Instant Pot Yogurt #12

For the past 2 months, we have turned our Test Kitchen upside down with our Homemade Yogurt Experiments!

After 12 trials of milk, yogurt starters, and hundreds tablespoons of homemade yogurt, we’re finally thrilled to invite you to join the culture party!!

And continuing from our crazy Cheesecake #17 experiments, we’re naming this baby Instant Pot Yogurt #12.

Join us to make Yogurt in Instant Pot!

Making your own yogurt at home might sounds complicated & intimidating. But it’s actually quite simple! All you need is 2 ingredients – Milk & Yogurt Starter (we’ll discuss more about this below).

First, let’s break down the whole yogurt making process in 5 simple steps.

How to Make Instant Pot Yogurt in 5 Steps:

1. Heat Milk to 180°F – 200°F
2. Cool Milk to 105°F – 114°F
3. Add Yogurt Starter to Milk
4. Wait for Yogurt to set
5. Plain Yogurt is done – refrigerate and strain if desired

Sounds easy right? 😀

Choosing Yogurt Starters

Yogurt starters can make or break your yogurt making game.

So beware that not all yogurt works as yogurt starters!

It’s critical for you to check the ingredients list of the store-bought yogurt when you’re shopping for a yogurt starter. It must have active bacterial cultures for it to work as the yogurt starter.

A live culture usually contains at least 2 types of bacteria (L. bulgaricus and S. thermophilus).

*Pro Tip: The homemade yogurt’s consistency and taste will change depending on the type of bacteria cultures in the yogurt starter. Sometimes, it does make a big difference! So, choose the brand you like best for the most consistent result.

Choosing Type of Milk

Choosing the right type of milk is one of the most critical steps to succeed in making homemade yogurt because the type of milk will determine the thickness and creaminess of your homemade yogurt.

After testing the Instant Pot Yogurt Recipe with 2% Milk, 3.25% Milk and 3.8% Milk, 3.8% Whole Milk with the highest milk fat content produced the thickest and creamiest homemade yogurt.

For reference, we used the above Whole Foods 365 Organic 3.8% Whole Milk for this Instant Pot Yogurt Recipe.

Time to make Yogurt in Instant Pot!

Step by Step Guide: Instant Pot Yogurt

Prepare ingredients for making yogurt in Instant Pot:

• 2 litres (½ gallon) Whole Milk (we used Whole Foods 365 Organic 3.8% Whole Milk)
• 32 grams (a little more than 2 tbsp) Plain Greek Yogurt with Active Bacterial Cultures (we used Dannon/Danone 4% Plain Greek Yogurt with Active Bacterial Cultures)

Tools for Instant Pot Yogurt Recipe #12

• Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker
• Accurate Food Thermometer
• Silicone Spatula
• Pyrex Glass Measuring Cup
• Tablespoon Measuring Spoon
• Euro Cuisine GY60 Greek Yogurt Maker
• Stainless steel ladle

Optional Preparation – Equipment Sterilization 

Time Required: ~30 mins

Option 1 – Sterilize with Instant Pot:

• Place 2 cups of cold water and a trivet in the Instant Pot.
• Place silicone spatula, Pyrex glass measuring cup, and tablespoon measuring spoon in the Instant Pot.
• Close the lid and move the Venting Knob to Sealing Position.
• Sterilize everything at High Pressure (use the Manual/Pressure Cook button) for 3 minutes + Natural Release.

Option 2 – Sterilize on Stovetop:

• Sterilize the equipment (including food thermometer) on stovetop by boiling them for 10 minutes.

After sterilizing the equipment, air dry them on a clean rack.

*Plastic Tools or Equipment: Do not sterilize any tools or equipment with plastic or wooden handles.

Heat Milk to 180°F – 200°F to Denature Protein

First, pour 2L (½ gallon) of 3.8% whole milk in the inner pot.

Then, close the lid (venting knob position doesn’t matter).

Now, use the Yogurt More function to boil the milk to at least 180°F.

It will say “boil” on the screen. This process will take roughly 35 minutes – 40 minutes.

The Instant Pot screen will change to “yogt” when the boiling is done.

Check Milk Temperature

When the screen says “yogt”, open the lid.

First, check the milk temperature immediately in a few spots and make sure the milk is over 180°F.

Then, stir with a silicone spatula and check the temperature again to make sure the milk is over 180°F.

*Pro Tip 1: If the milk is not over 180°F, close the lid and heat the milk with the Slow Cook Less function for another 15 minutes.

*Pro Tip 2: Skim away & discard the milk skin on top of the heated milk (as shown in below photo).

Prepare Yogurt Starter

After the milk is heated over 180°F, place 32g (a little more than 2 tbsp) Plain Greek Yogurt with Active Bacterial Cultures into the Pyrex glass measuring cup. Do not add the yogurt starter to the hot milk, as it will kill the bacterial cultures.

*Pro Tip: If you sterilized the measuring cup, make sure it has cooled to the touch.

Cool Milk to 111°F

You can leave the pot on counter-top and wait until the milk cools to 111°F.

Alternative method to quickly cool down the milk temperature (as shown in below photo):

• Fill a larger pot or kitchen sink with cold tap water.
• Partially submerge the inner pot with heated milk into the cold tap water.
• Stir the milk in a circular motion with a silicone spatula and frequently measure the temperature.
• It will take 2 – 4 minutes to cool the milk to 111°F.
• Remove the pot from cold water immediately.

*Pro Tip: Try not to touch the bottom of the pot with the spatula as it may have some milk solid stuck to the bottom of the pot.

Add Yogurt Starter

First, add ½ cup of 111°F milk to the Pyrex glass filled with yogurt starter, then gently mix it with the measuring spoon.

Pour the yogurt milk mixture in the inner pot, then give it a few gentle stirs with silicone spatula.

Yogurt Incubation

Now comes the exciting part! First place the inner pot back in the Instant Pot.

Then, close the lid (Venting Knob position doesn’t matter).

Yogurt Incubation:

• Instant Pot Function: Press the Yogurt Button & use the Yogurt Normal Function to incubate the yogurt.
• Time: Adjust the time to 8:00 hours – 12:00 hours depending on how tangy you like your yogurt

*Pro Tip 1: longer incubating time = more tangy yogurt

*Pro Tip 2: The timer will count up instead of count down when the incubating process begins (as shown in above photo).

You can open the lid for a taste test once the yogurt is set (roughly 6 hours).

*Pro Tip 3:  Don’t disrupt the fermentation process by moving the Instant Pot or opening the lid. Wait until it is set (roughly 6 hours) before opening the lid.

Stop Incubating Process

Once the yogurt has reached the desired tangy level, remove the inner pot of yogurt and place it in the fridge for a few hours to stop the incubating process. The yogurt will also thicken a little in the fridge.

Serve Instant Pot Yogurt

You did it!! Your plain yogurt is done!!

Don’t forget to pat yourself on the back – you have just made your very own homemade yogurt!! 😀

Serve by adding sweeteners such as honey or maple syrup. Add fruits, granola or your favorite toppings. The sky is limit.

Enjoy your thick, creamy smooth yogurt!

*Pro Tip: If the yogurt is too runny, you can strain the yogurt with a yogurt strainer.

For More Instant Pot Yogurt Making Pro Tips & Findings: Homemade Yogurt Experiment

Instant Pot Yogurt FAQ

More Instant Pot Yogurt Recipes You’ll Love

Instant Pot Greek Yogurt

Instant Pot Cold Start Yogurt