Most pre-made supermarket yoghurts have additives like sugar, and the cultures used in them tend to deteriorate over time, meaning you often don’t receive the full benefits of the probiotics contained within these yoghurts due to processing and handling along the way. If you do opt for a pre-made yoghurt, look for one that only contains milk and probiotic cultures, nothing more, as this means it’s as natural as can be. Plus, you want to keep an eye out for the packaging labels that say “active” AND “live cultures”, not just “live” as this may mean they may not be able to provide all the benefits to your gut that healthy cultures can bring.

A couple years ago, I started experimenting with how to make vegan yoghurt using coconut milk. It took me a few trials to get right (it kept coming out like kefir), but eventually I got there.

The coconut yoghurt I made was an actual probiotic one, making it just as nutritious as its’ dairy counterpart, and great for those of us who are dairy intolerant/vegan. Now, when I say “actual”, it’s because the yoghurts I share actually have beneficial AND active probiotic cultures in them, helping with the fermentation process, turning it from milk to delicious creamy yoghurt.

I understand that for some, the coconutty taste is something they just can’t get past. So, I thought I’d share another plant-based yoghurt that delivers a healthy dose of probiotic goodness and a little extra protein.

Before we get started in learning how to make this creamy sunflower yoghurt – if you like what you’re seeing, subscribe to my email newsletter at the bottom of the page to keep up to date on the latest recipes, DIYs, gardening and health tips I share!!

Homemade Sunflower Seed Yoghurt

You can use live kefir grains or a probiotic capsule to add a hit of beneficial bacteria to the yoghurt, plus help it to thicken and become more like yoghurt. Just add 1-2 tablespoons of kefir grains or 2 capsules of probiotics (containing 50 billion live cultures), and stir through after having added the sunflower milk to the jar to ferment.

Straining the milk is also optional. If you want a thicker consistency, pour the blended sunflower seed milk straight from the blender into the jar without straining.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups raw sunflower seeds, shelled and soaked for 8 hours in water, then drained
• 2 cups filtered water
• 2 tbsp maple syrup or raw honey
• 1-2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp ground cardamom

To make:

1. Place soaked sunflower seeds into a high-speed blender and add water. Blend until creamy.
2. Strain out the milk using a nut milk bag, pour into a glass jar, then cover with a clean towel or cheesecloth. Let the milk sit in a warm place for 24 hours, or until it becomes thick and creamy.
3. Once finished, stir in the rest of the ingredients and enjoy! You can have it as a gut-loving drink, in a smoothie, incorporated into a creamy salad dressing, made into a little parfait topped with fruit, or frozen into popsicles!
4. Keep the yoghurt in an airtight glass jar in the fridge.

DIY sunflower seed yoghurt tutorial

As always, this is not personal medical advice and we recommend that you talk with your doctor before trying or using any new products. I am not a doctor. All opinions expressed are my own personal thoughts and feelings of the products mentioned. Check with your doctor or health practitioner if you are uncertain about trying out any of the products, recipes or tips mentioned in this post. 

Have you made dairy-free yoghurt before? How was it? Share in the comments below.

Lots of love,

🖤 Vanessa