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This plant-based yogurt is thick, creamy, slightly tart, and made with 100% homemade almond milk! If you are looking for the creamiest almond milk yogurt, look no further! Just 5 ingredients, dairy-free, and so easy to make!
Many of you have been asking for a soy and coconut-free yogurt recipe. After using 6 pounds of almonds for testing, here it is!
I didn’t want to go with cashews here simply because it would have made the yogurts too heavy, and I wanted something light. Almonds are great, but there was one problem when making yogurt from almond milk: it never thickens.
So, after checking the ingredient list of tens of vegan yogurts and reading reviews about them, I started to work with thickeners.
I first went with pectin, but it’s a bit messy to work with, and I was not getting a satisfying texture. In the end, I went with a mix of three thickeners: locust bean gum, also known as carob bean gum, xanthan gum, and a pinch of agar-agar. When combined together, they form a gel. It’s science, so don’t ask me how it works exactly! The main point is that it results in thick and creamy yogurt!
If you are looking for a vegan yogurt recipe that doesn’t make use of gums, check out this Cashew & Almond Yogurt recipe.
👨⚕️ Health Benefits
Yogurts are packed with good live bacteria, known as probiotics. They help boost the immune system and improve digestion. Since these yogurts are made from 100% almonds, they are naturally soy-free, refined sugar-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free!
🥣 How to Make It
Before starting: Please don’t try to substitute or omit any ingredient here. It took a lot of tests to get this recipe right, and just a small change will affect the texture of the yogurt. For example, if using cornstarch or arrowroot, the yogurts will have a slimy texture, so stick to locust bean gum. If using too much xanthan gum, the yogurts tend to be gelatinous, etc… Don’t be scared by this recipe, though. It’s actually very easy!
You will need just 5 ingredients to make your own almond milk yogurt:
- Almonds – Use raw almonds, not roasted ones. You can use blanched or whole almonds. It doesn’t really matter.
- Locust Bean Gum – The main thickener. As opposed to cornstarch or tapioca starch, locust bean gum won’t give the yogurt a slimy texture.
- Xanthan Gum – Xanthan gum helps thicken everything a bit more and improves the mouthfeel.
- Agar Agar – Agar gives more structure to the yogurt. We are only using a very small amount of agar here (1/32 tsp) because it’s very powerful, and we don’t want a jelly yogurt texture.
- Yogurt Starter – You can use powdered yogurt starter or a few tablespoons of your favorite vegan yogurt.
- Optional: vanilla bean or vanilla extract, maple syrup.
Making the Almond Milk
Alright, let’s do it! We will first prepare the almond milk because we are going to do everything from scratch. Start by soaking the almonds for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
Once your almonds have soaked overnight, drain them and place them in a blender with filtered water. Blend on high speed until smooth, about 30-40 seconds. For exact quantities, please check the recipe at the end of this post.
Then, strain the almond milk using a nut milk bag. Just squeeze the bag to release the milk. The almond pulp can be discarded or saved for other recipes. The almond milk is ready to use. Now comes the easiest part: making the yogurts!
Thickening the Milk
Combine your freshly made almond milk with the locust bean gum, xanthan gum, and agar agar in a saucepan and whisk until everything is well combined. Then heat to 185°F (85°C) to activate the gums and agar. Remove from heat and let cool at room temperature.
Once it reaches 110°F (43°C), stir in the yogurt starter or 3 tbsp of non-dairy yogurt and whisk. I used only half a packet of this starter since one packet is given for 4 cups of milk. Be aware the almond milk will need to be churned as it will have already thickened a bit. This is normal. Whisk well to break any possible lumps and give the almond milk a smooth texture again.
Culturing
You can now pour the almond milk into glass jars and let the yogurts culture for 5-6 hours at 105-115°F (40-45°C). If you don’t have a yogurt maker, you can use your oven. Place the jars in a dish filled with warm water and put them in the oven with the light on or set at 105°F for 5 hours. It’s the technique I used, and it worked great!
After 6 hours, place the yogurts in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours. Your yogurts are now ready!
This almond milk yogurt makes a fresh and delicious breakfast. Top with granola, fresh fruits, a drizzle of maple syrup, and some nut butter for healthy fats! It’s also delicious served with a generous slice of vegan pound cake or banana bread!
If you plan to make these regularly, you can save 3 tbsp of yogurt and use it as a starter for your next batch.
Greek Style
This yogurt is already quite thick, but if you want an even thicker yogurt, you can get a Greek-style yogurt consistency by draining the whey from the yogurts. To do that, line a fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth, and pour the yogurt into it. Let the strainer rest on top of a bowl to catch the excess liquid, and place it in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours. After one hour, your yogurt should already be thicker. Let it rest longer for a thicker texture.
Flavor Variations
Now, for those of you who don’t like plain yogurt, I’m sharing 7 variants (not all pictured) to flavor your yogurts. Commercial yogurts almost always contain added flavorings and a lot of sugar. By making your own, you know exactly what’s in there.
- Blueberry: Mix 1/2 cup yogurt with 1/4 cup homemade blueberry jam. I recommend checking Bakerita’s Blueberry Chia Jam recipe for a low-sugar version.
- Peach: Purée 1 large peach with 2 tsp maple syrup. Mix 1/2 cup yogurt with the peach purée.
- Salted Caramel Crunch: In a small bowl, mix 1 tbsp almond butter with 1 tbsp maple syrup and 1/8 tsp salt. Stir the caramel into 1/2 cup yogurt and top with roasted pecans.
- Amaretto: Mix 1/2 cup yogurt with 1/4 cup cherry jam and 1/8 tsp almond extract.
- Nutella: Mix 1/2 cup yogurt with 2 tbsp hazelnut butter, 2 tbsp cocoa powder, and 2 tbsp maple syrup.
- Key Lime: Mix 1/2 cup yogurt with 2 tbsp lime juice. Sweeten to taste.
- Double Chocolate: Mix 1/2 cup yogurt with 2 tbsp cocoa powder, 1 tbsp maple syrup (or more, to taste), and 1 tbsp chocolate chips.
💬 FAQ
I’m afraid I cannot recommend any substitute for this recipe. It’s the combination of the gums and agar that creates the perfect smooth and creamy texture.
Commercial almond milk often contains gums or thickeners, so it’s hard to predict the results. Some brands might work, others won’t. For the best result, I highly recommend making your own almond milk.
Get a 1/8 measuring teaspoon and fill half of it with the agar. Using a knife, remove half of the half to get 1/32. If you are unsure, you can simply double the recipe. In this case, you will use 1/16 teaspoon.
Almond milk yogurts will keep for up to 4-5 days in the refrigerator.
If you are looking for soy-free, coconut-free yogurt, this is it. It’s creamy, smooth, and has the perfect texture!
Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe and what is your favorite flavor!
⭐️ Did you like this recipe? Let us know in the comments below, and tag us on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
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Vegan Almond Milk Yogurt
Ingredients
Almond Milk
- 1 cup raw almonds
- 3 cups filtered water
Yogurts
- 2 and 1/2 cup homemade almond milk
- 1 tsp locust bean gum
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
- 1/32 tsp agar powder see notes
- 1 packet of yogurt starter or 2 tbsp non-dairy yogurt I used half a packet of this starter.
- Optional: 2 tsp maple syrup, seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean (or 1/4 tsp vanilla extract)
Instructions
Almond Milk
- Soak the almonds for at least 6 hours or overnight. Drain and add to a blender with the 3 cups of water. Blend on high speed for 30-40 seconds, until smooth.
- Place a nut milk bag over a large glass bowl. Pour the almond milk into the bag and twist to close. Using your hands, squeeze to extract as much almond milk as possible. You should end up with about 2 and 1/2 cups of almond milk.
Yogurts
- Combine the almond milk (2 and 1/2 cups), locust bean gum, xanthan gum, and agar in a medium saucepan. If you want to make a sweetened yogurt, also add maple syrup and vanilla seeds. Heat over medium heat until it reaches 185°F (85°C), whisking constantly to make sure all the gums are fully dissolved and don't stay at the bottom. Remove from heat at soon as it reaches 185°F, just before it boils. Transfer to a large glass bowl and let sit for about 20 minutes or until the temperature reaches 110°F (43°c). This is important. If the milk is too hot, it will kill the culture. Using a thermometer is strongly recommended.
- Once the milk is at the right temperature, stir in the yogurt starter. At this step, the almond milk will have already thickened and may appear gelatinous, don't worry, this is totally normal. Give it a good whisk to break any "lumps," and make it fully smooth again. Pour into glass jars and close the lid, or use plastic wrap to cover.
- Place the jars in a baking dish filled with warm water; they should be half immersed. If you have a yogurt maker, skip this step and just put the jars into your machine.
- Place the baking dish with the jars in a 105°F preheated oven for 6-10 hours, depending on how sour you like your yogurts. Personally, I prefer them with a milder flavor so I let them culture for only 6 hours.
- Transfer the yogurts to the refrigerator and let cool for at least 8 hours.
- Enjoy for breakfast or dessert, sweetened with some maple syrup and topped with granola, fresh fruits, jam, or nut butter. Always give the yogurts a good stir before eating!
- The yogurts will keep for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Notes
- To measure 1/32 tsp of agar: fill one-half of a 1/8 measuring teaspoon. Using the tip of a knife, remove half of it to get 1/32 of a teaspoon.
- If you don’t have a yogurt starter or non-dairy yogurt, you can also use probiotics. For this recipe, use 3 capsules of vegan probiotics.
- If you plan to use this yogurt for savory dishes, omit the maple syrup and vanilla.
- Nutritional information is just an estimate and may not be accurate.
Nutrition
About the Author
Thomas Pagot is the founder, photographer, and recipe developer behind Full of Plants. He created the blog in 2016 as a personal cookbook for vegan recipes. Through years of recipe development, Thomas has successfully grown Full of Plants into a trusted resource for plant-based recipes.
Leave a Comment
Could you tell me the exact relative quantities of the ingredients, preferably in grammes? I have a scale that can weight micrograms (for the thickeners). Or at least tell me how much water a cup contains.
I’m afraid I do not have the microgram measurements. Regarding the cup, one cup equals 250 ml.
Hi Thomas! thanks for the recipe. I am going to give it a try this weekend 🙂 Is there any store-bought dairy-free yoghurt that you recommend? If not…did you use a nut based yoghurt or maybe a coconut yoghurt? Thanks in advance
sorry, I posted in the wrong recipe ;( this question was for the vegan cheese slices. Will head over there thanks
Hi Marta,
Basically, any dairy-free yogurt will work as a starter. I personally usually use unsweetened soy-milk yogurt. I also tried using coconut yogurt once and it worked too!
Hi, which yogurt starter did you use? The link you have above shows a whole list on amazon. Thank you!
Hi Monika,
Amazon products keep changing unfortunately. Just look for a vegan yogurt starter, or use some vegan store-bought yogurt as the starter.
Hi I couldn’t find agar agar powder, only flakes. So how much do I need please. (Finally I got all the ingredients
Thank you Yael
Hi,
I’m not familiar with agar flakes but I would say a little bit less than 1/8 tsp.
Thank you for creating this recipe. I adjusted the volume for my 2 quart clay slow cooker/yogurt maker and have been making it for several months now. I’d already been making my own almond milk for years and calculated that I’m now saving $140 per month!
Thanks so much for your feedback Susanne! I’m so glad to hear you are enjoying this recipe 🙂
Can ready made almond milk be used for this?
Thank you!
As stated in the post and some comments, I would not recommend it. Most ready made almond milk contain thickeners which can alter the texture of your yogurts.
Thomas,
Also, thanks for the links on your recipe page. I was easily able to order what I needed for my almond milk yogurt from your links. Two questions: 1) Can you answer my prior question (above) about whether or not you used 1/16th of a tsp or 1/32nd of a tsp for the Agar Agar (I’m assuming you truly meant 1/32nd, but the instructions are incorrect??), and 2) have you tried this with cashew milk? If not, do you think it would work provided I follow your instructions above? Thanks!
Great!
Regarding the 1/32 tsp, I just replied. Instructions are correct though.
I haven’t tried it with cashew milk, however I have a recipe for a cashew/almond milk yogurt 🙂
If you use a knife to halve the 1/8-tsp, isn’t that 1/16th of a tsp?? So would I halve it again to make 1/32nd of a tsp, or did you actually use 1/16th of a tsp?
That is correct, it’s 1/32 of a teaspoon. As noted in the recipe, you fill half of a 1/8 tsp which equals 1/16 tsp and then use a knife to remove half.
Hi Thomas, follow up to my previous comment – what’s a replacement for locust bean gum? I don’t see that anywhere in India (where I’m at), except on some commercial cooking sites / in super large sized bags!
Hi Renuka,
I’m afraid there is no true substitute for locust bean gum. You could try to omit it, the yogurt will be a bit more runny but should still be good!
Is locust bean gum vegan??
Yes it is. All the recipes here are vegan.
Really, can’t omit 3 of the 5 ingredients? If you leave it to ferment for 48 hours you don’t need them as I found this recipe that uses homemade almond milk https://nutriciously.com/almond-yogurt/ same as you, but they leave it to ferment for 48 hours.
Well, you can try the recipes and compare the texture of the final yogurt, I can assure you it will be very different.
Also, 48H is done at room temperature, not here.
Hey Thomas,
I really love your recipes! Will you post one about soy yogurt, too? Because I would love to make my own and I did several times, but I prefer the storebought, because it’s milder. Do you have any ideas how to archieve this? I work with a 1:4 ratio water to soybeans. Maybe it just depends on the soybeans?
Thanks
Cornelia
Hey Cornelia,
Thanks! 🙂 I have yet to make a homemade soy yogurt that I like. I will make sure to post a recipe once I’m happy with the results!
I attempted this in the crackpot and followed the way another person had commented. It did not turn out. After the 8 hours in the crackpot, there was a build up of water around the sides so I mixed it in (maybe should have drained it?) and when combined it looked almost gritty. Put it in the fridge overnight to see if it would change anything and still looks the same. It was nice and thick before I added the cultures and baked for 8 hours. Wondering where I went wrong.
Hi, do you know if can you use slivered blanched almonds or do you have to start with whole?
Slivered blanched almonds should work too!
Votre préparation de yaourt recommandée avec Amazon ……..
Cette préparation est-elle sans lactose s.v.p? Pas cultivé sur une culture laitière. c’est important pour les personnes intolérantes au lactose – comme moi.
Le starter ne contient pas de lait, ce ne sont que des cultures.
Pour info, je suis également très intolérant au lactose, et même si vous utilisiez un starter non-vegan, il n’y aurait quasiment pas de lactose dans vos yaourts.
I followed your directions exactly, and the yogurt came out perfect and delicious! All the ingredients are the ones listed on my favorite nondairy yogurt and just a bit thicker in consistency (which is fine!). I made it plain, so I can strain the yogurt and use it as sour cream (mine came out with a perfect tang).
Question: Have you ever tried doubling the recipe? I have a feeling the yogurt would come out pretty gummy if I doubled the amounts.
Thanks for such a well done recipe!
Thanks for your feedback Lisa!
I haven’t tried doubling the recipe yet, but I don’t see why the texture would change.
My yogurt keeps turning out grainy, like grits. Any idea what I’m doing wrong?
Do you blend enough? Also, do you keep whisking when you heat it?
I loved it!! Just one question, if I decide to make it Greek would the nutritional info change? I have noticed that comercial Greek almond Yogurts like Kite Hill have more protein in them than normal almond yogurts, so would this yogurt also increase in protein?
Thank You!!
Thanks Alexa! 🙂 The nutritional info would probably change yes, there would be more calories in the same serving. Regarding the protein content, it’s very hard to say.
can i replace agar-agar with jelly?
I’m afraid it won’t work.
I love that you’ve used the thickeners found in Kite yogurt! It’s the only commercial brand that I like and it’s my standard for “good” homemade yogurt.
I’m using my Instant Pot on “sauté “ to bring the milk to near boiling. Then I cool it in the same stainless steel pot to incubation temp, Add the culture, put on the lid and set the yogurt setting for 18 hours to ensure a tart yogurt. I’d been experimenting with the three thickeners In your recipe and I see that I was still adding too much agar.
Made a new batch today with your proportions. We’ll see how it is! Used commercial milk.
Just a mathematical comment: half of a 1/8 teaspoon will give you 1/16, not 1/32.
Hope you will like the yogurt!
Yes half of 1/8 is 1/16 and half of 1/16 is 1/32.
Can we use leftover yogurt as the starter?
You can!
Thomas THANK YOU sooooo much! I made dairy yogurt for many years and then strained to have Greek yogurt which I loved. Since realizing a number of years ago that my body and dairy don’t get along I’ve struggled to make a plant based yogurt that even comes close. Thank you for introducing me to locust bean gum which definitely made all the difference! My milk maker makes 8 cups so that’s what I used and tripled the other ingredients. I used cashews but will use almonds next go since I have a lot of them to use up. I am SO happy to have yogurt back. Thanks!!
You’re welcome Kathy 🙂 Glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe!
Hi, I bought the gums you recommended for the recipe but somehow they always clump up whenever I add them to the yoghurt, even when I stir constantly during the heating process. Have you experienced this before? Do you know what the problem might be?
Hi Natalie,
I didn’t happen to me but you could try blending the milk with the gums first.
Hi, I really admire all the recipes you create. They look spectacular!
I make a soy milk yogurt which I absolutely love, but really wanted to make one from almond milk.
I read most of the comments and decided to try it.
I had to substite locust bean gum with guar gum, just like one of the people who commented on this recipe did. They said it worked for them, but my yogurt never thickened. The flavor was great, it tasted like yogurt, but it was basically a drink.
I was wondering if you could “guesstimate” what I could do to make it work with guar gum? How much of it I would need to use? Thank you very much.
I’m afraid guar gum is not a substitute for locust bean gum. The mix of the gums cannot be changed I’m afraid, it took a lot of tweaking to get a nice texture.
I made regular cows milk yogurt before this, and it lasted 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Any comments on keeping this almond milk yogurt for more than four days?
After 4 weeks I found some separation to happen and the flavor was not as good.
My absolute favorite thing is when someone writes a recipe and doesn’t know anything about food or food safety. Perfect! And as for answering peoples questions with “I have no idea!” Kudos to you for doing absolutely no research other than throwing something together a couple times and shrugging your shoulders.
CM, you are out of line here. No one in their right mind would expect for the recipe author to test their recipe with every possible ingredient substitution. If that were the mandate then there would be not recipes printed at all. There will be questions asked that the author cannot answer. If you are curious, then experiment yourself and please share your results.
Thanks for your kind words, really appreciated, and very constructive. I have made this yogurt recipe countless times and I’m still not sick, still here to reply to your wonderful comment.
Also, I would rather say that I don’t know instead of recommending something based on what I read online and didn’t experiment myself.
I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe, you may check my cheese recipes as well where nothing is boiled, and then fermented with cultures and molds.
Makes excellent yogurt- thank you!!! Really love the flavor, texture and consistency. I did try with store bought milk in addition to homemade almond milk, but due to the Vitamin C it wouldn’t culture. Apparently antioxidants = no yogurt. If there are mixed tocopherols, Vitamin C, Vitamin E or any other antioxidant or preservative you will not be able to make yogurt.
Thanks Heather! 🙂 Homemade almond milk is the best choice for this recipe 🙂
Do you have any advice for trying this recipe in a crock pot on the warm setting? Would that be too warm?
I’m afraid I don’t have a crock pot and never used one so I’m not familiar with it. Maybe try to find information for a yogurt setting for crockpot.
I tried this recipe and I’m so disappointed. 🙁 I love almond milk very much, my hopes were high for a sweet and delicious yoghurt experience. Instead I got nothing but a ungly tasting something of dubious consistency. I don’t know what went wrong. I don’t dare to try it again. So sad. 🙁
Thank you for sharing the recipe to us. I recently became vegan so don’t know much about vegan products which are alternatives to dairy. Sorry to ask this stupid question. Is this recipe only for starting to make yoghurt at home? Or do we need this every time to make vegan yoghurt?.
Is there anything that we have already have small amount of yoghurt by which we can make another yoghurt at home like dairy milk?
Thanks and regards
Shivani.
Yes, you can use a small amount of a previous batch of yogurt as a starter to replace the probiotics. You will still have to use the gums though if you want a nice texture.