Once you’ve made this creamy and delicious homemade yogurt, you’ll never want to go back to the store bought version! If you don't own an Instant Pot or you don't have a yogurt button on yours, you can follow the alternate instructions below.
"I fully understand homemade yogurt after reading your blog. I now know why Greek yogurt is more expensive because liquid is filtered out. Thanks."
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - John, One Happy Dish reader
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Truth be told, it took me a while to get up the courage to make my own homemade yogurt. After all, it was hard to believe that the creaminess and consistency of store bought yogurt could even be reproduced at home. I thought for sure you must need some sort of huge, magic yogurt making machine to pull that off.
But the more research I did, I realized that the magic is actually in the microbes. Indeed, all you need to make perfect, rich and creamy yogurt are two ingredients: milk, and a few tablespoons of store bought yogurt. Once you’ve made one batch, you can then use your own homemade yogurt as a starter for the next batch. And the next batch, and...you get the idea here. An Instant Pot makes the process easy, but you can still make yogurt without one!
Did you know?
Yogurt is arguably one of the most well-known fermented foods, produced by a process known as lacto-fermentation. The milk sugar lactose is converted into lactic acid by way of specific bacterial strains like Lactobacillus bulgaricus, and it is this process gives yogurt products their thickness and alluringly sour flavor.
Need some great ways to use your fresh homemade yogurt? Check out these easy recipes with yogurt or Greek yogurt (I especially love the smoothie bowl and yogurt parfait with fresh berries, the whipped Greek yogurt over apple crisp, and the 2 ingredient bagels with Greek yogurt.)
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❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- Only 2 ingredients required!
- Use your homemade yogurt as the starter for the next batch
- Much less expensive than store-bought yogurt
- Easy, foolproof method
- Instructions for Greek yogurt included
🌿 Ingredients
So as mentioned, you literally only need two ingredients for this recipe: a few tablespoons of regular or Greek yogurt, and milk. You'll want to be kind of picky with the type of milk you choose though. Whole milk will make the creamiest yogurt, but 2% or 1% milk will also work. (I would avoid skim milk to achieve optimal results.) More importantly, make sure to choose a brand that isn't "ultra-pasteurized". Just look for a pasteurized option instead. I have tried both and unfortunately the ultra-pasteurized versions just don't work well.
See recipe card below for exact quantities.
📝 Instructions
Before you get started on your yogurt making, you should know that the time it takes to make yogurt from start to finish is about 6 ½ hours, or perhaps a bit longer depending on how tart you like your yogurt.
This is not to say you'll be in the kitchen all day! The prep and setup is pretty quick, under 30 minutes, but the time it takes to culture your yogurt in the Instant Pot is at least 6 hours.
I just wanted to make this clear at the outset, so that you don't start your recipe later in the day and have to be up all night until it finishes up. Just plan accordingly and you'll be all set. 🙂
Instant Pot without a yogurt button
Since it's a bit trickier to get consistent results without the yogurt program on an Instant Pot, I'd recommend following the alternate instructions provided throughout in italics below rather than trying to use an Instant Pot that doesn't have a yogurt button. That method involves using a regular pot on the stove and fermenting your yogurt in a warm area. It takes a little more effort to get the timing just right, but the results are just as good once you do.
Step 1: Boil the milk
First, pour all of the milk into your Instant Pot—it should still be turned off at this point. Then, place the lid on in the Venting (non-pressure cooking) position. For those making yogurt without an Instant Pot, go ahead and pour the milk into your soup pot instead; no pot cover is required for this step.
Next, press the "Yogurt" button on your Instant Pot and press a couple more times or until you see the "More" mode show on the display. After about ten seconds, you'll hear a few beeps and the display will then show "boil" while your milk heats up to temperature.
Once the boil mode is complete, the Instant Pot will beep again and display "Yogt" instead of boil. This process takes about 20 minutes or so.
Open up the Instant Pot and test the temperature of the milk with your thermometer—it should be right around 180°F.
Why is this initial heating step important?
First, it'll naturally pasteurize your milk in order to kill any harmful bacteria; this is particularly important if you're using raw milk from a local farm. And second (and trust me on this one), it'll make your yogurt SO much more creamy in the end and more digestible as it denatures the milk proteins at this temperature. If you're making yogurt without an Instant Pot, simply heat your milk slowly on the stove until it reaches 180°F.
Next, you'll need to take the inner pot out of your Instant Pot (careful, as it will be hot) and cool the milk temperature down to 110°F.
Pro Tip: You can let the inner pot sit on a wire rack until it cools down to temperature, but my preferred method is to place the inner pot into a larger pot (or kitchen sink) of ice water to achieve the temperature much more quickly. For non-Instant Pot yogurt making, use this same process for your milk that's been heated on the stove.
Step 2: Add the yogurt cultures
This step is quick and easy. First, use a soup ladle to transfer about a cup of milk out of your pot into a glass measuring cup.
Then, add 3 tablespoons of your store-bought yogurt (or homemade yogurt if you have some already made) and incorporate it into the cup of milk.
Once you've incorporated the cultures, add this mixture back into the rest of the milk and gently incorporate again using a silicone spatula.
Step 3: Ferment your yogurt
Place the inner pot containing your incorporated milk and yogurt cultures back into the Instant Pot and close the lid, again in venting position.
Press the yogurt button and then use the plus/minus buttons to set the fermentation time. The Instant Pot default time is usually six hours, and that works out perfectly for me as I like my yogurt to be tart but not too tart. If you do prefer a tarter yogurt, go ahead and adjust the time anywhere from six up to eight hours.
If this is your first time making Instant Pot yogurt, I'd recommend sticking with six hours at first. You can always taste-test it and set a little extra time on the Instant Pot if you'd like a stronger tartness before you refrigerate it.
If you're fermenting yogurt without an Instant Pot, there are a couple ways to do this but you'll have to experiment a little to find the optimal way for your kitchen. First, cover the pot you used to incorporate the milk and cultures, and then either leave it for 6-8 hours on the top of your refrigerator or in the oven with the oven light on. The idea is to keep it just warm enough to ferment slowly. You'll have to taste test it after six hours and see if it's to your liking. For more tartness, continue fermenting.
Once the Instant Pot is done fermenting, it'll beep and display "Yogt" once again. Your creamy, delicious homemade yogurt is done!
At this point you can simply transfer it into your two mason jars and refrigerate it—and don't forget to save a few tablespoons of yogurt to make your next batch of yogurt!
Prefer Greek yogurt instead of, or in addition to regular yogurt? Read on... 😉
Greek yogurt is just as easy
So you've successfully made a batch of delicious homemade yogurt. Woohoo, congrats! If you'd like to turn that into Greek yogurt, you're 95% of the way there—just one more step is required which is to strain the yogurt.
For this step, you'll need a colander, a glass bowl and some cheesecloth. I like to make a double layer of cheesecloth and then line the colander with it. Next, place the colander into a glass bowl which will collect the whey (the liquid part of the yogurt) as it strains. And finally, slowly pour in your freshly made yogurt and let the yogurt strain overnight in the refrigerator. In the morning, you'll have Greek yogurt waiting for you.
Pro tip: You can use as much of your Instant Pot yogurt to make Greek yogurt as you'd like. Often, I'll strain half and leave the other half as regular yogurt—this makes one quart of regular yogurt, one pint of Greek yogurt and one pint of whey.
Bonus recipe: Homemade Strawberry Yogurt
The possibilities are endless for your fresh homemade yogurt. During the summertime, I love to incorporate local fruits and honey into it. I used fresh strawberries for this batch but feel free to use other kinds of fruit like fresh blueberries, raspberries, peaches, etc.
Chop up about 2 cups of strawberries per quart of yogurt, or more or less based on preference. Add a tablespoon of fresh honey and use a potato masher to gently crush the berries and incorporate the honey.
Then, simply fold the fruit mixture into your yogurt and serve or store in the fridge. You will NOT believe how delicious fresh yogurt with fresh fruit is if you've never tried it. And if you'd like, top with some fresh homemade granola. Enjoy! 🙂
🔪 Equipment
To make this recipe as written, you'll need an Instant Pot—but that's not 100% essential if you like to DIY and don't own one. I've included directions for both options in case you don't have one and still want to make delicious homemade yogurt. If you do choose to make yogurt without an Instant Pot, you'll need a soup pot instead. And if you'll be making Greek yogurt, you'll also need need a colander, a glass bowl and some cheesecloth.
Additionally, you'll want to have a couple of quart-sized mason jars with lids to store the yogurt in (wide mouth jars are easiest), and a measuring cup to incorporate the yogurt cultures.
And lastly, you'll need a silicone spatula and a food thermometer. Thermometers for yogurt making are inexpensive if you don't have one (no more than $10 or so). Just look for one that advertises that it's good for making coffee drinks/espresso and that should do the job perfectly.
🍱 Storage
Homemade yogurt will stay fresh for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container in the fridge. You can also freeze it for up to 2 months, but note that there may be some separation in the yogurt when it thaws. (It'll still work well for cooking or smoothies!)
🎉 Top tip
If you make Greek yogurt, be sure to save the strained whey as well! You can use it for extra nutrition in smoothies or for lightly fermenting grains such as oats overnight to make them much more digestible in the morning.
Enjoy!
💭 FAQ
Whole milk that is not "ultra-pasteurized" works best for making the creamiest yogurt; just look for "pasteurized" milk instead. 2% or skim milk will also work, but won't be as creamy as milk with a higher fat percentage like whole milk.
No, you don't need to purchase or use any special starter cultures to make homemade yogurt unless you want to. You can simply use a few tablespoons of store-bought yogurt or previously made homemade yogurt to inoculate a new batch of yogurt.
The boiling process will accomplish a couple of things as part of the yogurt-making process. First, it'll pasteurize the milk and kill any harmful bacteria which is especially important if you're using raw milk. And second, it'll denature the proteins in the milk which creates a wonderful creaminess in the yogurt.
You can still make homemade yogurt without an Instant Pot by using a regular pot to boil and cool the milk, and then finding a slightly warm location such as the top of a refrigerator or the inside an oven with the oven light on to ferment your yogurt.
🍳 Recipe
Instant Pot Yogurt & Greek Yogurt
Equipment
- Instant Pot or follow the instructions in italics below if you don't have one or if yours doesn't have a yogurt button
- 2 quart sized Mason jars with lids
- food thermometer such as one used for making coffee/espresso
- colander for Greek yogurt
- glass bowl for Greek yogurt
- cheesecloth for Greek yogurt
Ingredients
- ½ gallon milk (see notes)
- 3 tablespoons yogurt or Greek yogurt (see notes)
If you'd like to make strawberry yogurt (optional):
- 2 cups strawberries chopped, or other fresh fruit
- 1 tablespoon honey
Instructions
- Boil the milk: Pour the milk into your Instant Pot and place the lid on in the Venting (non-pressure cooking) position. If you're making yogurt without an Instant Pot, pour the milk into your soup pot and boil for 20 minutes on the stove instead; no pot cover is required. Press the “Yogurt” button and then press a couple more times or until you see the “More” mode show on the display. After about ten seconds, you’ll hear a few beeps and the display will then show “boil” while your milk heats up to temperature. Once the boil mode is complete, the Instant Pot will beep again and display “Yogt” instead of boil. This process takes about 20 minutes or so.
- Test the temperature: Open up the Instant Pot and test the temperature of the milk with a food thermometer–it should be right around 180°F. For non-Instant Pot yogurt making, check the temperature of your stove-boiled milk.
- Cool the milk: Take the inner pot out of your Instant Pot (careful, as it will be hot) and cool the milk temperature down to 110°F using your thermometer to test as it cools. You can either let the inner pot sit on a wire rack until it cools down to that temperature, or place the inner pot into a larger pot (or kitchen sink) of ice water to achieve the temperature much more quickly. For non-Instant Pot yogurt making, use the same process for your milk that’s been heated on the stove.
- Inoculate: Use a soup ladle to transfer about a cup of cooled milk out of your pot into a glass measuring cup and add 3 tablespoons of your store-bought yogurt (or homemade yogurt if you have some already made) and incorporate into the cup of milk. Add this mixture back into the rest of the pot and gently incorporate again using a silicone spatula.
- Ferment: Place the inner pot containing your incorporated milk and yogurt cultures back into the Instant Pot and close the lid, again in venting position. Press the yogurt button and then use the plus/minus buttons to set the fermentation time, using the default 6 hours if this is your first time making yogurt. If you’re fermenting yogurt without an Instant Pot, there are a couple ways to do this but you’ll have to experiment a little to find the optimal way for your kitchen. First, cover the pot you used to incorporate the milk and cultures, and then either leave it for 6-8 hours on the top of your refrigerator or in the oven with the oven light on. The idea is to keep it just warm enough to ferment slowly. You’ll have to taste test it after six hours and see if it’s to your liking; for more tartness, continue fermenting.
- Test and store: Once the Instant Pot is done fermenting, it’ll beep and display “Yogt” once again; your yogurt is now finished and you can transfer it into your two Mason jars and refrigerate it. If you find that you'd like it to be a little more tart after a quick taste test, just use the Yogurt program again and set it to 30 minutes or an hour to keep fermenting before storing in the fridge.
- To make Greek Yogurt: If you'd like to make Greek yogurt from your fresh yogurt, you’ll need a colander, a glass bowl and some cheesecloth. Make a double layer of cheesecloth and then line the colander with it. Next, place the colander into a glass bowl which will collect the whey as it strains. And finally, slowly pour in your freshly made yogurt and let the yogurt strain overnight in the refrigerator. In the morning, you’ll have Greek yogurt waiting for you.
- To make Strawberry Yogurt: Chop up about 2 cups of strawberries per quart of yogurt and place in a mixing bowl. Add a tablespoon of fresh honey and use a potato masher to gently crush the berries and incorporate with the honey. Then, simply fold the fruit mixture into your yogurt and serve or store in the fridge.
John Chen
I fully understand homemade yogurt after reading your blog. I now know why Greek yogurt is more expensive because liquid is filtered out. Thanks.
Allison
Awesome; so glad it was helpful John!
Emil Ericks
Your writing abilities have motivated me to get my own personal blog now 😉