The How and Why of Making Keto Yogurt

Written by Michael Grant in Yogurt

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Like any diet regimen the keto diet restricts some foods while encouraging the consumption of others.  Keto is focused on the total number of carbohydrates which can be found in a food compared to the amount of protein and fat.  Yogurt can be a great addition to a keto diet if it has been incubated long enough, has no added sugar or sweetener and is not used in recipes which contain other sugars.

Homemade yogurt is a good addition to a keto diet if it is incubated 12-24 hours.  The longer incubation period lowers more of the lactose reducing the glycemic effect helping the body to stay in ketosis.  Plain yogurt is the only type which should be consumed on a keto diet as any additions will add sugar.

Keto yogurt contains many vitamins and minerals which are made more available through the incubation process as well as containing active lactic acid bacteria which can have a beneficial effect on digestion.   Although it does not have a permanent effect on the microbiome of the gut, it has a beneficial transient effect.

High fat keto yogurt

Ketogenic diets are focused on the reduction of carbohydrates in the diet and since milk contains sugar (lactose) in high amounts it is not recommended for a keto diet.  Whereas yogurt which has been incubated for a longer period of time (12-24 hours) has little remaining sugar.  By using high fat milk to make your yogurt you will also add additional fat to the yogurt.

Cream yogurt is a smooth and thick yogurt which is high in fat and low in lactose.  This type of yogurt is made with cream rather than whole or low fat skim milk.  Half and half works well with its 10% milk fat whipping cream can also be used which makes for a very thick spreadable yogurt.

The advantages of using high fat milk to make keto yogurt is that the incubation time is reduced to only 8-12 hours.  This is due to the lower amount of lactose in the milk at the start of incubation.  When making high fat yogurt it is important to use a very active yogurt starter and to use a little more starter than normal.  Since the starter does not have as much food (lactose) to multiply it needs to be thoroughly dispersed in the milk to be effective.

Alternative milk keto yogurt

Keto yogurt can also be made with alternative milk types such as goat sheep or buffalo milk.  The method is the same as making yogurt from cow milk.  Historically yogurt has been made from any type of milk a culture has available whether it be buffalo, camel or sheep, it has only been in the recent past that western society has gravitated to cow milk.

The difference between other milk and cow milk is, cow milk separates into the fatty cream and high carbohydrate skim milk whereas other milks don’t.  Goat, sheep and buffalo milk are naturally homogenized, preventing the fat and water from separating.  This can make for a more smooth and consistent yogurt.

Keto yogurt recipe

The main difference between regular and keto yogurt is the incubation time required to allow the lactic acid bacteria to consume the lactose in the milk to a degree that it will not provide an insulin rise.  This means that your keto yogurt will be a little tangy once it has completed its incubation time.  

Equipment:

  • Double boiler
  • Thermometer
  • Yogurt incubator
  • Non-metallic container (mason or some other glass jars works well)
  • Whisk
  • Spoon 

Ingredients:

  • Milk of your choice
  • Yogurt starter (how to choose the best yogurt starter)

Instructions:

  1. Add water to bottom of double boiler and your milk into the top
  2. Heat until the milk is 180 degrees, stirring occasionally
  3. Maintain 180 degrees for at least 20 minutes
  4. Remove the milk from the heat and pour it into your glass container
  5. Cool to below 120 (ideally 115)
  6. Place the lid on the jar and place into the incubator
  7. Leave to incubate 12-24 hours
  8. Place yogurt in the fridge to cool for 2 hours before using

Michael Grant

Mike has been an enthusiast of fermentation for over ten years. With humble beginnings of making kombucha for himself to the intricacies of making miso, vinegar and kefir. He makes a wide variety of fermented foods and drinks for his own consumption and family and friends. Being a serial learner he began experimenting with a wide variety of fermented products and learning widely from books, online from content and scientific studies about fermentation, its health benefits, how to use fermented food products in everyday life and the various techniques used to produce them both traditionally and commercially. With a focus on producing his own fermented products in an urban environment with little access to garden space he began Urban Fermentation to help others who want to get the benefits of fermentation in their lives. He provides a wide variety of content covering fermented drinks like kombucha and water kefir, milk kefir and yogurt, vinegar production and lacto-fermentation such as pickles, sauerkraut for those who have to rely on others for food production. With an insatiable hunger to know more about fermentation from all nations and cultures he also has learned to make natto, miso and soy sauce, with more to come as the body of knowledge about fermentation is constantly expanding and becoming more popular as time passes.

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