Development of plant-based yogurt

Fermented drinks are regarded as healthy food due to their probiotic nature. Vegan consumers who choose sustainable diet and people allergic to dairy products demand alternatives for dairy products. We aimed to develop a non-dairy plant-based yogurt from peanut, oats, and coconut milk. Yogurt was formulated with addition of sugar, corn starch, pectin, and xanthan gum. Simplex-lattice mixture design was applied to optimize the composition of the yogurt and achieve the desired rheological properties, sensory attributes, and syneresis rate. Our results revealed that the formulation containing 7.13 mL of peanut milk, 10 mL of oats milk, and 7.86 mL of coconut milk showed low syneresis rate, desired viscosity and flow behavior, as well as high overall acceptability. We found that increased amounts of peanut and oats milk improved the product’s viscosity due to high protein contents. However, coconut milk enhanced the taste and flavor of the yogurt. Flow behavior depended on viscosity and stabilizers used in accordance with the power law model. Syneresis rate was influenced by the viscosity of the yogurt. The utilization of corn starch, pectin, and xanthan gum not only improved the texture but also helped achieve the desired viscosity and flow behavior. The nutrient composition, physicochemical properties, and high sensory characteristics of the yogurt based on peanut, oats, and coconut milk allow using it as a cow milk alterative in the diet of people with lactose intolerance.