Make Your Own Yogurt In the Instant Pot
This rich and beautifully tangy Instant Pot yogurt recipe is easy to make and delicious! Transform milk into a decadent breakfast in less than 24 hours. Serve with fresh fruit, made from scratch granola, or even a drizzle of honey. This has become a weekly staple in my household and I hope it will be for yours too!
Why I love this recipe
A Breakfast of Convenience
This easy Instant Pot yogurt recipe has become my ultimate go-to breakfast. It is healthy, customizable, and fantastic as a grab-and-go option. I am usually on the go a lot and mornings are especially hectic. This recipe, along with my cold brew coffee, makes breakfast both easy and healthy…much better than grabbing fast food like I used to do.
It Is Very Economical
I also love making my own yogurt at home because I save a lot of money. We were buying yogurt at the store weekly. We love it so much we were going through more than one tub a week. That can definitely add up. Each tub we were buying was $7 and only had about 2 pints of yogurt in it. This Instant Pot yields 4 pints of yogurt using only a half a gallon of milk. We get our milk at Aldi (when we do not source it fresh from a local dairy) and a gallon of whole milk is less than $4. So if you do the math, for under $4, you get 8 pints of yogurt…that is 4 times the amount for the price and it has simple ingredients. MIND BLOWN!! I don’t think I can ever go back.
It Only Takes a Day To Make
It really is so simple, you boil the milk, you allow it to cool to the right temperature, mix in the cultures, and then set for 10 hours. Once the timer is up, you let it refrigerate overnight and it is ready to enjoy the next morning! Plus, now you have yogurt for the whole week! Honestly, it is such a beautiful thing.
Health Benefits of Yogurt
Aside from being easy to make, it is also rich in health benefits:
- Yogurt’s probiotics can help with digestion by reducing inflammation, soothing irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and improving nutrient absorption. It can also help break down proteins and fats, which can reduce indigestion and heartburn. It also can help manage lactose intolerance.
- contains calcium, which is important for bone health and density throughout life.
- can help reduce the risk of heart disease and aid in weight management.
- can help enhance immune function and helps improve oral health.
- contains lactic acid, which can help exfoliate the skin, lighten dark spots, and help with acne, fine lines, and wrinkles
- contains tryptophan, an amino acid that can help people feel drowsy and fall asleep.
How To Make Your Own Yogurt
All you need to make your own yogurt is an instant pot, food thermometer, yogurt starter, and milk.
Boil
First, make sure your instant pot is freshly cleaned with hot and soapy water. Once clean, add in 8 cups of milk.
Next, place the lid on your instant pot, and set the vent to the open position (we are not pressurizing this). Press “Yogurt” until it says BOIL. Your instant pot will beep as it is getting to temperature, once completed, take the temperature. You want to make sure your yogurt has reached 185 degrees. If it is less than 185 degrees, simply put on the SAUTE function and bring to the correct temperature.
Cool
Now let your instant pot yogurt cool until it reaches 110 degrees. You will want to carefully watch this to make sure it does not get cooler. It needs to be warm enough to allow the cultures to properly multiply. You can set out to cool or if you want to expedite this process, fill your sink with ice and place the insert on top. This cools within 10 minutes usually so make sure you stay nearby.
Add In Starter Culture
Remove a cup of the warm milk and place into a small bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of yogurt culture to the bowl and stir. Pour into the insert and gently whisk in. Yogurt culture can be used from store bought yogurt just make sure the container says “contains live cultures” on it.
Cook For 10 Hours
Place the lid on with the vent set to the open position. Using the yogurt function on your Instant Pot, set the timer to 10 hours.
After 8 hours, you may check your yogurt by gently inserting a spoon to check the consistency. Make sure you do not stir, as this will cause the yogurt to be more thin. If it is your desired texture and tang, you may turn the instant pot off. If not, continue to cook for the remaining 2 hours.
Let Sit In Refrigerator Overnight
Once the timer goes off, remove the lid and insert, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator overnight to finish setting up.
The next morning, your Instant Pot Yogurt is finished! I like to store mine in pint Ball jars. It will fill 4 jars. I label the date and keep them in the fridge. This yogurt will last about 2 weeks. Make sure to set aside 2 tablespoons for next time that you make this recipe.
Serve this with granola and honey with some sliced almonds, peanut butter and bananas, or fresh fruit. Enjoy!!
Make Your Own Yogurt In The Instant Pot
Equipment
- 1 Instant Pot (Make sure it has a Yogurt function)
- 1 Food Thermometer
- 4 Pint Ball Jars with lids
Ingredients
- 8 Cups Whole Milk
- 2 TBSP Yogurt Starter Grocery store yogurt (make sure it says "contains live cultures") or use one from previous batch
Instructions
- In a clean Instant Pot insert, add 8 cups of whole milk and set the yogurt function to BOIL.
- Once the timer is finished, test the temperature. You want it to read 185 degrees. If it is not warm enough, set it SAUTE function and simmer until it reaches the correct temperature.
- Allow to cool to 110 degrees. You can either let it sit out or fill your sink base with ice and place the insert. This will cool the milk faster, about 10 minutes or so, so stand by! You will want it to be 110 and not lower. This helps the cultures to properly multiply and will help your yogurt to set up properly.
- Once cooled, remove 1 cup of warm milk and stir in 2 tablespoons of yogurt culture. You can get this from grocery store yogurt (make sure it says contains live cultures) or from a previous batch. Pour back into the insert and gently whisk in until just combined.
- Place the lid back on, make sure the vent is at the open position, and set the yogurt function to 10 hours. After 8 hours, you may gently insert a spoon to check the flavor and consistency. If it is thick enough for your preference, you are finished. If not or you want a little more of a tangy flavor, let cook the remaining 2 hours.
- Once complete, remove the insert, cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight. In the morning, your Instant Pot yogurt is done. Separate into 4 pint sized Ball jars and then enjoy within 2 weeks.
Notes
