How to Make Yogurt at Home: Easy Instant Pot Recipe

Making yogurt at home is super easy, and can save your budget a ton of money too!

Why Make Your Own Yogurt:

Homemade yogurt tastes nothing like store bought yogurt - easily 10x better. It is creamy, and has the most balanced flavor. You can experiment with your process which allows you to control the texture and tang of the final result.

Not only is it the best tasting, it is very cost effective. In our house we save on average $15 a month making yogurt at home, $180 a year! Plus it saves you the trip to the store. Once you have made your first batch you will have the starter culture to carry forward to all your future batches. May you never have to buy yogurt again!

Making yogurt in your instant pot makes the process SUPER EASY, and requires minimal hands on time

Lastly, Yogurt is PACKED with probiotics, and the fresher the better for those little guys! Fresh yogurt is LOADED with fed, live, thriving bacterial cultures. Store bought yogurt, depending when it was packaged can experience a lot of bacterial die off the longer it goes not fed, and it is refrigerated. When you eat fresh yogurt, it has the highest amount of probiotics it possibly can! Those gut loving bacteria pack a healthful punch!

What You Need for Your Yogurt Recipe:

• 8 Cups / 2 Liters Whole Milk - Grass fed is optimal

• 1/2 Cup Finished Yogurt; or Store Bought with Active Cultures

• Instant Pot; Smaller 6qt

• Instant Read Thermometer

Make Your Yogurt:

Now that you have gathered all the goodness, lets make the magic happen

Step 1: Heat Your Milk

Pour the milk into your Instant Pot and press "YOGURT" button to "BOIL" setting. Replace lid and the Instant pot will slowly heat the milk to 185F - 200F. Whisk occasionally to avoid scalding. When the milk is to temp, the instant pot will beep and turn off. Take the temperature of your milk, if it is not heated to 185F - 200F, turn the low sauté setting on and continue to heat until it reaches proper temperature - whisking to avoid scalding.

Heating is an important step as it changes the proteins in the milk allowing it to set up into yogurt, not separate.

Taking Temperature of Heating Milk

Step 2: Cancel and Cool

Press CANCEL on your instant pot, turning it off and allow the milk to cool to 112F - 115F.

Do NOT add your bacterial culture (finished yogurt) until the milk has cooled to temperature. If you add it too early, the temperature of the milk will kill the bacteria the milk needs to turn to yogurt.

Step 3: Culture the Milk

Once the milk has reached 115F, add 1/2 cup of finished yogurt, or store bought yogurt with active cultures (make sure it says this on the container). Whisk well to combine.

You can also purchase a yogurt culture online, It usually comes in a powder form like this - Cultures for Health Yogurt Culture

Previous Batch of Yogurt as Starter Culture for New Batch

Step 4: Cover and Keep Warm

Place the lid on the Instant Pot and seal. Press the yogurt button until the "08:00" Setting shows on the screen. The instant pot will now run for 8 hours, you can decrease the time to minimum 4 hours, or add hours up to 24 depending on the flavor and texture of yogurt you prefer.

If this is your first time making yogurt, at the 4 hour mark check your yogurt for taste and texture. At 4 hours it should have set up into a yogurt consistency, and have a mild, creamy flavor. If you like the taste and texture of your yogurt here, you can move on to Step 5. If you like a tangier yogurt leave the yogurt at temp a while longer.

Remember the longer you leave it the thicker and tangier it becomes!

Minimum 4 Hours, up to 24 Hours

Note: Once my yogurt is done, I usually leave it at room temperature for a few additional hours (while it strains, if you choose too) before putting it in the fridge. I do this to allow the bacterial culture in the yogurt gain strength, and this way it ensures your next batch will work up just as successfully!

OPTIONAL: Strain with Cheesecloth

Once your yogurt is done, you have the option to strain the yogurt using a Cheese cloth lined Fine Mesh Strainer. Place your strainer over an 8 cup Measuring Cup, or other dish to catch they Whey. Allow your yogurt to brain for 1-2 hours for Greek yogurt, and up to 8 hours for thick yogurt cheese - Labneh. Straining the yogurt results in thicker yogurt - think Greek, so you can adjust based on your preference.

Step 5: Container and Into the Fridge

Once your yogurt is at the flavor and consistency you like it is time to put it in a container, and store it in the fridge for up to 1 - 2 Weeks. I use a Mason Jar with airtight lid that this batch fits in perfectly, it fits in the door of my fridge and keeps the yogurt fresh!

Finished Homemade Yogurt

NOTES:

• Always sterilize your containers and equipment to avoid cross contamination. I use boiling water to sterilize my utensils; Whisk, Thermometer, Storage Jar

• Scrub your instant pot well before starting a new batch of yogurt. Once clean, add 2 inches of water to your instant pot, run on High Manual Mode for 10 Mins to sterilize.

• If straining your yogurt, the whey that results can be used in smoothies, salad dressings, baking, and breads

• Yogurt is Acidic enough to let it strain on the counter, if you're going to strain the yogurt overnight you can place it in the Fridge, this will also help maintain a milder taste.

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TA DAHHHH!!! You've made your own yogurt!!

Yogurt is one of my staple make-at-home, cost saving recipes in my kitchen. Yogurt is an excellent, probiotic filled, gut loving snack. Maximize its goodness by making it fresh at home.

I hope you enjoy this recipe - from my kitchen to yours

As always, any questions?? - Leave them down below.

Make this Recipe?? Please leave a review, I would love to hear how it went for you!!

With Love,

Katie

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