Over the years I have received a lot of questions about how and why I eat yogurt (goat or sheep milk yogurt to be exact). And the best answer I can give you is because I can and like it, I guess. However that being said, yogurt can be a problematic food for people with Histamine Intolerance (HIT). It of course depends on how sensitive you are, but it also depends on the freshness, quality and probiotics used in the fermentation process. And on top of that there is the whole dairy issue which a lot of you are dealing with on top of HIT. So I guess it is time for a dairy free Homemade Coconut Yogurt recipe.
I personally find that my body handles yogurt made from goat and sheep milk better than regular cow milk yogurt. However, if you are vegan or for any other reason avoid or don’t tolerate dairy of any kind, coconut yogurt is a great alternative, since soy yogurt is out the window as well in regards to dealing with HIT….. however I don’t know about you guys, but I still haven’t managed to find a store bought coconut yogurt without added guar gum! Have any of you found a good store bought coconut yogurt without any unwanted added stuff to it? If yes please share your knowledge in the comments below, including brand and place to buy. As I’m sure someone would love to know what you know.
However, since I personally have decide to not add guar gum back into my diet (or at least avoid it whenever possible), I make my own coconut yogurt from time to time, just to mix it up a little 😉 And it is time to share the recipe with you guys. While I by no means invented coconut yogurt, trust me there is a ton of recipes out there. I still wanted to share my way of making a relatively thick guar gum free homemade coconut yogurt with Histamine Friendly Probiotics.
First you of course need to use coconut milk. I use of of two brands which are guar gum free, which are available here in my country, The Netherlands. If you know of another brand which is also guar gum free, please share in the comments below 🙂 Brand 1 is Grace Premium Thai Coconut milk, available on amazon.co.uk. Brand 2 is Aroy-D Coconut Milk, this used to be my go to coconut milk, because it is available at my local super market, however recently the brand added the emulsifier E435 to the ingredient list. Which means that Aroy-D is no longer a brand I buy. I still linked to it on amazon.com, since according to amazon they still sell the version with no crap added. As for brands available in the US I believe Native Forest Coconut Milk simple, is additive free along with Trader Joe’s Organic coconut milk. The two latter brands I haven’t tried out, since they are not readily available where I live, here in The Netherlands.
For this yogurt I used Grace Premium Thai Coconut milk, which I blended with about a handful of coconut flakes, until the liquid is completely smooth. Then transfer to a jar with a lid, and stir in the histamine friendly probiotics (ProBiota HistaminX, from Seeking Health). Place the jar, without the lid on, in the oven overnight with just the oven light on, no additional heat. In the morning give it a stir, and place the jar in the refrigerator with the lid on.
Once it has cooled down to the temperature of the refrigerator, it will thicken and is ready to be enjoyed with some tolerated fruit/berries or some lovely homemade muesli/granola. Check out my muesli and granola recipes for some homemade histamine friendly options 😉 Homemade Muesli, Vegan Salted Caramel Granola – gluten free, and Gluten Free Pistachio granola (recipe coming next week, will update this post with a link then).
Since this is a relatively high fat / high fiber type of yogurt, small portions are recommended 😉 Enjoy <3
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A three ingredient, guar gum free, thick homemade coconut yogurt with Histamine Friendly Probiotics.
Ingredients
- 250 ml/ 1 cup coconut milk (additive free, I used this one)*
- 30 g/ 0.75 cup coconut flakes
- 2 capsules of Histamine Friendly Probiotics
Instructions
- Blend the coconut yogurt together with the coconut flakes, until the liquid is completely smooth.
- Then transfer to a jar with a lid, open the probiotics capsules and stir in the histamine friendly probiotics.
- Place the jar, without the lid on, in the oven overnight with just the oven light on, no additional heat.
- In the morning give it a stir, and place the jar in the refrigerator with the lid on. Once it has cooled down to the temperature of the refrigerator, it will get thicker and ready to be enjoyed with some tolerated fruit/berries or some lovely homemade muesli/granola.
Notes
If the coconut milk I used isn’t available where you live, please take a look in the post above for some other additive free coconut milk options. If you have any other tips for additive free brands please share the information in the comments below 🙂
Save this Homemade Coconut Yogurt with Histamine Friendly Probiotics for later. Pin it 😀
*In all disclosure the links to amazon (US and UK) above are affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the products in question and buy it, I get a small commission. This will hopefully help me cover some of the costs to running this blog. However, this does not cost you anything additional when you order through one of these links.
Thanks for posting this. How was the flavor for you? I just tried this method with filtered milk and heavy cream and found it to be incredibly mild… like almost like slightly thickened cream, almost no characteristic yogurt tartness. I’m wondering if more time will make it the correct texture and tartness, or if the strains in the capsules are less tart?
Hi Paula,
If the yogurt is left to ferment longer (in the refrigerator) before being eaten it will be more tart. However, I have tried making this earlier as well with different probiotics, and that definitely yielded a more tart yogurt. So in conclusion is a combination of time and the strains of the probiotics used.
Tania
Hello,
Do you have a low histamine recipe for dairy yogurt?
Thank you!
Hi Mindy,
Sorry no. I do plan on experimenting with that at some point but I can’t give any indication as to the time frame.
Tania
Hello Tania,
when someone is just figuring out whether histamine is a problem, is this yogurt more on the high end of the spectrum regarding histamine? From what I’ve read, we have to be careful about leaving things out too long (room temp. or in the fridge) because of the histamine build-up. Is there a difference here, since we are culturing the yogurt with the probiotics?
Still learning…
Hi Jessi,
If you are just starting out I would recommend to skip this recipe for the time being. And once you feel ready to broaden your diet and experiment a little, give this one a go. Alternative you can skip the oven step, and put it straight into the refrigerator. It won’t ferment but will still have the texture of a thick yogurt Plus the beneficial gut bacteria.
If you have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to ask. And next time I promise to answer quicker. I had a very long summer break from the blog this year 😉
Tania
I wanted to try your recipe, but it seems the probiotics you are using are not sold anymore on amazon. Did you find any alternative? I tried a different one, but since it was micro-capsuled, the yoghurt did not thicken. I also have a histamine intolerance and I am having a really hard time finding probiotics which I can make yoghurt with… Maybe you have a suggestion?
★★★★★
Hi Sarah,
I just double checked all the links to Amazon, and they all seem to be working.
I don’t currently know of a good alternative. Sorry.
Tania
This coconut yoghurt is so easy, i was wondering though how long it last in the fridge as I only have small amounts each day? Also does this time differ depending on whether it has been put in the oven or directly in the fridge?
Thanks!
Hi Nada,
I think as a rule of thumb it keeps for about 3 days in the fridge. If you find that you can’t finish it in three days, then maybe make a smaller amount. If you are more tolerant then maybe you can keep it longer. I sometimes only finish mine after 5 days, normally it is gone after two days though 😉
Tania
How long will this last of histamine is not an issue? My some has FPIES and only has 4 safe foods. Coconut is one of them. And I am making this today.
Hi Jamie,
It keeps 3-5 days. However for people with Histamine issues I would advice to keep it for max 3 days.
Good luck with your son and this recipe. Just out of curiosity, which other three foods does he tolerate?
Tania
I used a yogurt maker where the temp is set around 40degrees. I left it for 24hrs and expected it to thicken but it didn’t. Is that expected? When I do this with milk, I heat t to boiling point first then use the yogurt maker and it does thicken as it ferments. The other point here is that I didn’t add the coconut flakes but wouldn’t expect that to change much
Hi, I tried your recipe with the exception of the coconut flakes.i also used a yogurt maker so I had it fermenting at around 40degree. I expected it to thicken after been left for 24hrs. I’m now cooling it so hope it thickens. Anything else I should have done??
Hi Martin,
The addition of the coconut flakes is what’s making it thick. Alternative is to use a coconut milk that splits in the refrigerator, use the thick creamy part that collects on top.
Tania
Hi Tania, thanks a lot, I will try this then and see. When I do this with milk i boil milk first to breakdown the protein and when I ferment this it actually forms up nicely. Coconut milk has always been trickier, the other recipes add gelatine for this purpose. Will try again and see if the flakes make the diff. I had used the yogurt you recommended as well (grace) so only diff was fact I didn’t add flakes and secondly I had it incubating in a yogurt maker at 40c. I left mine for 24hrs as well. Anyway will try again
Can I double the amount to have 2 cups of yogurts. You said leave it in the oven no lid no cover also with something just open jar you mean? Have you tried with yogurt maker would that work?
Hi Karina,
Yes just open jar. I don’t have a yogurt maker, so I wouldn’t know if that would work, but probably.
Tania
Hi Tania,
This coconut yogurt recipe is so smart and looks great !
But since I live in an apartment building in NYC, I fear my luscious coconut yogurt will attract pests
and I don’t have a stove with a light inside. Is there another way I could make your yogurt?
and is there a reason to “add” the coconut flakes?
Thank you and stay well!
Diane
Hi Diane,
You could try covering the jar with a cheese cloth or something similar, and leave it on your kitchen counter or inside a cupboard. The addition of the coconut flakes is what makes it thick.
Tania
I haven’t tried the recipe yet but the ingredients look good, so I gave you the benefit of the doubt! I just wanted to give you a heads-up on store-bought coconut yogurt. While not perfect, I did find one without any gums whatsoever. It’s called Harmless Harvest and it’s absolutely delicious! There is tapioca starch added, but that’s low histamine. Also, there are 6 grams of added sugars which works out to one and a half teaspoons–not bad considering six teaspoons is supposed to be the daily limit. I always get the plain version and add my own fresh fruit if I so choose. However, even their fruit yogurt only has 8 grams of added sugar, pretty good in comparison to other yogurts.
You must give this a try on those days you don’t feel like making your own.
https://harmlessharvest.com/products/dairy-free-yogurt-alternative/plain-24oz/
★★★★★
Hi Renate,
Thank you for sharing 🙂
Tania
Thank you for this post. I am just starting to explore whether HIT may be an issue for me.
Do you know whether the probiotics mentioned above can successfully and safely be used as a starter for cows’ milk yogurt? Or, does cow dairy require probiotics that are histamine-producing to make yogurt?
Hi Sara,
I honestly can’t answer this question, since I haven’t looked into it. Sorry. What I can say is that these strains doesn’t really help it to thicken, so my guess is that a very mild fermentation is happening. If you try it out please let me know. I will probably also experiment with it in the future, but I can’t say anything as to the time frame 😉
Tania
Tania