Description
Creamy, rich and tangy Greek yogurt is so easy to make in the Instant Pot and is very cost effective too.
Ingredients
1 gallon whole milk (or Fairlife ultra-filtered whole milk)
4 Tablespoons yogurt with live cultures (I use Chobani Whole Milk Greek Yogurt, or 1 jar Oui vanilla yogurt)
1 can sweetened condensed milk, optional
Instructions
Fair life and Oui Yogurt
Pour the milk into the Instant Pot, add the yogurt and sweetened condensed milk, if using. Whisk to combine.
Turn on Yogurt function, adjust the time to 6 hours.
When the yogurt is done, cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks. There is no need to drain this type of yogurt.
Regular Whole Milk
Pour the milk into the Instant Pot.
Turn the Instant Pot to the “Yogurt” setting and adjust it until it says “boil”.
Cover the Instant Pot with a lid and wait for the milk to boil. It has to reach at least 180-185 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cool the milk to 105 -115 degrees Fahrenheit. I usually take the inner pot out of the Instant Pot so it cools off faster. If the milk is too hot, it will kill the cultures in the yogurt and the milk will not turn into yogurt.
When the milk cools off, discard the “skin” on top of the milk and whisk in 4 Tablespoons of plain(unflavored, unsweetened) yogurt or plain Greek yogurt.
Make sure the yogurt has actual live cultures in it, not stabilizers and other weird ingredients. You can use store-bought yogurt (I like Chobani Whole Milk Greek Yogurt). There are also cultures that you can buy and once you’ve made your own yogurt, you can use that to make yogurt and have a never ending supply.
Turn the Instant Pot on to the “Yogurt” setting again, adjusting it to 8 hours. Mine also has the 24 hour option, but I use the 8. The longer the yogurt stands, the tangier it will be.
Cover with the lid and turn the valve to “Sealing”.
After 8 hours, the yogurt will have a nice, thick consistency.
Scoop out the yogurt and let it drain over a fine mesh sieve lined with a cheesecloth. Even if you don’t want the yogurt to be thick, you still have to strain it, otherwise there will be too much whey and extra liquid will be seeping out from the sides. Drain the yogurt for 15 minutes or so if you want it to have a thinner consistency and up to a few hours if you want it to have a thicker consistency, like Greek yogurt.
You can discard the whey or use it to make bread, crepes and other things. Substitute the water/milk in the recipe for the whey.
If you want the yogurt to be a thick, creamy texture, let it drain for a few hours or overnight.
Notes
Storing the Greek Yogurt
Store the drained yogurt in airtight containers in the refrigerator, for 1 – 2 weeks.
As the yogurt stands in the refrigerator, some of the liquid will start to separate. Just mix it into the yogurt before serving, or simply pour it off.
Adding Flavors and Sweeteners To Yogurt
I don’t add any sweeteners or flavorings to the yogurt until it is completely done and drained, unless I’m using sweetened condensed milk. You can sweeten it with honey, maple syrup, agave syrup or jam. You can also add vanilla extract, fresh fruit or berries (mango, peaches, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries are our family favorites.) Granola, coconut flakes, chocolate chips are also great toppings.
Keywords: Homemade Greek Yogurt, Homemade Greek Yogurt in the Instant Pot, How to make homemade yogurt