Instant Pot Yogurt
Have you ever made yogurt in the Instant Pot? It's SO easy! This recipe for Instant Pot Yogurt requires only TWO ingredients, and takes all of the guess work out of making homemade yogurt.
Ingredients in Homemade Instant Pot Yogurt
Like I said, there are only TWO ingredients:
Milk - For this recipe, you can use either a half gallon or a full gallon, depending on how much yogurt you want to make. Using a half gallon, you will make about 6 ½ cups of yogurt and 12 cups using a full gallon. I always use organic whole milk when making yogurt.
Yogurt - yes, it requires yogurt to make yogurt! You need it for the cultures that are found in yogurt.
How to Make Instant Pot Yogurt
To start, you'll add the milk to the insert of the Instant Pot. Place the lid on and then press the "Yogurt" button on the pressure cooker. "Boil" should appear on the screen. If it doesn't, keep pressing the "Yogurt" button until it does. After a few seconds, you will hear it beep, which indicates the process has started. During the boil phase, the Instant Pot brings the yogurt up to temperature, which is 180 degrees. This process will take one hour and the Instant Pot will beep once it is finished. The purpose of bringing it to 180 degrees F is to kill of microorganisms.
To make sure the milk is up to temperature, use a kitchen thermometer to check the temperature. If it isn't quite 180 degrees yet, use the Saute function, until it is 180 degrees F.
Once it has reached temperature, remove the Instant Pot insert from the outer part. Now we are going to let it cool to 110-115 degrees F. This takes about an hour and I simply put my thermometer into the pot and check on it every 15 minutes or so. After it has cooled, there will be a film of coagulated milk on the surface that you'll want to remove. Simply use a spoon to scoop it off.
Now, it's time to add the starter. If using ½ gallon of milk, you'll want to use 2 tablespoons of yogurt, and if using 1 gallon, use ¼ cup. Add the yogurt starter to a small bowl and then add ½ cup of the warm milk and mix until well combined and smooth. Add this mixture back to the large insert of milk and stir to combine.
Return the insert back into the Instant Pot. Now it's time for the incubation period. The Instant Pot will keep the milk at 110 degrees F, and this is the time when it thickens. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and then press the "Yogurt" button until 8:00 appears. The incubation period can last between 4-12 hours long, but I have really had good luck with 8 hours. After 4 hours, check the yogurt to test its doneness. It will be done when it jiggles but is no longer runny.
Once the incubation period is done, place the insert into the refrigerator to cool. Once it has cooled for a few hours, you can transfer it into individual jars. I like to store mine in large mason jars. If you want it a little thicker, you can always strain it through cheesecloths, for more of a Greek yogurt texture.
That's it - you've made homemade Instant Pot yogurt! It may seem a little putsy at first, but once you get the steps down, it's quite easy. It is much easier than making it on the stovetop and the resulting delicious yogurt is so worth it!
Recipes to Serve with Instant Pot Yogurt
Instant Pot Yogurt
Ingredients
- 1 gallon milk I use whole milk
- ¼ cup plain store-bought yogurt
Instructions
- Add the milk to the insert of the Instant Pot. Place the lid on and then press the "Yogurt" button on the pressure cooker. "Boil" should appear on the screen. If it doesn't, keep pressing the "Yogurt" button until it does. After a few seconds, you will hear it beep, which indicates the process has started. During the boil phase, the Instant Pot brings the yogurt up to temperature, which is 180 degrees. This process will take one hour and the Instant Pot will beep once it is finished. The purpose of bringing it to 180 degrees F is to kill of microorganisms.
- To make sure the milk is up to temperature, use a kitchen thermometer to check the temperature. If it isn't quite 180 degrees yet, use the Saute function, until it is 180 degrees F.
- Once it has reached temperature, remove the Instant Pot insert from the outer part. Now we are going to let it cool to 110-115 degrees F. This takes about an hour and I simply put my thermometer into the pot and check on it every 15 minutes or so. After it has cooled, there will be a film of coagulated milk on the surface that you'll want to remove. Simply use a spoon to scoop it off.
- Now, it's time to add the starter. If using ½ gallon of milk, you'll want to use 2 tablespoons of yogurt, and if using 1 gallon, use ¼ cup. Add the yogurt starter to a small bowl and then add ½ cup of the warm milk and mix until well combined and smooth. Add this mixture back to the large insert of milk and stir to combine.
- Return the insert back into the Instant Pot. Now it's time for the incubation period. The Instant Pot will keep the milk at 110 degrees F, and this is the time when it thickens. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and then press the "Yogurt" button until 8:00 appears. The incubation period can last between 4-12 hours long, but I have really had good luck with 8 hours. After 4 hours, check the yogurt to test its doneness. It will be done when it jiggles but is no longer runny.
- Once the incubation period is done, place the insert into the refrigerator to cool. Once it has cooled for a few hours, you can transfer it into individual jars. I like to store mine in large mason jars. If you want it a little thicker, you can always strain it through cheesecloths, for more of a Greek yogurt texture.
- Enjoy!
