Almond yogurt recipe
Updated: August 29, 2022, By Swasthi
This homemade almond yogurt is refreshing, nourishing and is a great alternate to dairy yogurt or store-bought yogurt. If you are looking for a healthy plant-based yogurt without any additives then you got to try this. Made with just 2 ingredients, this thick and delicious almond yogurt has no additives, no added starch or no fillers.
It can be enjoyed in so many ways. Serve it straight away or simply make lassi, chaas or yogurt smoothie. It can also be used in recipes that call for yogurt like raita, korma, curries or kadhi. Most of the times we use it for making raita & curry that don’t require heating yogurt, so the cultures are still alive.
Almond yogurt also tastes great in your salads, sandwiches, wraps, burgers and dips.
Whether you are a vegan or not, this almond yogurt is a great way to include nuts in your diet. Almonds are believed to be one of the best superfoods for the body and mind as they are nutrient rich.
This yogurt is made with soaked almonds so the nutrients are better absorbed by the body. Plus since it is cultured, this homemade almond yogurt is simply the best choice if you are keen to include almonds in your diet in a healthier way.
Most vegan yogurt have additives or starch added to them to thicken the yogurt. But this recipe uses nothing of that kind so it is low in carbs.
Many years ago I started to make this for my year old boy as he had troubles with homogenized dairy milk. Non homogenized milk was impossible to get in the country where I live. So I switched over to almond milk and almond yogurt. This homemade almond yogurt is something he really loves.
Since he is not into vegan diet, I use the regular dairy yogurt as a starter. If you are a vegan you may use any starter of your choice & follow the instructions mentioned on the pack.
About this recipe
This recipe is simple and pretty straight forward. To begin with soak almonds well in fresh water. Blend to a very smooth paste that resembles cream. Then warm it up slightly. Add a starter to make the almond yogurt.
So there is no making almond milk or straining the pulp in this recipe. The ground pulp acts as a thickener here. I won’t say it is easy to make this almond yogurt as it requires peeling the almonds.
However over the years I have found out few easier ways to peel the almonds which I have shared below.
What’s new in my updated recipe? As per my old recipe, I would rinse and soak the almonds. Then peel them before blending. Lately I started to feel blanching is easier than to peel the skins from soaked almonds. So blanch them first and then soak.
Alternately, freeze the almonds and then add them to warm water. Rest for 15 to 20 mins. You will see the skins loosen on their own. It is easy to peel them at this stage. But if you leave them too long it won’t work the same way.
More almond recipes
Badam burfi
Almond milk
Indian Badam milk
Badam halwa
Photo Guide
How to make almond yogurt
1. Heat 2 cups water in a pot. Add almonds and leave them for a minute or two.
2. Drain them to a colander and rinse under running water.
3. Then spread them on a clean cloth. You will see the skins loosen.
4. You can easily peel them.
5. Then add these peeled almonds to the pot and cover them with clean water. Soak for 6 hours. do not cover the bowl or pot. If you want cover with a thin cloth so air circulates. These are the almonds after soaking.
6. Rinse the soaked almonds and then transfer to a grinder. Pour water little by little and begin to grind until you get a smooth paste. Keep adding water as you grind the mixture.
7. The puree has to be smooth. You won’t get a very smooth consistency like flour mixture though. If it is not smooth you will feel the grits in your yogurt. Transfer this to a steel bowl.
8. Heat 1 cup water in a small pot. Turn off the heat. Then place the bowl in the water and keep stirring till the mixture becomes warm. Do not let the mixture become hot as this alters the flavor completely. When it is warm, transfer this to a clean glass or ceramic jar. Add your yogurt starter. If using powdered starter, you may dissolve it in 1 tbsp water and pour it here. I used 1 teaspoon regular homemade yogurt here.
9. Cover this and keep in a warm place for 3 to 8 hours depending on the temperature. When the almond yogurt is ready you will get a faint smell of yogurt. However if it is the first time you are making this then you need to be careful and keep checking after 3 hours. If you leave it too long it will ferment and rise which we don’t want.
Serve almond yogurt as is or use it to make lassi, chaas, smoothie, raita or curry.
Tips
- Use only clean jars to make the yogurt. I usually rinse them well with vinegar and hot water a day before and dry them completely.
- If you do not intend to finish the yogurt in 2 days, make it in separate smaller containers to make individual servings. I found this keeps the almond yogurt fresher.
- Use dechlorinated water to soak and grind the almonds.
Recipe card
Almond yogurt
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )
- 1 cup almonds (180 grams)
- yogurt starter (or ½ teaspoon yogurt)
Instructions
- Bring 2 cups water to a rolling boil. Add almonds and turn off the heat. Rest them for 2 minutes and remove them to a colander. Pour cold water over the almonds and rinse them well.
- The skins will loosen. Peel them and rinse them. Soak them in 3 cups of clean water for 6 hours.
- After 6 hours, discard the water and rinse them well to get rid of the enzyme-inhibitors and anti-nutrients.
- Transfer them to a clean grinder. I use the chutney grinder jar. Pour half cup water and begin to blend until smooth. Keep adding water as need to get a thick paste like consistency. The mixture has to as smooth as possible. You may adjust the amount of water while you blend. Check my pictures for consistency and texture.
- Transfer this to a steel bowl. Heat 1 cup water in a pot until hot enough. Turn off and place the bowl of almond mixture in the water and keep stirring until it becomes warm. This takes some time about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Spoon this to a clean dry glass or ceramic container. Add your yogurt starter. If using powdered starter, dissolve it in 1 tbsp water and then stir it.
- Cover and keep this in a warm place for 3 to 8 hours depending on the temperature. When almond yogurt is ready you will notice a faint smell of the cultures. If this is your first try, keep checking every 3 hours so you know when it is done perfectly. If you leave it too long it will begin to ferment and rise. It can become inedible.
- Serve almond yogurt fresh. You can also refrigerate for 2 to 3 days.
Notes
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
© Swasthi’s Recipes
This almond yogurt recipe post was first published in February 2013. Updated and republished in January 2021.
About Swasthi
I’m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me
Follow Swasthi’s Recipes
Comments
What is the starter for the almond milk yogurt?
Hi, what’s the quantity of almonds you used?
Hi, Try with 1/4 to 1/3 cup.
Hello Swasthi, thank you for all your cooking recipes!
Could you please please email me on how to make yoghurt and mishti doi in an electronic multi cooker (Robocook geek) with no button to make yoghurt specifically. Thank you ??. Raj
Hi,
Yes I can share Mishti doi recipe. You can subscribe to the newsletter so you will know when I post it.
Thanks for this really awesome vegan yogurt recipe. Others websites use harmful thickeners & gums but your recipe is the most natural one.
Just wanted to know if I could make this yogurt without the Blanching (with the skin intact). Have you ever tried it?
How was it?
Hi Jaylen,
Yes I have tried twice & both the times the yogurt rose, something similar to fermented batter. This was many many years ago but not sure why that happened? Was it the temperature/skin/water etc, don’t know. Hope this helps
Hello swasthi.
One more method is keep 1-2 slit green chilli on top of the almond milk . Let the chilli float in almond milk . Cover wid a lid
And keep it for fermentation 12 hours . The green chilli also ferments all non dairy nut milks without any starters . Just wanted to let u know 🙂
Hi Chandana,
Thank you so much for sharing this. That really helps other readers.
🙂
great initiative to promote cooking
Nice.i am trying it today.thank you fir sharing
You are welcome!
Before I became vegan I would use about 1 cup of curd/yogurt every day one way or another. I can’t manage without curd! So I am always trying one or another way of making it without dairy products. These days I have been using either soymilk powder (easy and economical and high in protein, though not very tasty) or cashews (creamy and delicious, but costly). I could never be bothered to peel almonds but thanks to your recipe I tried it and I really love the curd I get from this. I’m making pachadi, curd rice, gravies, kadhi, raita, sweet dishes all with this recipe and all come out very well 😀
It seems really hard to find any non-dairy yogurt starter in India (have one to order online but extremely costly), and it has taken me so many attempts with different starters to find a method that works for me, so, in case anyone else may be struggling I will mention here (of course please don’t approve my comment if this is not appropriate)… if I don’t have any curd to use then I now always use wheat daliya. I think it gives the curd a nice mildly fresh-sour taste like dairy yogurt and unlike the slight idli-dosa batter taste I get from using chillies and other starters. I use 1 tbsp organic wheat daliya in 3/4 cup water with 1 tsp organic jaggery in a sterilized glass jar… leave it loosely covered for some hours in a warm place until the surface goes just slightly bubbly and it smells fermented (takes about 12 hours here, but could take up to 48 hours depending on the climate). Then you can immediately use it or keep it in the fridge for a day or two until you are ready to use it… Add about 2 tsp of the water from the jar (not the daliya itself – throw that away) per cup of milk and stir, and leave it to set for some time. The first batch takes longer so I keep checking it (depends on the climate, but takes at least 3 hours here, sometimes 8). After that when you use your curd to set the new milk it takes less time. I learned this method from the Indian vegan blog “Of Donkeys and Dhokla”.
Hello Zanna,
Glad to know the recipe works out well. I too feel peeling them is a lot of work here but worth the effort. This time I am planning to make with almond flour for my kids as I am running out of milk. Thank you so much for sharing the trick on making your own starter. I absolutely love reading you. I get to know something new every time like adding pickled drumsticks to sambar. Thank you so much!
🙂 Thank you for the kind words! Yes, you are right, now I have got used to peeling almonds I can’t go back as it makes a really big improvement. I haven’t tried using almond flour for curd – I hope it works well.
Hi, you’re recipe asked for yoghurt starter. Can i use ready made yoghurt as the starter?
Hi Harold,
Yes it does work.
This recipe looks wonderful. You say not to let it set more than 2 hours. Once it’s done (2 hrs) does it have to be eaten immediately or can it be refrigerated for a day or so?
Hi Stella,
If you live in a cold place you can keep it for longer. Once it is set you have to refrigerate it. It keeps good in the fridge for 48 hours.
How much water should I use
Hi Annie
Use water as needed just to make a thick smooth paste. It must be of dropping consistency and not pouring consistency
How long will it stay fresh in the fridge? Can you freeze it?
Hi Juanita
Not sure. 1 day should be okay in the fridge.
Mam,
Is yogurt the same as curd or is there any difference in the making? Like buttermilk being different from lassi?
No Kavitha both are same.
Thanks so much for this recipe, the only one I found using dairy starter with almonds. The little food processor I have works well but even after 20 minutes the mixture was still rather grainy. Fortunately, I was able to use my Vitamix for one minute to finished it off. It was still a little grainy but I plan to use it over granola so that will be ok. Also I have an electric oven and put the jar with the nut mixture and dairy starter into the oven with the light on and let it set for three hours. This turned out perfect and there’s no waste by straining. The taste is divine and I’ll be making this from now on instead of using dairy milk,
Welcome Carol
So glad to know you liked it. This even tastes great with some mango pulp. Chill and enjoy.
Hi, what about almond powder? how do you go about that?
I haven’t tried using almond powder. I am not sure if it yields a smooth texture that a good yogurt has. May be you can try soaking the almond flour for some time and use in the recipe
I use 1.5 cups if almond flour with 4 cups of water. Added vanila extract and lakanto slightly to sweeten.
I have done successfully many times now a very smooth yogurt using almond flour. However, i use a blender that can be heated and boil. So the flour is ‘boiled’ in water and blended.
Thank you so much for sharing! That really helps!
Thanks swasthi, let me try with some other alternate blades
Thank you Swasthi will try with plain yogurt, i tried the Almond milk the milk is not smooth as i see in your picture..it is very coarse..i tried with just 10 almonds soaked for about 6-8hrs, grinded with very little water only
It is due to the blade in the mixer probably. i use a panasonic mx 216E mixer grinder which works too good for this. i replace the blades once in 2 years. try making in little more quantity and in the smallest jar.probably it could work
hi, Am staying in chennai..am not sure of this starter or culture, can i use a tsp of normal Yogurt to do this almond yogurt.
yes, you can use plain yogurt. please read the instructions thoroughly before you try. since chennai is experiencing hot summer now, check after 1 1/2 to 2 hours. do not leave it too long. it will turn sour. good luck
thanks for the recipe.just a quick question.my almond yogurt is becoming too bubbly after 3 hours & really tangy with a bitter after taste.is it gone bad? i am going to put it in the fridge overnight.will it be ok to eat in the morning?<br />note.as a starter i used a capsule of healthy bacteria which had 10 billion cells & i also added a capsule of digestive enzymes.
Hi Thanks for visiting, iam sure it has gone bad, if it has begum to become bubbly, it is an indication that it is about to rise like the fermented batter.
wow! healthy yogurt and it is new to me
So new for me! never heard of it before but I'll try it! Marta
wow…super healthy dear…