Instant Pot Yogurt: A Step-by-Step Guide to the Creamiest Yogurt Ever

If you love yogurt, you’ll love making it at home with your Instant Pot. It’s easy, fun, and rewarding. You can customize it to your taste and enjoy it as a healthy snack, breakfast, or dessert. Plus, you’ll save money and reduce waste by avoiding store-bought yogurt with additives and plastic containers.

But how do you make yogurt in an Instant Pot? What do you need? How long does it take? And how do you make it creamy and delicious?

Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. In this article, we’ll show you everything you need to know about making Instant Pot yogurt. By the end of this article, you’ll be ready to make your own batch of homemade yogurt that will rival any store-bought brand. Let’s get started!

Why Make Yogurt in an Instant Pot?

An Instant Pot is a multi-cooker that can pressure cook, slow cook, sauté, steam, bake, and more. It also has a yogurt function that makes it easy to control the temperature and time of the fermentation process.

Making yogurt in an Instant Pot has many advantages over other methods:

• You don’t need a thermometer or a water bath to heat and cool the milk.
• You don’t need a separate container or incubator to ferment the yogurt.
• You can make large batches of yogurt at once (up to 8 quarts depending on your model).
• You can adjust the settings to make different types of yogurt (regular or Greek-style).
• You can use any kind of milk (cow’s milk or plant-based milk).

How to Make Yogurt in an Instant Pot: The Cold Start Method

The cold start method is the easiest way of making yogurt in an Instant Pot. With this method, you skip the heating and cooling steps and add the culture directly to cold milk.

This method is faster and easier than the boil method, but it only works with ultra-pasteurized milk or ultra-filtered milk (such as Fairlife brand). These types of milk have been heated at very high temperatures to kill all bacteria, so they don’t need to be sterilized again before adding the culture.

Step 1: Pour Milk into Your Instant Pot

Start by pouring half a gallon (2 quarts) of ultra-pasteurized milk or ultra-filtered milk into your 6-quart Instant Pot. You can use any kind of cow’s milk (whole, 2%, 1%, or skim), but we recommend using whole milk for creamier results.

You can also use plant-based milks such as soy, almond, coconut, or oat, but they may require additional ingredients such as thickeners or sweeteners to achieve a similar texture and flavor as dairy-based yogurts.

Step 2: Add Culture to Milk

Next, add the culture to your cold milk. The culture is what introduces the live bacteria that will turn your milk into yogurt.

You can use any kind of plain yogurt with live and active cultures as your starter. You can use store-bought yogurt or homemade yogurt from a previous batch. Just make sure it’s unflavored and unsweetened.

You’ll need about 2 tablespoons of yogurt for every half gallon (2 quarts) of milk. Whisk the yogurt in a small bowl until smooth and then add a few tablespoons of cold milk from your pot. Whisk again until well combined.

Then pour this mixture back into your pot and stir gently until evenly distributed throughout the milk.

Alternatively, you can use a powdered yogurt starter instead of plain yogurt. Just follow the instructions on the package for how much to use and how to mix it with your milk.

Step 3: Ferment Yogurt in Instant Pot

Now comes the fun part: fermenting your yogurt in your Instant Pot. This is where the magic happens and the bacteria transform your milk into thick and tangy yogurt.

To do this, close the lid of your appliance and make sure the venting knob is set to “Sealing”. Then press the “Yogurt” button and adjust the time to anywhere from 8 hours to 12 hours, depending on how tart you like your yogurt. The longer you ferment,

the tangier it will be. We recommend starting with 8 hours and adjusting from there based on your preference.

During this step, your Instant Pot will maintain a constant temperature of around 110°F, which is perfect for incubating your yogurt. You don’t need to do anything else during this step, just let your Instant Pot do its job. You can even leave it overnight or while you’re away at work.

Step 4: Chill Yogurt in Refrigerator

After the fermentation time is up, your Instant Pot will beep and switch off automatically. Your yogurt is now ready, but it’s still warm and runny. To make it thicker and creamier, you need to chill it in the refrigerator for at least four hours or overnight.

Carefully remove your inner pot from your appliance and cover it with a lid or plastic wrap. Then place it in the refrigerator and let it cool completely.

Alternatively, you can transfer your yogurt into individual jars or containers before chilling them. This way, you’ll have ready-to-eat portions that are easy to grab and go.

Step 5: Enjoy Your Homemade Yogurt

Congratulations! You’ve just made homemade yogurt in an Instant Pot using the cold start method. Now you can enjoy it as is or add some toppings and variations to make it even more delicious.

Some of our favorite variations are:

• Greek-style yogurt: To make thicker and richer Greek-style yogurt, strain your yogurt in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight using a cheesecloth, a nut milk bag, or a fine-mesh sieve. This will remove some of the whey (the liquid part of the yogurt) and leave you with a denser and creamier product. You can use the whey for baking, smoothies, or soups.

• Flavored yogurt: To make flavored yogurt, add some vanilla extract, lemon zest, cocoa powder, or any other flavoring of your choice to your milk before adding the culture. You can also add some sugar or sweetener if you like your yogurt sweeter.

• Dairy-free yogurt: To make dairy-free yogurt, use plant-based milks such as soy, almond, coconut, or oat instead of cow’s milk. You’ll also need to use a vegan yogurt starter or probiotic capsules as your culture. Some plant-based milks may require additional ingredients such as thickeners (agar-agar, tapioca starch, etc.) or sweeteners (sugar, maple syrup, etc.) to achieve a similar texture and flavor as dairy-based yogurts.

Conclusion

Well, well, well, look who’s becoming a yogurt-making expert! You’re now the king or queen of the Instant Pot yogurt kingdom. You’ve made yogurt so good that even the Greek gods are jealous. They’re calling it ambrosia 2.0, and they want to know your secret.

You’ve saved so much money by not buying those overpriced, store-bought yogurts with fancy labels and flavors that don’t even taste like real fruit. You’re proud of yourself for being environmentally conscious and reducing your plastic waste. No more guilt trips while enjoying your delicious homemade yogurt!