How to Make Homemade Yogurt From Scratch With an Instant Pot
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Making your own yogurt at home is easier than you might think! In this recipe, I’ll show you how to make your own homemade yogurt with an Instant Pot. Don’t have one? No problem, check my recipe here to make yogurt with a Dutch oven.
To make yogurt there are two simple methods:
- Add a yogurt starter to milk, then warm it for a couple of hours.
- Add a few tablespoons of (leftover) yogurt to milk, and again, warm it for a couple of hours.
Both methods yield creamy, delicious yogurt.
Save this recipe for later!
Choosing Your Yogurt-Making Style
When using the first method, you can select from a wide variety of yogurt starters to create your favorite style of yogurt. Options range from Nordic varieties like Skyr, Viili, or Filmjölk to Greek or Bulgarian-style yogurts. The choices are almost endless!
If you have a store-bought favorite, you can use the second method. Just make sure the label includes the phrase “Live Active Yogurt Cultures”—this ensures your yogurt contains the active bacteria needed for fermentation. Simply save a couple of tablespoons of leftover yogurt and mix it with milk to make your own batch.
Using Raw Milk for Homemade Yogurt
I love using raw milk for my yogurt. It tends to produce a slightly runnier consistency, but that’s easy to fix! You can strain the yogurt through a cheesecloth, a yogurt-straining bag, or even a clean tea towel to make it thicker, like Greek yogurt.
Many online recipes suggest boiling the milk before making yogurt. However, I skip this step because I want to preserve as much of the milk’s natural, beneficial bacteria as possible.
Adding Flavor to Your Yogurt
Once your yogurt is ready, you can customize it to suit your taste. Wait until the fermentation process is complete before adding any flavors.
Some great options include:
- Sweeteners like honey or maple syrup
- Fruit juice
- Chocolate
- Vanilla extract
How to Make Homemade Yogurt
Supplies you’ll need
- An Instant Pot
- Optional:
- A cheesecloth bag or yogurt-straining bag
Ingredients
How to Cook
Be sure your materials are clean, you don’t want to grow the bad bacteria or fungi that may be lingering in your pot.
Get your Instant Pot and pour in the milk. If you’re using raw milk, give it a good stir to dissolve the creamy layer. Add your leftover yogurt or yogurt starter, just check the package instructions to see how much starter you’ll need.
Select the “Yogurt” function on the pot and put the lid on, but leave out the plastic ring. You won’t need any pressure cooking functions here, and using the ring could give your yogurt an unpleasant taste from whatever you last cooked—no one wants yogurt that reminds them of chicken broth!
Set the “Yogurt” function for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours. The longer the fermentation time, the thicker your yogurt will be.
Once it’s done, use a whisk to stir in the cream that has risen to the top. Let the yogurt cool completely in the fridge before serving for the best flavor. You can store the yogurt in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
Tip! If you’ve strained your yogurt, use 1/2 cup of the whey to make a new batch of yogurt.
Homemade Yogurt With an Instant Pot
With this recipe, you can make your own yogurt from scratch. You'll only need an Instant Pot, some milk, and a bit of leftover yogurt or yogurt starter.
Ingredients
- 1 liter of milk
- Either ½ a cup of yogurt or a yogurt starter
Instructions
- Pour 1 liter of milk into the Instant Pot. If you're using raw milk, stir it well to dissolve the creamy layer.
- Add ½ a cup of leftover yogurt or yogurt starter to the milk. Stir thoroughly to combine.
- Select the "Yogurt" function on the Instant Pot and secure the lid, but leave out the plastic ring. The plastic ring isn’t needed and can transfer unwanted flavors to your yogurt.
- Set the "Yogurt" function for a minimum of 8 hours and up to 24 hours. A longer fermentation time results in thicker yogurt.
- When the yogurt is ready, whisk in the cream that has risen to the top.
- Transfer the yogurt to the refrigerator and let it cool completely before serving for the best taste.
Notes
- Keep the yogurt in the fridge for up to 10 days.
This post may contain one or more affiliate links, which means I will get a small commission when you buy a product via the provided link at no cost to you! As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See my full disclaimer here.
