How to Make Instant Pot Yogurt: Easy Instant Pot Yogurt Recipe
How to make Instant Pot Yogurt for Beginners
I bet you didn’t know your instant pot and yogurt go together. Neither did I! Today, we change that because I’m going to do a deep-dive into all of the yogurt settings on your instant pot! This article will start off with a convenient step-by-step guide, and will then move on to more detailed information. You’ll find information about why to make your own yogurt, different options for customizations, and answers to frequently asked questions. As you will learn, there are so many options when it comes to making your own yogurt. I think you’re going to love being in control of what ingredients you use, how long you ferment, and what flavorings you use. And on top of that, you will save loads of money in the long run!
Time needed: 8 hours and 30 minutes
How to Make Instant Pot Yogurt
- Disinfect the Instant Pot
To make yogurt, you’re going to need to create an environment for the good bacteria to grow. We don’t want any bad bacteria to grow with it, so make sure you are starting with a clean vessel.
- Measure Your Milk of Choice and Pour into the Instant Pot
The amount of milk you use will determine how much yogurt you make. For this recipe, I used 8 cups of milk, but you can adjust the quantity based on how much yogurt you’d like to end up with.
- Pasteurize the Milk
Pasteurize the milk by pressing the “Yogurt” button until the display reads “Boil”. The “More” setting should be illuminated. Now the Instant Pot will automatically heat the milk and beep once it has been pasteurized.
- Check the Temperature of the Milk
Using a thermometer, make sure your milk is fully pasteurized. Different appliance models may have different set temperatures within the yogurt setting, so it’s always best to check. Milk is pasteurized once it has reached 180°F, or 83°C
- Cool the Milk
Allow the milk to cool by removing the inner pot. If you’re in a rush, you can place your inner pot into an ice bath in the sink. Cool to below 115° F, or 46° C.
- Remove the “skin”
The top of the milk will have a layer of “skin”. Removing this layer will improve the consistency of your yogurt.
- Add The Yogurt Starter
Now that your milk has cooled, remove one cup of the cooled milk and add the yogurt starter. You can use a commercially made starter, or some yogurt that was made with live and active cultures. Gently stir your starter of choice into the milk, and then reintroduce it into the inner pot of the Instant Pot. You can add as little as 2 tablespoons of yogurt, but adding ¼ cup of yogurt will give you an even higher amount of bacterial cultures.
- Fermentation
This is the easiest part! Just select your desired fermentation time and temperature using the yogurt button. Press the yogurt button and you will see the “Normal” mode illuminate. (This is how you choose your temperature!) Now select a fermentation period of 8 hours or 24 hours by pressing the “Yogurt” button to toggle through the time options. Make sure that your pressure release handle is set to the venting position. For food safety reasons, it’s really important to make sure the “Normal” mode is illuminated. Fermenting yogurt in the “Less” mode could lead to growth of unwanted bacteria.
- The Yogurt is Finished!
The display will show “Yogt” when the fermentation time is completed!
- Chill the Yogurt
After fermentation is complete, place the yogurt into your desired container, and chill in the fridge. Add sweeteners after the yogurt has fully chilled.
If your instant pot looks different than mine, you have a different model. You can still make instant pot yogurt! Here is the Instant Pot list of resources and manuals, just find the model you have, then click on the manual for that model. You can search for the “Yogurt Smart Program” for instructions specific to your model.
Troubleshooting the Yogurt Setting
Just to recap, I want to explain the yogurt setting once more. To use the yogurt setting, you will just press the yogurt button until the display shows the action you are hoping to accomplish. The first option is “Boil”, which correlates with the “More” mode.
Depending on what model you have, there may be slightly different ways to get to the boil function. If you see an “Adjust” button on your model, first press the Yogurt button, then the “Adjust” button until you see the “More” mode illuminated.
The “Normal” mode is the one you want to select during the fermentation period. If you don’t pay attention and accidentally select the “less” mode, the instant pot will still make yogurt but since it’s at a lower temperature, other unwanted bacteria can also grow, so it’s not the safest idea. If you’re having a hard time switching the modes, you might want to check out the resources and manuals for your specific appliance.
Instant Pot cold start vs. warm start:
An instant pot warm start is the method that I have detailed previously, using pasteurization. The cold-start method requires ultra-pasteurized, or shelf-stabilized or powdered milks. In the cold start process, you are basically skipping the first step of pasteurization since the manufacturer did that for you. Many people use fairlife milk for cold start yogurt, but there are lots of options out there. Look out for “UHT” on the label, which means ultra high temperature processed. If you already buy a milk that is ultra-pasteurized, the cold start method will be much easier for you!
8 vs. 24 hour fermented yogurt
24-hour fermented yogurt is famous for being extremely healing and easy to digest. In general, longer fermentation time gives the bacterial culture more time to multiply and flourish, which leads to a number of benefits. The first benefit is a more easily-digested yogurt. The bacteria in the yogurt culture break down lactose (a disaccharide) into galactose (a monosaccharide), streamlining the digestion process. This is especially helpful for people who are lactose-sensitive or have gut inflammation. Other benefits include a thicker yogurt, a higher probiotic content, and more enzymes released by the good bacteria.
One disadvantage to a longer ferment is that the yogurt is much more tart. Some people enjoy the taste of tart yogurt, but some will not like it. If you want a thicker yogurt without the added tanginess, you can always select an 8 hour fermentation window, and then strain your yogurt afterwards. Since you are making this yogurt from scratch there are so many options and customizations, so do what works for you!
What temperatures do I need to reach for Instant Pot yogurt?
Temperatures are really important to making yogurt. For easy access, I’ll list the important temperatures here again:
Pasteurization: 180°F/ 83°C
Cooling the yogurt: 115° F or 46° C
Fermentation/Incubation: 100° – 110° F or 38°-43° C
Yogurt function “More” mode: 160°-180° F or 71°-83° C
Yogurt function “Normal” mode: 96.8°-109.4° F or 36°-43°C
Yogurt function, “Less” mode: 86°-93.2° F or 30°-34° C
Instant Pot Yogurt without a Yogurt Setting
Some models don’t actually have a yogurt button, but you can still make yogurt in your instant pot! Keep a thermometer close by, especially for the first step. You can use the sauté function to pasteurize the milk. Just make sure to keep stirring frequently or else the milk will burn onto the bottom. Once your milk has reached 180°F or 83°C, remove the inner pot and allow the milk to cool. After it has cooled to below 115° F or 46° C, you can add in your starter culture. Next, place the lid on the Instant Pot and press the “Sous Vide” button. Set the timer to your desired fermentation time, at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours. Next, set the temperature to 110° F or 43.3° C. Then sit back and let your Instant Pot make yogurt for you!
FAQ’s for Instant Pot Yogurt-making
First, you can save yourself a lot of money making your own yogurt, which will free up some of your grocery budget for higher quality items. (Think organic, grass-fed, etc.) Second, you are in charge of quality control. You can avoid harmful additives, tailor ingredients to your liking, and even choose how thick or thin you want your yogurt! Finally, if you store your homemade yogurt in glass containers, think of all the microplastics you are avoiding. These may seem like small changes, but if you eat yogurt regularly, they can lead to significant benefits over time.
While you can technically make yogurt without a thermometer if you use the Yogurt Smart Program correctly, I strongly recommend using a thermometer. When it comes to growing a bacterial culture, you want to make sure that the temperatures are correct. Especially if you are going to make 24-hour yogurt, that’s a long time to let bacteria grow without being sure what the temperature is.
Pasteurization is important for two reasons. Firstly, it will get rid of pathogenic (harmful) bacteria. Secondly, it will denature the whey proteins in the milk, which will allow them to stick to the casein proteins better. Ultimately, this leads to a thicker yogurt. Pasteurization does cause a loss of enzyme activity, but don’t worry. As the fermentation process continues, the bacterial culture will add more enzymes back into the yogurt. (If you are interested in skipping the pasteurization process, you can use the cold-start method.)
There are several factors that affect the thickness of your yogurt. You’ll need to take into account the percentage of milk fat, the pasteurization temperature and time, the fermentation period, the other ingredients in the yogurt, the starter culture, and whether or not you strain your yogurt. Here are some options to make your yogurt thicker:
° Start with a milk that has a higher protein content and/or higher percentage of milkfat.
° Let your milk pasteurize for longer. If you hold the milk at 180° for 20 minutes or more, it will denature more of the milk’s proteins and help them cling to the casein proteins better, ultimately leading to a thicker yogurt.
° Let your yogurt ferment for a longer period of time.
°Strain your yogurt using a yogurt strainer or cheese cloth to remove some whey and lead to a thicker greek-style yogurt.
°Look into a different yogurt starter.
The probiotic cultures in different yogurt starters each have different properties. If you have just been using yogurt with live and active cultures, you might want to try out buying a yogurt starter. Most yogurt starters have Lactobacillus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus in them, but just those two alone don’t make a very viscous yogurt. If you want a thicker yogurt, try out a starter that has Lactobacillus Casei in it. Ultimately, experiment a little. Try different yogurts that have live and active cultures, and/or try actual yogurt starters. For the most consistent results, you will want to buy an actual yogurt starter.
Ultimately, any yogurt that says “made with live and active cultures” will do the job. But not all yogurts are created equal. I like to avoid yogurts that have additives, thickeners, and natural or artificial flavorings. So I prefer just a bear-bones yogurt. Here are a few options:
Stonyfield Organic 100% Grass-fed Plain Greek Whole Milk yogurt . Cultured with S. thermophilus, L. bulgaricus, L. acidophilus, Bifidus, L. paracasei, and L. rhamnosus.
Straus Family Creamery Greek Yogurt (Plain, Organic). Cultured with L. Acidophilus, L. Bulgaricus, S. Thermophilus And Bifidobacterium Lactis
Bellwether Farms Plain Sheep Milk Yogurt. Cultured with s. Thermophilus, L. Bulgaricus, L. Acidophilus, Bifidus. (My current favorite yogurt is from Bellwether Farms, but it uses A2 grass-fed cow’s milk. It’s available at some Costco locations, so keep an eye out!)
Instant Pot Yogurt Recipe
Finally, without any furter ado, here is the recipe. As you can see, this is a very simple recipe! Customize to your liking with any sweeteners or add-ins. Let me know how your yogurt-making goes, and if you have any further questions, leave them in the comments! Happy yogurt making!
Instant Pot Yogurt
Make the perfect yogurt every time using an Instant Pot. You can customize this recipe by adding optional vanilla, sweeteners, or even added cream.
Ingredients
- 1 Gallon of whole milk
- 1/4 Cup of yogurt starter (must contain live and active cultures)
Instructions
- Pasteurize the milk using the boil function. Press the yogurt button until the display says "boil".
- When the instant pot beeps, check the temperature. If the milk has reached 180° F or 83° C, remove the inner pot to cool
- Let the milk cool to below 115° F or 46° C
- Remove the "skin" at the top of the milk
- Remove a cup of the cooled milk to a separate bowl and add the yogurt starter
- Mix the cooled milk and starter, then add back to the inner pot
- Place the inner pot back into the instant pot and select the yogurt button. Make sure that the "Normal" mode is illuminated. This is necessary to get the right temperature for fermentation.
- Choose your fermentation time (8 hours or 24 hours)
- Once the timer counts up to your desired fermentation time, the yogurt is finished! The Instant Pot display will say "Yogt"
- Remove your yogurt and chill in the refrigerator
- After chiling, add sweetener of choice
- Enjoy your yogurt within 10-14 days
Notes
For a thicker yogurt, you have a few options. 1) Add 1 Cup of cream to the milk and pasteurize together 2) Strain your yogurt after it is finished 3) Let your yogurt ferment for longer. A longer ferment will lead to a tangier yogurt, so keep that in mind.
Add-ins: I like to keep my yogurt plain since I use it for both sweet and savory recipes, but you can sweeten your yogurt as soon as it is done. You can also optionally add vanilla extract, vanilla beans, or even sweetened condensed milk.
Amount: In my house we go through yogurt like nobody's business, but if you want to make a smaller batch, feel free to adjust the amount of milk and starter to your liking! Just keep the proportions of milk to starter, that's really the important part.
24-hour ferment: After you have tried your hand at an 8-hour ferment, please please please give the 24-hour ferment a try. There are so many benefits to your health as described in the post!
Nutrition Information
Yield
16Serving Size
1 CupAmount Per Serving Calories 151Total Fat 8gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 25mgSodium 107mgCarbohydrates 12gFiber 0gSugar 13gProtein 8g
Nutritional information is calculated automatically and may not be accurate.
Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links. As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
I’ve always wanted to try this! Thanks for the how-to!
Of course, happy yogurt-making!
We don’t have an instant pot yet, but now I want to have one, just to make this yogurt. It looks delicious! Going to save this for later. Thanks!
Of course, good luck!
Oh wow, I wished I had an instapot now!! I make yogurt the old timey, non-electric way, in an insulated box that is hard to keep at the right temperature. Your method sounds so easy, I’d be making yogurt a lot more often with it, I think. And I love your very detailed instructions. It’s hard to find such complete information in one place! I’ll save this post!
Thanks so much, Heidi! The Instant Pot is definitely convenient, but I gotta say, I have a lot of respect for the non-electric way! My mother-in-law was telling me her mom used to make yogurt in a big insulated cooler. Pretty cool!
How cool! I had no idea you could make yogurt in an instant pot!
It’s a little-known feature for sure! I hope you give it a try!
Thanks for the great information and idea! I always thought making yogurt myself would be so cumbersome, but you’ve broken it down into easy-to-follow instructions. I can’t wait to give it a try!
Thank you Jessica, I hope you fall in love with how simple Instant Pot yogurt can be!
I raise Icelandic sheep and we use the milk for a number of things, but this year I want to make yogurt! Thank you for this it gets me excited for making mine this year!
Oh my gosh Icelandic sheep- that is so cool! Happy yogurt making, let me know how it goes!