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Instant Pot Greek Yogurt
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5 from 2 votes

Instant Pot Yogurt

This Instant Pot yogurt is easy to make at home, and all you need is milk and a yogurt starter. Plus, strain your yogurt to make Greek yogurt!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time4 hours
Cooling + Straining Time:2 hours
Total Time6 hours 30 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 84kcal

Ingredients

  • 4 cups milk (whole milk preferred) No ultra-pasteurized milk
  • ½ cup plain yogurt with live probiotics OR 1 freeze-dried yogurt starter packet

Instructions

  • Add milk to the Instant Pot. Cover the pot with a glass lid.
    Press "Yogurt: Boil" + Bring Milk to a Simmer
  • This step will vary depending on which Instant Pot model you have.
    Option 1: Use the Yogurt Boil cycle
    Press the "yogurt" button. Continue pressing until the display reads "boil". When the boil cycle ends, check to see if your milk is simmering. If it's not, press the boil button again.
    Don't rely on the "boil cycle" to know when your milk is the correct temperature. I often need to press the yogurt boil button two or three times, especially when I've doubled the recipe.
    Option 2: Use the Sauté Feature
    If you press the yogurt button several times, and all you see is a time display, your Instant Pot does not have a yogurt boil feature. Instead, hit "cancel" and use the sauté feature.
    Press the "sauté" button, and adjust the temperature setting to low.
    Bring milk to a simmer or soft boil. If you have a food thermometer, you can check to see that the milk is 180° (optional).
  • Press the "cancel" button and uncover the milk.
    Allow milk to come to room temperature.  If there is a skin of milk on top, remove it.
    Pour a small amount of milk in a bowl with the yogurt starter, and whisk until incorporated.  Pour the mixture into the main container of milk.  Whisk until incorporated.
    Let Milk Cool + Whisk in Yogurt
  • Cover the pot with the glass lid.
    Press the "yogurt" button until the time display appears. Use the - and + buttons to set the time anywhere between 4 to 10 hours
    A short fermentation time will yield a sweet yogurt, and a longer fermentation time will yield a tart yogurt.
    Press "Yogurt" on Instant Pot. Ferment for 4-10 Hours.
  • For Yogurt: Serve as is, or use a blender to make it even smoother.  (Note: Depending on the strain of yogurt starter used, this yogurt will likely be very thin.)
    For Greek Yogurt: Pour yogurt into a ultra-fine mesh strainer, and let it strain in the refrigerator for anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours, until it's reached the desired consistency.
  • Reserve a starter for your next batch:
    Set aside about ½ cup of the finished product to start a new batch of yogurt within 7 days. Make sure to set starter aside before adding any other ingredients.
  • Serve yogurt plain, with fruit or other desired toppings, or stir in other ingredients (like jam or honey) to the finished product.  
  • Store yogurt in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Notes

Yields approximately 4 cups unstrained yogurt or 3 cups strained Greek yogurt.
Doubling or Tripling the Recipe: This recipe is easily doubled or tripled, just make sure you don't go above the maximum fill line in your Instant Pot.  Adding more milk will increase the boil time.
Cook time estimates a 1-hour cooling time (after boiling the milk and before using the yogurt-making function), a 4-hour fermentation time, and a 1-hour straining time.  Actual cook time will change depending on how long you ferment and strain the yogurt.
Troubleshooting:
  • My yogurt didn't set. 
    Did you add the starter while the yogurt was still hot?  It's possible that it hurt the bacteria
    If the yogurt wasn't still hot when you added the starter, then it's possible that the bacteria in your starter weren't alive
    Try again with a new starter.
  • My yogurt set, but was very thin. 
    This is normal, but there are things you can do to help. 
    The strain of yogurt you use to start your yogurt will affect the consistency.  If using store-bought yogurt, I recommend Fage Greek yogurt (whole milk, 5% fat) as a starter.
  • My yogurt was lumpy. 
    This one is a quick fix-- blend the yogurt with an immersion blender or in a blender basin to make it creamier. 
    To prevent lumpy yogurt, make sure that you whisk well when you add the starter to the milk, until the starter is fully incorporated and any lumps have disappeared.  This will help fully incorporate the bacteria.
  • I over-strained my yogurt.
    Nonsense, you just made labneh!  Taste it, and if you like it, use the rich and creamy yogurt as a spread or eat it with a spoon.  If you want a more classic yogurt consistency, stir some of the liquid (whey) back into your yogurt.
Serving size is based on ½ cup of unstrained yogurt per person.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 84kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 60mg | Potassium: 185mg | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 213IU | Calcium: 156mg | Iron: 1mg