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Recipe for coconut milk kefir that is delicious, creamy, and loaded with probiotics to facilitate a healthy gut and immune system.
Coconut milk kefir is an absolutely delicious, effervescent drink that adds variety to smoothies and other drinks. It is a great substitute for grass-fed milk kefir if there is an allergy or poor quality source. When made with fresh, raw coconut milk, the flavor is simply out of this world!
Raw, coconut milk kefir is an absolute tonic for those with gut problems. It digests very easily giving ample energy and focus to your morning if consumed with breakfast.
I prefer coconut milk kefir vs coconut milk yogurt. The reason isΒ that yogurt only has 2-5 strains of beneficial bacteria, none of which aggressively attack and destroy pathogens in the gut. Therefore, in a gut that is dominated by pathogens and candida (as in someone who has taken many rounds of antibiotics and other prescription drugs over the years and/or eats primarily high sugar processed foods), yogurt tends to have only a temporary impact in favor of the beneficial strains.
Coconut milk kefir, on the other hand, has about 30 beneficial strains of bacteria and yeasts. These strains aggressively recolonize the gut by destroying pathogens. As a result, kefir has the potential to permanently alter the gut environment for the better.
Drink coconut milk kefir plain or blended with fruit in a bowl or in a smoothie.Β Try it and see for yourself!
If you prefer to learn how to make dairy milk kefir, check out the article plus video at the link. If a lighter beverage is more your thing, this article plus video shows you how to make water kefir.
DIY Coconut Milk Kefir
In the video included with the recipe below, I discuss the cost of making coconut milk fresh as opposed to buying organic coconut milk in cans. Which do you think is more economical and which is most nutritious?
I personally always opt for fresh and raw if possible. Anything that is canned and processed would not match the superior taste of homemade coconut milk. And when you make coconut milk kefir with it, that excellent flavor is definitely noticeable.
Where to get a kefir culture to make some yourself? Check out myΒ Healthy Shopping ListΒ for some ideas or find a friend who is already making coconut milk kefir and get a starter culture from her. Be sure to use the right kefir grains though! This article plus video shows you how to tell the difference between milk kefir grains and water kefir grains.
Homemade Coconut Milk Kefir
Recipe for homemade whole coconut milk kefir using 1 quart of homemade or canned coconut milk and 1/4 cup milk kefir grains.
Ingredients
- 1 quart whole coconut milk about 2 1/2 cans
- 1/4 cup milk kefir grains
- 1 wide mouth mason jar
Instructions
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Pour the coconut milk into a clean wide mouth mason jar.
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Add live milk kefir grains. Take care not to use water kefir grains by mistake!
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Screw on the lid. No need to stir the grains into the coconut milk.
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Leave on the counter for 24 hours and then refrigerate.
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Strain out kefir grains when ready to make another batch and repeat. No need to rinse the live grains between batches.Β
Only use milk kefir grains in coconut milk once or twice before making a batch with dairy milk again to re-strengthen them. If you will only be making coconut milk kefir and never dairy milk kefir, then you might want to purchase single-use powdered milk kefir packets instead.
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Coconut milk kefir is not very thick and is more like drinkable style yogurt. It tastes effervescent and lightly fermented and is perfect for blending into smoothies.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Instead of canned coconut milk, feel free to substitute a 16 oz bag of fresh, frozen coconut meat from an Asian supermarket blended with the fresh coconut water from cracking open 2 young coconuts. This process is demonstrated in this article plus video on how to make coconut milk.
Just FYI: I found a young coconut AND frozen coconut meat at WALMART today! I was so excited that I think I embarrassed my children π I am in the Cape Coral area, and I found it in a Neighborhood Market Walmart… Can’t wait to try this recipe! Thanks again!
At the one on Skyline? I’ll have to check there! Thanks a bunch!
wonderful post! I have been making my own coconut water kefir though for my son who has autism. It is supposed to help a lot. We just started like a week ago but hoping for great results soon.
Also, on an urelated note, I just noticed that my amish provider is offering camel milk, and says it is *great for autism*. I have never heard of that before, I googled about it and there’s tons of info out there. Nutrition and Physical Degenaration book mentions it a couple times, as being very nutritious. Do you know anything about it?
Thanks a lot, Sarah.
Thanks for the post! I had never thought to make it with the meat and water combined! I buy coconuts and ferment the water on it own, then I scoop the meat out and ferment the coconut meat into a thicker “cheese” which is delicious. For culture starter, I buy a bottle of coconut kefir from the store (my Whole Foods has two brands) and use about 1/4 cup of it and add it to warm, skin temp, blended meat and to heated, skin temp coconut water. I have had much more success this way versus the powder culture.
Awesome, as always Sarah!! Can’t wait to make this!!
Great video Sarah! I use water kefir grains to make coconut water kefir, can I use them for coconut milk kefir too?
Thanks!
Hi Tiffany, water kefir grains may work ok too, I haven’t tried them. I’m thinking all the fat in the coconut milk though might be better suited for using the milk kefir grains as these types of grains thrive better in a fatty type of liquid.
This is great! Thanks, I am always looking for new ways to use coconut. As holistic sport nutritionists, my husband and I are terrified when we see all the junk sport drinks the kids drink today. My own children love coconut water. We don’t only use it when doing sports, we also drink it during the hot summers here in Texas.
Sarah,
Dr. Oz says you can make a good hyrator if you have direaha/vomiting by using cocnut water and orange juice with salt. Sounds better than gadorade but where can you get coconut water without buying fresh coconts and always keeping them on hand? Could you use the coconut milk instead. i don’t know that much about the milk/water/
Hi Teresa, healthfood stores sell coconut water in cans and tetra packs. Obviously, fresh coconut water directly from a young coconut is best (you don’t get much coconut water from a mature coconut), but in a pinch the packaged coconut water works fine. I actually buy this as a sports drink for my kids instead of the garbage gatorade and other sports drinks on the market. I wrote a post on other hydration options at the bottom of this post which talks about the dangers of supermarket sports drinks:
https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/sports-drinks-hide-aspartame/
Living in Central America has taught me many things… simply buy several coconuts and save the water in small glass jars. Freeze them and use them when needed. VERY refreshing on a hot day! :o)
Yes, the kefir grains themselves are non dairy. It would probably be best for you to get the kefir culture powder packets instead of a live culture that has previously been fermented in milk considering your daughterβs allergy situation just to be extra cautious. If you can only obtain live kefir grains, then rinse them well in filtered water before placing in the coconut milk.
Hi Lisa, you should be good to go now. I forgot to open it up for public viewing. Sorry about that!
Can you make the video public, please, Sarah. I am excited to learn how!
I know this is an old post but can I make the coconut milk using dried coconut flakes and water? And then use a starter packet? Or would that not ferment?
I don’t know if this would work. I haven’t tried it.
Hello Sarah,
Do you happen to know if when using the powder to make kefir do I need to add sugar for it to work? I just made coconut kefir but since I have never had coconut kefir before I donβt know if what I did worked, or what is supposed to taste like. Thanks
You don’t need to add sugar if using the kefir powder. The taste is like coconut milk, just more tangy. It definitely tastes cultured. The consistency is slightly thicker than regular coconut milk too.