Homemade Yogurt in the Instant Pot
It doesn’t get any easier than this. With two ingredients and an Instant Pot, you can make yogurt at home! It’s a great place to start when you want to begin making more of your own food from scratch. Just a few minutes of hands-on time is required, and the result is creamy yogurt you can top with granola and fruit, blend into a smoothie or even use in place of sour cream. So, let’s use that yogurt button you’ve always wondered about!
Homemade Yogurt in the Instant Pot
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cool Time: 2-4 hours
Cook Time: 8 hours (plus 30-45 minutes to heat the milk at the beginning of the recipe)
Yield: 9 cups yogurt
8 cups (half a gallon) whole milk
2 tablespoons yogurt
Ingredients
Add milk to Instant Pot. Close the lid and select the YOGURT option, then press the ADJUST button until it reads BOIL.
Once it has completed the boil cycle, remove the lid and select SAUTE button.
Stir the milk frequently, checking the temperature every one to two minutes. Once it reaches 185-190 degrees, turn off the Instant Pot and remove the inner pot from the Instant pot.
Allow to cool to around 105 degrees. This will take several hours, but you can speed this process up by setting the pot in the refrigerator (after it has cooled slightly).
Once the milk is around 105 degrees, set it back in the Instant Pot. Skim the top of the milk to remove the thin milk layer that developed as it cooled.
Put 2 tablespoons of yogurt (storebought or a homemade from a previous batch) in a small bowl. Add one cup of the milk from the Instant Pot and whisk to combine. Add the mixture to the remaining milk in the Instant Pot and stir.
Select YOGURT button and then ADJUST until it reads 8:00 hours.
Eight hours later, your yogurt is done! Now, don't stress if you can't get to it as soon as it finishes. It will be fine to sit for a little while on the counter.
And that's it! Simply store in the fridge.
Instructions
Recipe Notes:
The yogurt you make yourself can be used as your starter yogurt for your next batch. It's a never-ending cycle (in a good way!).
You can use this yogurt for SO MANY things- make it sweet with honey, maple syrup, fruit, nuts, granola or keep it plain and use it as sour cream, the base of your homemade ranch , or a veggie dip. You can even use it baking. The possibilities are just about endless!
Probiotics are all the rage right now. Instead of taking a probiotic, you can support your gut health and immune system by eating this homemade yogurt with its beneficial bacteria and live cultures. I encourage you to start with a high quality yogurt. Not all yogurts are created equally- you will find some have more strains of bacteria than others and the more, the better.
Have you looked at the sugar content of your average yogurt in the store? Woah! Take control of your sugar intake simply by making your own yogurt and customizing the level of sweetness. Sometimes all you need is some fruit and granola. Using raw honey to sweeten (after the yogurt has been cooked) is another great option here. Not only will you likely add less sweetener to your yogurt compared to storebought, but raw honey also adds additional benefits of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. Bonus points if the honey is local!