Skip to Content

Instant Pot Yogurt Recipe It’s Easier than You Think!

Today’s Best Recipe is Instant Pot Yogurt or a step or two more and it’s Instant Pot Greek Yogurt.

Yogurt goes fast at my house. This Instant Pot Yogurt Recipe is delicious and has become my weekly ritual. I make one batch and it lasts (almost) a full week.

I love that I control what goes into it.

We can change up the flavorings.

So far my family loves mixed berry and key lime best, but they don’t turn down lemon, blueberry, strawberry, or peach.

You can opt for traditional yogurt, or strain it for Greek Yogurt.

It’s up to you.

It’s easy, though it does take some time (but the Instant Pot does it all so you can do your own thing).

The end result is the best yogurt.

It’s a creamy yogurt with plenty of options for flavoring, but delicious on its own.

This homemade instant pot yogurt makes a great addition to Today’s Best Recipe‘s Refrigerator Overnight Oats recipe.

You may also want to check out my Pinterest Instant Pot board for more great recipes like this EASY Pressure Cooker Yogurt!

instant pot yogurt

How Warm Does Milk Have to Be To Kill Bad Bacteria For Making Yogurt 

A note here, Yogurt isn’t cooked.

The proper term would be incubated.

Yogurt is incubated which means it needs to be held at a constant temperature (between 110 degrees and 116 degrees F.) to encourage the wanted and Thermophilic culture to multiply.

Thermophilic means heat-loving.

The Instant Pot does all this for us–keeping the temperature in the target zone and eliminating blech, poorly textured, stringy yogurt created when the temperature is too warm.

You want your milk to reach at least 180 degrees F to ensure you kill off all the “bad” bacteria. 

Here’s how it’s done.

Instant pot yogurt in mason jars topped with compote and granola

Instant Pot Yogurt Recipe Ingredients:

  • 1-gallon whole milk
  • 2 Tablespoons Yogurt (choose the kind that only has live cultures)

How to Make Instant Pot Yogurt:

  • Pour the regular milk into a cold Instant Pot inner pot. Cover with Lid. It’s not under pressure, so you can use any lid; I use a glass lid.
  • Press the YOGURT button
  • Press ADJUST until the Instant Pot reads BOIL
  • You’ll want to stir or whisk the milk a few times during this cycle to heat it throughout
  • When Instant Pot Beeps, open the lid, whisk, and use a candy thermometer to test the temperature. You want it to read 180 degrees. If it isn’t quite there, use the SAUTE function and whisk continuously until the milk reaches 180-185 degrees

instant pot yogurt

  • Once you get the 180-185 degrees reading, remove the cooking pot and place it in the ice bath (a sink filled with cold water) to reduce milk to 110 degrees–remember to whisk often. (If it dips below 110°F, pop the insert back in the cooker, press “Yogurt,” then “Adjust” and monitor the thermometer until it’s back in the right zone. Remove the insert from the cooker.)An alternative method is to Put the thermometer in the milk and wait until it’s 116° F. This can take as long as an hour.

instant pot yogurt place in cold water

  • There will be a film of coagulated milk on the surface of the milk; carefully lift this off with a spoon and discard (this film won’t ruin your yogurt, but it creates a distracting texture once it’s finished).

instant pot yogurt add starter

  • The next step is to temper the yogurt starter. To do this, place the starter in a medium bowl and add 1/2 cup of warm milk. Whisk until smooth, then pour into the insert of milk and whisk to combine.
  • Return the inner pot with milk back inside the Instant Pot, and lock on the lid (the steam vent doesn’t matter here because we aren’t creating pressure).
  • Press the YOGURT button.
  • Adust the time, using the + button to 8:00
  • The Instant pot will count UP in this mode, so when it reads 1:30, it means it has been incubating for one hour and thirty minutes. The Instant Pot will incubate your yogurt for 8 hours before switching itself off (the display will read “Yogt” once the 8-hour default programming is complete). You can use the +/- button to adjust the incubation time–the longer the incubation time, the more tart the yogurt will be.
  • The yogurt is set when it jiggles all as one unit if you carefully nudge the insert, and it does not run if you tip the pot a bit. You may see some clear liquid (whey) floating on the surface and at the edges. It’s okay; that’s normal.
  • When the cycle ends, remove the pot, keep it covered, and let it rest at room temperature for two hours. This will keep the bacteria from being shocked by sudden temperatures, which can create runny yogurt.
  • Place the inner pot with yogurt it in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours. Don’t disturb it; just let it rest.
  • It should now be thick enough to hold a spoon straight up.

For smooth yogurt, whisk it.

For thick, homemade Greek yogurt, strain it using cheesecloth and a colander or coffee filters inside a colander to strain the yogurt. The longer you strain it, the thicker it will become. You can use the liquid (whey) that strains from it to make homemade bread!

I divide my yogurt into small mason jars and top them with a topping. Try my Instant Pot Mixed Berry Compote Recipe for delicious results.

error: Content is protected !!