Coconut kefir is my new favorite way to enjoy kefir. After going on the GAPS protocol early this year for a brief stint of time, I 
came to truly realize that I needed to avoid dairy for awhile until I can heal my gut lining. So, milk kefir was now out for me which could have been a drag since I knew how nourishing it was for me, but thankfully I learned about coconut kefir. The even more beautiful thing about coconut kefir is that it tastes great and does not have the intense overpowering flavor that milk kefir does. It is just as easy to make, though slightly more costly, but oh so worth it to those of us who have restrictions such as an intolerance to dairy. However, it is not 100% dairy free, as it is fermented using milk kefir grains. So those who have an actual dairy allergy may not be able to tolerate it at all, unfortunately. I personally am very grateful for this delicious, probiotic beverage, alternative to milk kefir. It works well for me since I am still sensitive to dairy while my gut is healing. (photo credit)
If you want to know how to make coconut kefir, it’s super simple! Just check out this video my friend Sarah (of the Healthy Home Economist) did. Also, see recipe below.
Coconut Kefir
2 cans full fat coconut milk or 4 cups homemade
1 Tablespoon milk kefir grains
Add the milk kefir grains to the coconut milk in a glass quart jar, cover loosely with a tight weave cloth and allow the milk to culture for 24-48 hours until the desired consistency and taste is achieved. (I personally let mine ferment for about 24 hours and my kefir gets very thick). Remove the kefir grains and place the kefir grains in fresh, preferably raw milk. Milk kefir grains can be used repeatedly in coconut milk but should be returned to cow or goat milk occasionally to revitalize them.
My own personal favorite way to use my coconut kefir is in a smoothie. I am hoping to try it out soon in some ice cream to hopefully get more probiotics into my kids in a fun way that I know they will enjoy. But for now, here is my recipe for a Coconut Kefir Smoothie.
Coconut Kefir Smoothie
1 1/3 cups coconut kefir
1 cup organic frozen strawberries
2-4 pastured egg yolks (add an egg white or two if you’d like to get some protein in your smoothie)
1-3 Tablespoons coconut oil, melted
raw honey, to taste, optional
In a blender mix all ingredients together until smooth. Enjoy!
*Note – One quart of coconut kefir makes 3 smoothies.*
**Update – You can also brew coconut kefir using water kefir grains. The grains however will need to be re-fed in sugar water every few batches or they will die.**
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Great stuff, thanks.
Sounds great Lydia, a very simple way to have kefir without dairy. I’ve been making my smoothies with milk kefir, and it’s the only dairy I have each day, but I am definitely going to try this because I make kefir a lot anyway, and I love coconut milk. Thanks for sharing this!
Cool ~ I think you will like it!
(glad you commented, I realized the video wasn’t there so I got to fix it!!
)
I’m using milk kefir grains and my coconut milk does not turn thick. Do I need to do something to the grains before putting them on the coconut milk?
I just have a question, I got some kefir grains about two months, stuck them in some raw milk and they’ve been there ever since. Are they still good? The milk has separated, smells like sour milk, nothing seems too bad but I’m still leery.
Hi Iris,
How long are you letting is sit out to kefir? I find that my kefir gets thick once I refrigerate it, if it’s not already thick after kefiring it on the counter. You don’t have to do anything to the grains other than keep them fed in milk after you use them to kefir the coconut milk.
Hi Stacy,
They probably are still good, but may take a few times to get revived. They need to be fed on milk regularly to stay alive. I’d pitch the milk they are you most likely will not enjoy the flavor and make regular batches of kefir as often as you can to get your grains going strong again. Hope that helps!
You can also check out this site for any further trouble shooting – it’s a great resource for all things kefir!!
http://users.sa.chariot.net.au/~dna/kefirpage.html
Is there a brand of JUST coconut milk that doesn’t come in a can. Trying to avoid bpa!