I have to admit, when I first heard about instant pot yogurt making I shunned the idea. Why would I spend 16 hours creating yogurt at home when I can easily purchase it at the store? Then one day, I just decided to go for it. I had read many people’s experiences in various forums and decided I needed to give it a try, even if I didn’t know if it would turn out. I went with a method that involved zero boiling because it seemed the least painful. To my surprise – it did work! And it was creamy and delicious and a FRACTION of the calories and sugar store bought yogurt has.
Yogurt Making Sans Boiling
There are a few things you will need for this method:
- Ultra Pasteurized Milk
- Live Cultures
- Sweetener (Optional)
- And Instant Pot with a yogurt setting
Ultra-Pasteurized Milk
The first is an ultra-pasteurized milk. The reason for this is simple – using regular pasteurized milk can result in lots of yucky bacteria building up. So go for the ultra pasteurized versions to make your instant pot yogurt. If you want to use a regular milk you will need to do a boil start method for yogurt making.
Some ultra-pasteurized milks you may find at your grocery store are:
- Fairlife – which is what I use. It was the first brand I tried. It worked. Why fix something that isn’t broken? I’m sticking with Fairlife.
- Organic Valley
- Horizon
- Certain Varieties of Kirkland Brand Milk – be sure to read the label
Live Cultures
To get your yogurt started you need to add live cultures. The easiest way to do this is to use yogurt. It is the same idea as a sourdough bread starter. It may sound counter intuitive, but you need those cultures to make your own cold start yogurt.
Once you’ve made your first batch of yogurt you can use your homemade yogurt as your starter. You can use your own yogurt as a start – freeze some yogurt in an ice cube tray, and then use a few thawed cubes in your next batch.
Yogurt Starters With Live Cultures
Some brands of yogurt that contain live cultures are:
- Fage
- Chobani
- Dannon
- Yoplait
- Siggi
Sweetener
The next ingredient for your homemade yogurt is a milk based sweetener. This is completely optional, but let me tell you why I add it. Sugar acts as a preservative, and when you are adding a small amount of sweetener to a gallon of milk, the amount per serving is very small. I’ve included the nutritional information below to include my sweetener of choice (sweetened condensed milk.). I also don’t care for plain yogurt. If you like plain yogurt, then simply omit the sweetener.
You can also add sweetener in after you have incubated your yogurt. Or you can sweeten with toppings like berries, honey, or granola. If you want to add sweetener before you incubate, chose one of the following:
- sweetened condensed milk
- Natural Bliss Sweetener
The Proper Instant Pot Model
The last and most important item you need is an Instant Pot with a yogurt setting. Not all models have this setting, and you can not complete this method without it. There are other methods of making yogurt without a yogurt settings, but they are much more complicated. Below are some models that have the yogurt setting. I also included the glass lid I use while making yogurt.
How to make creamy and delicious yogurt in the Instant Pot.
- 104 ounces ultra pasteurized milk like Fairlife brand
- 2 tbsp plain yogurt with live cultures like Fage brand
- 1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk optional
In a 6qt Instant Pot, combine all ingredients. Whisk until well combined. Cover with glass lid.
Using the yogurt setting, incubate for 8 hours.
Without stirring, transfer inner pot with lid to a refrigerator and chill for 8 hours.
Serve your cold start yogurt plain or with desired toppings. Will keep in refrigerator for 7 days.
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Is there a way to make a flavored yogurt? Or is plain my only option?
You can flavor after you incubate. You can add fruit, honey, whatever you like after you have made it.
I can not eat sugar so I flavor my yogurt with Vanilla Paste. I add about two tablespoons along with the Fairlife 2% milk and my starter that I froze from the previous batch. When eating it, I add a tablespoon of strawberries that I sweetened with Splenda and froze. You can also flavor your yogurt when eating it with honey – try orange blossom.
How big is a serving? Also what does it mean to incubate? Just push yogurt and 8 hrs and WALK away?
One serving is 2/3 cup. And yes – just let it sit in the pot for 8 hours on yogurt setting.
How long can the finished yogurt stay good in the refrigerator? Can I make a half recipe with success? This makes an awful lot of yogurt for my household!
Yes you can make a half batch. And it lasts about a week. Some say two weeks but it doesn’t last that king at my house.
If you make 1/2 a batch do you cook it for 1/2 the time? Also, have you ever made frozen yogurt from this after? I made some today, its excellent but way too much for us to eat so I’m thinking of making frozen yogurt today 😊
no, you still need to cook it for the 8 hours so the culture can mature.
If I make only a half a batch to I still go for 8 hours or can i do it in 4 hours?
Barbi, you need to cook a half batch of yogurt for the same amount of time as a full batch.
I’ve had yogurt last a month but that was the cook method.
DO you need to strain at all. Is there any wheY?
You don’t need to strain. There is such a small amount of whey that you can just stir. If you want thicker Greek style yogurt you can strain.
Do you have to use a glass lid? Or can I use my regular lid it came with?
You can use your regular lid. Just remove the silicone ring so you yogurt doesn’t taste like chili ha ha. You don’t need the ring because you aren’t pressurizing the pot.
Awesome! Yes, minE smells like salsa chicken and I was wondering about the smell seEping in! Thanks for the tips!!
How many servings does this recipe make? looking forward to trying this recipe! Thanks!!
Can you use the natural bliss coconut milk creamer as a sweetner. One of my kids cant have lactose and fAirlife is dairy free, but the regular cream is not.
I’ve not tried it, but I don’t see why not!
You stated Fairlife is Dairy Free, however, if it comes from cows, how can it be considered dairy free?
Fairlife is lactose free. While it is dairy, it is lactose free.
can you use the whey as starter for the next batch?
You can divide the yogurt into ice cube trays and freeze. Then thaw and use them as your next starter.
It looks like my message mIght be in caps, excuse it if it is. Can you use half aNd half as your Milk source? Its ultra Past. Also, does tHe sweetened Con Milk make The yogurt thicker?
I have not tried half and half, but if you can find a version that is ultra pasteurized I don’t see why not.
Tried it last night witha quart of organic valley half half and tbps of fage yogurt and it worked beaUtifully! Creammy and thick and mild!
Excuse typos, IPhone is not working with me today!
So creamy and delicious. I cant believe how thick it is.
If if I make a half batch do I still cook it for eight hours?
Making this for the 2nd time today. it is delicious!
I added vanilla extract before incubating. is that ok?
I’ve never done it, but I have read other recipes that include it. Let me know how it turns out!
I made another recipe that called for 52 ounces of FAIRLIFE milk with 14 ounces of sweetened condensed milk and 2 tbsp. Of live culture yogurt not a whole gallon. It came out great. It was thick and creamy and not too sweet. I am wondering if the thickness and sweetness level would differ much with a whole gallon of milk. Any thoughts?
thickness will be the same. sweetness level will just be slightly sweet with this recipe. You can adjust the sweetener to your liking.
Is your nutritional information with or without the condensed milk?
with condensed milk
Why do I alway see it served in glass jars can I store in plastic?
Yes! You can store in plastic containers.
Can the recipe be doubled? My kids go througH yogurt like crazy!
Yes! If you double, the incubation time will remain the same.
What is the serving size? One cup or half cup?
2/3 cup. I’m not sure why the serving size wasn’t showing up – but I’ve updated the nutritional info to reflect that.
How did you calc the CALORIES? I have calculated significantly more cAlories and sugar. 14 oz of sweetened condensed milk has 1300 calories and 222 grams of sugar. Even at a 2/3 cup serving, i get 193 calories and 23 grams sugar. (Sorry for caps – it wouldnt change to lc)
Hi Hllb,
Thanks for bringing this to my attention! Our recipe cards automatically calculate the nutritional info, and when I further inspected the card it was calculating the sweetened condensed milk in a strange manner. I’m not sure what happened but it had calories with several decimals. I manually adjusted the calories and made sure the serving size was visible. It should be accurate now.
Thanks! Have you tried making this with half the amount of sweetened condensed milk? I’d like to cut the sugar content a bit.
I have. For me – it is kind of like eating sour cream. You can, however, add different sweeteners after incubating. Like stevia, honey, or fruit.
I read on a blog that the culture shouldn’t be mixed in until after the refrigeration period. Ant thoughts on this?
I would not recommend this. Your yogurt will not thicken without a rice live cultures in it.
You can, however, add non milk based sweeteners after the refrigeration – stevia, honey, fruit, etc.
What settings do I use of I don’t have the yogurt button? Sorry for the caps, can’t get it to turn off.
Hi Kerry – not all instant pot models have this setting, and you can not complete this method without it. There are other methods of making yogurt without a yogurt settings, but they are much more complicated. You can find a tutorial here: https://www.theferventmama.com/pressure-cooker-yogurt/
If i add the sweetener before IncubatinG, will the STARTER i keep still wOrk for nExt time? (NO IDEA why all caps😩
The only sweetener you can add before incubating are milk based sweeteners like sweetened condensed milk. All other sweeteners need to be added after incubation.
Starters containing milk based sweeteners will work fine for your next batch.
do you have to use a whole milk? or could you use fairlife’s 1% or 2% milk? (sorry if this comes across in all caps)
yes, you can use 1% or 2%.
Hello! Is using 2% Fairlife just as creamy as whole? Because I just realized I bought 2%.
It should be just fine! It may not be as creamy, but it will still be delicious!
2% is what I always use, works perfectly and after I strain mine for Greek yogurt it turns out very thick which I love. BTW, Fairlife skim works well also. I’ve made it with all three – full, skim and 2%.
When I skim mine I get about 3-4 cups of whey.
I always use Fairlife skim milk with the Fage 0% and my yogurt turns out very smooth and tasty. I have used every flavor of the Natural Bliss creamer available, and they are all equally delicious. I do strain my yogurt in a yogurt strainer to make Greek yogurt, which is my favorite.
Do you mix the
Sweetner right
In BefoRe putting in tne fridge or. Or after the 8 hrS in the fridge?
If you are adding a non-milk based sweetener like stevia, sugar, or fruit – add it after the yogurt is completely done. After incubation and chilling.
My batCh came out beautifully. I added a Homemade strawberry compote. My concern is that the yogurt i put in the freezer comes out really really thin once thawed. I’m worried my cubes of yogurt (without the strawBerry oBviously) will be thIn as well once thaweD. If they do Thaw really thin will they still work as a starter?
From what I know they should work just fine.
Just for an update… it worked beautifully even though the thawed yogurt was very thin!
@Beth, can you share the strawberry compote recipe? :) It looks like this is caps on as well, hopefully not when I hit post…
I AM THINKING I will try the natrual Bliss Sweetener. For a half batch, how much would you put in?
Use 14-16 ounces of the natural bliss sweetener per gallon.
I made a half batch of this with less of the swee cond milk. For a 1/2 gallon oF milk, i used about 1/3 of a can of The swee cond milk. I also strained it for about 2 hours. It tastes good and is still plenty sweet. Ill pr use 1/4 of a can of sweetener next time to reduce the sugar further.
Can I use the milk cold out of the refrigera or it has to be room tem before i start the process.
Use cold out of the fridge.
Have made yogurt by the ook method but am trying this now. Can’t wait for it to be ready
can you use the chocolate or strawberry fairlife milk for a flavored yoGurt?
I’ve never tried this method. If you do – please let me know how it turns out.
Any update on the flavored milk?
Hi Tracie – I’ve not tried using flavored milk, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. Let me know if you try it!
does it need to be cooled before it goes into the refridgerator to chill?
The yogurt will be warm, but not hot. So there is no need to let it cool first. It can go right into the fridge.
If my yogurt finishes overnight (like 4AM) and I don’t plan to get up to put it in the fridge, is it OK to sit on the counter until morning when I put it in (probably 2-3 hours)?
Do you plan on leaving it in the instant pot? If so it will continue to incubate. Which is OK, but the longer it sits in that warm environment, the tangier the flavor will be.
Don’t have a glass lid, so I’m just using the regular instant pot lid without the ring. But when it comes to Refrigeration, if I’m only putting the inner liner in, what’s the best thing to use for a lid?
Just cover it with plastic wrap. :)
When can I add vanilla extract?
We suggest adding vanilla after incubation.
Your recipe says 1 gallon of Fairlife but the bottle is only 52 oz. Can you clarify how much you used? Does that change your Nutrition Facts?
Thanks!
Hi Cee Cee – you actually use two bottles of milk. I adjusted the recipe card to reflect the ounces so that is more clear.
Half and half is also ultra pasteurized. It makes awesome yogurt. I strain mine to get Greek yogurt and it is the best yogurt I’ve ever eaten.
Is this supposed to have the consistency very similar to the sweetened condensed milk?? Or should it be thicker. Mine is just a tad bit thicker than the sweetened condensed milk. I used the exact same ingredients (packaging was the exact same as in the picture above) so I’m not sure if I did something wrong or if that is how it’s supposed to be. It’s definitely not as thick as any store bought yogurt I have ever had.
Hi Judith – It should be the same consistency as a yoplait yogurt – so not as thick as greek, but thicker than sweetened condensed milk. Did you chill before stirring?
Yes, chilled for 14 hours because at the 8 hour mark of chilling it would have been 2:30 in the morning. I wasn’t going to wake up to stir it and taste it then. I figured it would be ok until I woke up in the morning and had yogurt for breakfast.
Thank you for the quick reply!!
My only other guess is that the starter was not mixed well enough into the milk in the beginning. That is the only instance I’ve had of it not thickening properly. I hope you’ll try it again, and I hope you’re able to enjoy the thinner version too. :)
It is excellent. Thank you for the recipe. I have made it twice but didn’t add sweetened condensed milk. Why do I have lumps. I follow the recipe to a T and I end up with lumps but it is great tasting. Just wondering thanks.
Sorry, just to comfim. Should total time be 16hrs 5mins or 8hrs 5 mins? You have 8hrs for cooking, 8hrs for cooling. Should it be 4 & 4 or 8 & 8?
Also, does it have to be a glass lid?
Glass lid is not necessary. You can use the regular pressure cooker lid. Once it goes in the fridge – you can use plastic wrap or another cover. Incubation is 8 hours, chilling is 8 hours. SO 16 hours.
I have made this in my Ultra 6 qt and it’s perfect every time. I just bought the Ultra Mini (3) and went to make it & discovered the yogurt function only has low/high. The larger pots have low/normal/high. When making cold start we use normal. Not knowing what to do I chose low, since high said boil. It did not turn out. It was very runny. I cannot find anywhere to tell me the temperature differences. Can it be done just going longer or will it just not work in the mini?
It won’t work on an instant pot that doesn’t have the yogurt function. The yogurt function keeps the yogurt cooking at a certain temperature for many hours to help the cultures incubate and grow at the temp for the perfect yogurt.
This recipe is perfect!! My toddlers were begging me for it!!!
Hello- I accidentally bought the almond milk version of Natural Bliss creamer. Do you think that will work fine or should I go get the regular version?
Thanks!
I would make sure it is dairy based, as the natural bliss creamer works as a sweetener because it is a dairy base with the milk.
Do you recommend keeping the glass lid on it while it chills in the fridge or would a rubber instant pot lid be better and more airtight ?
I leave the glass lid on, but even plastic wrap is fine. Just something to keep things from falling into the yogurt.
You have the best, straightforward, uncomplicated recipe for IP yogurt, bar non. I am making this in my Instant Pot mini with 1/2 gallon ultrapasturized milk. I did, however, use the ‘boil’ yogurt setting to bring the cold milk and the can of condensed sweetened milk up to about 90 degrees F to get the milk warm right away, because it takes a long time to get to incubation temp otherwise. Then I add my starter and set for 9.5 hours because we like our yogurt a bit more tangy. Since we always use organic ultrapasurized milk, I could never see heating the milk up to 185 or so. Your method is so much simpler to understand. Thank you
How thick should the yogurt be when finished?
This yogurt is REALLY wonderfully thick! It will stick to a spoon if held upside down or hold a spoon up if placed in the pot.
Can I make the cold start yogurt in a 7 c pyrex bowl instead of the instant bowl? It would prevent any smell from instant pot bowl and I could leave it in pyrex bowl for serving instead of transferring it to the pyrex bowl to refrigerate.
I’ve not tried this, so I do not know how the pyrex bowl would react to the pressure cooker.
Can I use an open bottle of ultra pasteurized milk for this recipe? Or is it better to start with an unopened bottle?
Because you aren’t boiling the milk – it is better to use an unopened bottle.
I’ve used the boil Would love to try this. I have the ultra model. When I go to yogurt setting, it gives. Temperature options. Low. Nef. High. Which do I choose for this method? Thank you
Use normal or medium.
Just made this and it came out great. I used low-fat fairlife. I was wondering what type of milk your nutrition information is based on. Whole? Low-fat? Fat free? Thanks!
The nutritional facts is based on whole milk. Glad you liked the recipe!
Can you substitute coconut milk for the milk? (or is there a dairy-free version?)
I’ve not tried this – and all recipes I’ve read for coconut yogurt require the boil method.
Thank You! This was my 3rd attempt at instant pot yogurt. First 2 times were with the heating the milk up and cooling it down. They didn’t turn out right. Different problem with each.
This time I tried with your method. I used fairlife whole milk, stoneyfield organic plain yogurt (it was the only “plain” I could find with live cultures), and Eagle sweetened condensed milk. Mixed it all together and used the regular cover with it on the venting setting. 8 hours later…PERFECTION. As soon as I lifted the lid I could see the difference. I chilled it and have half in a strainer to try it Greek style. It’s better than the store bought I have. I can’t even believe it. Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!
Yay! I’m glad you loved it!
Can you make this a dairy free yogurt. My grand daughter had a dairy allergy. I can buy the dairy free condensed milk and yogurt. Which milk would you recommend. Thank you. Have a great day
I’ve not tried this. The milk you use has to be ultra pasteurized. If it is not, you’ll need to use the boil method that I linked to in the post.
Hi! My second time making this yogurt – it was easy and good but I would like it a bit thicker. Would I strain it before or after it sets in the refrigerator?
TIA!
Donna
You can strain after it sets in the fridge.
I put it in the strainer directly after cooking and get a lot of liquid whey. It makes the yogurt nice and thick.
Can you use skim Fairlife to make this recipe?
Yes – it won’t be as thick though.
I accidentally stirred this before putting it in the fridge (my old boil method had me stir). What can I expect and is there any saving my yogurt??
I think it will be ok. Let me know how it turns out!
Would you happen to know the nutritional value without the condensed milk. Since I want to use part of my batch for Yogurt Sauce, the sweetener is not necessary. Thank you for al of the great info and tips!
Without the condensed milk – 3/4 cup has 91 calories, 4g protein, 4g fat, 7g carbs, 7g sugar.
Followed the recipe and it turned out great!
Can I use activia vanilla yogurt or does it have to be plain?
That should work just fine.
Can you make this in a double batch?
Yes! Incubation time will remain the same.
I was just in my local store looking for the Fairlife to see who carries it. I seen several flavored choices, like chocolate, or vanilla etc. Can these flavored choices be used too??
Hi Terri,
I’ve not tried to make yogurt with the flavored varieties – so I don’t have an answer for you. If you try it, please let me know!
Will this work with skim milk? And omitting the sweetener?
Thank you.
Yes!
This is delicious. Question: I’ve been using sweetened condensed milk and I’d like to try a batch with the Natural Bliss, BUT, I’m not sure how much to use??? help
You the same amount as the sweetened condensed milk – 14 ounces.
I’ve made this a few times now using fair life whole and 2% milk and both were equally creamy. I made it with the sweetened condensed milk up until last night. I used some maple syrup to sweeten it instead and was anxious to see how it turned out this morning. Without thinking, I took the lid off and added the vanilla and stirred it in. Afterward, I realized I’m not supposed to stir until AFTER it chills. Fingers crossed that it still turns out. Have you ever stirred too soon?
I have not – but hopefully its ok! Keep me posted!
It’s still good! A little lumpy, but still yummy. Thanks for the super easy recipe.
Help! I followed this recipe to a T and after an 8 hour incubation, it is completely liquid still. What could have happened?
Hey Amber, did you whisk the yogurt starter into the milk well? Sometimes if the starter isn’t fully incorporated into the milk, the cultures won’t grow. A few readers have reported that their yogurt didn’t set up if they did not whisk it well.
Using the instant pot lid it came with, no need to turn the valve to pressure correct? It can stay on vending?
Correct. :)
Oh my gosh, why haven’t I made this sooner? I’m not a plain yogurt lover, so I would add a small amount of sweetener next time. I was going to spend $25 on a yogurt strainer on Amazon, but thankfully changed my mind and bought a cheese cloth. Strained it for about 2 hours to get rid of the whey, and it turned out perfect. Thick and creamy
Can I make the yogurt with the pot in pot method? I don’t have a 2nd inner pot and don’t want to tie up my instant pot for 16 hours. I have a stainless steel container that will fit in my 8 quart. Thanks in advance!
I’ve not tried this method, but let me know if you do!
Can I use the regular lid? Why the glass? Just wondering??
You can use the regular lid. I like to use the glass lid because you aren’t pressurizing the pot at all, and I can see in. :)
Can I use my regular lid if I do not have a glass lid?
Yes :)
I have a question about the ultra pasteurized milk. I see in your photograph that you are using the ultra filtered milk, which is what I bought at the store. However, when I got home, I did a little research and it looks like the ultra filtered is not the same as the ultra pasteurized. Is the ultra filtered ok to use, or do I need the ultra pasturized? Looking forward to trying this, but what to make sure I dont run into any problems. Thank you.
If you are using any of the brands I mentioned in the blog post – it should work perfectly. ;)