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:
![jar of plain yogurt next to instant pot](https://amindfullmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/nonfat-instant-pot-yogurt-360x360.jpg)
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.
GT
Do you use “Low” “Normal” or “More” for the last 8-hr phase? Thanks
Kristen Chidsey
Normal 🙂
Kerry M Kier
I love this yogurt. I make it almost every single weekend. I had to start making it with a gallon of milk because my hubby loves it too! I put lemon curd (made in instant pot) in my yogurt when I'm ready to eat it with fresh raspberries.
I get 12 servings (about 5 oz each) using 1 gallon of whole milk. The instructions are clear and so easy to do once you get the hang of it. I even created a "Cheat Sheet" of instructions to make it easy to look at when I'm making it.
I sterilize my Instant Pot before making the yogurt with 3 cups of water cooked at 15 minutes pressure cook, 15 minutes natural release. Let the pot cool down before starting the yogurt.
Kristen Chidsey
Thank you so much for sharing your additions and tips! I love hearing this is such a hit and staple at your house 🙂
Josie Q
Very easy to make. The instructions are clear, but I missed the second step 🙀. I forgot to add the starter. I realized at hour 7. I opened the lid, added the starter. I reset to boil, cooled again, then turned back on for 6 hours. Let cool. Then strained for 8 hours.
There isn’t a bitter taste that I find with other plain Greek yogurt. No sweetener needed.
I made 1/2 batch because I thought it would make 8 cups of yogurt. I felt I could eat 4 cups. Well, it made just less than 3 cups. Next week, I will make 1.5 recipe.
Cindy Young
Easy to follow instructions and made the best yogurt ever!
I strained it with a 1 gallon yogurt strainer from Amazon and the end result was nothing like store bought Greek yogurt! Sooo good I am making another gallon today 🥰
Kristen Chidsey
Wonderful! Thank you for sharing, Cindy!
Elizabeth Andrews
Hi again Kristin! Thanks so much for this recipe and helpful information/responses. I use the Fairlife 2% milk and incubate at 115 degrees as you suggested. Then chill overnight and strain in the morning. The most delicious greek yogurt you can imagine. I have dietary issues and to be able to control the ingredients is paramount. So creamy and delicious, high protein, lactose free yogurt is the result. I thought I would miss any kind of sweetener but I just add fruit and don't need it! I give this 1000 stars and thumbs up. Thanks again!
Kristen Chidsey
YAY!!! Thanks for sharing, Elizabeth.
Leslie Carleton
Wow it worked! I let it incubate for 12 hours, hoping for a tangier result, and just put it in the fridge. But as another reviewer put it, looks and smells like beautiful yogurt....except for that aroma of curried lentil soup. I did fill the container with boiling water before I started, but it didn't completely eliminate the odor. Any idea how to good and truly remove the odor of past cooking from the instant pot? Otherwise, psyched to see how it turned out, later today! Your directions were clear and helpful.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Leslie! Yay for homemade yogurt! As for the smell, I would recommend purchasing a 2nd sealing ring and use that specifically for yogurt and keep the other savory dishes.
Caroline Fish
I tried this today and its pretty much liquid. I have the IP Pro and there in no "normal" setting in the yogurt function, just Low, High, or Custom. The High setting says Boil once you hit it but the boil cycle lasted only a few minutes. I repeated it. Your instructions mention boiling for an hour. I checked the temp and it did reach 180. After it cooled and I added the starter (Fage) I used the custom option and set the temp to 115 for incubation. It was liquid at 8 hours so I let it go another hour or so. No difference. Does it need to boil longer to reduce water? I have read some people incubate for up to 24 hours. I used 1% milk so maybe it needs longer or some fat? I really want to figure out how to make it low fat! Any suggestions? I have made great soy yogurt with my IP but dairy milk seems more challenging. Thank you!
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Caroline! I am sorry you were having issues. Using the custom temperature to 115 degrees F is correct. You can drain off some of the liquid after incubation when using lower fat milk (see photo in post for visual) and then be sure to let chill for 8 hours before touching. You can also increase the incubation time to thicken up the yogurt. Let me know if those tips help.
Kathy Flynn
I use 3 T yogurt for each 2 qts of nonfat milk. You might try more starter.
Jeenette
My Instant Pot does not have a manual button. When sterilizing for 15 mins do I use the pressure cook button?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Jeenette. The pressure cook button is the same as the manual button.
Kirsti
I have made this twice now, once with 1% milk and the other with whole milk. They both came out runny (although the 1% was more runny). It tastes ok, but is there a way to make it thicker? I thought using the whole milk would be better, but it wasn't enough for me to like the consistency.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Kirsti! Be sure your yogurt is set to incubate on NORMAL not LOW, that is often the cause of runny yogurt. You can also incubate the yogurt again to thicken. Be sure to let the yogurt chill for 8 hours before stirring as well.
Kirsti
Thanks for the reply! I always double check that it's on normal and I do the 8 hour refrigeration. I will try a double incubation period.
Chantel
Can you re-incubate the yogurt after its chilled in the fridge? Mine came out runny when I checked it in the morning after chilling overnight.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Chantel! Yes, you can reincubate the yogurt. Be sure your temperature is set to normal as well, not low.
Jennifer
I double clicked the yogurt button until the instant pot said ‘boil.’
After about 20 min it beeped and instead of ‘boil’ it shows ‘yogt’.
Is this when I’m supposed to let it cool?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Jennifer. Yes, the boil cycle typically only runs 30 minutes. Test the temperature at that time and if not at 180, boil again or you can use the saute function for just a minute or two--whisk and watch closely!
Jeff
Made yogurt for the first time today using your instructions. After the 8 hour cook it’s now in the fridge to cool overnight. Looks and smells like yogurt. Pretty easy. Thx!
Kristen Chidsey
You bet! Enjoy, Jeff! And thanks for taking the time to leave a review.
Wimbles2002
I'd appreciate some advice. I followed this recipe in my 3 quart Instant Pot Ultra. I used Fairlife whole milk to quicken the process as suggested. My instant pot doesn't have a "normal" in the yogurt setting, just high, low or custom. So I looked up incubation temperatures and set it to incubate at 110 degrees for 8 hours. It was kind of lumpy. Good flavor but tiny lumps in it. Any advice on how to NOT get lumps? Thanks.
Kristen Chidsey
Hey there! In the future, I would set to incubate at 115 degrees F (but that was not the cause oof the issue.) It sounds like you didn't whisk the starter in well. I would let it chill and then whisk well to remove lumps.
Elizabeth Andrews
Thanks for the quick reply!! OK thanks, I'll program to 115 degrees next time. Starter was whisked in pretty good, first in half cup of the milk then poured that into pan and whisked more. Won't it get even thinner if I whisk it after the overnight chilling time is over? I'm obviously new at this but will get it right!! Flavor is delicious though!!
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Elizabeth! Yes, it will thin out some if you whisk again, but it will remove the lumps if that bothers you.
Hannah
I have now made this recipe twice and love it! How do I keep some as a starter for my next batch? How long does it last?
Kristen Chidsey
I love hearing this, Hannah! I love to FREEZE some 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. Alternatively, use some of the homemade yogurt within 7 days of preparation.
Jazz
I like it extra tangy, so I followed the recipe, but left it for 16 hours and it was really good. I just had trouble with the pressure cooker getting to the boil function, but I got it.
Kristen Chidsey
Thanks for sharing, Jazz. In the future, you can use the saute function for a minute or two. That will help the milk boil--just watch closely!
B
Can the prepared yogurt be greek yogurt ?
Kristen Chidsey
Absolutely!
Shawn
Do you strain the yogurt after it is in the fridge for 8 hours or during?
Kristen Chidsey
After for best results.
Stacey Langley
Hi, if I have 1.5 quart of milk, instead of a gallon, would the measurements remain the same? The amount of yogurt used and the time? Thanks for your help.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Stacey! The timing would be the same. I would also recommend using the full 2 tablespoons of a starter, as 1.5 quarts is so close to 1/2 gallon. Enjoy!