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Easy Dairy-Free Yogurt Recipe

When I want to send a lunch box parfait to school with my dairy-free son, I use this dairy-free yogurt recipe. It’s also perfect for breakfast, or to add to your favorite smoothie recipe for a little bit of extra creaminess without any dairy. 

image: two small jars filled with dairy free yogurt

You could say that I have a house filled with food restrictions. My oldest son is on a gluten-free diet, my youngest is on a dairy-free diet, and I eat grain-free and mostly Paleo. It took a while, but I am finally not a short-order cook!

I began using our grain-free meal plan, and all I have to do is add some rice to a couple of meals to make everyone happy. Small switches like today’s yogurt make everything easier too. Dairy free yogurt is just as creamy and delicious as it’s traditional dairy-filled counterparts, so this is a quick recipe I can make for everyone in our house, even the people with no dairy sensitivities.

One of the reasons I love this recipe is that you can use any non-dairy “milk” you like. For the creamiest version equivalent to traditional full-fat yogurt, use canned coconut milk. I like to use this particular brand that doesn’t contain gums as stabilizers.

How to Make Dairy-Free Yogurt

For a real yogurt-like texture, I recommend using full fat coconut milk. Other options such as almond milk, cashew milk, or soy milk don’t compare to the creamy texture it gives this yogurt.

  1. Start by stirring gelatin and warm water together in a small bowl. Allow it to sit for 10 minutes until it forms a gel-like substance
  2. Meanwhile, warm the milk and maple syrup or honey in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer and remove from heat. 
  3. Add ¼ cup of the warmed milk to the gelatin and stir to combine, before adding to the saucepot. Whisk to combine. If you are using active cultures in this yogurt recipe, add them here
  4. Divide the liquid between 4 yogurt ramekins or mason jars. Cool to room temperature and refrigerate overnight. 

Now that you know how to make plain yogurt try adding fruit preserves or fresh fruit to the bottom of the dish or jar a homemade fruit-at-the-bottom yogurt.

Is this Yogurt Lactose-Free?

Since we use coconut milk or another dairy-free milk, this yogurt contains no lactose. But it does have a creamy, delicious texture your family will love, thanks to the coconut milk.

Recipes with Yogurt

Yogurt isn’t for breakfast only; I also like to pack it in lunch along with fruit and crackers. Not sure how to pack yogurt in a lunchbox? Check out these smart hacks on how to pack yogurt for lunch and keep it cold.

  • Fruit and yogurt parfait
  • Yogurt Pancakes
  • Fresh Fruit Yogurt
  • Red, White & Blue Parfait
  • Fruit & Yogurt Breakfast Pizza

I like making recipes like the Fresh Fruit Yogurt with diced strawberries or blueberries, whichever I have on hand. It’s an easy way to use up fresh berries in a healthy snack.

Have a problem keeping those berries fresh for recipes like this one, try out this solution to keep berries fresh longer. I think you’ll be surprised how much longer your berries will keep.

Homemade, dairy-free yogurt is a lot more simple to make than it sounds, right? Give this recipe a try in any of the yogurt lunch ideas above, you won’t be able to tell the difference!

Your kids will love having this treat around and it’s made with real ingredients, no artificial flavors and sweeteners, which is a winner for me.

It’s recipes like this dairy-free yogurt and others that make the Family Kickstart Program, a success with kids. Unlike other clean eating programs, Kickstart gives healthy, real-food meals kid appeal by recreating their favorite dishes in a wholesome way. For instance, Shrimp Fried Cauliflower Rice or Pizza Chicken and what about Chicken Burrito Bowls? I think you get the picture.

For a better look at what Kickstart brings to the table pick up your free clean eating eBook to get you started.

Print

Dairy-Free Yogurt

Dairy free yogurt
Print Recipe
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★★★★

3.7 from 3 reviews

  • Author: MOMables.com
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Snack
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

Units
  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) warm water
  • 1 ½ teaspoons powdered gelatin
  • 1 cup canned coconut milk
  • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 2 tablespoons (40 g) maple syrup or honey, optional

Instructions

  1. Place warm water and gelatin in a small bowl. Stir to combine and let it sit for 10 minutes to form a jelly-like mixture.
  2. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, whisk coconut and almond milk with maple syrup over medium heat. Allow it to come to a simmer, stirring constantly.
  3. Remove the warm milk from heat and whisk gelatin mixture into the milk until it completely dissolves.
  4. If using active cultures, add it here and whisk to incorporate.
  5. Divide yogurt mixture between 4 6-ounce glass yogurt ramekins or mason jars. Allow the yogurts to cool down to room temperature, cover, and refrigerate overnight.

Equipment

Best Grain-Free Meals on the Planet

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Clean Treats Cookbook

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Nutrition

  • Serving Size: ¾ cup
  • Calories: 156
  • Sugar: 8g
  • Sodium: 65.5g
  • Fat: 12.8g
  • Saturated Fat: 10.7g
  • Carbohydrates: 10.7g
  • Fiber: 0
  • Protein: 1.7g
  • Cholesterol: 0

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @MOMables on Instagram and hashtag it #momables

For more ideas like these delivered straight to your inbox, check out our meal plans.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Aviela Emmanuel

    October 23, 2021 at 9:55 am

    Hi please can i make it with rice milk only without any probiotics or culture I need answer as soon as possible

    Reply
    • MOMables-Laura

      October 29, 2021 at 4:03 pm

      Hi Aviela, you can try it with rice milk but it may be a little runny. No probiotics are needed.

      Reply
  2. Lindi

    July 15, 2021 at 1:56 pm

    Can this be frozen?

    Reply
    • MOMables-Laura

      July 16, 2021 at 4:04 pm

      Yes, you can check out how to freeze yogurt here: https://www.momables.com/freeze-yogurt/

      Reply
  3. Julie W

    July 13, 2021 at 2:00 pm

    Looks yummy!

    Have you considered adding probiotics to this to help with the gut?

    Thank you! Julie

    Reply
    • MOMables-Laura

      July 16, 2021 at 4:14 pm

      You can add probiotics to this recipe. I’ve done so before. Make sure to add them just after stirring in the gelatin.

      Reply
      • Chloe

        August 16, 2021 at 5:50 pm

        Is there any type of probiotics that are recommended to use? Or can you use any? I’m making it for my daughter and she needs probiotics in the yoghurt.

        Reply
        • MOMables-Laura

          August 25, 2021 at 1:08 pm

          Hi Chloe you can use any of your favorite probiotic strains in powder form to make this yogurt. Just stir it into the gelatin mixture then add it to the warmed milk.

          Reply
        • Erika higginson

          October 20, 2021 at 9:24 am

          I would use a dairy free one much better if dairy free

          Reply
  4. Jessica

    April 05, 2021 at 2:28 pm

    I made this dairy free yogurt and I can’t believe how great it tastes! I omitted the maple syrup and used 4 packets of stevia to keep it lower carb.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  5. Miss E

    October 14, 2020 at 7:05 pm

    Can this recipe be made in a yogurt maker?

    Reply
    • MOMables-Laura

      October 16, 2020 at 4:55 pm

      Yes!

      Reply
  6. Amy

    February 02, 2019 at 9:47 am

    I finally tried this and it was really good. So easy to make. I used great lakes gelatin and coconut milk.

    Reply
    • Dessi

      November 30, 2020 at 3:57 am

      how to make in yogurt maker?

      Reply
  7. Phyllis

    August 06, 2018 at 8:49 am

    Thank you for the great dairy free yogurt recipes. My 18 month old granddaughter has dairy issues. It wouldn’t be such a big deal except I live on smoothies. She has been helping me make smoothies since she could get around. Crawling or walker. At about 5 months I would help her stand on the counter & push the button on my Ninja blender. I just love my Ninja. My daughter would tell me NOT to give her any but being her Gigi, I’d always give her a taste. It was much later that we found out that milk was giving her problems. Finally, you have given me the solution. I haven’t tried making the yogurt yet but I’m sure she will love it. You mentioned putting LIVE CULTURE (if I remember correctly). Where do you get it and what name does it go by? Thanks. I’m looking forward to making her a healthy snack. Keep up the good work. People think I have all the answers or know everything, I don’t. I just ask other intelligent people or Google it. Thanks again

    Reply
    • MOMables - Laura

      August 07, 2018 at 9:21 am

      Hi Phillis! You can buy probiotic pills and use those in the yogurt. get 1 million active cultures (amazon).

      Reply
  8. Amy Kohn

    March 18, 2018 at 3:34 pm

    Would great lakes collagen work for the gelatin?

    Reply
    • MOMables - Laura

      March 19, 2018 at 10:01 am

      Yes! absolutely. The orange container, not the green one.

      Reply
  9. Carrie

    March 12, 2018 at 1:11 pm

    How long will the yogurt stay good in the fridge before it expires?

    Reply
    • MOMables - Laura

      March 15, 2018 at 7:40 am

      A week. It’s non-dairy so the shelf life is longer than homemade dairy yogurt.

      Reply
      • Elvie

        November 19, 2020 at 7:47 pm

        Hi! Can I replace gelatin powder with agar-agar? Thanks!

        Reply
        • MOMables-Laura

          December 01, 2020 at 5:21 pm

          I’ve never tried this recipe with agar-agar but I’m sure it would work fine.

          Reply
  10. juli

    January 20, 2018 at 12:24 pm

    What about the healthy live cultures and good bacteria? This does not really sound like yogurt.

    Reply
    • MOMables - Laura

      January 20, 2018 at 4:51 pm

      Hi Juli, I’ve updated the recipe for you since we updated our site it did not carry over.

      Reply
  11. Joi

    February 14, 2017 at 9:20 am

    I tried this and it turned out yummy. My kids loved it.
    Thank you

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  12. Eri Godfrey

    January 14, 2017 at 1:41 am

    I started to make soy milk recently, would homemade soymilk work with your yogurt recipe. Interesting idea and less involved without using culture.

    Reply
    • MOMables

      January 16, 2017 at 5:01 pm

      yes it will work but make sure the “milk” is thicker to begin with. Enjoy!

      Reply
  13. Sue

    November 03, 2016 at 12:13 pm

    Has anyone tried this using Agar Agar instead of gelatin so it’s vegetarian? Wonder if it would set.

    Reply
    • MOMables

      November 10, 2016 at 11:50 am

      it’s not going to work. sorry!

      Reply
  14. shelby

    February 08, 2016 at 11:08 am

    I have tried this recipe three times now and my yogurt still won’t set. The first batch has been in the fridge for 5 days..

    ★

    Reply
    • MOMables

      February 10, 2016 at 2:49 pm

      what type of gelatin are you using? I made a batch last week.

      Reply
    • MOMables

      February 10, 2016 at 2:49 pm

      what type of gelatin are you using? I made a batch last week.

      Reply
  15. Robyn

    May 08, 2015 at 9:45 pm

    There are no yoghurt cultures in this. I was looking for a recipe that used probiotics as trying to heal my daughters gut. Could these be added?

    Reply
    • MOMables

      May 11, 2015 at 3:44 pm

      You can add 1 – 50million capsule of probiotics to the recipe, after it has slightly cooled but before you pour into all the jars to create probiotic growth.

      Reply
  16. Brandi

    April 03, 2015 at 4:23 pm

    I was curious what the consistency of this yogurt is? Is it creamy like dairy yogurt or is it more like jello? I’ve made another recipe with gelatin in it and it turned out more like jello than I had expected. I’m looking for something creamy so I can stir in fruit. My 2 year old loves yogurt and it’s been hard to find an alternative.

    Reply
    • MOMables

      April 03, 2015 at 4:31 pm

      It’s not “jello” but it has a thick texture. All you have to do is stir it prior to spooning out to eliminate the gelatin-like consistency.

      Reply
  17. J'Marinde

    March 07, 2015 at 10:53 am

    I signed up and confirmed in my emails, but still cannot get access to this recipe. HELP!!!

    Reply
    • MOMables

      March 08, 2015 at 10:04 am

      J’Marinde, this is a paid members-only recipe.

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Printable Clean Eating Food List for Healthy Family Meals | Laura Fuentes says:
    September 9, 2020 at 11:22 AM

    […] Unsweetened dairy-free alternatives – almond milk, cashew milk, and coconut milk (preferably canned) are great options and alternatives.Cheese substitutes and yogurt substitutes tend to have a lot of added ingredients for texture, color, and taste-alike. If you want to make your own dairy-free yogurt, check out this recipe. […]

    Reply

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