If you’re looking for a no frills, no fancy ingredients, simple feed your cravings kind of treat, this easy vegan yogurt recipe is it!
This post was sponsored by NOW Foods but the content and opinions expressed are fully my own.
This isn’t the probiotic, yogurt starter, store in a cool dark place for 24 hours kind of recipe. It’s simply a blend and chill to thicken kind of thing. Some may say it’s not the real thing, but I say, try it! You’ll be surprised!
Vegan Yogurt the Easy Way
While I realize that real true yogurt has a fancy long process to get that perfect tangy thick yumminess, I also realize that I have the craving and I don’t have the energy to make fancy happen.
I got creative, and found a way to feed my craving in a super easy, next best thing kinda way!
What kind of yogurt is vegan?
Since vegan products don’t have dairy, any yogurt made with a dairy alternative is considered vegan. There are many different things people use to make a dairy-free yogurt.
What is vegan yogurt made out of?
Here are a few of the most common main ingredients used for vegan yogurt: soy, coconut, almonds and cashews.
There are a few ingredients that are key players for thickness, creaminess and tang in my recipe.
- Raw cashews
- A touch of slivered almonds
- Lime juice (yep not lemon)
- White vinegar
When it comes to nuts, the quality makes a difference. Old stale nuts, like old stale chips, won’t yield the best results. So pick a brand that you know delivers.
I love the NOW brand raw cashews because their quality is always top notch. They take great care to ensure all of their products provide the maximum value for the price.
I love that their cashews always taste great, it’s so important to me that I can count on them to deliver quality ingredients because there is nothing worse than having to throw out a recipe that doesn’t turn out right do to a bad batch of nuts!
Cashews add the ultimate creaminess and texture to this recipe. While I know not everyone can have nuts, it is my favorite way to make dairy free alternatives. The small addition of slivered almonds here helps reach that perfect neutral tangy flavor of plain yogurt that using only cashews can’t get.
If you have a nut allergy, much like in my vegan sour cream recipe, I do give the idea to use silken tofu in the recipe notes. However please note that it will not lend the same creamy end result and is not something I have tried or prefer.
But, is vegan yogurt good?
This is a loaded question. LOL. It truly depends on each individual persons taste buds and preferences. I am pretty picky when it comes to dairy-free yogurt. And some brands others love, I don’t.
I can tell you that I think my recipe is delish! I love the tang I was able to get. I’m a plain Greek yogurt kinda girl, so that was what I was going for.
Flavoring ideas
If you aren’t into tang, and you want to add some sweetness, here are my suggestions:
- Sugar. Dry sugar is the best way do add some sweetness to this. You can use coconut sugar, cane sugar or whatever you have on hand. This will keep the texture best.
- Date paste. Make the date paste recipe on the thicker side so it isn’t super runny. Then swirl it into the yogurt. This will add a touch of sweetness without overdoing it.
- Maple syrup. The issue with maple is that it is liquid so you’re going to lose some of that texture. If you don’t want much tang, you could lower the amount of lime juice and vinegar and replace it with maple syrup to keep a similar texture,
- Honey. If you don’t care about this being fully vegan, a thick honey (the raw one is what we use if we use honey) can add some sweetness to the end result.
You can also add other fun additions to mix up the flavors:
- Cocoa powder for a chocolate result.
- Blend in chocolate chips.
- Blend in fresh fruit. Watch for texture here as liquidy fruit can make it runny.
- Freeze dried fruit. This is the best way to get a fruit flavor because the texture won’t be affected.
- Nut butters for a nutty flavor.
Storing and shelf life
This stores best in an airtight container in the fridge. Much like my sauces, this is best within a week of making. The lime juice and vinegar keeps this pretty fresh, but I wouldn’t keep it much longer than a week.
Making vegan yogurt in bulk
I like to make multiple batches of this at a time since we have 3 kids that love yogurt. It’s best not to do more than a double batch at a time, since after that it gets too crowded in the blender.
Once I make it, I put it into single serving containers for a grab and go option! Here are a few containers I like:
How to Make Easy Vegan Yogurt
Like I said before, this is a simple blend and chill recipe! Nothing fancy, not tricks. The hardest thing to remember is to soak the nuts!
- Blend everything in a blender until nice and smooth.
- Chill in the fridge to thicken.
- Serve with your favorite toppings!
Topping ideas
The best part about plain yogurt, other than the tang and yumminess, is all the ways you can top it! Here are some of our favorite:
- Nuts
- Granola
- Nut butter
- Honey (not vegan)
- Fresh fruit
- Seeds
- Dried fruit
Easy Vegan Yogurt Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups raw cashews , soaked overnight (see note, includes nut free idea)
- 2 tablespoons blanched slivered almonds , soaked overnight (see note, includes nut free idea)
- 1 cup , plus 1 tablespoon water
- 3 tablespoons lime juice (see note)
- 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar (see note)
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth
- Put in an airtight container and let set in the fridge overnight.
Notes
- This recipe makes 2 ½ cups yogurt. Serving size is ½ cup.
- You must soak the nuts even if you are using a high speed blender. It is part of the overall end flavor. You can soak the cashews overnight or boil them for 30 minutes if you forget.
- Do not use lemon in place of lime unless you want a lemon flavor. Lime is the key to get the perfect flavor.
- Do not sub the vinegar with another kind. Apple cider vinegar is sweeter and not as tangy. The distilled white is key for the final result. If you sub it, the flavor will change.
- To make a nut free version, you can try subbing silken tofu for the nuts! Do the same amount, so 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons. But like I say in my post, this is not something I have tried and will not yield the same creamy flavor and texture.
Recipe by Veggies Don’t Bite, visit our site for more great plant-based recipes.
Nutrition
Nutrition and metric information should be considered an estimate.
TOD says
Are you able to use almonds instead of cashews?
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Tod, you can but the flavor and texture will change. Cashews help give it the creaminess it has. If you give it a shot let me know!
Thomas says
I am nut free so I don’t know how the regular version tastes but the nut free version tasted very unpleasant and it wasted a box of silken tofu.
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Thomas, if you read my post I am very clear that I use nuts for my dairy free recipes because that’s what I think gives the best flavor and texture and we are not allergic to nuts. I give the idea to try using tofu, but am clear that I don’t use it and it will not give the same result. I only give this because I feel for those of you who are not able to eat nuts and while I personally don’t like the flavor with tofu because I am used to the nuts, I figure if people are used to it they can give it a shot and experiment with the recipe to see if they can make it work. Using the tofu is NOT my recipe. So rating it badly is not a fair rating to the actual recipe I created. We work very hard to create recipes for people to use for free online and try to be inclusive and kind by giving ideas to those that can’t have some of the ingredients we use, but these are just ideas out of kindness. I have no problem with others not liking all I create when they have truly tried my actual recipe, but when people give us bad ratings when they haven’t it actually hurts our business.
orianna says
Hi!! We made it and loveed it!!
But I have two questions, do you think it could be made with almond milk instead of water?
And, when blending, the water has to be a different one from the one the nuts were soaking in?
THANK YOU
veggiesdontbite says
Yay! So happy to hear! You can try with the milk, but to me it didn’t get that tangy flavor I wanted. And yes, I’d use different water than the soaking one. You’re so welcome!
Grace says
Made it the first time and absolutely loved it, but when I made it the second time it was completely different! The first time I did this I did a quick soak with the cashews (10 minutes in boiling water), the second time I soaked them over night. The texture is completely different, I found that doing a quick soak made the yogurt way more silky, unfortunately when I soaked them over night it came out gritty and way less flavourful. Next time I make this I will stick to the quick soak method! Besides that I love this recipe!! Very delicious
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Grace! Interesting, because for me the longer soaked cashews gave a much better result every time. Sometimes cashews vary in quality so it could have been the cashew batch as well. But happy you like it!
Vi says
Thank you, thank you, thank you so much for this AMAZING recipe! It’s so creamy and tastes like a real yogurt! The Best Yogurt Recipe!! My whole family enjoyed it!
veggiesdontbite says
I am SO happy you liked it!! Thank you so much for the great review!
Sarah says
Living on a sailboat and traveling the world getting vegan yogurt is very hit and miss. I am so happy to have found this easy recipe, and it tastes great! I am looking forward to making variations of this. Now I can have yogurt whenever I want! Thank you!
veggiesdontbite says
I am so happy you like it Sarah! It’s great with different fruit too!! Thank you so much for the great review!
Chelsee Lee says
Yum!
Carla says
Wow, this is really tasty and so easy to make!
I was curious to know if you’ve tried fermenting it at all to get the probiotic benefit of yogurt.
Thanks for sharing!
veggiesdontbite says
I am so happy you liked it Carla! Thank you so much!
Carla says
Have you tried fermenting it?
veggiesdontbite says
Thank you Carla!! No, I made this recipe specifically so that I had a super easy blend and chill recipe. I didn’t want to bother with anything fancy!
Sue says
Sophia, you are right! 😋 This thickened overnight into delicious yogurt. Not only does it use pantry staples, it tastes better than all other vegan yogurts I’ve tried. Thank you SO much!
Sheila K Malone says
Thank you, Thank you. This is the best and the easiest vegan yogurt I have ever made. I have tried light boxes, yogurt makers, and several other “full proof” methods that all had problems. This recipe of yours is so quick and easy plus the best part is it tastes great!! I have been working on finding a yogurt recipe like this since about 1960 and that is not a joke. Thank you, Thank you! from a life long gluten-free vegan.
veggiesdontbite says
Oh my gosh!! I am so happy you liked it!! And wow, you are fast!! It was really meant to be a super easy method of getting that craving satisfied, and am thrilled it helped you!!Thank you so much for the great review!
Crystal says
Would I be able to sub the almonds for more cashews?
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Crystal! You can certainly give it a shot! It won’t end up as creamy, and you may need to adjust the tang since cashews are on the sweeter side and the tang helps with that. Let me know if you try!