Recipe: Homemade coconut yoghurt

Homemade coconut yoghurt. Photo / Eleanor Ozich.

Each Thursday Eleanor Ozich of Petite Kitchen will share her thoughts on healthy eating, with recipes and more.

I'm excited to share my recipe for heavenly homemade coconut yoghurt. This luxuriously creamy and tangy yoghurt is perfectly satisfying and makes for a wonderful dairy-free option.

The recipe has only two simple ingredients, coconut cream and probiotics capsules. Simply combine them, then leave to sit in a warm place for a day or two. Not only does this yoghurt taste beautiful, it is packed full of good, natural bacteria, which is beneficial for stomach flora.

We live in a world where we are exposed to toxins on a daily basis, whether in the food or drink that we ingest, prescribed medicines we take or simply in the air that we breathe. The gut likes to hold on to these toxins, but by including probiotics in our daily diet, we can help to protect the good bacteria in our bodies.

These micro-organisms are not only beneficial for our stomachs and skin, they help to maintain an optimal pH balance in our bodies, helping to eliminate many types of disease and infection right at the root. Probiotics are also known to help reduce inflammation, making a fantastic foundation for a sustainable and healthy lifestyle.

HOMEMADE COCONUT YOGHURT

Makes a small jar full.

Ingredients
• 1 can of full-fat coconut cream*
• 3 capsules of probiotic powder*
• 2 Tbsp honey, maple or agave syrup*
• A clean glass jar

1. Sterilise your jar, either by boiling in water for 10 minutes, or by running through a dishwasher cycle.

2. Warm the coconut cream in a saucepan over very low heat, until warm to touch. You can also do this in a bain-marie.

3. Carefully pour the warmed coconut cream into the sterilised jar, add the powder from the probiotic pills and sweetener if using.

4. Stir until well combined.

5. Place the jar in a sunny place (a counter beneath a window works well) for at least 12 hours, preferably 24 hours. You could also place in a yoghurt maker, in a hot-water cupboard, wrapped in a tea towel, or in the oven with the light on.

6. Chill in the fridge for a couple of hours. The yoghurt will thicken considerably in the fridge, and become thicker and slightly tarter each day, tasting amazing after 2-3 days. It will keep for up to two weeks stored in the fridge.

*The added sweetener is not absolutely necessary, although bacteria does love to feed on sugar. I find that adding a little natural sweetener helps the yoghurt to thicken really well.

*Please also note that all coconut cream brands are slightly different, as are probiotic capsules. You may need to adjust the measurements slightly to produce a yoghurt of your preferred consistency.

- VIVA