Homemade Yogurt has NEVER been easier than with this Cold Start Instant Pot Yogurt. Two ingredients and time is all you need to have perfect, creamy, thick yogurt.
If you are looking for making yogurt without ultra-pasteurized milk, be sure to grab my recipe for Instant Pot Yogurt. If you are looking for more Instant Pot Recipes, please check out all Instant Pot Recipes.
One of the biggest reasons I love my pressure cooker is for Homemade Yogurt.
It was one of the first recipes I mastered and I make it on a weekly basis.
But a lot of people have been asking how to make Cold Start Yogurt, and I am here to say, Instant Pot Cold Start Yogurt is so much easier than my original Instant Pot Yogurt Recipe.
Cold Start Yogurt
It could not be easier to make yogurt using cold start yogurt, and it is nearly IMPOSSIBLE to mess up--the same can not be said about my traditional Instant Pot Yogurt.
There are no thermometers needed, no boiling of milk, no wondering if your milk didn't reach the right temperature to achieve perfect yogurt. Plus cold start yogurt comes out thick, just like Greek yogurt--no need for straining!
Just two simple ingredients and a pressure cooker is all that is needed for this cold start yogurt.
Ingredients for Cold Start Yogurt
- Ultra Pasteurized Milk or Ultra Filtered Milk
- 2 tablespoons plain yogurt with active cultures or a yogurt starter
Ultra Filtered or Ultra Pasteurized?
Cold start yogurt works using milk that is ultra-pasteurized. That said, for the creamiest, thickest yogurt, ultra-filtered milk works best.
Ultra-Filtered milk is still pasteurized, but it also goes through a special filtration process. The result is ultra-filtered milk with 50% more protein, 30% more calcium and half the sugar of regular milk and lactose free. Which yields a yogurt that is creamier and thicker. It also is higher in protein and calcium and lower in sugar--perfect for anyone watching their sugars.
You can look for a brand, like Fairlife brand for ultra-filtered milk.
How To Make Cold Start Yogurt
Step One: Clean your Instant Pot
- Be sure your pressure cooker is clean and you use a clean inner ring when making yogurt--no one wants yogurt tasting like Instant Pot Chili!
- I wipe my inner pot down with vinegar and then rinse well and dry.
- I also recommend a separate sealing ring to use for yogurt--not necessary but it does help!
Step Two: Add Milk and Starter to Pressure Cooker
- Whisk 1 cup of the milk with the starter until well combined.
- Pour remaining milk into inner pot of pressure cooker.
- Whisk in starter mixture.
Step Three: Incubate Yogurt
- Place lid on pressure cooker.
- Hit "Yogurt" and it should read 8:00. Be sure NORMAL is lit up. If LOW is let up, you must change to normal heat for incubation to occur, by hitting yogurt again until normal is lit up.
- Let it begin to incubate.
Step Four: Refrigerate Yogurt
- After 8 hours, remove inner pot from pressure cooker.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for another 8 hours.
- Place yogurt in glass jars to store in refrigerator.
Tips for Making Cold Start Yogurt
- There is NO substitution for ultra pasteurized milk. If you do not use ultra pasteurized milk, you need to follow these instructions for Instant Pot Yogurt. Most Organic Milks are Ultra-Pasteurized as well--but be sure it is labeled "ultra-pasteurized"
- Use any percentage fat milk you like for this cold start yogurt, the higher the fat percentage the creamier the yogurt. I prefer 2% Ultra Pasteurized Milk.
- You can cut this recipe in half, or if you have an 8 quart pressure cooker, you can also double this recipe for homemade yogurt.
- For homemade yogurt, you must, use either use a yogurt starter or plain yogurt with active live cultures. I like to use plain Greek yogurt--Chobani or the store brand.
- Feel free to sweeten yogurt with vanilla extract, honey, maple syrup, or fruit AFTER incubating.
- A huge tip for making yogurt in the future, is to FREEZE your starter immediately after fresh yogurt is made. I recommend using an ice cube tray. Each ice cube holds 1 tablespoon of yogurt so you will know exactly how much yogurt to defrost when making a new yogurt batch. Just be sure to thaw your yogurt cubes in the fridge to not alter the cultures in the yogurt.
- If you would like tangier yogurt, set incubation period to 10 hours instead of 8 hours.
- Homemade yogurt should last for up to 10-14 days in your refrigerator.
More Instant Pot Basic Recipes
- Instant Pot Chicken Stock
- Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce
- Instant Pot Chicken Breasts
- Instant Pot Beans
- Perfect Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs
- Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats
Instant Pot Cold Start Yogurt
Ingredients
- 52 ounces Ultra Pasteurized Milk Ultra-Filtered is BEST--see notes
- 2 tablespoons prepare yogurt with live cultures or yogurt starter
Instructions
- Whisk 1 cup of the milk with the starter or prepared yogurt until well combined.
- Pour the remaining milk into the inner pot of pressure cooker and then whisk in starter mixture.
- Place lid on the pressure cooker. There is no need to seal.
- To set the incubation time, hit yogurt function and then adjust function until the time reads 8:00 (be sure pressure is at normal and not low--if at low hit yogurt again.)
- After the 8 hour incubation period, remove inner pot from pressure cooker. Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for 8 hours.
- After refrigeration, store yogurt in glass containers for 10-14 days.
Equipment Needed
Notes
- Fairlife milk is also ultra-filtered, which means it has more protein and less sugar, meaning it will produce a thicker yogurt than just ultra-pasteurized milk. If you use ultra-pasteurized milk, not ultra-filtered milk, you may want to strain your yogurt for super thick yogurt.
- Ultra-filtered milk does seem to be more foolproof than ultra-pasteurized milk--as a couple of brands have not set up as well for readers.
- If you have an Instant Pot Evo Duo Plus, select custom temperature using the yogurt function and set to 110 degrees.
Nutrition
This instant pot yogurt method was named "Cold Start" by Freida Loves Bread to the best of my knowledge.
Shirley
After it is in the fridge for the 8 hours can i transfer to small plastic containers with little screw lids? Does it matter if the containers are not glass?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Shirley! You can transfer to any container you like after refrigeration. Enjoy!
Dianna D Barbee
Can I make this recipe in a 3 quart?
Kristen Chidsey
As long as your model has a yogurt button, yes!
DJ
This is the first time I have made yogurt. My yogurt turned out more creamy than store bought yogurt. Is this normal? Also, I am wondering if I can put the milk/starter mixture in 4 pint canning jars and set them on a rack in the IP instead of pouring the milk into the pot and then having to put it into jars later. Would this work and if so do I put some water under the rack before starting? Also do I put a lid on the jars or leave them open while in the IP? (The 4 pints fit into my family fridge easier than finding space for the big pot.)
Kristen Chidsey
Hi DJ! Yes, homemade yogurt is a bit creamier in my opinion than store-bought as well, especially using cold start method. It is a great idea to put the mixture into glass jars before incubation. Simply pour in 1 cup of warm water (about 115 degrees) in bottom of inner pot and then place the jars (without lids) on the rack and incubate as directed.
Taylor
I've made this recipe multiple times in the past with no issues. But this time I made 5 servings instead of 10. And I put slightly less milk than Its suppose to be done, but its really watery. I used about 2 ounces less of milk because I wanted it to be more thick like cream cheese but the opposite happened.
It was on the yogurt function for 8 hours on medium heat and then 8 hours in the fridge. It has now been in the fridge for 10 hours. What can I do can it be fixed?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Taylor! I am sorry you had issues halving the recipe. I would suggest following the proportions and straining over cheesecloth after refrigerating for 8 hours to thicken. You can reuse the milk and add more starter and incubate again. Be sure the incubation is on NORMAL as well.
Cassie
If I half the recipe, the incubation time (8 hours) still stays the same, correct?
Kristen Chidsey
That's correct. 😊
Tiffany
Is all of Fairlife lactose free or do I need to buy the one that specifically says lactose free?
Also, can you use dairy free yogurt? Thanks!
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Tiffany! According to Fairlife, yes all of their milk is lactose-free. As for your yogurt starter, it is best to use regular dairy yogurt as some non-dairy yogurts don't have active live cultures, just cultures.
Nes
How much yogurt does the one batch make?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Nes! Each batch makes 52 ounces (not any change from the amount of milk used) and the serving size is 4 ounces. I hope you enjoy!
Lisa
Hi! Trying this recipe soon and it'll be my first time making yogurt in the IP. Does the yogurt starter have to be Greek yogurt, or is regular yogurt fine? I wanted to try Stonyfield Organic Organic Plain Whole Milk Probiotic Yogurt but it's not Greek- will that make it thinner? I'm already buying the Fairlife Whole Ultra-Filtered Milk.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Lisa! Regular yogurt is fine to use and won't change the final consistency 🙂 Enjoy!
Brittney
What about if you don’t have a yogurt button? I have an 8qt Lux. Really want to make cold start but not sure what setting to use... any idea?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Brittney! It is not impossible to make yogurt without a yogurt button, but quite difficult and temperamental and the results vary--therefore, if you are interested in making yogurt on a regular basis, I would suggest getting a model with a yogurt function. If you do want to give it a try, I have detailed instructions on how to do so if you want to look it over.
Erica
Just made with the Fairlife 2% and the yogurt was so creamy and super easy to make! Thanks Kristen! Question: when you say I can freeze the starter for my next batch, does that mean from the one I just made in my instant pot? Or freeze some tablespoons from the prepared store bought container?
Kristen Chidsey
So happy you had great success. You can freeze yogurt from your homemade batch for the starter and technically if you would like to freeze some of the pre-bought yogurt as a starter, that will work as well.
Mike Bernard
we use fairlife skim milk. would the calories for the yogurt just match the milk? or does the process change the numbers at all?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Mike! The process does not change the nutritional qualities unless you strain the yogurt, then it does increase protein and calories per ounce slightly as the water is drained away.
Josh
I have an ‘Instant Pot Duo EVO Plus’ and when I press the yogurt button I can choose ‘Custom’, ‘Pasteurize’, and ‘Ferment’. If I choose custom I can set a timer but I have to manually set a temperature. There is no low/normal/high.
Should I be choosing something other than custom, if not, what temperature should I set as ‘normal’ isn’t an option?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Josh! You would set the temperature to 110 degrees. I will add that to the notes as that may help others as well.