Plant-based diet
Vegan yogurt alternative: recipe for homemade oat yogurt
The demand for plant-based yoghurt alternatives, including oat yoghurt, is growing all the time (symbol image)
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Plant-based yoghurt alternatives have now found their place on supermarket shelves. The oat yogurt is particularly popular. We’ll show you how you can easily make it yourself.
Dairy products are still a staple food for many people. At the forefront: yoghurt. While vegan alternatives have long been a niche product in the global food industry, they can now be found in abundance on supermarket shelves. In addition to meat and fish alternatives based on, for example, soy, pea or wheat protein, there are also numerous alternatives for dairy products of all kinds. Whether milk, cream, quark, cheese, ice cream or yogurt – there is almost nothing that cannot be also available on a plant basis.
Veggie boom in the food industry
The food industry has long since responded to the increased demand for vegan or vegetarian products. For various reasons, many consumers forego dairy products or eat entirely vegan. Others are curious about alternative plant-based products such as coconut, soy, almond or oats. In addition, plant-based yoghurts and drinks are an alternative for those with milk allergies or those with lactose intolerance.
Manufacturing process
Cow’s milk yogurt is made through fermentation. Lactic acid bacteria such as Lactobacillus bulgaricus can convert milk sugar into lactic acid, creating taste and aroma at the same time.
Plant-based yoghurt is based on nuts, oat flakes or legumes such as soybeans or lupins, which are mixed with water to create milk. After brief heating, the process is similar to that of conventional yoghurt production. The plant milk is provided with appropriate bacterial strains and then fermented.
What’s in oat yogurt?
In addition to the soybean-based product, the oat yogurt is becoming increasingly common. Oat yogurt is made from oat milk, a starter culture, or probiotics, and is often fortified with sugars and thickeners. Although it is not exactly rich in protein and calcium, it is naturally lactose and gluten-free and therefore well suited for people with food intolerances. The lack of protein and calcium is counteracted by its high fiber content, which is due to the oat flakes it contains.
In terms of taste, the yogurt alternative scores with a creamy, smooth consistency, which is very similar to that of conventional yogurt. In addition, it has a natural sweetness, which is due to the high carbohydrate content of the whole grains it contains. During production, added enzymes convert the carbohydrates in the oats into natural sugars.
Often, however, the plant-based yogurt alternatives from the supermarket are significantly more expensive than the conventional product made from cow’s milk, and they are also packaged in plastic and provided with sugar, flavorings, starch or other additives.
Recipe for homemade oat yogurt
Alternatively, you can make the vegan yogurt from oat milk yourself. In this way you can determine which ingredients go into the yogurt and save a lot of money and packaging waste.
Ingredients for 500ml oat yoghurt
- 100 g of oatmeal
- 500 ml of water
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp agave syrup
- 1.5 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 capsule / bag of starter culture (alternatively: about as much yogurt as oatmeal)
preparation
- Puree the oatmeal and water in a blender for at least two minutes until a homogeneous liquid is formed.
- Add salt and agave syrup to taste.
- Briefly heat the oat drink in a saucepan.
- Mix the cornstarch with two tablespoons of water to a homogeneous mass and stir into the warm oat milk.
- Bring the milk to the boil for about a minute while continuing to stir.
- Remove the saucepan from the stove and let the pudding-like mixture cool to around 43 degrees.
- Now stir the oil and starter cultures (or yoghurt) into the mixture.
- Ferment in the yogurt maker for eight to ten hours. Alternatively, place in the preheated oven at around 50 degrees for about 30 minutes, then turn off the oven and let ferment for eight to ten hours with the lids closed. The temperature should not drop below 40 degrees, if necessary reheat the oven briefly. Then let it mature overnight in the refrigerator.
- Finally, put the yogurt in the refrigerator for another eight hours.
The oat yoghurt is particularly suitable as a delicious breakfast with nuts, muesli and fresh fruits.
Sources: food clarity, Destatis, Max Rubner Institute