Name: Chickpea Yogurt (1-Ingredient)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: vegan
Ingredients: 200g organic chickpeas; 960ml filtered water; appropriate amount of sweetener of choice; vanilla powder or extract

Learn how to make dairy-free chickpea yogurt with just one ingredient! Thick, creamy and perfect for sweet and savoury dishes. (Soy free, nut free, gluten free + vegan)

Happy weekend, friends! Today we’re making dairy free, nut free, gluten free AND soy free yogurt… using chickpeas!

Inspiration

This was one of those accidentally experimentations where I was working on a chickpea tofu recipe and accidentally added too much water. The consistency came out to be almost yogurt-like! I was originally going to keep the method the same as making the tofu but wanted to see if I could actually make chickpea yogurt with probiotics. I mean hey, I think most people eat yogurt for that reason right?

So I did a bit of research on chickpea yogurt and there wasn’t much. I have seen cooked chickpeas turn dairy milk into yogurt but I wasn’t sure about how it would work with non-dairy milk. I however, did come across this video by Priyanka N Jain, where she used the soaking water of the chickpeas! I was keen on trying it so I gave it a go…

Verdict?! Flavour wise– it was neutral and a little chickpea-y (obviously). Like most plain yogurts, it tastes like what it’s made from. However, it’s the texture that I wasn’t a fan of. While thick, it was curd-y and almost a little grainy. Interestingly enough, different batches came out with different grainy-ness levels. I was going to scrap the idea because who like grainy yogurt?? And then my 2-minute yogurt came to mind. Straining, blending and adding sweetener to it is the secret to making it actually creamy, smooth and really– like yogurt!

Why this method works

All beans contain a good amount of starch but chickpeas, on it’s own is relatively high. This is why when you make chickpea milk, you’ll see some starch settle at the bottom (be sure to use that up when making the yogurt!). Starch, when heated thickens liquid (ie. vegan custard, gravy and mochi are good examples of this). So when the chickpea milk is heated over the stove, it naturally thickens up.

While still very little research on this, chickpeas seem to have a prebiotic property, which is how it can become its own starter. I have previously seen cooked chickpeas used to make yogurt too but the idea of using its soaking water intrigued me.

Is soaking water safe to consume?

I had this thought come to mind as well. So of course, I did my research and haven’t found any hard evidence of this being true. There are a lot of forums that talk about why it *might* be potentially harmful (soaking water contains what you’re trying to get rid of with dried beans… aka what makes some people gassy) but, in my experience for the past month I have not felt any difference of discomfort.

It’s like when aquafaba first came around. Everyone was skeptical about using liquid of the beans because we’re always told to rinse it off but now it’s considered one of the best egg substitutes and used in all sorts of recipes and applications. However, if you are still concerned you can definitely use another starter and use chickpea milk to keep it soy and nut free 🙂

How to Make Chickpea Yogurt

Soak the chickpeas: Soak the chickpeas overnight or for 10-12 hours. Save 1/4 cup of soaking water (skimming from the surface) in a clean bowl and cover it to prevent any dust from getting in.
Prepare chickpea milk: Drain and rinse the chickpeas and then add them to a blender. Add 960ml of filtered water to the chickpeas and blend on medium-high speed. Do not blend until very smooth or it will become difficult to strain. The texture should be like grainy milk. Strain the chickpea milk through a nut milk bag or cheesecloth. Squeeze out as much of the milk as possible.
Heat the chickpea milk: Add the milk to a large pot and stir (be sure to stir the starch at the bottom that tends to sink when sitting for a period of time). Turn the stove on high heat and once it begins to heat up, reduce to a medium. Stirring continuously, heat the chickpea milk until it thickens (about 10 minutes). Turn off the heat and continue to stir for another 2 minutes. Remove the pot from the burner and continue to stir for 2-4 minutes (this will help cool the mixture).
Ferment the chickpea milk: Once the mixture comes to room temperature, transfer it to a clean sterile glass container with a loose lid. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the soaking water with a wooden utensil. Wrap the lid with a kitchen cloth and then cover. Let the yogurt sit at room temperature for 10-12 hours. Place into the fridge to chill for one day.
Make creamy yogurt: Scoop the chickpea yogurt and add to a blender, along with a sweetener of choice and/or vanilla if desired. Blend until smooth. Now the chickpea yogurt is ready to serve and enjoy!

Tips & Tricks

Use organic chickpeas: The flavour is more mild and less sour.
Use a glass or clay storing container: I found glass to be the best in terms of consistent results. Definitely do not use metal– it makes the yogurt curdle in a strange way.
Strain the chickpea curd: Before blending, if you like thick yogurt I recommend straining off some of the liquid of the curd. I’ll save about 2 tbsp of the liquid for my next batch and then dump everything to a large mesh strainer and let it sit for 5 minutes before blending.
Save the liquid from the first batch: If you’re concerned about using the soaking water from the liquid, make a small batch first and keep the liquid that comes from the first batch. Then you can use that as your first starter. Alternatively, you can use your choice of active culture. I’ve seen fresh sauerkraut juice, kimchi juice, miso paste and fermented raisins used but please do your research first!

How to Store Chickpea Yogurt

I found this chickpea yogurt to last in the fridge for about 5 days. While you can blend the chickpea curd all at once and store it that day, it may separate so I do recommend blending it before serving to maintain that smooth and creamy consistency. However, you can just re-stir it again if you prefer to blend it all at once.

More easy chickpea recipes to try!

If you recreate this Chickpea Yogurt recipe let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment and rating below or by tagging me on Instagram @Okonomikitchen, I love seeing all of your tasty recreations!
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