This Instant Pot yogurt recipe is simple to make and delicious. The Instant Pot helps give your yogurt predictable outcomes, and the recipe outline guides you in deciding how long to cook it to achieve your favorite consistency and flavor!
I LOVE yogurt. My favorite way to enjoy fresh yogurt is topped with crunchy walnuts and juicy berries. YUM! I began making this homemade Instant Pot yogurt recipe regularly a few years ago, not only to save money, but also to get the yogurt consistency and flavor I wanted every time. We often guzzle through a half gallon of yogurt within just a few days!
This post will walk you through a few common questions before you begin, as well as some troubleshooting options if your yogurt needs help!
Should I use whole or skim milk to make yogurt?
Full fat milk or adding cream to the milk will create a rich, creamy yogurt. The fat content will also affect the flavor and texture of the final yogurt, but you can use any dairy milk to make homemade yogurt. I prefer using whole milk, but I have also made successful batches with 2% and 1%. I’d recommend adding a couple extra tablespoons of yogurt cultures if using skim milk.
Whichever type of dairy milk you choose, the fresher the better. When using milk from the grocery store, I generally make yogurt just after opening the jug. This recipe is not suitable for non-dairy milks.
The original recipe calls for adding cream, but it is challenging to find cream without additives, so I often opt for half-and-half which is easy to source with only two ingredients: milk and cream.
Can I use raw milk?
The high heat involved in this recipe will pasteurize your milk in the process anyway. We are saving up for our own milk cow, so someday soon I will make all my yogurt from fresh milk! Heating the milk up to 180 degrees fahrenheit in this recipe may harm some of the good bacteria from the raw milk, but you are also introducing new, good bacteria into the yogurt from the starter cultures. For homemade yogurt that does not require heating the milk, I recommend this Raw Milk Yogurt Recipe from Little Spoon Farm.
Where can I find yogurt starter culture?
Live cultures are needed to initiate the fermenting process. For your first time making yogurt, you may purchase culture packets or simply use a few tablespoons from a plain, full fat yogurt of your choice. There are many different brands that offer plain yogurt with live cultures in them, and Greek Yogurt will work as a starter as well. Be sure to check the ingredients on the yogurt so there are no additives, such as pectin or sugar. Once you’ve started making your own homemade yogurt, it’s simple to save a small portion of yogurt from a previous batch to culture the next.
How much sweetener should I add to plain yogurt?
Yogurt may be sweetened with sugar, honey, or maple syrup with no more than 1 tablespoon per 6-8 ounces of yogurt.
To find your desired sweetness, I recommend beginning with 1 teaspoon of sweetener for an individual serving, or 1/4 cup for an entire batch, and add gradually until it is sweetened to your liking.
Troubleshooting Instant Pot Yogurt
Making yogurt at home is a science and an art. The more precisely you follow the recipe, the more predictable the outcome will be. But also, by playing around with different components of the recipe, you can find the combination of temperature and time that you prefer best. Here are a few ideas to get you started in fine-tuning your own homemade yogurt!
My yogurt is not thickening!
You will encounter thin, runny yogurt at some point in your yogurt making journey. There are so many factors playing a role, but here are a few things that may be happening.
The milk proteins are not coagulating.
Heat the milk to at least 180℉ and either hold the temperature there or allow it to naturally cool for 10 minutes. During the heating process, the proteins are broken down, allowing them to coagulate during fermentation. The yogurt will not thicken as well if the proteins have not had a chance to break apart first. You may try increasing the temperature to 195-200℉, but I have found 180℉ to be sufficient the majority of the time.
The milk was too hot when adding the yogurt cultures.
Cool the milk to at least 115 degrees fahrenheit to avoid killing the cultures when you add the yogurt. Stirring the milk prior to checking the temperature ensures there are no hot pockets of milk. Additionally, lowering the temperature even further (90-110℉) may result in a creamier yogurt with less whey separation.
The protein content of the milk is low.
I have found great success in making yogurt with regular milk from the grocery store (from Holstein cows), but this milk is not as high in protein as milk from Jersey or Guernsey cows. Because it is the protein breakdown and coagulation that creates a thick yogurt, you may be interested in sourcing milk from a cow with higher protein content.
The live cultures are a combination for thin yogurt.
You can make great, creamy yogurt following this recipe with various combinations of live cultures. However, if you are hoping for a thick yogurt, choose a starter that contains L. Casei among other cultures. Here is a resource I love for understanding a bit more of the science behind yogurt-making.
Fix thin yogurt now: Strain the finished yogurt through a sieve lined with cheesecloth over a bowl as it sits in the refrigerator. The watery whey will drip from the yogurt and leave a thicker yogurt in the sieve. If it becomes too thick, simply stir back in some whey to your desired consistency.
Alternatively, thin yogurt makes a great probiotic drink or is an excellent addition to smoothies!
The yogurt is not sour enough.
I have found that yogurt increases in tartness with each batch. If your first batch of yogurt did not turn out as sour as you hoped, use a sample from that batch of yogurt as your starter for the next batch. In time, you will be creating rich, tangy yogurt.
Fix plain yogurt now: try adding a bit of lemon juice to the yogurt to increase tartness.
The yogurt is too sour!
Personally, I enjoy tart yogurt, but if that is not what you are going for there are a few things to try. First, increase the initial heating temperature of the milk to 195℉. If reusing yogurt samples from previous batches, try pulling your sample out during fermentation when the yogurt has just set. Try freezing your yogurt sample between batches and thaw it in the refrigerator before your next batch.
Fix sour yogurt now: straining out some of the tart whey through the process mentioned above, will decrease sourness. You may also opt to sweeten the yogurt to combat the tart flavor.
The yogurt looks moldy or tastes and smells bad.
If this is the case, then it likely is bad. This should not happen during the fermenting process if the milk is properly heated and the yogurt culture is fresh (uncontaminated). If you have not tried various kinds of plain yogurt from the grocery store prior to trying homemade yogurt, I would recommend doing so. This will help you gauge the difference between good lactic acid and spoiled yogurt.
Another consideration is that if you use your Instant Pot for other dishes, the yogurt may absorb the smell from last night’s dinner. Once, I had an entire batch of yogurt come out with a slight taste of taco soup. Yikes! I now make it a regular habit to smell my Instant Pot to make sure it is odorless before making yogurt. Baking soda does the trick. Scrub the inner pot with baking soda and water, rinse thoroughly, and dry before using it for Instant Pot yogurt.
If none of the above answers seem fitting and you think the yogurt is actually gone bad, trust your gut.
Fix spoiled yogurt now: spoiled yogurt is rare when following this process, but if the yogurt is bad, throw it out.
Materials for Easy Instant Pot Yogurt Recipe
Recommended Equipment
Stove-top pot (Instant Pot steel liners are not compatible with the stove)
Instant Pot
Thermometer
Fork or whisk
Ingredients
1/2 gallon of milk
1/4 cup cream (or half-and-half) optional
3-4 tablespoons yogurt starter culture (or plain yogurt)
Easy Instant Pot Yogurt Recipe
This recipe is adapted from the Creamy Homemade Yogurt recipe by Melissa Clark found in NYTimes.
1. Prepare the Milk
Pour the milk and cream into a stove-top pot on medium-high heat (the Instant Pot’s inner pot should not be used on the stove). Stir occasionally, until the milk becomes frothy and the temperature reaches 180-200℉ (82-93℃).
Transfer the milk mixture to the inner pot of the Instant Pot, and allow it to cool to 105-115℉ (40-46℃). This takes roughly 30 minutes, but time varies widely based on the temperature of your house. You can speed up the cooling process by placing the inner pot in an ice bath after it naturally cools for at least 10 minutes. Stir occasionally to allow it to cool evenly and allow you to get an accurate temperature reading.
2. Add Yogurt Culture and Incubate
Ladle out about a cup of milk, once it has cooled, and add to a small bowl with the yogurt culture, and whisk briskly. (You can also add the yogurt culture directly to the pot, but I find mixing it separately makes it easier to ensure no lumps of yogurt remain.) Then, gently stir the yogurt mixture back into the pot.
Place the lid on the Instant Pot and press the “Yogurt” button. Set the time for 8-24 hours. A longer setting time will create a thicker, tangier yogurt. It will not matter whether the valve is open or closed. You may even remove the Instant Pot lid and gently rotate the inner pot back and forth to test if the yogurt has set to your liking.
3. Refrigerate and Enjoy!
Remove the inner pot when the yogurt finishes, and cover it with plastic wrap or a tea towel. Refrigerate for 4-6 hours. I find the best results when I wait to stir the yogurt until after refrigeration. Finally, transfer the yogurt into jars or another container with a lid. Be sure to save a little yogurt for your next batch!
(Optional) For Greek Yogurt, or to thicken the yogurt, strain the yogurt through a sieve lined with cheesecloth. The whey will drip through and the Greek Yogurt will be left in the sieve. Strain to your desired thickness, or add whey back in if it becomes too thick.
Serve the fresh yogurt with granola and fresh berries, or top on your favorite pancakes!
Storing Homemade Yogurt: Yogurt keeps best for about 2 weeks in the fridge and over 2 months in the freezer.
Pin this recipe to save it for later!
Easy Instant Pot Yogurt Recipe
This Instant Pot yogurt recipe is simple to make and delicious. The Instant Pot helps give your yogurt predictable outcomes, and the recipe outline guides you in deciding how long to cook it to achieve your favorite consistency and flavor!
Ingredients
- 1/2 gallon of milk
- 1/4 cup cream (or half-and-half) optional
- 3-4 tablespoons yogurt starter culture (or plain yogurt)
Instructions
- Pour the milk and cream into a stove-top pot on medium-high heat (the Instant Pot’s inner pot should not be used on the stove). Stir occasionally, until the temperature of the milk reaches 180-200℉ (82-93℃).
- Transfer the milk mixture to the inner pot of the Instant Pot, and allow it to cool to 105-115℉ (40-46℃). This takes roughly 30 minutes, but time varies widely based on the temperature of your house. You can speed up the cooling process by placing the inner pot in an ice bath after it naturally cools for at least 10 minutes. Stir occasionally to allow it to cool evenly and allow you to get an accurate temperature reading.
- Ladle out about a cup of milk, once it has cooled, and add to a small bowl with the yogurt culture. Whisk briskly, then gently stir the yogurt mixture back into the pot. (You can also add the yogurt culture directly to the pot, but I find mixing it separately makes it easier to ensure no lumps of yogurt remain.)
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot and press the “Yogurt” button. Set the time for 8-24 hours. (I generally aim for about 12 hours.) A longer setting time will create a thicker, tangier yogurt. It will not matter whether the valve is open or closed. You may even remove the Instant Pot lid and gently rotate the inner pot back and forth to test if the yogurt has set to your liking.
- Remove the inner pot when the yogurt finishes, and cover it with plastic wrap or a tea towel. Refrigerate for 4-6 hours. I find the best results when I wait to stir the yogurt until after refrigeration. Finally, transfer the yogurt into jars or another container with a lid. Serve and enjoy! Be sure to save some yogurt aside for next time.
- (Optional) For Greek Yogurt, or to thicken the yogurt, strain the yogurt through a sieve lined with cheesecloth. The whey will drip through and the Greek Yogurt will be left in the sieve. Strain to your desired thickness, or add whey back in if it becomes too thick.
Notes
Storing Homemade Yogurt: Yogurt keeps best for about 2 weeks in the fridge and over 2 months in the freezer.
This recipe is adapted for an Instant Pot from the Creamy Homemade Yogurt recipe by Melissa Clark found in NYTimes.
Leave a Reply