This isn’t turning into a food blog! But if you’re like me and you love to save money and simplify your busy days, then this recipe for Instant Pot Yogurt is for you.
I’ve tried multiple recipes and while the basic instructions are pretty much the same, I’m pulling together the small tweaks and tips I’ve picked up through trial & error and searching the inter webs for the perfect yogurt recipe.
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Instant Pot Yogurt
Ingredients:
- 1/2 gallon of milk (I prefer whole milk but it’s your choice)
- 2 Tablespoons of yogurt with active cultures (look for “live active cultures” on the label when buying)
Instructions:
- Pour milk into the Instant Pot and close the lid – It doesn’t matter if the valve is opened or closed.
- Press the “Yogurt” button until “Boil” is displayed – this boil takes about 30 minutes
- After the first boil is complete, repeat the previous step and boil again (this will take less time than the first boil since the milk is already hot). I have found that boiling twice gives you thicker and creamier yogurt.
- Once the second boil is complete, carefully remove the liner and set aside to cool. Using a kitchen thermometer, let the milk cool to 115 degrees Fahrenheit – no more, and no less than 110 degrees.
- A thin skin will have formed while cooling. This is normal! Remove with a spoon and discard.
- Whisk 2 tablespoons of the yogurt with 1/2 cup of the boiled milk.
- Pour yogurt/milk combination back into the liner and gently stir.
- Return the liner to the Instant Pot and cover with the lid (venting does not matter)
- Press the “Yogurt” button until 8:00 is displayed. Adjust this to 10:00. Incubation for 10 hours yields perfectly thick and creamy yogurt.
- After the 10 hours are complete it should be thick and pulling away from the edges. There will be some liquid on top. If a wooden spoon doesn’t stand up in the center, return and set Instant Pot to incubate for another 2 hours.
- Remove liner and allow to cool at room temperature for at least an hour. 2 hours is best.
- Once cooled, cover and place liner in the refrigerator to chill at least 6 hours. Overnight is best.
- After it is chilled, remove and whisk yogurt to blend. This will give you lump-free yogurt.
- Store in sterile containers of your choice. I prefer the Mason jars listed below.
- Stored properly, your yogurt will keep for 2 weeks… but we’ve never had it last that long. This is a favorite in our house!
- Reserve a 1/4 cup of your yogurt for your next batch. You’ll only need 2T but it’s nice to have a little extra.
Supplies/Tools
- Instant Pot – 6 qt or larger
- Glass lid (nice to have instead of the heavy lid)
- Kitchen thermometer
- Measuring cups/spoons
- Whisk
- Storage containers – I love these Mason jars!
Helpful Hints:
- Make sure your Instant Pot liner, silicone ring, and valve are clean. If they are not, your yogurt will have the smell and taste of the delicious curry you made last week. I actually use a separate Instant Pot for yogurt, rice, oatmeal, and desserts. The other option is to have multiple silicone rings and swap them out.
- Do not sweeten yogurt during the process or use sweetened yogurt. You will risk the cultures not activating.
- Be sure that your store-bought starter yogurt says “live active cultures” on the container! You will not end up with yogurt if they aren’t live cultures.
- Don’t use more than 2T of yogurt. More is not better! It will short-circuit the process and you will end up with bland, watery yogurt that won’t set.
- I have tried using an entire gallon of milk to make one large batch and this is only batch that did not turn out. It is harder to incubate and keep a large amount at a steady temperature.
- Don’t stir your yogurt until it is time to whisk at the very end. Doing so will leave you with thin, watery yogurt.
- There aren’t any shortcuts in the process. Allow proper cooling/chilling to take place.
- Some recipes say that you can use an ice bath to cool the boiled milk. But I have found that the rapid cooling yields grainy and thin yogurt. Patience, my friend.
- Our favorite toppings are berries, granola, and honey. I also love this yogurt plain and unsweetened. It’s also great for recipes that call for Greek yogurt.
- The first hour or so, you need to be around while the milk boils and cools. But once you set it to incubate for 10 hours, it is truly set it, forget it, and go read a book!.
Time:
- 5 minutes prep
- 35 minutes cooking (double boil steps)
- 3 hours total cooling at room temperature
- 10 hours incubating
- 6 hours chilling
