Homemade Yogurt Drinks: A Healthy & Affordable Danimals Dupe
If your kids love Danimals yogurt drinks, you’re going to love this homemade version. These Homemade Yogurt Drinks: A Healthy & Affordable Danimals Dupe are creamy, delicious, and made with simple ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. An added bonus, it’s way more affordable!
Not only is it a healthier yogurt drink option, but it’s also a budget-friendly way to keep the fridge stocked with a kid-approved snack. Making your own yogurt drinks at home allows you to control the ingredients, reduce added sugars, and customize the flavors your family enjoys most. Whether you’re packing lunches, serving an afternoon snack, or looking for an easy breakfast on busy mornings, this homemade yogurt drink is a simple solution.
In this recipe, I’ll show you exactly how to make a Danimals DIY Yogurt Drink Dupe that tastes great, comes together in just minutes, and costs a fraction of the store-bought version. Once you see how easy it is, you may never buy yogurt drinks from the grocery store again.
Why You’ll Love Danimals Dupe
- Budget Friendly – a 12 pack of Danimals Yogurt costs $6.99 at the store, but this homemade version makes over 4x that amount for close to the same price.
- Healthier – from scratch snacks mean no surprise ingredients! Control the amount of sugar that goes into the snack and do not worry about hidden dyes or toxic ingredients.
- Customizable – we love to change up the flavors. Some of our favorites are mixed berry and strawberry banana.
- Convenient – perfect for a quick breakfast on the go, a snack for the road, or a healthy side at lunch time.
- Probiotics – this is a big one for our household. Probiotics support a healthy gut and immune system, and aids in digestion.
Ingredients
- Whole Milk (our family prefers raw milk for the added benefits)
- Plain Whole Milk Yogurt (with live active cultures)
- Fresh or Frozen Fruit
- Honey or Maple Syrup
See recipe card for quantities.
Why Raw Milk?
Cow’s milk is actually really good for you! One of my children would break out in a horrible facial rash whenever they would consume pasteurized dairy, and it was at that point I started to really research all there is to know about store bought milk and raw milk.
Unpasteurized A2A2 milk has beneficial bacteria, that can act as a great probiotic, which can benefit the digestive system and overall gut health. Raw milk is full of beneficial nutrients, beneficial enzymes, vitamins, and minerals – which can significantly benefit ones health and overall immune system.
There is a common misconception regarding the safety of consumption and the benefits of raw milk, but this science backed article does a great job of explaining things. If the raw milk comes from a health cow, following a sanitary process safe for human consumption, the risk of becoming ill is incredibly low (somewhere around 1 in 6 million chance).
Sourcing Raw Milk
It is my dream to someday have a family milk cow, my own cow. In the meantime, I was fortunate to find a local raw milk micro dairy. If you don’t have a milk cow of your own (many beginners in the raw milk world don’t) I would recommend searching realmilk.com.
An important factor in choosing a raw milk supplier, for me, is well cared for and healthy cows. In addition, I wanted to be sure the suppliers process was extremely sanitary. The raw milk micro dairy near me is incredible, and I am so grateful to have found them.
In some states the purchase of raw milk for human consumption is illegal, but other states do allow it and may even sell it in a local grocery store.
Instructions
Step 1 – Make the yogurt. First, pour the gallon of milk into the instant pot. Next, add 1 cup of plain whole milk greek yogurt containing live active cultures. Mix well. Press the yogurt button and set the time for 18 hours.
Step 2 – After 18 hours the yogurt is complete. There will be a thicker consistency toward the top and a runnier consistency (the whey) toward the bottom. Do not strain off the whey for this recipe. Add in the frozen or fresh fruit and the honey.
Step 3 – Using an immersion blender, blend the yogurt batter until smooth. I like to have the kids taste test the batter to ensure it is sweet enough. Add the Danimals Dupe kids friendly yogurt drink to cute little drinking jars, or pour it into a large pitcher for easy pouring (I like to do both, the pitcher for home and the danimals style cups for on the go.)
Our Favorite Flavors
As I had mentioned above, we often enjoy changing up the flavors! Here are some of our favorite combinations:
- Mixed Berry
- Strawberry Banana
- Mango Blueberry
- Strawberry Rhubarb
Equipment
- Instant Pot – we use this daily, I always have a batch of yogurt going!
- Immersion Blender – this is a kitchen gadget every kitchen needs!
- Glass Drink Jars – I fond my adorable jars at TJ Maxx, however they’re not spill proof. These ones are safe to pack in a lunch box without leaking!
Storage
Store the homemade yogurt in the refridgerator. The beverage should be consumed within a week for best flavor. If there is extra as the one week mark is approaching, freeze the yogurt drink batter in popsicle molds to prolong the shelf life – the yogurt pops are also a huge hit with the kids!
Substitutions & Variations
- Raw milk – We are a raw milk family, and love the flavor and added benefits. However, whole milk and 1 percent work great as well. The higher the fat content the creamier the yogurt drink (avoid skim.)
- Honey – Maple Syrup or organic cane sugar can be used instead of the honey.
- Frozen Fruit – Frozen fruit is the more affordable option, but fresh fruit works well too.
Alternative Methods
This guide covers the healthy from scratch recipe with homemade yogurt using the instant pot. Other yogurt making methods can work as well, but the consistency of the batter is what is important to keep it drinkable. In the past, I have also added a bunch of milk to a batch of homemade greek yogurt, which works too.
My full step by step instructions for making homemade raw milk yogurt is here. For other healthy kids snack ideas, check out my post on these super simple DIY squeeze pouches or these delicious yogurt pops.
FAQ
Yes! Adding milk to yogurt will get a drinkable consistency as well, just ensure the flavor is adjusted accordingly.
I highly recommend an instant pot. I have mine running daily, it produces the most healthy, affordable, and delicious yogurt incredibly easily.
Honey is our favorite sweetener, but organic cane sugar and maple syrup are other healthy alternatives that can work great too!
I recommend consuming the yogurt drink within a week. If you notice some ingredient separation you may need to shake well as the ingredients settle before drinking.
We like to add ours to yogurt molds before freezing! Freezing can help extend the shelf life as that one week mark approaches.
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Homemade Yogurt Drinks: A Healthy & Affordable Danimals Dupe
Ingredients
- 1 Gallon Whole Milk
- 1 Cup Plain Whole Milk Yogurt (with live active cultures)
- 1 Cup Honey
- 24 Ounces Frozen Fruit
Instructions
- Pour the gallon of milk into the instant pot liner.
- Add 1 cup of plain whole milk yogurt with live active cultures to the instant pot, mix well.
- Place the lid on the instant pot and press the yogurt button. Set the time for 18 hours.
- Once the yogurt is complete, add in the frozen fruit and honey.
- Using an immersion blender, blend in the yogurt, honey, and frozen fruit.
- Pour the drinkable yogurt into the small drink jars or a large pitcher for easy pouring.
Notes
Nutrition
