Best vegan yoghurt in Australia reviewed
Here we will give a hands-on, taste-tested review of the best vegan yoghurt in Australia. This includes coconut yoghurt by Coyo and Cocobella, as well as oat yoghurt and soy yoghurt by Vitasoy. We’ll also review the best high protein vegan yoghurt.
We’ll look into the benefits, ingredients, nutrition and flavour of these dairy-free yoghurts and see where each yoghurt stands out.
You might also be interested in our other yoghurt articles:
Pros and cons of vegan yoghurt
There are plenty of good reasons why someone might want to choose a vegan yoghurt over dairy yoghurt whether it be environmental, ethical or dietary. We could go on, but if you’re reading this article, you’re likely already aware of the benefits of a vegan product!
But unfortunately there can be some downsides to vegan yoghurt we should also be aware of:
Cost - most of the yoghurts reviewed here are substantially more expensive than even premium dairy yoghurts
Long ingredient lists - some of the yoghurts reviewed here have a large amount of ingredients and additives (such as thickeners) compared to dairy yoghurts
Health measures - vegan yoghurts have different health profiles to dairy yoghurts so it’s good to be aware of this before buying them. For instance, coconut yoghurt has a lot of saturated fat and is low in calcium and protein, while other versions tend to be high in sugar
Probiotic diversity - some vegan yoghurt can lack much probiotic diversity and often only have one or two probiotic strains
Taste - while some vegan yoghurts (especially coconut) can taste fantastic, others struggle to match the texture and creaminess of dairy yoghurt
Okay, on with the show - let’s have a look at the winners in various categories for the best vegan yoghurt in Australia!
Best vegan yoghurt overall in Australia
Coyo coconut yoghurt
Coyo coconut yoghurt is the choice if you want the best tasting vegan yoghurt in Australia. It’s not the choice if you want to focus on health measures though.
It is a relatively simple coconut yoghurt with only organic coconut cream, water, starch, chicory root fibre, live cultures and probiotics.
The chicory root fibre is a prebiotic which will feed the good bacteria in your gut.
In terms of health measures, it has extremely high levels of fat (14.9%!) and has low levels of calcium and protein. In better news, it is low in sugar.
Coyo coconut yoghurt includes two proprietary probiotic strains which are backed by clinical research. In terms of the actual amount of these probiotics, there are 1 billion colony forming units per 100g of each of them. (Probiotics are live cultures which have been proven to offer health benefits.)
Flavour
The texture is not as thick as dairy yoghurt, but it has a lovely rich creaminess - courtesy of the fat…
The aroma is simply of coconut.
It has a fresh coconut taste, low-to-moderate acidity and a luxurious creaminess.
Overall, the taste is fantastic. It’s refreshing, comforting and very moreish.
Cost and availability
A 900g tub from Coles costs $12 - which is around 50% more than premium yoghurts. However, this is fairly standard for vegan yoghurts unfortunately.
Summary
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5.
Verdict: Coyo coconut yoghurt is absolutely delicious. However, as with most coconut yoghurts, some of the health measures are not great. It is also eye-wateringly expensive.
Pros
fantastic taste
luxurious creaminess
natural ingredients
includes two well-researched probiotic strains
some prebiotic fibre
low in sugar
Cons
extremely high in fat
low in protein
very low in calcium
very expensive
Our favourite gut health products in Australia
YourBiology Gut+ probiotic not only offers 10 strains of probiotics, but also includes two types of prebiotics, three digestive enzymes and vitamin D for gut health support. All this means it offers a lot more benefits for gut health and general health than most probiotic supplements do
FixBIOME is a natural and very evidence-based supplement which is specifically designed to get your gut back into good shape. Perfect for those who need a gut reset
Read more about the best gut health products in Australia.
Best oat yoghurt in Australia
Vitasoy oat yoghurt
Vitasoy oat yoghurt is the best choice if you want an oat yoghurt or want a dairy-free yoghurt with better health measures than coconut yoghurt.
The ingredients list is extensive but there isn’t anything terrible for you in this yoghurt - with the added sugar probably being the least desirable.
The specific ingredients are:
oat yogurt (91%) - oat milk (filtered water, whole oats, oat flour), pea protein, sugar, cocoa butter, tapioca flour, tapioca starch, mineral (calcium phosphate), natural flavour, sea salt, live vegan cultures, vitamins (vitamin D, vitamin B12)
vanilla blend (9%) - water, sugar, rice starch, natural flavour, vanilla bean, acidity regulators (citric acid, sodium citrate)
In terms of health measures, it has moderate levels of fat, calcium and protein. In worse news, it is high in sugar for a yoghurt.
It is also fortified with vitamins D and B12.
Vitasoy oat yoghurt includes one strain of probiotics in the form of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis (aka B. lactis). In terms of the actual amount of this probiotic, there are 100 million colony forming units per 100g.
Flavour
The texture is quite thick from the starches but not in the same creamy way a dairy yoghurt is.
The aroma is not very strong with lemon and vanilla notes coming through a bit.
The taste has lemon and vanilla in front of an oaty background. It’s quite sweet and has a moderate acidity. There’s also an earthy oaty aftertaste.
As with the soy version, the lemoniness is quite apparent and interesting.
Overall, the taste is fair. I easily prefer it to the soy version - but the taste doesn’t compare to coconut or natural dairy yoghurt in my opinion.
Cost and availability
You can buy a 450g tub from Coles for $6 - which makes it as expensive as Coyo.
Summary
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5.
Verdict: Vitasoy oat yoghurt is a decent dairy-free option. But this comes with a hefty price and the taste, while better than their soy yoghurt, will not blow you away.
Pros
fortified with calcium, vitamins and minerals
Cons
very expensive
the taste will not satisfy everyone
higher in sugar than dairy yoghurt
a huge ingredient list (but with no serious nasties)
just the one strain of probiotics
Best soy yoghurt in Australia
Vitasoy Greek style soy yoghurt
Vitasoy Greek style soy yoghurt is the best choice if you specifically want a soy yoghurt. There’s probably not many other reasons to make this your first choice though.
Similar to Vitasoy oat yoghurt, the ingredients list is long, but free of anything seriously nasty.
The specific ingredients are:
soy yogurt (90%) - soy milk (filtered water, whole soybeans), sugar, soy protein, cocoa butter, tapioca flour, mineral (calcium phosphate), tapioca starch, sea salt, natural flavour, live vegan cultures, vitamins (vitamin D, vitamin B12)
vanilla blend (10%) - water, sugar, rice starch, natural flavour, vanilla bean, acidity regulators (citric acid, sodium citrate)
Regarding health measures, it has fairly good levels of protein (50% more than their oat yoghurt), moderate levels of fat (30% more than their oat version though) and moderate levels of calcium. Similar to the oat version, it is high in sugars.
Like the oat version, it is fortified with vitamins D and B12.
It includes one strain of probiotics in the form of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis (aka B. lactis). In terms of the actual amount of this probiotic, there are 100 million colony forming units per 100g.
Flavour
The texture is quite thick from the starches and decently creamy from the fat.
The aroma is not strong and it’s hard to pick much out. Perhaps there’s earthiness from the soy and notes of lemon if I’m really trying too hard to find something.
The taste is quite earthy with an interesting lemony tang. It’s a bit too sweet for me. The vanilla comes through fairly well and there’s a moderate sourness.
Overall, the taste is not great, but not awful. It will definitely be strange for those not accustomed to soy products.
Cost and availability
You can buy a 450g tub from Coles for $5.80 - which makes it about the same as their oat version.
Summary
Rating: 3 stars out of 5.
Verdict: Vitasoy Greek style soy yoghurt has a better nutrition profile than some other vegan yoghurts. The earthy taste will challenge some though, as will the price.
Pros
decent protein levels
fortified with calcium, vitamins and minerals
Cons
very expensive
the earthy taste will not suit everyone
higher in sugar than dairy yoghurt
a huge ingredient list (but with nothing egregious)
just the one strain of probiotics
Best high protein vegan yoghurt in Australia
Cocobella protein coconut yoghurt
Cocobella protein coconut yoghurt is the clear choice if you want to prioritise high protein levels in your vegan yoghurt.
The ingredient list is quite extensive, but there isn’t anything nasty in this yoghurt.
The specific ingredients are:
coconut yoghurt - water, coconut milk, pea protein, faba protein, native starch, cane sugar, calcium phosphate, carob bean extract, agar, yoghurt cultures
vanilla blend - water, cane sugar, native starch, natural flavour, natural colour (caramelised sugar), vanilla bean and lemon juice concentrate.
It has two types of added protein and added calcium.
It also has two types of added thickeners.
In terms of health measures, it has high levels of protein (for a vegan yoghurt) with 6.3% protein, high levels of fat (8.3%) and high levels of sugar (5.9%). And although it has added calcium, compared to dairy yoghurt and other fortified vegan yoghurt this level is low.
Cocobella protein coconut yoghurt includes five strains of live cultures, with most of these considered probiotic (more on this in our full review). In terms of the actual amount of these live cultures, there are 2 billion colony forming units (CFU) per 100g. It’s worth noting that unlike most other yoghurts reviewed here, this CFU count includes the live cultures which aren’t considered probiotic.
Flavour
The texture is very thick but this comes from the two added thickeners and the two added proteins - so it’s thick but in a strange and unsatisfying way. And even though it’s high in fat, it’s not nice and creamy like a dairy yoghurt.
The aroma is not strong with some lemon and flour vibes coming through.
The taste is interesting to say the least. It doesn’t taste very much of coconut and the earthy taste of the added pea and faba bean proteins is fairly dominant. There’s also a lemony taste and just a hint of vanilla. The acidity is low to moderate.
Overall, the taste is pretty strange and probably not what you were expecting. It’s not great, but not very bad. The texture is equally, if not more, odd considering it’s meant to be a yoghurt.
Cost and availability
A 500g tub from Woolworths costs $6.50.
Summary
Rating: 3.25 stars out of 5.
Verdict: Unlike most vegan yoghurt, Cocobella protein coconut yoghurt is high in protein and has some added calcium. However, the taste and texture are strange, and it is high in fat and very expensive.
Pros
dairy free (if that’s important to you)
high in protein (for a vegan yoghurt)
various probiotics
some added calcium (but still far below dairy yoghurt levels)
Cons
strange taste
odd texture which is not like yoghurt
high in fat
very expensive
Read our full review of Cocobella protein coconut yoghurt.
Other vegan yoghurt in Australia
Cocobella coconut yoghurt
Cocobella coconut yoghurt might be an okay option if you want to save a bit of money on a coconut yoghurt or get one with less fat than some other coconut yoghurts.
The specific ingredients are: water, coconut milk, native starch, dextrose, carob bean extract, agar, yoghurt cultures and probiotics.
So the yoghurt is all natural, but it does include added sugar in the form of dextrose. It also includes two added thickeners.
In terms of health measures, it has high levels of fat (9.7%) and has low levels of calcium and protein. However, it is low in sugar.
Cocobella coconut yoghurt includes five strains of live cultures, with most of these considered probiotic (more on this in our full review). In terms of the actual amount of these live cultures, there are 2.5 billion colony forming units (CFU) per 100g. It’s worth noting that unlike most other yoghurts reviewed here, this CFU count includes the live cultures which aren’t considered probiotic.
Flavour
The texture is thick, but this comes from the two added thickeners and it just seems wrong. It’s like a thick gooeyness which isn’t very satisfying. Maybe this strange texture also affects the perception of creaminess, because it isn’t nice and creamy like some dairy yoghurt and Coyo are. I was expecting a much nicer creaminess given it is so high in fat to be honest.
The aroma is subtly of coconut.
The taste is a bland, mild coconuttiness. The acidity is quite low. There’s just really not much going on.
Overall, the taste is underwhelming. The texture is strange, it feels like something is missing and you are left not very satisfied after eating something quite fatty ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Cost and availability
A 900g tub from Coles costs $9.
Summary
Rating: 3 stars out of 5.
Verdict: Cocobella coconut yoghurt offers some probiotics, but an odd texture from the thickeners used and a fairly bland taste let it down. It also suffers from the usual poor health metrics coconut yoghurt does. And even though it is cheaper than some coconut yoghurt, it is still quite expensive.
Pros
various probiotics
natural ingredients
low in sugar (even though some is added)
Cons
underwhelming taste
odd texture
high in fat
low in protein
very low in calcium
expensive
Health benefits of vegan yoghurt
Live cultures
These are the live microbes you are ingesting when you eat yoghurt. And many are considered probiotic which means they bring health benefits.
Probiotics offer many health benefits including:
better digestive health
better immune function
reduced inflammation
reduced allergies
better nutrient absorption
Postbiotics
In simple terms, postbiotics are essentially things probiotics produce. These include short-chain fatty acids which nourish our gut lining and may help reduce symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.
No lactose
Being dairy-free, vegan yoghurts don’t contain any lactose which can cause digestion issues in some people.
Factors we consider in our ratings
The factors we consider when doing a review (and the weightings of each of these) may vary depending on the product we are testing, but here are the key general factors we consider when we settle on a rating for a product.
Health benefits
We find out how the product will be good for your health and outline the benefits for you in simple language. This often involves doing research so you don’t have to. We often link to scientific studies or articles summarising scientific findings so you can dig deeper if you want to.
Things detrimental to health
We want to highlight where a product might include something bad for your health - even if it might be good for you in another way. This could include such things as pointing out certain additives it contains or high sugar levels.
How its made
This will vary depending on the product, but we want to see a quality process for making it and quality ingredients. For example, we want to see a kombucha traditionally fermented with lots of different microbial strains and we want to see a yoghurt made with fresh milk and not milk powders.
Price
While we expect quality products to be more expensive, they still have to be priced within reason. On the other side of things, a product which is priced very competitively will get a ratings boost based on the value it provides.
Flavour
For some products flavour won’t be a factor (eg probiotic tablets), but for others, like yoghurt or kimchi, flavour is a key aspect because these products are made to be enjoyed as well as being healthy! We will try to be as subjective as possible and describe the flavour in detail so you can get an idea of whether you would like it or not.
Our favourite gut health products in Australia
YourBiology Gut+ probiotic not only offers 10 strains of probiotics, but also includes two types of prebiotics, three digestive enzymes and vitamin D for gut health support. All this means it offers a lot more benefits for gut health and general health than most probiotic supplements do
FixBIOME is a natural and very evidence-based supplement which is specifically designed to get your gut back into good shape. Perfect for those who need a gut reset
Read more about the best gut health products in Australia.
Your reviewer
This article was written by Travis, the founder of this website, long-time gut-health enthusiast, science nerd and passionate kombucha maker of over 10 years!
Related articles
