Plant-based Yoghurt
240-360 mins
Serves 600ml
"Creamy, tangy, smooth and delicious; this homemade yoghurt recipe really hits the spot for those who aren’t so keen on coconut yogurts but want a plant-based option (although you can absolutely use coconut cream in the recipe).
Because of the microbiology of yogurt making, we must be mindful of what we are feeding the milk to make the yoghurt set. I like to use a plant-based cream for yoghurt so it’s thick and creamy. Plant-sourced cream does not contain lactose, so you need to introduce sugars and proteins to feed the bacteria. The bacteria still produce some acid in dairy-free cream, so the flavour is slightly tart. However, plant-based milk does not have the same proteins as dairy milk that coagulate in the presence of an acid, so you need to add a thickener to make it thick and creamy, especially if you aren’t using coconut cream. Agar powder is the perfect plant-based thickener. It is a seaweed extract which is readily available from the supermarket." Anna Valentine.
Our thanks to Anna Valentine for sharing this recipe! Click here for more delicious recipes.
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Ingredients
- 600ml full-fat plant cream
- 1/2 tsp Agar powder
- 1 Tbs lemon juice
- 1 Tbs maple syrup or sugar
- 1-2 Tbs already made plant-based yogurt or 1/8 tsp vegan yogurt starter culture
Directions
- Pour the cream into a saucepan, sprinkle in the agar powder and warm to 75°C, stirring constantly.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the lemon juice, maple syrup and plant-based yoghurt (if using). Cool the milk/cream and agar mix down to 40°C.
- Add the lemon maple mixture and sprinkle in the starter culture (if using) and whisk together well.
- Pour into warm (40°C) sterilised jars, cap and incubate, undisturbed for 4-6 hours.
- Remove and refrigerate.
