How to Make Homemade Yogurt in an Instant Pot

How to Make Homemade Yogurt in an Instant Pot provides the recipe and full instructions to make creamy, thick, or strained Greek yogurt using a pressure cooker. For the cold start method, you will need a starter with live cultures, Fairlife milk, and jars to store your yogurt. This DIY tutorial can’t get any easier!

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FOR THE FULL LIST OF INGREDIENTS AND COMPREHENSIVE INSTRUCTIONS, PLEASE SEE THE RECIPE CARD AT THE END OF THIS POST. BEFORE YOU SCROLL, THERE’S IMPORTANT INFORMATION IN THIS BLOG POST.

The Instant Pot is seriously a machine that can do it all. It has made recipe faves like Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup, Instant Pot Steak Tacos, and Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken Thighs so easy!

I have always been a fan of yogurt. Back in my early days, I used to eat a ton of Yoplait. Then I learned it was loaded with high fructose corn syrup (I believe it has since been removed) and stopped eating it.

I later switched to Greek yogurt. I love the taste and love that it’s loaded with a ton of protein. It’s been hard to find a low carb, keto yogurt that also doesn’t have a ton of sugar. Usually, it’s best to go with a plain flavor and then add in my own toppings.

Lately, I have been eating a lot of 2 Good Yogurt. It’s pretty low in carbs and tastes ok. After making yogurt in the Instant Pot, I will probably never buy yogurt again! This post will show you how to make yogurt at home. This yogurt has only 5 net carbs per serving, making it great for the keto diet and lifestyle.

You will need an Instant Pot with the yogurt button for this recipe. I used my Instant Pot Duo. 

Instant Pot Yogurt Ingredients and Starter

You will need to select a starter yogurt. What’s a starter? I like to think of it like how sourdough bread needs a starter. You will need a little bit of yogurt to make yogurt. You can select a store-bought yogurt. Look at the back label and make sure it contains milk and active live cultures.

You should also select plain, unflavored yogurt. I used Fage Plain yogurt. The type of milk and yogurt used will directly impact the texture and consistency of your yogurt. Be sure to grab a yogurt brand that you like and enjoy the taste.

Choosing milk for homemade yogurt is also important. Yogurt cultures do well with milk that has not been altered past pasteurization. You can read more about Choosing Milk for Making Yogurt here.

Yogurt made with reduced-fat milk will be thinner than yogurt made with whole milk. I used Fairlife Ultra-filtered Whole Milk. I want my yogurt to have the least amount of sugar as possible so that it can also be low-carb and keto-friendly.  Fairlife milk has 50% more protein, 30% more calcium, and 50% less sugar typically found in whole milk. It’s also lactose-free.

Instant Pot Cold Start Yogurt Method

The cold start method comes from Frieda Loves Bread. It’s a method of making yogurt in the Instant Pot without having to boil it. I love this method because it saves a ton of time and is less intimidating. When I first got my Instant Pot I wanted to make yogurt. I never made time for the steps of boiling it, testing the temperature, etc. This method eliminates those steps. There are plenty of instructional videos on YouTube if you wish to boil the yogurt.

How to Make Yogurt in Instant Pot

1. Grab your Instant Pot with the yogurt button, ultra-filtered milk, and two tablespoons of yogurt. You will need a 6qt or 8 quart Instant Pot.
2. Add the milk and yogurt to the Instant Pot. Whisk well.
3. Turn the Instant Pot on the yogurt setting for 8 hours.
4. Remove the base of the Instant Pot and cover and refrigerate for 4-8 hours.
5. Serve.

Best Length of Time to Incubate Yogurt

The standard setting is 8 hours and I think it’s perfect. It results in mild flavor. If you like more tang, you may select 9-10 hours.

Does Instant Pot Yogurt Have Probiotics?

Yes, if you select a yogurt starter rich in probiotics. Probiotics are live bacteria that is great for your gut and digestive system. Probiotics help balance the “good” and “bad” bacteria in the body. You can read more about What Probiotics Are here.

What Temperature is the Yogurt Setting on the Instant Pot?

This only applies if you will be boiling your milk first and not using the cold start method. 

When using the yogurt setting, make sure you select Normal (applies to some models). The Less mode is designed for Jiu Niang, a sweet fermented rice dish; the Normal mode is for fermenting milk when making yogurt, while the More mode is for pasteurizing milk. ‘Yogt’ will be displayed on the screen when completed.

How Long Can I Leave Yogurt in the Instant Pot? How Long Can Yogurt Sit out

You can leave it out up to 12 hours. The longer it sits, the tangier it will taste. Yogurt has gone bad if it smells funny or is discolored. If you notice large amounts of whey come to the surface, this could be another sign.

Why is My Instant Pot Yogurt Lumpy?

If you let the yogurt ferment for too long it may turn out lumpy. In general, the longer the yogurt ferments, the thicker the texture. Lumps are also more common if you don’t use ultra-filtered milk.

I’ve also seen a lot of commentary on failed yogurt when the cold start method isn’t used. It’s my preferred method and definitely the easiest.

If your yogurt isn’t thick and creamy at all and is too runny, check to be sure you used a starter yogurt that contains live active cultures.

How Long Is Instant Pot Yogurt Good/How Long Will it Last

Homemade yogurt will last up to 2 weeks stored in the refrigerator. You can freeze 2 tablespoons of yogurt as a starter to make a new batch of yogurt.

Does Instant Pot Yogurt Need to Be Strained?

This will depend on how you like your yogurt and what you are going for. If you want a really thick Greek-style yogurt, then you should strain it. Greek yogurt is typically my preferred yogurt style, but I actually choose not to strain mine. I prefer the slightly thick, creamy texture. Strain the yogurt after chilling it.

If you do strain your yogurt and find it’s too thick, you can add some of the strained whey to the mixture and stir. It should loosen it some.

Tips for Thick Yogurt

The recipe below will result in creamy yogurt. If you like it thick, follow these Tips for Thick Yogurt. 

• Let the yogurt sit longer. The longer it sits, the thicker it will become (the sourer it will also become). 
• Strain the yogurt, as noted above.
• Add dry non-fat milk powder (1/4 -1/2 cup).
• Add a teaspoon of gelatin.

Instant Pot Yogurt Toppings:

You can load this up with any of your favorites. These are mine.

• Fresh Sliced Strawberries
• Fresh Blueberries
• Sugar Free Syrups – I like to use organic monkfruit syrup. You can use Discount Code: STAYSNATCHED to save
• Granola – this is a low-carb brand that I love
• Honey (not low carb)
• Almonds