Low Carb Yogurt | Noosa Copycat

This low carb twist on the Australian style Noosa Yogurt is a creamy treat that is easy to make using an instant pot. You can eat it plain, or try one of the four flavors included in the recipe.

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You are in for a real treat with this yogurt recipe. You won't believe how creamy the yogurt turns out or how easy it is to make using an instant pot.

What makes Australian Yogurt different from other yogurts?

All yogurt is essentially fermented milk with added cultures. For this reason, yogurt is a great probiotic and can help to improve your gut's microbiome. With more and more research pointing to the importance of gut bacteria, Yogurt is becoming one of the top-selling superfoods.

Whey is a byproduct of making yogurt and it occurs to some extent in all dairy yogurt making processes. In traditional yogurt, the liquid whey is mixed back into the cultured yogurt to form a thinner consistency. Traditional yogurt can be made with skim, 2%, or whole milk.

Greek yogurt can also be made with many varieties of milk. But unlike traditional yogurt, all of the whey and excess liquid is strained off. This not only makes the yogurt super thick but also increases the protein content.

Whole milk is the only variety used for Australian style yogurt. This is what gives the yogurt its trademark velvety consistency. Australian yogurt is not strained, but due to the use of whole milk, it has a thicker texture compared to traditional yogurt, and a slightly thinner texture compared to Greek yogurt.

Australian yogurt is traditionally sweetened with honey but for the purpose of keeping this recipe low carb, the honey was omitted. If you aren't watching your carbs or sugar intake, honey can be added in place of the stevia.

Is yogurt keto-friendly?

In short, the answer is yes! Actually, just about anything is keto-friendly in the right portions.

The long answer is a bit more complicated because it can be tricky to calculate carbs in fermented products. Through the fermentation process, the bacteria consume almost all of the carbohydrates.

With that in mind, the actual carbohydrate content in this yogurt is likely less then what is listed in the nutrition label. Just to be safe, I prefer to overestimate.

You can check out this article all about eating yogurt on a low carb diet for more info on this topic.

Choosing the right milk

One sure way to decrease the carbs in the final product is to start with low carb milk. You will want to look for ultra-filtered whole milk.

These kinds of milk are run through multiple filters which removes much of the sugar and concentrates the protein and calcium content.

I recommend the brands Fairlife or Organic Valley. Both of these kinds of milk are widely available and have half of the carbohydrate content compared to regular milk.

How to flavor low carb yogurt

Plain yogurt is quite tart and not at all sweet and has a similar flavor to sour cream. While some people enjoy the taste of plain yogurt, it can be unpalatable to those who are just beginning to cut sugar from their diets.

I recommend sweetening the yogurt with liquid stevia and a bit of vanilla extract. Liquid stevia stays smooth and doesn't get grainy the way that other low carb sweeteners can which makes it ideal for sweetening yogurt.

I typically use about 1 teaspoon each of the stevia and vanilla, which is just enough to take the edge off. I recommend starting there and then adjusting to taste.

You can stop there and enjoy the mildly sweet yogurt as is, but if you've ever enjoyed a Noosa yogurt, you know that the flavors on the bottom of the cup are really what makes them so dang good.

I've included instructions to make my four favorite flavors, but don't let them limit you. Feel free to try out other flavor combinations and let me know how it goes!

Lemon Yogurt

This lemon yogurt is my absolute favorite flavor and in my opinion, its the most like the original. Simply make a batch of my super easy keto lemon curd and serve a few tablespoons with the yogurt and prepare to be amazed!

Blueberry yogurt

Blueberry is unanimously the favorite flavor of all four of my kids. Luckily it is really easy to make! Just combine 1 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries in a saucepan with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.

Simmer this mixture on medium heat until the berries have softened and released their juices. You can smash the berries or leave them whole depending upon your preference. I don't find it necessary to sweeten the berries, but feel free to add some liquid stevia if desired.

Coconut yogurt

I'll be the first to admit that this coconut flavor isn't quite the same as the Noosa coconut yogurt. But it is delicious in its own right.

For this flavor use my recipe for keto coconut curd and add a few tablespoons to each serving of the yogurt. Coconut curd is halfway between a coconut jam and a coconut custard. It is absolutely divine and you won't regret making it if you are a coconut fan.

Pumpkin yogurt

A fall flavor essential, this pumpkin flavor will have you busting out the flannel and Ugg boots before you get to the bottom!

For this flavor, you'll make a simple mixture with pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, maple syrup, and cream cheese. The cream cheese just helps to smooth out the pumpkin puree but isn't really a noticeable flavor.

How to store homemade yogurt

Homemade yogurt can be stored in the fridge for up to 14 days. I like to use a large glass lock container or a large, wide-mouth mason jar to store the majority of the yogurt before adding any of the flavors.

When I am ready to add the flavoring, I love these half-pint, wide mouth mason jars from Ball. They are the perfect shape for fruit on the bottom yogurt, and they even remind me of the original Noosa container.