How To Make Yogurt In Your Instant Pot

If you had to get rid of every single kitchen appliance and only keep one, the Instant Pot would obviously stay put. It sauts veggies, slow cooks chili, and roasts meat like a champ. But did you know you can actually make yogurt with it, too?

That’s especially awesome considering store-bought yogurt can contain 14 to 20 grams of sugar per serving, explains Robin Danowski, RD, assistant professor of nutrition at La Salle University . But when you make yogurt at home, you control the ingredients and their quantity.

Making your own yogurt might seem daunting at first, but Danowski says its worth giving a shot. “Like anything, it becomes second nature,” she says. “Try it out a couple times and get into a rhythm.” (Note: The yogurt feature isn’t available on the Instant Pot Lux models.)

How to make Instant Pot yogurt

Amy Shapiro, RD, shares her fail-proof method:

Phase 1: Heat the milk

1. Make sure the vent on top of the Instant Pot unit is turned toward ” S ealing” and plugged in.
2. With the inner pot in place, pour in half a gallon of milk. Shapiro recommends organic.
3. Push the ” Yogurt ” button, then ” Adjust .”
4. The word ” More ” will light up, and the word ” Boil ” will appear on the display.
5. The unit will then begin heating the milk. “It takes exactly 26 minutes for the Instant Pot to heat half a gallon of milk to 180F, the target temperature for phase one,” says Shapiro.
6. ” Yogt ” appears on the display when complete.
7. Remove the lid from the Instant Pot. Do not let condensation from the lid drip into the milk.
8. In order to maintain a temperature of 180F for five minutes, press ” Yogurt ” and ” Adjust ” again. This turns the heat back on. “Even though the lid is now off and the milk won’t reach a boil, this additional heating time will ultimately create thicker yogurt without the need for milk powders or other thickeners,”says Shapiro.
9. Hit ” Keep Warm/Cancel ” when complete.

Phase 2: Cool the milk

1. Unplug the unit.
2. Carefully remove the inner pot and place on a wire rack.
3. Cool the milk to 115F, the target temperature for phase two.
4. To speed up cooling, set the inner pot only (not the entire Instant Pot!) in a shallow bowl of icy water and stir gently.
5. Test the milk frequently with a instant-read thermometer . Shapiro says the cooling process took her 37 minutes without the ice bath.
6. Lift off and discard any milk “skin” or film.

Phase 3: Use starter culture

1. Place 2 tablespoons of active yogurt (can be store-bought) into a medium bowl. This is your starter.
2. Ladle 1/2 cup of the warm milk into the starter. Scrape the milky starter back into the inner pot.
3. Return the inner pot to the Instant Pot. Remove the thermometer. Close the lid.
4. Plug in the unit. Make sure the vent points towards ” Sealing .” (During this phase, the vent can actually be pointed in either direction.

Phase 4: Incubate until fermented and set

1. Push the ” Yogurt” button. Add time using the (+) key to reach eight hours. Go about your day (or night!).
2. In eight hours, your yogurt will be fully set and ” Yogt ” will appear on the display. Ladle into clean containers or jars and refrigerate for several hours before enjoying. Shapiro says the recipe will yield seven cups, and that you can expect a tangy and creamy taste.

For a little extra inspo, try these ultra-creamy Instant Pot yogurt recipes :

Instant Pot Yogurt

A Mindfull Mom is your one-stop shop for all things delicious and DIY and this yogurt recipe is no exception.

GET THE RECIPE

Per serving: 89 calories, 2 g fat (1 g saturated), 5 g carbs, 5 g sugar, 55 mg sodium, 0 g fiber, 3 g protein

Instant Pot Greek Yogurt

In eight easy steps, you can treat yourself to thick and creamy Greek yogurt that rivals the store-bought stuff.

GET THE RECIPE

Per serving: 166 calories, 8 g fat (5 g saturated), 13 g carbs, 13 g sugar, 117 mg sodium, 0 g fiber, 8 g protein

Instant Pot Yogurt With Berries

Youll need either a nut milk bag or cheesecloth to strain out extra whey and liquid, but the end result will be pillow-y soft yogurt thatll make you look forward to mornings.

GET THE RECIPE

Per serving: 149 calories, 8 g fat (5 g saturated), 12 g carbs, 12 g sugar, 104 mg sodium, 0 g fiber, 8 g protein