DIY Yogurt: Easy Instant Pot Yogurt Recipe (2024)

Make Healthy Homemade Yogurt In Your Instant Pot

Making homemade yogurt is a topic I’ve covered here on my blog in the past (see the link below for more on that!) But even though I’d already proved I could do it, it wasn’t something I did regularly. The crockpot method wasn’t necessarily difficult, but it was a bit of a production and tended to take over my kitchen.

Related: Foolproof Crockpot Greek Yogurt

So my interest was immediately piqued when I first learned you could make homemade yogurt in the Instant Pot. The Instant Pot is one of the most versatile small kitchen appliances money can buy, in my opinion, and I’m still discovering new and exciting ways to use mine!

One of the best things about making yogurt with this method is that you can do every step each step in your Instant Pot, which saves a lot of countertop space and means fewer dishes to wash afterward. If you’re interested in making your own healthy homemade yogurt and want to keep the effort and mess to a minimum, give this method a try! I think you’ll like this DIY yogurt as much as I do! :-)

Related: How to Make Coconut Milk Yogurt

How To Make Easy Instant Pot Yogurt

Ingredients:

• 1/2 gallon organic whole milk
• 2 Tbsp plain yogurt*

Note: It may seem odd to use yogurt to make more yogurt, but starting with active bacterial cultures is the easiest way to make more of them! The yogurt you use will affect the taste and texture of your finished yogurt, so it’s worth it to spend a bit more on a high-quality yogurt for this project.

Supplies:

• Instant Pot
• Pyrex measuring cup
• Tablespoon
• Silicone spatula

Directions:

Step 1 – Prep Your Tools

It’s important to start your yogurt-making process with clean and sterilized equipment to keep unhealthy bacteria out of your finished product. Luckily, there’s a super quick and easy way to do it right in your Instant Pot!

Place the metal trivet into the bottom of your Instant Pot, then place your glass measuring cup, tablespoon, and spatula on the trivet. Add 2 cups of water to the pot, select Manual or Pressure Cook, then cook on high pressure for 3 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes, then hit the quick release and transfer your supplies to a clean work surface.

(Isn’t that a nifty trick? I have a sneaking suspicion we’re just scratching the surface here of the potential cleaning/sterilizing power of the Instant Pot! But that’s a post for another day.) ;-)

Step 2 – Heat The Milk

Pour 1/2 gallon of organic whole milk into your Instant Pot. Press the “Yogurt” button, then the “Adjust” button. The display should read “boil.”

Let the milk sit in the pot for about 40 minutes until your Instant Pot beeps. The display will change from “boil” to “yogt.” Check the temperature of your milk at this point – it should be 180°F.

(If it isn’t quite up to temperature yet, no need to fret! Simply replace the lid and hit the “Slow Cook” button. Continue checking the temperature of the milk every 5-10 minutes until it reaches 180°F.)

Step 2 – Cool The Milk

Now you need to cool the milk back down, which you can do in a couple different ways. The first method is to simply leave the inner pot out on your countertop until the milk cools to 110°F.

But if you’re impatient like me, you can speed things up a bit by placing the inner pot in a large bowl of ice water. Stir the milk and keep checking the temperature until it reaches 110°F.

(Some of the milk may be stuck to the sides or bottom of the pot at this point, and that’s okay! Just leave it where it is rather than trying to scrape it off or mix it in to the rest of the milk.)

Step 3 – Add The Yogurt

Scoop 1/2 cup of the warm milk into your glass measuring cup, then add 2 tablespoons of high-quality plain yogurt. Stir the mixture gently with your silicone spatula until well-mixed, then pour it back into the Instant Pot with the rest of the milk.

Step 4 – Incubate!

Replace the lid on your Instant Pot, then press the “Yogurt” button. Set the timer for 8 hours. Be careful not to move or touch the pot at all while it’s working! Just set it and walk away. ;-)

When the 8 hours is up, give the yogurt a taste. If you like it, then it’s done! If it’s not quite as tangy as you’d like, incubate it for a few more hours (up to 12 hours in total.)

Step 5 – Finish Up

Place your finished yogurt in your fridge for a few hours to help it set up. If your yogurt is a bit thinner than you’d like, use cheesecloth to strain some of the moisture out. (This will give you more of a greek-style yogurt – yum!)

Use your homemade Instant Pot yogurt in your favorite recipes, or top it with fruit and granola for a delicious breakfast or snack. Or you can make one of my favorite snacks: frozen yogurt dots!

If you’re mystified by all this talk of Instant Pots, or are new to pressure cooking in general, I have plenty of Instant Pot posts that can help you get better acquainted with the wonderful world of electric pressure cooking!