Instant Pot Yogurt: Step by step directions for making yogurt in an electric pressure cooker. Includes directions for nonfat, full fat, and Greek yogurt. Also, ways to naturally sweeten yogurt. This is EVERYTHING you need to know about making Instant Pot Yogurt.
I am all about making things at home when I can.
I prefer to make fruit roll-ups, chicken stock, granola bars, and even rotisserie chicken.
However, making yogurt at home, never appealed to me--and frankly overwhelmed me.
I can purchase high-quality yogurt with simple, wholesome ingredients at every grocery store around me.
But I was intrigued to try my hand at making yogurt shortly after getting my Instant Pot--and let me tell you, I am so glad I gave it a try.
Instant Pot Yogurt
There are two reasons that I will no longer purchase yogurt at the store and make yogurt in my Instant Pot.
- Taste
- Cost
You guys, homemade yogurt is so much creamier and less tangy than store-bought yogurt. The first time my kids had homemade yogurt they asked if I put sugar in the yogurt. Nope just plain yogurt--just a less tangy. But man, they loved it. And so did I.
And the cost of making homemade yogurt is so much cheaper than store-bought yogurt. By making homemade yogurt you cut the cost in at least half!!!
Now that you are intrigued, let's get started.
Making yogurt at home is time-consuming, but NOT at all hard. With an instant pot, it is nearly fail-proof!
How to make Homemade Instant Pot Yogurt
Step One: Clean your Instant Pot.
- This sounds like a no-brainer. But I am not talking about simply washing your Instant Pot--you need to sanitize your inner pot.
- You can prepare your inner pot for making yogurt by pouring boiling water in the inner pot and then discard the water.
- This step can be skipped, but it helps drastically in the flavor of your yogurt--especially if you have been making a lot of Instant Pot Chili.
Step Two: Heat your Milk in your Instant Pot.
- Pour ½ gallon milk into the inner pot of your electric pressure cooker, and put the lid on the Instant Pot (vent can be sealed or not sealed in this function). Hit yogurt function and then the adjust button until it says Boil.
- When the Instant Pot beeps that it is done, remove the lid and test the temperature to be sure the milk has reached 180 degrees.
- I like to leave the inner pot in the Instant Pot for 5 minutes before removing it. This helps the yogurt thicken up a bit better.
Step Three: Cool the milk to approximately 105-115 degrees.
- Cooling the milk to this temperature takes about 1 hour if placed on the counter.
- I like to speed the process up by placing the inner pot into a large mixing bowl in ice water. This takes about 15-20 minutes.
Step Four: Remove the "skin" off the milk.
- Once your milk has reached the proper temperature, skim off the top layer of milk "skin" that has formed on top of the liquid.
- This helps to give you the creamiest of yogurts.
Step Five: Whisk in a yogurt starter.
- Use either prepared yogurt or a yogurt starter and whisk into your prepared milk.
- It is important to note that if using prepared yogurt you need to be sure it is plain yogurt with live and active cultures.
- If your starter is sweetened or does not have live cultures, making yogurt at home will NOT work!
Step Six: Allow your yogurt to Incubate.
- To finish making your yogurt, place your inner pot back in your Instant Pot with the lid on (again, it doesn't matter which way the valve is set).
- Hit the Yogurt button again button.
- Adjust until it reads 8:00 or 8 hours.
- Then let the Instant Pot do its thing.
Step Seven: Enjoy!
- Transfer to glass jars or a plastic container.
- Refrigerate and Enjoy!
How to Make Yogurt without a Yogurt Button
It is a bit harder to make yogurt without a yogurt button on a pressure cooker, but it is possible.
- It is a bit harder, but it is possible.
- Pour milk into the inner pot of the pressure cooker.
- Turn on the Sear/Saute function.
- Heat milk to 180°F. Use a thermometer to check the temp often and be sure to stir very often so the milk does not scorch.
- Once the milk reaches 180°F, turn off your pressure cooker.
- Remove the inner pot and cool it to 108 degrees.
- Once your milk has reached 108 stir starter yogurt and whisk until incorporated.
- Put inner pot back in instant pot and place lid on the pressure cooker.
- Wrap in a large towel, or two regular towels and incubate for at least 8 hours or 10 hours.
How to Make Greek Yogurt
- If you would like to make Greek yogurt instead of regular yogurt, follow all the instructions for homemade yogurt.
- Once the yogurt is prepared, place a large strainer lined with cheesecloth over a large mixing bowl.
- You may need to do this in batches depending on the size of your strainer.
- Allow the yogurt to drain in the strainer overnight.
- Scoop out the thick yogurt into containers to store and discard the cheesecloth.
What to do with the extra whey from the yogurt?
- You can either discard the whey or you can use it in smoothies, oatmeal, protein shakes, etc. It will be filled with protein and probiotics.
How to make Instant Pot Fat Free Yogurt
Can you use skim milk to make yogurt in your electric pressure cooker?
Yes, you can, with a few important tips.
- I have found for nonfat yogurt, 3 tablespoons of yogurt added to ½ gallon of milk works best.
- Nonfat yogurt will have quite a bit more liquid on the top than yogurt made with full or reduced-fat milk.
- Just carefully drain off the layer of liquid that forms on the yogurt and discard it.
- As nonfat yogurt sits, the liquid will begin to separate again, just mix it into the yogurt before serving.
How long does Homemade Yogurt last?
- Homemade yogurt should last for up to 10-14 days in your refrigerator.
- Be sure to save 2 tablespoons of your homemade yogurt to make your next batch.
How to Sweeten Homemade Yogurt
I have found homemade yogurt to be so much smoother and a bit sweeter than store-bought yogurt and simply enjoy it topped with fresh berries or homemade granola.
Homemade Vanilla Yogurt
- Make yogurt as directed.
- Mix in 1 tablespoon vanilla extract into prepared yogurt.
- This will flavor the yogurt without any added sweeteners.
**If you like your yogurt to be sweet, you can add in honey, maple syrup, or sugar adjusted to your desired level of sweetness. I would start with no more than ¼ cup, and increase by a tablespoon at a time.
A few tips for making yogurt at home
- I use 1 tablespoon of prepared yogurt for every quart of milk. Therefore for ½ gallon of milk, I whisk in 2 tablespoons of already prepared yogurt into my milk.
- You can cut this recipe in half if you would like. If you have an 8-quart pressure cooker, you can also double this recipe for homemade yogurt.
- Do NOT try to make homemade yogurt with flavored yogurt as your starter. You need to either use a yogurt starter or plain yogurt with active live cultures. How do you know if your store-bought yogurt has live cultures? The label on the yogurt will say Lactobacillus bulgaricus or Streptococcus thermophilus.
- 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 an incubation period to 10 hours instead of 8 hours.
- If you need more tips on how to use your Instant Pot or are confused about some of the functions or pieces I mentioned, check out my Instant Pot 101.
- Get more easy, healthy instant pot recipes here.
Homemade Yogurt is great for:
- Yogurt Peanut Butter Dip
- 2 Ingredient Homemade Gogurts
- Peanut Butter Power Smoothie
- Skinny Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
- Skinny Spinach Artichoke Dip
How to make yogurt at home in an Instant Pot:
Homemade Yogurt
Ingredients
- ½ gallon milk
- 2 tablespoons prepared yogurt with cultures
Instructions
- Pour milk into inner pot of Instant Pot. Push yogurt button until the screen reads "boil." (Usually you will need to hit the yogurt button two times) This will take about an hour.
- Once the Instant Pot beebs that the boil cycle is complete, carefully remove the lid and test the temperature. It should be around 180 degrees Fahrenheit. Let inner pot sit in instant pot for 5 minutes and then remove inner pot.
- Allow the milk to cool to 105-115 degrees. This will take an hour on the counter top or about 15 minutes if you place your inner pot into an ice bath.
- Gently skim off the "skin" on the yogurt and discard.
- Whisk in the prepared yogurt.
- Place inner pot (be sure to dry off well if you had in ice bath),put lid on and press yogurt button again and then adjust until screen reads 8:00. (The pressure should also read normal--if it reads less, hit adjust again until normal is lit up.)
- Once the pressure cooker beeps that the yogurt cycle is complete, remove the inner pot from the inner pot and cover it with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 8 hours before transferring to individual containers or stirring the instant pot.
- Once refrigerated for 8 hours, you can strain the yogurt to prepare Greek yogurt and/or set some yogurt aside for future yogurt making. To make Greek yogurt, strain the yogurt in a strainer lined with cheesecloth overnight in the fridge (be sure to place over a large mixing bowl while draining.)
Equipment Needed
Notes
- Instead of prepared yogurt as your starter, you can use a yogurt starter. Just follow directions to determine how much starter to add to ½ gallon milk (each brand is a bit different.)
- You can use any percentage of fat to make homemade yogurt.
- To make Greek yogurt, strain the yogurt in a strainer lined with cheesecloth overnight in the fridge (be sure to place over large mixing bowl while draining.)
- Homemade yogurt should last for about 10-14 days.
- If sweetening yogurt, I have found it is best to add in sweeteners/vanilla after the yogurt has set up in the fridge for at least 8 hours, or after straining.
- If you find your milk is not reaching 180 degrees after the boil cycle, you can turn to saute function for a few minutes, watching VERY closely to help it reach to 180 degrees.
- Nutritional values are approximate and have been calculated using 2% milk. The serving size is approximately 4 ounces.
Audrey
Thank you for this recipe! When I got my Instant Pot I never expected to use it for yogurt. But my family has been eating a lot of yogurt lately and when I found your recipe I decided to give it a try. My first attempt and it turned out great! I used 2% milk and followed your recipe exactly. I am thrilled and will be making yogurt regularly now. Thanks for your easy to follow instructions.
Kristen Chidsey
I am so glad you found this recipe to Audrey and gave it a try and that you enjoyed so much!
Teresa
I have made 2 batches one regular one strained. Definitely prefer the strained. I was wondering if you have ever tried using half and half?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Teresa. I have not tried half and half--if you do, please leave us a comment and let us know how it goes 🙂
Nicole
I forgot to add the starter! Now I have warm milk after many hours. Is it safe to try again with the same batch? Will it even work?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Nicole, unfortunately, I would discard the milk and start over to be safe.
Annette
What if your instant pot doesn’t have a yogurt button?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Annette! There are directions in the post about how to make yogurt without a yogurt button. It is a bit more tricky and finicky, but it can be done.
Ellie
Two questions... does it matter if you whisk too much yogurt into the milk? I think I put in more than 2 tbsp, does this affect the taste?
Also, I prefer Greek yogurt but only have a small strainer. Can I put the yogurt in the fridge and then strain it later?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Ellie! You should not notice much difference if any, using a bit more starter. So no worries there! And yes, you can strain your yogurt in batches with no concern. Enjoy!
Adrienne Sharpe
My 2yr old nephew has a cow's milk allergy and his mother and I have been trying different types of substitutes. I was wondering if it was possible to make yogurt with homemade coconut milk and how I would go about accomplishing this. Also, I was able to make a somewhat thin yogurt with about 1 and 2/3 cups of goat's milk and about 1 and 1/2tbs starter. After an 8 hour incubation, I netted about 3/4 of a pint of yogurt.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Adrienne! Here is my recipe for Instant Pot Coconut Milk. I hope you enjoy!
Katrina Balentyne
On taste andbc texture, this recipe deserves 5 stars. I followed the recipe exactly and it did turn out super smooth and creamy. However, I am giving this recipe only 4 stars, because I ended up with about 5 cups of whey and only about 2 cups of a "Greek" style yogurt.
For it to take all day and yield such a small amount, I am disappointed. If anyone has any ideas on what I may have done wrong, I would appreciate your tips.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Katrina. First of all, I am glad you enjoyed the taste and texture. For more yogurt and less whey, I would advise you use a higher fat percentage of milk.
Annette
I made a nonfat version of the yogurt in my instant pot. It came out lumpy... close to cottage cheese texture.. did I overheat the milk?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Annette. I am sorry for your issue. Does it smell okay, it sounds like it may have curdled? Like maybe you did overheat. If it smells bad, I would discard. If not, try whisking well.
deborah t
My milk did not get to 180 degrees........recipe gives no clue what I should do. It was 167 so I put it back on boil again and got to 171... just put it on again.....hope it turns out ok.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Deborah, if your milk does not get to 180 degrees, you can turn to saute and monitor VERY closely. I hope that helps. I will add to recipe notes so no one misses that tip.
Adrienne Sharpe
Hi Kristen,
Thanks for the tips. I came through looking for a way to make yogurt without the button. I have an 8qt Lux and 6qt Duo which I have been experimenting making yogurt. I have learned that the longer it incubates the tangier the yogurt becomes. I use different types of yogurt in my home and having different levels of tang, sweet and thickness is essential. Having two different batches going at the same time will really help. Thanks for the tips. I can't wait for my next session to try them. 🤗🤗
Holly
Making yoghurt for the first time and I cooked the yoghurt a little too long; it was only a bit under 100 degrees. I went ahead and added the starter and put the liner back into the pot and set it for 8 hours on yoghurt but now I’m doubting myself. Is this going to work??
Kristen Chidsey
If you mean you cooled your yogurt slightly pass 100 degrees, it should be fine.
Miriam Phelps
What am I incubating the yogurt at without yogurt setting???
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Miriam! There are detailed instructions on how to attempt to make yogurt without a yogurt setting in the post (subtitled How to Make without a Yogurt Button) I hope that helps clairfy things for you--keep in mind it can be challenging and needs to be followed carefully.
Merle Kent
I would like to make a smaller amount of yoghurt. Could I use use only one quart of whole milk, and then only 1/4 cup of whole milk yoghurt starter?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Merle! Yes, you can make this with one quart. You would need to use 1/2 tablespoon yogurt starter for that batch.
Phil B
Thanks for the recipe Kristen. I have made it twice now. My first ever attempts at making yogurt and the finished product is creamy and delicious. I am using 1% milk and unsweetened plain organic yogurt with many active cultures for starters (I could not find yogurt starter at either of my local grocers). Both batches ended up very runny (thus 4 out of 5 stars) so I strained them through cheesecloth and had wonderful Greek style yogurt. But I end up with roughly 1 qt of clear whey and 1 qt of yogurt. I can’t imagine trying to use the yogurt prior to straining it as it is so runny. Do you have any suggestions to create yogurt that is thicker prior to straining? I have a yogurt setting on my Instant Pot and am using a very basic thermometer that is accurate enough for roasting meat to perfection but certainly wouldn’t suffice for making candy. Is temperature precision essential?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Phil! First, I am glad you enjoy the flavor. A few suggestions for thicker yogurt. First, be sure your yogurt setting is on normal not low. It is also best to use at least 2% milk for thick yogurt, whole milk is even better. It is normal for lower fat milk to be much thinner. And finally, place your yogurt in the fridge for 8 hours after incubation before disturbing. That can help your yogurt set up as well. Hope those tips helps.
Mo Jenkins
Thanks for recipe and answering questions. While I’m struggling to get a good outcome with 2% milk, my question is about getting maximum amount of protein after straining. I noted the nutrition label for homemade yogurt on your site lists protein as only 3 grams. What is your serving size? The milk I was using was 8 grams (1cup serving size). The store-bought Greek yogurt I buy lists 18 grams (1cup). Is there an easy way to maximize protein and be able to estimate what the magic number of grams will be.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Mo! First of all the nutrition is just an estimate and done to the best of my ability. Plain yogurt has slightly less than 1 gram of protein per ounce, hence the 3 grams for a 4 ounce serving, once strained, it would triple--but that is IF straining is done for a full 12-24 hours. So for 4 ounces, that would be 12 grams of protein and for one cup of yogurt it would 24 grams. s, so it would be closer to 4 grams of protein. I hope that helps 🙂
Mo Jenkins
Thanks!!! Makes perfect sense.
Mo Jenkins
I’m trying to troubleshoot my yogurt failures and probably over thinking but....In your instructions and others it’s noted that the pressure release can be set at either position. Since the yogurt incubation time is 8-10 hrs I’m assuming the yogurt function keeps milk/yogurt at constant temperature. If the pressure release knob is in neutral position (neither seal nor vent) is there any reason the IP wouldn’t maintain temp? I’m grasping at straws here but thinking since my efforts are producing runny yogurt maybe temp is not constant during the 8-hr yogurt function. 😩
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Mo! There should be no reason the Instant Pot does not hold the temperature. A few suggestions for thicker yogurt. First, be sure your yogurt setting is on normal not low. It is also best to use at least 2% milk for thick yogurt, whole milk is even better. It is normal for lower fat milk to be much thinner. And finally, place your yogurt in the fridge for 8 hours after incubation before disturbing. That can help your yogurt set up as well. Hope those tips helps.
Debra Hall
Thanks for the easy to follow recipe! I've made yogurt three times now and it's great. I have a question that's probably been asked but I can't find it...so, if I could, please:
I sweeten/flavor my yogurt with fruit preserves and honey, mixed together, and placed on the bottom of 6 oz. jelly jars, before the yogurt goes in.
Why do a lot of the store-bought yogurts come like this? Is there a reason why I can't just mix it all together and then fill my jars?
Thanks!
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Debra! The reason that the fruit is on the bottom is because the sugars can kill off the a fraction of the good bacteria--so leaving at the bottom prevent this from happening.
cha bhakta
Absolutely love the fool proof recipe....but somehow its a bit liquidy (edible though). If we want it thicker how can I salvage this batch?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Cha! I would strain the yogurt for 8 hours over cheesecloth to thicken this batch. In the future, here are a few suggestions for thicker yogurt. First, be sure your yogurt setting is on normal not low. It is also best to use at least 2% milk for thick yogurt, whole milk is even better. It is normal for lower fat milk to be much thinner. And finally, place your yogurt in the fridge for 8 hours after incubation before disturbing. That can help your yogurt set up as well. Hope those tips helps.
Noreen
Can you indicate the quantity of a "serving"i.e., is it 4 oz, 8oz? And is it different for greek vs standard? Thank you.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Noreen. A serving size is 4 ounces of regular yogurt, once strained it will change the nutrition.