Coconut kefir has been one of my go-to ferments for years now. It is actually the absolute easiest fermentation out there. It’s low maintenance, low cost and has a quick turn-around time so you’ll know pretty quickly if you had success with it. Within 24 hours you can be enjoying these most awesome fermented coconut kefir ice cream pops. They are dairy-free and super healing for the gut thanks to the fermentation magic.
I’ll start by addressing the penis-shaped elephant in the room. I know these look a bit phallic. The popsicle mold looked totally innocent and it wasn’t until I slid out the frozen pops that I noticed these look a lot like penises. There, I said it. Can we move along now?
Now, if we want to get technical, this is more of a yogurt than a kefir. The main differentiating factor is the type of bacteria you use. Real coconut kefir is made with kefir grains. Loads of people have success with this, but typically you’ll find dairy kefir grains (which have some lactose in them and are best avoided if you are lactose intolerant) and water kefir grains, which can work in a sugary water drink, coconut water, or other water-based beverages and makes a light champagne-like drink. Unfortunately, I haven’t had success with either when it comes to coconut milk and so I started experimenting.
The method that worked for me over and over again with consistent results was using a probiotic capsule. Making the coconut kefir with a probiotic produced the most consistent results I’ve ever seen in any fermentation project. The process is simple. Follow along, if you will…
How To Make Coconut Kefir
Tools + Ingredients:
1 can (2 cups) full fat coconut milk (I use Thai Kitchen Organic Coconut Milk)
1 probiotic capsule (about 1/4 tsp of powder). Any live kind will do.
1 clean one litre mason jar.
Method:
Stir together the coconut milk and the probiotic. If the cream and water in the tin are very separated, you may want to toss it in the blender or warm over low heat first and then whisk in the probiotic.
Transfer to your jar and fasten the lid on loosely.
Let sit at room temperature for 18-24 hours. You can taste periodically with a clean spoon until desired taste is achieved.
Once ready, reserve 1/2 cup of coconut kefir for your next batch in a new mason jar. Place your coconut kefir in the fridge.
Will keep 3-4 days, or freeze for a couple of weeks.
Making Your Second Batch:
Mix together your reserved 1/2 cup of coconut kefir with 2 cups (1 can) organic full fat coconut milk. Repeat steps 2-5 above.
I made the coconut kefir for a Facebook live video a couple of weeks ago. You can watch below.
And as we were in the midst of a heat wave, less than 12 hours later, my kefir was making itself known!
Of course, if you aren’t ready to make your own kefir, you can also buy it from the health food store. I have yet to see non-dairy options that aren’t full of emulsifiers and other non-ideal ingredients, but if you know of a great one please share below.
5 Awesome Ways To Enjoy Coconut Kefir
Freeze and make into frozen ‘yogurt’ or ice cream pops.
Use in place of sour cream in dressings, dips or on your baked sweet potato.
Use in baking in place of buttermilk.
Enjoy as is, sweetened with a bit of honey and dolloped over mixed berries, sliced apples or your favourite summer pie.
Now, given the aforementioned heat wave, turning this coconut kefir into rich, creamy and cooling popsicles that could basically function as a meal seemed like a great idea.
The first step was to find a popsicle maker that wasn’t plastic. As you know, I aim to avoid having unnecessary plastic in my life and was thrilled to find this stainless steel one by Onyx at my local kitchen store, which also come with reusable bamboo popsicle sticks.
Because variety is the sweetest spice of life, I opted to make two different flavours of coconut kefir ice cream pops: Honey + Vanilla and Raspberry Cream. Once frozen, I then fancied them up by dipping them in the Chocolate Crackle (page 220 in The UnDiet Cookbook).
Melt together, over low heat, equal parts cacao butter and coconut oil. Add honey as desired to taste.
Dipping Your Popsicles
Once chocolate is melted, hold your popsicle over a bowl and slowly pour on the chocolate, as you slowly turn the popsicle for even coverage. If you have a tall, narrow glass, or something that fits the popsicle with just a little room around, you can also pour the chocolate into the glass and dip the pop.
Replace in freezer on a baking sheet lined with parchment and move on to the next one.
Repeat steps 1 and 2 about 3-4 times until there is a solid coating of chocolate on your popsicle.
On the final dipping, gently roll your popsicle in your topping of choice. I used cacao nibs and chopped almonds. Coconut, bee pollen, ground goji berries, pistachios, or freeze dried fruit would all make great toppings.
Enjoy!
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