What Starter Can I Use to Make Dairy-Free Yogurt?

Several years ago, we received a question about dairy-free yogurt starter from a reader named Liz. “I am interested in making my own dairy free yogurt, but am not sure what “starter” to get. Also, I would prefer not to use soymilk, but rather almond, rice, or coconut milk. Any recipe ideas?” A lot has changed in the world of dairy-free yogurt over the past decade, so I’m updating this post with more options and information for dairy-free yogurt starter and homemade yogurt culturing. You can read it through (recommended at least once!) or jump ahead with the links below.

• What is Starter Culture?
• Do I Need to Use Starter Culture?
• What Can I Use for Dairy-Free Yogurt Starter?
  • Dairy-Free Yogurt Starter Culture
  • Dairy-Free Probiotics
  • Dairy-Free Yogurt
• Why is it Harder to Make Dairy-Free Yogurt than Dairy Yogurt?
• Dairy-Free Yogurt Recipes

What is Starter Culture?

First, it is important to understand what a “starter” is. The starter culture itself is merely bacteria. However, the bacteria must be grown on a medium, and that medium is often dairy based. In theory, this shouldn’t be a problem for most dairy-free or dairy-low consumers. The bacteria or starter culture is removed from the medium before use. Nonetheless, if you are dealing with a severe or highly sensitive milk allergy or intolerance, the trace dairy that could remain might be a problem. Strict vegans also prefer to avoid products with any animal-based ingredients in the process.

And there is another potential dairy issue. Once removed from the medium, the starter culture must be stabilized for freezing with cryoprotectants. Milk powder, lactose, whey, and casein are frequently used as cryoprotectant stabilizers for cultures.

A dairy-free starter culture is grown on a non-dairy medium to avoid the risk of any trace dairy remaining in the bacteria. It is also stabilized with dairy-free ingredients. Fortunately, there are many non-dairy mediums and cryoprotectants available to manufacturers, so dairy-free yogurt starter culture is getting easier to find.

Do I Need to Use Starter Culture?

Some of you might be wondering, “why even use starter culture?” Starter culture of some type is essential to culturing yogurt. It’s what gives yogurt its characteristic tang, and those friendly bacteria known as probiotics. You can make a mock dairy-free yogurt using something tart and acidic, such as lemon juice. But it won’t culture, and will lack the flavor depth and probiotics (for gut health) that the fermentation process can deliver.

What Can I Use for Dairy-Free Yogurt Starter?

There are three basic types of yogurt starter for use at home. I’ll address each type and the best dairy-free options currently available.

Dairy-Free Yogurt Starter Culture

The following brands offer packets of starters that are grown on non-dairy mediums, stabilized with dairy-free ingredients, and have the specific purpose of culturing dairy-free and vegan yogurt.

• Belle + Bella Non-Dairy Yogurt Starter – non-GMO maltodextrin, s. thermophilus, l. bulgaricus, l. acidophilus
• Cultures for Health Vegan Yogurt Starter Culture – rice maltodextrin, live active bacteria (bifidobacterium bifidum, lactobacillus acidophilus, lactobacillus casei, lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp bulgaricus, lactobacillus rhamnosus, streptococcus thermophilus
• Custom Probiotics Yogurt Starter –  l. acidophilus, s. thermophiles, l. bulgaricus (Formula 2 also contains l. lactis, b. lactis; fillers not listed, but not dairy, gluten, or soy)
• Cutting Edge Cultures Yogurt Plus Vegan Starter – s. thermophilus, l. delbrueckii, l. plantarum, l. reuteri, b. longum, non-gmo inulin
• Genesis Vegan Yogurt Starter Culture – l. gasseri, l.acidophilus, l. casei sp. rhamnosus, b. bifidum, b. infantis, b. longum b. breve, b.adolescentis, str. thermophilus (fillers not listed, but not dairy, egg, gluten, nuts, or soy)
• Eugurt Non-Dairy Yogurt Starter – bifidobacterium bifidum, lactobacillus acidophilus, lactobacillus casei, lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, lactobacillus rhamnosus, streptococcus thermophilus, rice maltodextrin (They have a dairy-free yogurt mix, too)
• GI ProStart Non-Dairy – lactobacillus bulgaricus, streptoccus thermophilus, lactobacillus casei
• LyoPro Vegurt Yogurt Culture – lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, streptococcus thermophilus; also contains contains maltodextrins / dextrose as carriers
• MinusMilk Non-Dairy Yogurt Culture (from The Cheesemaker) – lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, streptococcus thermophilus; also contains contains maltodextrins / dextrose as carriers
• NW Ferments Vegan Yogurt Starter Culture –  bifidobacterium bifidum, bifidobacterium lactis, lactobacillus acidophilus, lactobacillus casei, lactobacilus delbrueckii subsp bulgaricus, lactobacillus rhamnosus, streptococcus thermophilus, rice maltodextrin
• VIVO Vegan Yogurt Starter – streptococcus thermophiles, lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus, lactobacillus acidophilus, lactobacillus paracasei, bifidobacterium lactis, bifidobacterium lactis, bifidobacterium bifidum, bifidobacterium infantis, lactobacillus gasseri, lactobacillus rhamnosus, lactobacillus pentosus, lactobacillus plantarum (fillers not listed, but not dairy, egg, or gluten)

Dairy-Free Probiotics

Yes, you can use dairy-free probiotics instead of a specialty starter culture. But there are just a couple things to look for. First, select live probiotics containing the lactic acid-producing bacteria Lactobacillus bulgaricus (sometimes listed as Lactobacillus delbrueckii)* and Streptococcus thermophilus. In the United States, the USDA defines yogurt as containing these two strains bacteria. Second, make sure to use the amount of probiotics called for in the recipe (often an amount like 50 billion CFU).

You can use a probiotic powder or you can empty the contents of probiotic capsules. Just make sure it is dairy-free. Like yogurt cultures, probiotics are simply bacteria, but they are often grown on a dairy medium and can be stabilized with dairy. Fortunately, many brands are now available that carry a dairy-free or vegan label.

There is no guarantee that a particular brand of probiotics will perform well. Some might be too weak or of poor quality. But there are a few brands and manufacturers that dairy-free yogurt makers have come to trust. One that I like is Ther-Biotic Complete (from Klaire Labs, now SFI Health).

*The prefix “lact” doesn’t always refer to dairy. For example, lactobacillus is a class of bacteria that can produce lactic acid (an organic acid). Both are naturally occurring in humans and are not dairy. See our Dairy Ingredient List for more guidance.

Dairy-Free Yogurt

This is a tricky one. It’s common to use yogurt as a starter for a new batch of homemade yogurt. But most store-bought brands of dairy-free yogurt won’t work well. They either have too many additives, not enough cultures (some brands aren’t even cultured), or the nutrient ratios aren’t quite right for proper culturing.  Some people have had luck using Cocoyo, Coconut Cult, or Cocojune as a starter culture. All of these are coconut yogurt brands made with coconut milk or coconut cream.

However, you can often use your last batch of homemade dairy-free yogurt as a starter for the next batch. Basic cultured dairy-free yogurt, like soy yogurt with no additives, will work best as a starter culture. Other types, where you’ve had to add ingredients like thickeners, might work fine, but it’s hard to say without testing.

If you do want to use dairy-free yogurt as a starter culture, save about 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) of homemade non-dairy yogurt from your batch. It will keep for about 10 days in the refrigerator. Do not freeze it. You will want to use about 1 tablespoon of yogurt per 1 cup of homemade non-dairy milk in your recipe. If you use too much starter, the bacteria will eat all of the food before the yogurt is set, and it could produce more of a sour taste, rather than tart.

Why is it Harder to Make Dairy-Free Yogurt than Dairy Yogurt?

Thickness and creaminess isn’t just about fat. It’s actually the protein in dairy milk that coagulates to produce a thicker yogurt consistency, and lactose (milk sugar) feeds the bacteria. Different mammal milks actually have different results due to their compositions. For example, goat milk produces a thinner yogurt than cow’s milk, but sheep’s milk produces a thicker, creamier texture.

If you’re lactose intolerant, you might have considered making yogurt with lactose-free milk. Unfortunately, it rarely works well. The shortage of lactose leaves the bacteria without enough “food” to ferment. You could add sugar, but lactose-free milk is frequently ultra-pasteurized. This changes the composition of the milk and lessens its ability to culture properly. Fortunately, lactose-free milk is often a moot point with yogurt. When you use regular dairy milk, the bacteria “consumes” much of the lactose as the yogurt ferments. This is why yogurt is typically a low lactose food that’s tolerated by some people who are lactose intolerant.

Non-dairy milks are a great option for strict lactose-free, dairy-free, and vegan needs. But it’s essential to use very simple milk alternatives (preferably homemade). Almond milk should contain just almonds and water, soy milk should contain just soybeans and water, etc.

Natural soy milk is the only dairy-free milk alternative that cultures similarly to dairy milk. With other non-dairy bases (like nut milks, seed milk, oat milk, cashew milk, or coconut milk), you will usually need to add thickening ingredients, like agar agar, gelatin, and/or starch per the recipe. Fattier and creamier bases, like coconut and tree nuts, will produce the best results. Grains, like oats and rice, are more difficult to coax into an appealing yogurt taste and texture.

Dairy-Free Yogurt Recipes

I’ll update this section as we add more recipes for dairy-free yogurt (or yoghurt as you might call it). Here are the non-dairy yogurt recipes we have so far:

• Almond Milk Yogurt (with omega-3 almond-hemp option)
• Coconut Milk Yogurt (budget-friendly)
• Coconut Almond Yogurt Recipe (raw, paleo, and no added sugar)

Also See Our Dairy-Free Yogurt Maker Guide!

This includes yogurt machine recommendations and how to make dairy free yogurt with other equipment you already have at home.