coconut Yogurt At Home

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I've been a professional baker for over 20 years. When my vendors can't come through, I don't wait — I make it myself. Coconut yogurt is one of those things that sounds complicated until you realize it's just two ingredients and a little patience.

Three coconut halves on a dark background

Ingredients

Full-fat canned coconut milk - 2 cans
Pure coconut + water only — no gums or stabilizers

Vegan probiotic capsules - 2 capsules
At least 10 billion CFU, multi-strain with Lactobacillus
OR

store-bought coconut yogurt
As an alternative starter

Coconut halves on a table next to a glass jar of coconut milk and bowl of white powder

The Method

1. Warm it Up
Pour both cans into a saucepan and warm gently over low heat to around 110°F (43°C) — warm to the touch, not hot. This gives your cultures a head start the moment they hit the milk. Too hot and you'll kill them on contact.

Why warm it first?
You're setting the stage before the bacteria arrive — warm conditions mean they get to work immediately instead of spending hours just waking up.

2. Add Your Starter
Open 2 probiotic capsules and whisk the powder directly into the warm milk. If you don't have that, add in a few tablespoons of plain store-bought coconut yogurt. Whisk until fully combined.

3. Ferment
Pour into a clean glass jar or bowl. Cover loosely with cheesecloth or a paper towel secured with a rubber band. You want it covered but not airtight. Place it in your oven with the oven off and just the light on. The light generates enough warmth to keep fermentation going.

24 hours is the sweet spot for most people. Leave it to 36–48 hours if you want a more pronounced tangy flavor. Taste it and decide.

4. Refridgerate and Set
When you pull it out it'll look loose — that's normal. Seal the jar and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. It'll thicken up considerably as it cools. That's your finished yogurt.

5. Save Your Starter
Before you use up the batch, set aside 2–3 tablespoons. Next time, use that as your starter instead of buying more probiotic capsules. The culture carries over and keeps getting stronger.

A ceramic pot and metal cake pan full of freshly made yogurt

Tips

Liquid pooling on top is normal separation. Stir it back in or drain it off depending on how thick you want the final texture.
Check your probiotic label for dairy fillers like lactose or whey. Some probiotics are cultured on dairy even if the main ingredient isn't. Look for vegan-certified if you're being strict. The bacteria themselves are not animal-derived — what you're watching out for is the growth medium and fillers used during manufacturing.
Carton coconut milk will not work well here. It's too watered down and won't give you a thick set. Stick to full-fat canned.
Once you have a reliable batch going, you never need to buy probiotics for this again. Just keep feeding the culture forward.

A bowl of yogurt topped with fruit and granola with mint leaves

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