Making instant pot Greek yogurt is one of the easiest ways to add budget friendly probiotics into your family’s diet. Just follow these simple steps to end up with an entire gallon of thick and creamy yogurt with only 10 minutes of active prep time!
I have 6 kids who are HUGE yogurt fans. When I was buying store-bought yogurt, we were eating about $15 worth of yogurt a week. And that was with me putting limits on how much everyone could eat! (If you’re from a big family, you know what I’m talking about)
I had heard that you could make yogurt in an instant pot, and being the impulsive person that I am, I snagged one on Black Friday without even knowing how to make yogurt in it! Luckily for me, its as simple as pushing a few buttons.
Plus, making things from scratch is just fun, satisfying and fulfilling!
Does Homemade Instant Pot Greek Yogurt Taste Like Store-bought?
The answer is no. At least it doesn’t to me. Store-bought Greek Yogurt is more tangy, and definitely not as smooth as homemade. This recipe will give you almost ridiculously creamy yogurt that has more of the natural sweetness of milk, than the yogurt you might be used to.
How Long Does Homemade Instant Pot Greek Yogurt Last in the Fridge?
Homemade yogurt lasts up to 2 weeks in the fridge. At our house with 6 yogurt loving kiddos, it never lasts even a week!
How To Make Instant Pot Greek Yogurt
Ingredients
- Whole Milk
- Plain Greek Yogurt with these 5 Strains of Live and Active Cultures (Very Important) L. Bulgaricus, L. Acidophilus, and Bifidus; S. Thermophilus and L. Casei
- Optional Add ins: Honey and Vanilla Extract I like to use my homemade vanilla extract in this recipe for a really strong vanilla flavor!
Supplies
- Instant Pot with the Yogurt Button
- Whisk
- Cheesecloth
- Strainer
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Thermometer
How Do You Make Instant Pot Greek Yogurt?
Step 1:
First, you’ll need to make sure your instant pot is completely clean and free from any residual smell left from the last thing you cooked in it. I make black beans in mine and it leaves a strong onion smell. Not a good flavor for yogurt AT ALL!
NOTE:
The rubber seal is not required when making yogurt, and since it absorbs smells and flavors, its best to leave it off when making yogurt.
Pour in a gallon of whole milk. (You can easily half this recipe if your family isn’t quite as crazy about yogurt as mine is)
Step 2:
Push the sauté button on the instant pot. Stir constantly til it has reached about 180 degrees. Hang a thermometer over the side to watch the temperature. This step kills bacteria in the milk that will keep it from thickening.
Step 3:
Remove the inner pot from the Instant Pot and cool on the counter til lukewarm or about 110 degrees. This can take some time, possibly a few hours.
Step 4:
Once your milk has cooled down, put the inner pot back inside the Instant Pot. Add 1/2 cup of yogurt that contains all of the live and active cultures listed in the ingredients section. I have tried using yogurt that is missing one of these cultures and my yogurt didn’t set up all the way. We were left with a gallon of thick, sour milk!
Whisk the yogurt in and replace the lid. No need to do anything with the vent on the top of the Instant Pot.
Step 5:
Press the YOGURT button once and adjust the time on it to 9.5 hours. You can do this by pressing the up arrow on the front of the Instant Pot til it reads 9:30.
Walk away and go on with your day til the Instant Pot beeps!
I have timed things badly and the time ran out in the middle of the night. The nice thing is the Instant Pot display will say YOGURT indicating that it is holding the yogurt at the perfect temperature for the live and active cultures to thrive. You will just end up with a more sour yogurt the longer it goes like this.
Step 6:
When the Instant Pot has beeped and your 9.5 hours is up, you can either leave the yogurt as is, or strain it to make thick Greek Yogurt. My family LOVES it thick so I almost always strain ours.
To strain, get a large bowl set up with a strainer or colander inside. Drape your cheesecloth over the strainer, and carefully pour your yogurt into the cheesecloth. Tie or twist the cheesecloth to keep the yogurt from spilling over the edge of the strainer. I use a chip clip the keep it twisted up.
Step 7:
Set the bowl with strainer, yogurt and cheesecloth into the fridge. I start my yogurt on Friday morning, by that night its ready to go into the fridge, and I leave it to strain til Monday morning. You definitely don’t have to strain it that long, but we like it VERY thick over here!
Step 8:
When your yogurt has strained the desired amount of time, just open the cheesecloth and dump the thick clump of yogurt into another bowl.
I add about 1 cup of honey and 2t. of vanilla to that Greek yogurt. Its probably a bit too much honey for some people, so try less and taste to see what you like.
Tips
- To Serve – I use these little mason jars and these lids on a daily basis for my kids snacks and lunches. There is something about individually prepared snacks that kids love! Top with your favorite granola and fruit for a delicious homemade parfait.
- To Store – Homemade Greek yogurt will last in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks.
- Don’t Use The Rubber Seal – The rubber seal is not required when making yogurt, and since it absorbs smells and flavors, its best to leave it off when making yogurt.
- Don’t toss the whey – check out some of the many uses listed in this post.
What To Do With the Liquid Left Over After Straining Yogurt:
That liquid is called whey, and its full of protein and healthy enzymes! It has a very long shelf life, up to 6 months in the fridge. I usually keep a quart or so of whey in the fridge and freeze the rest for later.
What are Some Uses for Whey?
- Substitute for water and milk in baking. I use whey when I make sourdough bread, pancakes, baked oatmeal and muffins
- Add it to smoothies
- Dilute it and water your plants with it!
- Some animals love whey poured over their food
Even if you don’t have a plan to use it, freeze it for later and chances are you might need it in a pinch!
Recipes on the Blog That I Use Whey or Yogurt in:
More Recipes From Scratch:
- Homemade Healthy Jello
- Fluffy Honey Whipped Cream
- Granola Balls
- Homemade Vanilla Extract
- Chunky Date and Pecan Granola
If you try this recipe, I would love it if you use the 5 star rating in the comments below! It helps me so much!
How to Make Greek Yogurt in an Instant Pot
Making Greek Yogurt in the Instant Pot is one of the easiest ways to add budget friendly probiotics into your family's diet. Just follow these simple steps to end up with an entire gallon of thick and creamy yogurt with only 10 minutes of active prep time!
Ingredients
- 1 gallon of whole milk
- 1/2 cup of plain greek yogurt with these 5 Strains of Live and Active Cultures (Very Important) L. Bulgaricus, L. Acidophilus, and Bifidus; S. Thermophilus and L. Casei
- optional add ins: honey and vanilla extract
Instructions
- Pour in a gallon of whole milk. (or half gallon if you want to make less) and press the SAUTE button on the instant pot and heat the milk to 180 degrees, whisking constantly.
- Remove the inner pot from the Instant Pot and cool on the counter til lukewarm or about 110 degrees.
- Once your milk has cooled down, put the inner pot back inside the Instant Pot. Add 1/2 cup of yogurt. Whisk it in and replace the lid. No need to do anything with the vent on the top of the Instant Pot.
- Press the YOGURT button once and adjust the time on it to 9.5 hours. You can do this by pressing the up arrow on the front of the Instant Pot til it reads 9:30.
- When the Instant Pot has beeped and your 9.5 hours is up, you can either leave the yogurt as is, or strain it to make thick Greek Yogurt.
- To strain, get a large bowl set up with a strainer or colander inside. Drape your cheesecloth over the strainer, and carefully pour your yogurt into the cheesecloth.
- Set the bowl with strainer, yogurt and cheesecloth into the fridge anywhere from 2 to 36 hours depending on how thick you want it.
- When your yogurt has strained the desired amount of time, just open the cheesecloth and dump the thick clump of yogurt into another bowl.
- Add in honey and vanilla to taste, or leave it plain.
Notes
- I have timed things badly and the time ran out in the middle of the night. The nice thing is the Instant Pot display will say YOGURT indicating that it is holding the yogurt at the perfect temperature for the live and active cultures to thrive. You will just end up with a more sour yogurt the longer it goes like this.
- The rubber seal is not required when making yogurt, and since it absorbs smells and flavors, its best to leave it off when making yogurt.
- Don't toss the whey, check out some of the many uses listed in this post.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 18 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 140Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 22mgSodium: 95mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 0gSugar: 12gProtein: 7g
I make homemade Greek yogurt as well! I love it!! (And yep… we do a gallon of milk at a time as well. )
My insta pot doesn’t have the yogurt feature on it, so I just heat mine on the stove top, cool it, add the culture, and the out a lid on the pot and place it in the oven with the light on overnight. The light keeps the oven at just the right temp. ❤️
Your yogurt definitely looks more smooth than mine. I’m curious what makes that difference. We use raw milk from our cow so I’m wondering if that has something to do with it. ♀️ But it’s still so delicious. I’m excited to see more of your adventures. ❤️
Thats so interesting! I’ve never heard of that method but its a great idea!
Beautifully done blog Elizabeth!
You can also use that whey to start other fermented veggies or fruit recipes.
Health is so important these days when childhood chronic illnesses are at an all time high in history. Fermented foods are one of the necessary things for promoting a strong healthy functioning immune system in a cost effective way.
Also another added plus is fermented foods with all their wonderful probiotics, help keep the digestive system working great which in turn helps with weight loss and wt management so for us moms having babies its a great side effect!
Thanks so much Cath!! And yes to the probiotics! Since we’ve been making a lot of fermented foods this Winter we have not been sick! (Knock on wood)
I haven’t tried using whey for fermenting but thats great to know!
I needed this recipe. My girls love yogurt and this is something that I can totally do myself. Great post!
I love yogurt. Will be trying this. Looks great and you made it look so easy.
I have a goal to make this!! This looks so easy!
I’m just a fan girl here! So happy that your blog is up!!!
Rosy, I cannot wait to see your blog when its up!! Thank you! ❤❤❤❤
Just tried this for the first time and it turned out amazing! I’ve had my instant pot four or five years now and I’ve never made yogurt. I was wondering, can I keep using the homemade yogurt to make more yogurt? What if I don’t want to make it every week?
I’m so glad you gave it a try! And yes! I’ve been meaning to update this post to say you definitely can reuse the homemade Greek yogurt to make more. I usually just make sure to save a 1/2 cup or so each time I make some so that my kids to eat it all haha!
Okay I think you just convinced me to purchase an instant pot! This makes it look so simple! I make homemade yogurt often, but have never tried making greek yogurt.
You won’t regret it! I find new uses for my instant pot every week!
I’ve tried a few recipes for Greek yogurt and I have to say this is the easiest to follow. It turned out so yummy! We added a little honey and vanilla and topped it with some homemade granola. I have a feeling I’ll be making yogurt all summer long.