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Naturally sweet and dairy-free, Tigernut Yogurt is a boon for Paleo, Vegan, AIP and other diets, including those looking for an alternative to coconut, grain and nut yogurts. This delicious probiotic and prebiotic treat takes just 15 minutes to assemble and is done culturing in a day or overnight.
Ingredients in Tigernut Yogurt
There are just 4 ingredients in Tigernut Yogurt:
- Tiger nut flour — Instead of whole soaked tiger nuts, I wanted this recipe to be easy and fast to make, so I use the flour to make the creamy milk base.
- White sweet potato — This ingredient helps to create the creamy-colored base and texture of the yogurt, plus the naturally sweet flavor.
- Probiotic yogurt starter (This one’s Vegan and Paleo: powder with live active cultures or probiotic capsules for AIP and if preferred.)
- Thickener — If you’re vegan, use agar-agar in this recipe. For Paleo and AIP, use gelatin or agar-agar.
If you’re new to agar-agar, it’s a vegan alternative to gelatin. Agar-agar is made from seaweed.
What’s Tigernut Yogurt taste like
Totally delicious, my youngest son prefers this yogurt to dairy yogurt … and, although he loves sweets, doesn’t even add sweetener. That’s saying something.
Tigernut Yogurt is subtly tangy, tart, sour, sweet, refreshing and rich, with an aftertaste of mild sweet potato, in a good way.
There’s also a subtle nub from the tiger nut flour. You want that fiber, and the bit of tender “grit” is good; we don’t mind it.
Part of eating tiger nuts is embracing their texture. It’s a touch like bran. I think most of you will simply love this yogurt and not mind that bit of insoluble fiber.
How to make Tigernut Yogurt
Please be aware that the yogurt making process is slightly different when using different thickeners.
The Paleo & AIP gelatin version is faster. It’s important that the Vegan agar version has a longer heating period.
This is a 4-step process:
- Cook your sweet potato: Either peel, chop and boil it. Or, roast it whole in the oven, and then scoop out the soft flesh.
If you choose to bake, preheat your oven to 350º F, place your sweet potato on a lined cookie sheet (to catch any mess), and bake for about 1 hour, until very soft through to the center. Wait for it to cool a bit, and then smash the inside to measure what you’ll need for the recipe. - Paleo & AIP gelatin version: Place in the blender and purée: sweet potato, tiger nut flour, gelatin and water.
Vegan agar version: In a small saucepan, simmer water and agar-agar for 5 minutes, until the powder or flakes have dissolved. This step also allows the agar to reach 190⁰F, which is required for it to gel. Allow to cool slightly, for 10 to 15 minutes. Then blend with sweet potato and tiger nut flour. - Both versions: Warm the purée in a small saucepan to 110º F. (If you don’t have an instant-read thermometer, see Tips below.) Sprinkle with yogurt culture, and stir in.
- Transfer yogurt to culturing container of choice. Allow to ferment 10 to 16 hours (or up to 24 hours). (You can use a yogurt maker or Instant Pot with “Yogurt” setting to provide the steady warm environment.)
How long you ferment your yogurt depends on how tart you like it. Extra tart yogurt has more probiotics. But do make it palatable for your preference.
I find 15 hours to be to my liking, which works well for an overnight ferment. Both probiotic starters that I’ve trialled for this recipe have plenty of time to create a lovely-flavored, tangy yogurt in 15 hours.
How long to chill your yogurt before it’s ready to eat
Your yogurt needs to chill in order to gel.
The Vegan agar-agar version will look somewhat watery when warm, after fermenting, but gel after chilling. Depending on the amount of thickener you use, the Vegan whey may separate out a bit when stored in the fridge, so stir it with a spoon before eating it.
To get thick yogurt more quickly, chill in individual serving dishes, such as small mason jars.
Regarding thickness: How thick do you like your yogurt? I usually like mine pretty thick, so it will stand on its own on a spoon. But I’ve had fun with this recipe creating a variety of thicknesses, and we like them all.
In the recipe below, I give a spectrum of how much thickener to use, depending on how thick you want your chilled yogurt.
Tips when making Tigernut Yogurt
- Use a good starter culture. I’ve used this one and this one. For AIP, use the latter option or another quality probiotic.
- Choose a culturing vessel. When available, I use my Instant Pot‘s insert with glass lid and the machine’s “Yogurt” setting. You can ferment directly in the insert or use your trivet, and place jars or a bowl on top of it. If my insert contains leftovers in the fridge, I use a large glass bowl (covered), nested over my Instant Pot base (and still use the Yogurt setting for the steady temperature it provides). You may also use a yogurt maker.
- It doesn’t matter what kind of yogurt maker you use, but you do need a consistently warm temperature of 100 to 110 degrees.
- Be sure your culturing containers are freshly washed and clean.
- If you don’t have a thermometer, here’s a way to test with your finger for 110º.
Nutrition in Tiger Nut Sweet Potato Yogurt
TIGER NUTS
Tiger nut flour is made from an ancient grain-free tuber, considered gentle and nutrient dense for most people.
It’s super high in fiber. Some of that fiber is prebiotic. This insoluble starch not only feeds the good flora in the colon, it also feeds the probiotics in the yogurt while it’s culturing.
We end up with a yogurt that has both probiotics and prebiotics.
Tiger nuts also contain enzymes that aid digestion. No wonder so many us have improved digestion — from stomach to colon — when we eat tiger nuts.
Tiger nuts are an excellent source of iron, potassium, manganese and thiamin. They’re a good source of phosphorus, protein, magnesium, zinc and vitamins E and C.
SWEET POTATOES
Sweet potatoes also contain resistant starch, even after being cooked.
Happily for this recipe, white-fleshed sweet potato starch has significantly more resistant starch than the orange-fleshed.
White sweet potatoes are also high in B vitamins, vitamin C, as well as minerals like potassium.
The high fiber content in sweet potatoes is linked to several health benefits, including blood sugar regulation, better weight control and reduced colon cancer risk.
YOGURT
Finally, when we make yogurt with these two wonderful foods, their nutrition is better absorbed by the body. Fermentation makes nutrients more accessible.
Yogurt provides probiotics, aids digestion and boosts the immune system. Yogurt can benefit cholesterol levels and fight conditions like anemia and candida overgrowth.
Tigernut Yogurt is filling, satiating and gentle for most bodies.
Creative ways to enjoy Tigernut Yogurt
- Add toppings: Top Tigernut Yogurt with pure maple syrup for a simple, decadent treat. Add fresh berries, granola (not AIP), chopped dried fruit, sprouted nuts or seeds (not AIP), swirl in Carob Ganache, create a parfait.
- Make fruit-on-the-bottoms: As seen in the photos, spoon your favorite berry jam into the bottom of clear serving dishes, such a 1 or 2-cup mason jars, before adding the finished yogurt. Refrigerate, then grab for pretty and delicious meals — including to pack in lunches.
- Use it as a base: Sweet or savory, yogurt is a wonderful base for a bunch of condiments. For savory, think of preparations like: raita, hummus, dips and salad dressings … For sweet, think: smoothies, yogurt sauce for pancakes, overnight oatmeal recipes.
- Spread it or dollop: Use on top of toast, muffins or hot cereal. Garnish tacos or other Mexican dishes. Use any place you’d use sour cream.
- Make Vanilla Yogurt: Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and up to 3 Tablespoons maple syrup to your finished yogurt.
Tigernut YOGURT (Paleo, AIP, Vegan)
Equipment
- yogurt maker or Instant Pot
Ingredients
- ½ cup tiger nut flour
- ½ to ⅔ cup white sweet potato smashed and packed to measure (from 1 medium sized white sweet potato, fully baked and peeled, OR peel, cube and simmer sweet potato until cooked)
- 2 cups water
- 1 to 3 teaspoons gelatin for Paleo OR ¾ to 1-½ teaspoons agar-agar powder (or 3 to 4-½ teaspoons agar flakes) for Vegan and if preferred, depending on desired thickness
- 1 vegan yogurt starter packet from Cultures for Health (For AIP and if preferred, use quality probiotic capsules instead; you'll empty out 3 capsules.)
Instructions
- PALEO and AIP GELATIN VERSION: Place water, sweet potato, tiger nut flour and gelatin in blender. Purée until smooth, about 30 seconds on medium speed.
- Pour purée into a medium size saucepan. Heat to 110° F. Sprinkle yogurt starter over the surface, and whisk in.
- VEGAN AGAR VERSION: Add water to a small saucepan. If using the flakes, sprinkle agar-agar over the surface. Let it sit undisturbed for 5 minutes, until the flakes are rehydrated. If using the agar powder, whisk it in so it doesn't settle to the bottom. Then simmer for a full 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until agar is fully dissolved. (Including cooling time, this cooking time allows the agar to maintain a total of 10 minutes at the required 190° temperature it needs to gel). Allow to cool slightly, for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Place agar-agar water, sweet potato and tiger nut flour into blender. Purée until smooth, about 30 seconds on medium speed. Pour purée into a saucepan. Check temperature, and as needed, heat to 110° F. Sprinkle vegan yogurt starter over the surface, and whisk in.
- BOTH VERSIONS: Pour into container for fermenting: Instant Pot insert, small yogurt dishes, a 4-cup mason jar (it won't fill it) or a ceramic bowl. Place into yogurt maker, Instant Pot or consistently warm environment.
- Cover, and ferment for desired about of time, 10 to 16 hours, depending on how tart you like your yogurt (or up to 24 hours if you're using probiotic capsules). (The tarter it is, the higher the probiotics.) This yogurt can be made in one day, or overnight.
- Chill for a minimum of 6 hours or up to 24 hours, so the yogurt fully thickens.
- Tigernut Yogurt does not need to be sweetened, but if desired, garnish with pure maple syrup, fresh berries or other toppings. (The Vegan version made with agar-agar may separate a bit when stored in the fridge, so stir it with a spoon before eating it.)
Nutrition
Don’t forget to leave a comment or review below! 🙂 I’d love to know how you like your Tigernut Yogurt!
Keith Sheldon says
Thanks for such an inspiring, easy recipe!!
I wonder, however, why this recipe says to heat the mix to 110 degrees BEFORE placing it into the yogurt maker. When heating liquid it is sooo tricky to control the temp, as the temp easily creeps up even after heat is turned off, potentially killing the powdered culture.
I have made coconut yogurt (from dried shredded coconut) for years and I have been successful in just allowing the instant pot to bring it to cultivating temp. I also wonder if anyone has an opinion about why we should use glass or ceramic culturing vessels. For ease, I just use the stainless steel instant pot as a “bowl”. It’s easy I suppose to pour my mix into mason jars before cultivating but I’m curious.
I also just use (more expensive) refrigerated , high-potency probiotic caps as a yogurt starter rather than purchasing a culture specifically for yogurt making. While this works great, I always wonder exactly how many caps to use, as my Naturopath swears 100 billion is the minimum to use (and that’s a LOT of caps, even with the priciest product available! And doesn’t seem right, given that, naturally, the probiotics multiply. (The idea must be that the stronger the culture starter, the stronger the finished product?).
I’ve been all over the web looking for these answers.
Thanks so much for the great info, and I look forward to hearing others’ experiences with non-dairy milk yogurt making.
Megan says
Hi Keith! Thanks for the questions! While some sources do recommend ceramic, stainless steel is fine, like the IP insert. Ceramic holds its temperature well, which is why it’s often a traditional choice for culturing. Re 110 degrees, I’ve made non-dairy yogurt so many times now, and what I find helps is to just stir the mixture regularly before checking the temperature to get a good steady 110. 111 degrees will not kill the culture if the temp creeps up a little, though. (You’re safe up to 115.) But the 110 degrees beforehand ensures a thicker, more consistent result by killing anything that can survive below that temperature. Not all yogurt makers culture at that high of a temperature. Oftentimes, they hold yogurt at 90-105 degrees. Re the probiotic capsule options, I know what you mean. There are so many varying opinions and experiences on this topic. I’m in the process of trialling the capsules I link to in the post and recipe. My feeling is that you do not need 100 billion minimum to create yogurt, but you are likely to need to wait longer as a result, up to 24 hours. More probiotics per batch ensures a quick and sure inoculation. The prebiotic tiger nut flour in this recipe, though, actually helps to expedite this process, as the (fewer) probiotics consume it and multiply more quickly as a result. I hope that addresses all of your great questions!
Jan Eastwell says
Sounds great but unfortunately I hate sweet potato is there anything else I can use instead?
Megan says
Hi Jan, the first thing that comes to mind is white carrots, cooked and mashed the same way, and then add cinnamon if you like. We used to make Carrot-Cinnamon Frozen Yogurt at our Paleo café, and it was a super popular flavor (kind of like carrot cake but with a “cleaner” flavor”. If that doesn’t appeal, the next options include winter squash mash or pumpkin.
Holley Waller says
Can I use regular sweet potatoes even though they would be a different color
Megan says
Hi Holley, yes! I haven’t trialled the recipe with them, but there’s no reason they won’t work. Enjoy! 🙂
Beth says
Megan, do you think it might work by adding kefir grains to the mixture to ferment it, instead of adding culture?
Megan says
Hi Beth, I think so!, but I can’t say for sure. I’d love to hear back from you after you try it. 🙂
Linsi M Deyo says
Hi Megan, Thanks for the recipe, it looks great. Do you think I could use some high quality plain yogurt as the starter? Also, is there any reason I shouldn’t use regular sweet potato instead of white? I’d love to try the recipe and have these substitutes on hand.
Megan says
Hi Linsi, yes and yes! Thanks for the great questions. As long as you tolerate dairy, you can definitely use regular yogurt. As for the sweet potato, any color flesh will be good. I prefer white sweet potatoes personally for 2 reasons: 1 and less importantly, their color creates a more yogurt-looking yogurt, but this doesn’t really matter and 2) they are lower in beta carotene which is a precursor to vitamin A, and although all mainstream sites will tell you to eat lots of it, I have found in my research and in my own body, that too much really does cause adverse health issues. One time, no big deal, but if we’re eating foods daily and weekly, more balance is better, IMO. 🙂
Linsi M Deyo says
Thanks very much Megan! I’ll give it a try.
Nancy in Alberta says
Well done for developing this cultured treat. I have a daughter who can have oats, and I saw your oat yogurt recipe, but I’d like her to possibly get off grains altogether for a while, so this is excellent. She LOVES sweet potatoes in any form, so this is perfect, thanks.
Megan says
I’m so glad, Alberta, great!! 🙂
Louise from Ontario says
I’m really looking forward to making this recipe. Have all the ingredients so no reason not to get started.
I’ve been looking for an alternative to coconut yogurt for a while now and came across your recipe.
Hope this is the solution!
Megan says
Me too! Hope you love it! Let us know how it goes! 🙂 Thanks for commenting, Louise. 🙂
Doreen says
The probiotics you recommended is not available (AIP). Is there another to use? Or alternatively can I follow all the directions and instead of fermenting just chill it for some kind of pudding like treat?
Megan says
Hi Doreen, This is a good one that’s now in the post and IS AIP 🙂 : https://amzn.to/3Rpkv8o
Jan says
It is great to have an AIP yogurt option that is not coconut, since that is not agreeing with me. I’ve made this once with orange sweet potatoes and once with purple fleshed and both were delicious. I have yet to try it with your original white sweets, that will be my next one to make. I used some of the orange yogurt to make salad dressing, blended up with raw garlic, a bit of oil and vinegar, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper, and I forget what herbs I added but it was a tasty creamy dressing and a welcome change for our salad.
Thank you once again for your creativity, Megan. It is a joy to have variety in the nutritious foods that my family can eat.
Megan says
Hi Jan, great to hear, and thanks so much for sharing. It’s always so nice to have a new staple that you like and that works for your body. Yum, too, about the salad dressing. Thanks, too, for your kind words. It makes me so happy to know the recipes are finding homes and hearts and are helpful!
Ellie says
I tried reading through but couldn’t find this – how long will this yogurt last in the fridge until it goes off?
Megan says
Hi Ellie, it will last for at least 5 days.
Alessia says
I was wondering if I can use my slow/pressure cooker instead of the yogurt maker for this recipe? And if so, which setting should I use and how long should I put it in there for?https://cuisinart.com.au/products/pressure-cooker-plus
this is the one i have 🙂 thank you!
Megan says
Hi Alessia, it looks like this model does not have a feature that will work. The Keep Warm button will be too hot. So sorry! You might try a sprouting mat for the least expensive option, or a large thermos, or there are some very inexpensive yogurt makers. Hope you find a good easy solution! 🙂
Kala says
Hi and thank you for the wonderful recipe! I am excited to try it.
I have purchased the yogurt starter (this one: https://www.yogurtbio.com/starter-cultures/bifidum-bio-yogurt-starter-culture). It says on the package to ferment at 37-39 degrees C (98-102 F). Should I follow what the package says or your advised temperature (110 F)?
Also, how many packages are needed? One package of the culture has 10 billion units. Do I need more than one?
Megan says
Hi Kala, I haven’t used that product, so I can’t be sure. You could use 1 package and see how it works with their suggested temperatures, and then if you do not have a tangy product, re-do the process with another package and/or warmer temp.
Kala says
Thank you Megan, I will follow your advice. How much of this yogurt should be consumed daily? What do you recommend? Thanks!!!
Megan says
Hi Kala, I can’t recommend because I’m not a doctor. I would just personally practice moderation in all things: so a single serving would be not over-doing. Best!
Kala says
The recipe was a success! One sachet of the starter at 24 hours. Completely delicious.
The only thing I would change is agar. I think that the yogurt is thick enough as it is without it.
Is it possible to omit agar completely and only add water? Thank you!
Megan says
Hi Kala, great to hear, and thanks for sharing. Yes, totally omit the agar if you prefer. 🙂
Debbie B Davis says
Could I use milk instead of water?
Megan says
Hi Debbie, it depends what kind of milk. As long as it’s plant-based, it’s likely to be okay.
Debbie B Davis says
We can do dairy and are blessed w an A2A2 source is what I would be using.
Megan says
It’s fun to imagine making it with A2A2 milk, but I think you’ll have an incredibly too-rich yogurt, so could omit the sweet potato …