Anyone who has discovered coconut yogurt knows that it’s a revelation; creamy, rich, tangy and full of probiotics without the side effects of dairy. Anyone who has bought coconut yogurt knows that it’s really expensive!

I’m here to tell you that making your own coconut yogurt is ridiculously cheap, easy, and good! Here are the basics:

You will need:

• a tin of good quality coconut cream (one without added water or stabilisers)
• either a couple of tablespoons of left-over yogurt from a previous batch (store-bought is fine) OR
• a probiotic capsule
• any flavours you want to add. I like to add some natural vanilla paste

When your previous yogurt batch is down to the last 2 tablespoons, just add the tin of coconut cream and any flavourings you want. Give it a really good mix/shake, and leave in a warm place for 2-3 days. That’s it. In winter I like to use my yogurt maker, but I fill it with hot tap water rather than boiling water or it tends to separate. Otherwise, a hot-water cupboard,  a sunny windowsill or any other warm, draft-free spot will work fine.

If you want to start from scratch, instead of using old yogurt you can open up a probiotic capsule (the ones you take for gut health) and sprinkle it in. These all have different strains of probiotic and strengths, so you might need to experiment with using more than one if it doesn’t turn tangy after a a couple of days.

My advice is just to have fun; it only costs the price of a can of coconut cream so experiment until you find a recipe that works for you. I had a few fails before I settled on a recipe that works for me.  I like to use Kara coconut cream and either leave it unflavoured (so it works for savoury or sweet dishes) or add a touch of vanilla bean paste. But the possibilities are endless!

Please comment if you come up with a great flavour combination; I’d love to hear about other people having success with coconut yogurt making.