Instant Pot Yogurt
One of the reasons I decided to add an Instant Pot to my list of kitchen gadgets was the appeal of having a yogurt maker. I had seen yogurt makers in kitchen and cooking catalogs, with their cute little individual cups. I did covet those, but the Instant Pot won out for all of it’s extra capabilities.
Some of you may be wondering why on earth I would want to make my own yogurt when there are so many varieties available in grocery stores these days. Well, I like yogurt. Greek yogurt, French yogurt, Australian style yogurt, etc. But I have always had this elusive memory of the taste of homemade yogurt my Mom used to make. In my memory, it was creamier than anything I could find in a store. Thus began my quest to replicate my memory.
I began by researching the best way to make yogurt in my Instant Pot. I tried many different variations that I found on Pinterest and even in my Instant Pot recipe books. Lots of the methods I tried came out grainy and runnier than I like.
There are many factors that can affect the outcome of your homemade yogurt. If your pot and equipment are not clean and sterile, that can change the outcome. If your milk doesn’t get hot enough, it can change the texture. The yogurt you choose as your starter can affect it as well. So, a little trial and error can be part of the process until you find just the flavor and texture you like best.
I finally found a method that yields something very similar to my memory of my Mom’s yogurt. It is from a food blogging couple, Amy + Jacky, that work with Instant Pot to perfect recipes. The recipe I used is their Instant Pot Yogurt #12. Yes, that’s right, #12. So you can see they have worked out the kinks for us. If you want to follow their exact recipe and find other tips from them, you can find it at www.pressurecookerrecipes.com.
I learned a lot from these folks. I had sterilized my pot before, but never my other tools. Note to self for next time – be sure your measuring spoon is heat resistant. I made the mistake of putting a plastic spoon in my sterilization cycle. Oops.
I also learned that when I had relied on the pre-programmed settings for other attempts, my milk was not getting hot enough during the first heating stage. It turns out that I need to add the additional step to heat my milk to the optimal temperature. Pay attention to your temperatures, they make a big difference.
Timing is something to consider before starting yogurt at home. This is one of those situations with “Instant” Pot is completely misleading. It is an all-day process, and as a side note, if you only have one Instant Pot you need to make sure you aren’t planning on using it for dinner as well.
The initial sterilization time is about 20-30 minutes. Then boiling your milk takes about 45 minutes. More time is required to cool the milk back down again before adding the starter, maybe another 20-30 minutes. Then the process of incubating the yogurt takes at least 8 hours.
Yes, it is a tad tedious at first, but so delicious and rewarding to have your own yogurt that you can eat in so many ways. We like to substitute plain yogurt for sour cream in many recipes, and we love to eat it topped with granola and fruit for breakfast and snacks.
You can also control the amount of sugar in your yogurt by making your own. If you like the flavor of yogurt with fruit on the bottom, you can make similar fruit sauces to use in your own yogurt.
You can use frozen fruit during the winter months, or use whatever delicious fruit is fresh during the season. Use 2 cups of fruit and add to a pan on the stove top with 1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar. Heat slowly, stirring often until the fruit combines with the sugar to make a lovely sauce. If desired, mash the fruit a bit with a fork or potato masher to further break down the fruit.
You can store the cooled fruit sauce in the fridge and drizzle on top of your yogurt, or put some dollops at the bottom of a spill proof container and add yogurt on top. If packing in a lunch, keep your granola in a separate container to avoid getting soggy.
If any of you have tried another method of yogurt in your Instant Pot and you love it, I would love to hear about it and give it a try.
AuthorMelissa JoyDifficultyBeginnerSterilize your equipment. Place the trivet in the bottom of the Instant Pot. Pour 2 cups cold water into the pot. Place a small Pyrex measuring cup, a silicone spatula and a heat resistant tablespoon in the pot. Close the lid, move the venting knob to sealed and use the Manual/Pressure Cook button for 3 minutes. Naturally release the steam.
Remove the tools from the pot and place on a rack to dry.
Pour half a gallon of organic whole milk into the pot.
Use the Yogurt button and select Boil to bring the milk to 180º. It will say BOIL on the display and will take 35-40 minutes. The vent position doesn't matter.
When your Instant Pot beeps, open the lid and check the temperature with a meat thermometer. You can skim off the skin of milk that has formed on the top and discard. If the milk is not at 180º or higher, stir and close the lid again. Use the Slow Cook button and select Less for another 15-30 minutes. Stir and check the temperature again. Repeat, if necessary.
Once your milk has come to 180º, remove the pot from the unit and place onto the trivet to cool down to 111º.
While the milk is cooling, place 2 tbsp. of plain greek yogurt into the glass measuring cup and set aside. Be sure your yogurt contains live active bacterial cultures.
Use the meat thermometer to check that the milk has cooled down. Once it has cooled down, take 1/2 cup of the milk and add it to the glass measuring cup with the yogurt starter and stir well. Pour the starter mixture into the pot and gently stir to combine with the silicone spatula.
Incubate the yogurt for 8-12 hours. Place the inner pot back into the Instant Pot and close the lid. Again, the venting position does not matter in this process. Select the Yogurt button and use Normal function to incubate for desired time. I chose 8 hours, but you can go as long as 12 hours. The longer the time, the tangier the yogurt. Note that your Instant Pot will start at 00:00 and count up in this function.
Once the yogurt has finished, remove the inner pot and place in the fridge for a few hours to stop the incubation. If you do not have room in the fridge, scoop the yogurt into smaller mason jars or plastic containers and place in the fridge.
Your plain yogurt is great with granola and fresh fruit, or you can make a simple fruit sauce to mix in by bringing 2 cups fresh or frozen fruit and 1/4-1/2 cup sugar to a boil on the stovetop. Boil gently until the fruit is cooked down into a sauce.
Ingredients
Directions
Sterilize your equipment. Place the trivet in the bottom of the Instant Pot. Pour 2 cups cold water into the pot. Place a small Pyrex measuring cup, a silicone spatula and a heat resistant tablespoon in the pot. Close the lid, move the venting knob to sealed and use the Manual/Pressure Cook button for 3 minutes. Naturally release the steam.
Remove the tools from the pot and place on a rack to dry.
Pour half a gallon of organic whole milk into the pot.
Use the Yogurt button and select Boil to bring the milk to 180º. It will say BOIL on the display and will take 35-40 minutes. The vent position doesn't matter.
When your Instant Pot beeps, open the lid and check the temperature with a meat thermometer. You can skim off the skin of milk that has formed on the top and discard. If the milk is not at 180º or higher, stir and close the lid again. Use the Slow Cook button and select Less for another 15-30 minutes. Stir and check the temperature again. Repeat, if necessary.
Once your milk has come to 180º, remove the pot from the unit and place onto the trivet to cool down to 111º.
While the milk is cooling, place 2 tbsp. of plain greek yogurt into the glass measuring cup and set aside. Be sure your yogurt contains live active bacterial cultures.
Use the meat thermometer to check that the milk has cooled down. Once it has cooled down, take 1/2 cup of the milk and add it to the glass measuring cup with the yogurt starter and stir well. Pour the starter mixture into the pot and gently stir to combine with the silicone spatula.
Incubate the yogurt for 8-12 hours. Place the inner pot back into the Instant Pot and close the lid. Again, the venting position does not matter in this process. Select the Yogurt button and use Normal function to incubate for desired time. I chose 8 hours, but you can go as long as 12 hours. The longer the time, the tangier the yogurt. Note that your Instant Pot will start at 00:00 and count up in this function.
Once the yogurt has finished, remove the inner pot and place in the fridge for a few hours to stop the incubation. If you do not have room in the fridge, scoop the yogurt into smaller mason jars or plastic containers and place in the fridge.
Your plain yogurt is great with granola and fresh fruit, or you can make a simple fruit sauce to mix in by bringing 2 cups fresh or frozen fruit and 1/4-1/2 cup sugar to a boil on the stovetop. Boil gently until the fruit is cooked down into a sauce.
2 Comments
Jenny Jiang
You are almost convincing me to try yogurt again . I haven’t tried it in our instant pot… and I have
Never been a detail girl … and in years past my yogurt attempts could range from disappointing texture to a little less friendly bacteria experience…🤣😌. But… it seems like it would be so nice to have those lovely jars of homemade instead of shelling out $7 every week…
I’ll let you know if I get brave and industrious enough to do this. But I’m very impressed that you have done it.
Btw, I love love love reading all your blog entries… we had Russian tea and hamburger soup too 😊 thanks for representing Midwest 80s culinary joys so we’ll
admin
Jenny, you should try again! It is so yummy. I am delighted you are enjoying the blog. I only wish you were closer to teach me to make dumplings again. I would love to feature that on the blog. Maybe you need to visit for the sake of the blog.😉