Easy homemade Instant Pot Greek Yogurt with TWO ingredients: milk and a little yogurt to use as a starter. Super easy, just takes time!
Homemade greek yogurt in an Instant Pot is VERY cost-effective, delicious, and we use it most often in recipes like Brownie Batter Overnight Oats or Honey Butter Cornbread all the time. I make usually 1 gallon of yogurt, then strain it to equal about 3 liters, and use it over a 2 week period for eating and cooking with. You can also make a ½ gallon batch, so it's easier to make and store.
Greek yogurt is a creamier and denser version of regular yogurt, made by straining off extra whey. Authentic Greek yogurt is often made with sheep's milk, but since it's not readily available where I live in New Mexico (USA), I always make it with cow's milk and strain extra whey.
I love to use the extra whey for cheesy garlic biscuits, as a substitute for milk in easy sourdough discard cornbread, in soup in place of chicken broth or water, or to make bread with. It adds protein and flavor, and doesn't go to waste. I've made yogurt this way for YEARS and have saved hundreds of dollars by learning how to make homemade yogurt.
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What To expect
- Taste: More mild and less sour than store-bought Greek yogurt, creamy in texture.
- Ease: Simple directions, but must be followed in order. Heat the milk, cool the milk, incubate the milk with active cultures!
- Time: About 1 hour to heat the milk, and 15 minutes to cool it to temperature (with an ice bath to speed it up), and 8 hours to culture, with another 1-2 hours to strain the whey. Start the yogurt in the morning or evening to incubate overnight.
🛒 Key Ingredients
- Milk - I prefer to use whole milk since it makes creamier and thicker yogurt than skim, 1%, or 2% milk when finished, although any of those types will work! This recipe is made for dairy milk, not plant-based milk. The fat content and protein content are different, and plant based yogurts are often made with extra thickeners and stabilizers.
- Yogurt - technically, any yogurt will work but I always use unsweetened plain greek yogurt with no added thickeners or flavorings.
- Yogurt straining bag - you can use cheesecloth (reusable), coffee filters layered in a colander (super cheap), or a yogurt straining bag. My favorite option is the straining bag made for yogurt because it's easily washable and not as fussy as cheesecloth, and easier to manage than layering coffee filters in a colander, which is what I did before I bought my much beloved and well used yogurt bag.
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
✏️ Substitutions & Variations
- Use your favorite type of yogurt, it doesn't necessarily need to be Greek style. I always use unsweetened plain greek yogurt with at least 3-4 active bacteria cultures in it, with no extra additives or thickeners. Some popular brands in the USA are Fage (5 active cultures), Chobani (6 active cultures), The Greek Gods (7 active cultures), or Siggi's (6 active cultures).
- Add a few teaspoons of vanilla extract to make vanilla Instant Pot yogurt.
🧑🍳 Instructions
You should be able to use any Instant Pot model with a yogurt function. Consult the user manual to make sure you're using the heat/boil function and the incubating function correctly!
TIP: Since yogurt takes awhile to heat to temperature and cool off, and 8 hours to incubate I recommend starting before 11am or starting in the evening around 7pm so you don't have to worry about it in the middle of the night.
- Step 1. Pour the milk into your Instant Pot. You can use as much milk as you'd like, I like to make a large batch (1 full gallon) but you can also do a half-gallon batch.
- Step 2. Use the yogurt function of the Instant Pot to heat the milk to at LEAST 180 ℉, with the lid on. This takes about 1 hour. You may need to use your user manual since Instant Pot models have different buttons. The milk does not need to boil, but does need to reach 180 ℉ to alter the proteins in the milk to set the stage for proper fermentation. Otherwise the yogurt has problems setting and can be runny!
NOTE: Sometimes the Instant Pot doesn't heat the milk all the way to 180 ℉ during the heat cycle due to uneven heat/heat sensors and it may need to be set to the heat function an extra cycle or two (they usually only last a few minutes the second time around) to reach the proper temperature. Make sure you use an instant-read thermometer to reach 180 ℉.
- Step 3. The milk needs to cool enough to not kill the yogurt cultures and allow them to grow. You can remove the Instant Pot liner and let it cool to room temperature over an hour or so, or put it in an ice bath in the sink, which takes about 10-15 minutes.
- Step 4. Make sure the milk cools to around 110-115 ℉, similar to what you would proof yeast at. Any hotter and it can begin to kill the active cultures.
- Step 5. Once the milk is cooled to 110 ℉, add in at least 2 Tablespoons of yogurt to act as the culture starter. Whisk it so it's mixed in well.
- Step 6. Use the yogurt function to set it to incubate for at least 8 hours at 110 ℉. You can also do it for longer, which will keep it around 110℉ and will give it a more tart flavor and can thicken the yogurt a little more.
- Step 7. Once the yogurt is finished incubating, you can immediately transfer it to a yogurt straining bag to strain the whey. Place the bag over the edges of a bowl or pot that can hold at least 1 gallon of liquid and transfer the yogurt using a ladle. Let the whey drain for about 2 hours (I drain off around 500 mL, about 4 cups of liquid; you can refrigerate the whey and use it for later in other recipes! See my Frequently Asked Question section for some ideas for recipes that use whey).
- Step 8. After the whey is drained (drain how long or how little you want) you can transfer the yogurt to storage container to refrigerate. The more whey drained, the thicker the yogurt will be. It thickens as it refrigerates as well.
📌 Top Tips & Hacks
- Start your yogurt in the morning or evening, not in the middle of the day. It takes a little while to heat and cool the milk, then 8 hours to incubate.
- Buy milk with the best expiration date! Your yogurt will last longer if the expiration date is 2 weeks away instead of in a few days.
- Freeze a few portions (2-3 Tablespoons each) of yogurt or whey to use as a starter for another batch!
- Plan on having a 3-4 Liter container on hand to store your yogurt in.
- Temperature is very important. Use an instant read thermometer to test the temperature of the milk, because sometimes the instant pot doesn't always heat it to the correct temperature!
❓Frequently Asked Questions
YES. 32 oz or 1 Liter of store bought greek yogurt costs $3-7 where I live, and a gallon of milk costs $3-4. I get TRIPLE the amount of homemade yogurt from a gallon of milk after the whey is strained.
That's WITHOUT added thickeners, preservatives, dyes, etc. It has saved us HUNDREDS of dollars over the years.
Yes! It has all of the same bacteria as yogurt, there is no reason it would not work. You can freeze a few 2-3 Tablespoon portions of whey or yogurt in a muffin tin or ice cube tray to use as starters to make more yogurt in the future.
Yes! As long as the yogurt contains live active starters, it can be used. It's best if it's plain, unflavored with no additives or thickeners to dilute the starter.
Whole milk generally makes the most creamy, thick yogurt because of the fat content. I have made 2% and 1% milk into yogurt, it was just a little thinner and had more whey to drain. I wouldn't recommend skim, it just isn't as delicious.
Some use ultra-pasteurized filtered milk (it's very expensive where I live) to make their yogurt but I prefer to use regular milk at a lower cost.
There are so many ways to use leftover whey! You can use it in place of water or chicken broth for soup, use it in place of milk for Irish Cheddar Soda Bread or Banana Blackberry Oatmeal Muffins, even in smoothies.
🥣 Recipes That Use Greek Yogurt
Our favorite way to eat Greek yogurt is with honey or maple syrup drizzled on top with fresh or frozen fruit and some granola. That being said, I make my yogurt plain and unsweetened so I can use it in recipes! Here are a few of my favorite recipes that use Greek yogurt. Almost any recipe that uses sour cream, you can swap in Greek yogurt.
📝 Printable Recipe
Instant Pot Greek Yogurt
Equipment
- 1 Instant Pot at least 6 Quart
Ingredients
- 1 gallon whole milk (can use ½ gallon
- 2 Tablespoons Plain unsweetened Greek yogurt
Instructions
- Pour the milk into your Instant Pot. You can use as much milk as you'd like, I like to make a large batch (1 full gallon) but you can also do a half-gallon batch.
- Use the yogurt function of the Instant Pot to heat the milk to at LEAST 180 ℉, with the lid on. This takes about 1 hour. Use your user manual to find directions for the "Yogurt" button since Instant Pot models have different buttons. The milk does not need to boil, but does need to reach 180 ℉ to alter the proteins in the milk to set the stage for proper fermentation. Otherwise the yogurt has problems setting and can be runny!
- Remove the Instant pot liner and let the milk cool to room temperature over an hour or so to 110℉, or put it in an ice bath in the sink, which takes about 10-15 minutes to reach the correct temperature. The milk needs to cool enough to not kill the yogurt cultures and allow them to grow. Make sure the milk cools to around 110-115 ℉, similar to what you would proof yeast at. Any hotter and it can begin to kill the active cultures in the yogurt.
- Once the milk is cooled to 110 ℉, add in at least 2 Tablespoons of yogurt to act as the culture starter. Whisk it so it's mixed in well.
- Use the yogurt function to set it to incubate for at least 8 hours at 110 ℉. You can also do it for longer, which will keep it around 110℉ and will give it a more tart flavor and can thicken the yogurt a little more.
- Once the yogurt is finished incubating, you can immediately transfer it to a yogurt straining bag to strain the whey. Place the bag over the edges of a bowl or pot that can hold at least 1 gallon of liquid and transfer the yogurt using a ladle. Let the whey drain for about 2 hours (I drain off about 500mL, about 4 cups of liquid; then you can refrigerate the whey and use it for later in other recipes! See my Frequently Asked Question section for some ideas for recipes that use whey).
- After the whey is drained (drain how long or how little you want) you can transfer the yogurt to storage container to refrigerate. The more whey drained, the thicker the yogurt will be. It thickens as it refrigerates as well.Serve with a drizzle of honey or maple syrup and fresh fruit or in place of sour cream in other recipes!
Notes
Nutrition
Hi, I'm Sara!
Registered Nurse by day, food blogger by weekend. Perfect dip tester & snack quester. I love short walks on the beach and long naps. Sharing my love for food, one bite at a time.
Sophie says
Oh my goodness! I was just thinking that I wanted help to make yogurt in an instant pot and you had it! I have tried 3 times using my instant pot just following the directions in the manual, but they failed. Like, weird tasting and ultra runny. I bet the instant pot didn't get up to temperature all the way! I will definitely check with a thermometer, like you said. I will let you know how it turns out.
Sara says
It took a little trial and error for me to figure it out! I really hope it works out for you! You can always try it with a smaller amount of milk to test it out 👍🏻
I had a batch a couple of times that didn’t turn out and I started over and heated it again and it was fine.