Yes, the Instant Pot makes yogurt! Learn how to make homemade Instant Pot yogurt in jars or individual cups using the Pot in Pot (PIP) method. This Instant Pot yogurt recipe is free of additives and preservatives and is full of healthy probiotics, vitamins and minerals.
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Table of Contents
Introduction
A favorite food of mine as a kid was just plain rice and yogurt – I just loved it! When I had an upset stomach, I was given yogurt. While growing up, I remember every Indian household made homemade yogurt every day, and that’s the case even today. My dad once told me that the yogurt active culture (starter) used in his childhood home was handed down through the generations!
So, I’ve pretty much felt like a failure (as far as yogurt goes!) my whole adult life because I bought my yogurt in the grocery store and I didn’t have much luck making homemade yogurt.
I was very intrigued when I learned that the Instant Pot makes yogurt and that was one reason I purchased my first Instant Pot. Almost all Instant Pot models make yogurt. The only Instant Pot without the yogurt function is the Instant Pot Lux.
If you own an Instant Pot Lux, you can try to make Instant Pot yogurt without the yogurt button. It’s a bit more work but this is how it can be done.
Instant Pot yogurt is smooth, creamy, all-natural and better than what I buy in the store. Another great thing is that I can use my own yogurt as a starter and keep it going for a few generations.
Homemade fresh yogurt is much better for you than yogurt that’s been on the shelves of the grocery store. You’ve probably heard about all the health benefits of yogurt. But in case you haven’t, here are some of yogurt’s health benefits:
- contains helpful bacteria (probiotics) for your gut
- aids your digestion
- helps to replace your gut bacteria after you’ve taken antibiotics
- is a good source of protein, vitamins (including B-12), potassium, calcium and more
My Instant Pot Yogurt recipe uses the pot-in-pot (PIP) method i.e. the yogurt is not made directly in the inner pot, but rather this Instant Pot yogurt recipe uses glass jars placed on a trivet in the inner pot.
[Read more: Instant Pot Pot in Pot (PIP) Cooking Method]
I like to use the PIP method because it frees up my Instant Pot inner pot/liner. If you make the yogurt directly in the inner pot, then while the yogurt cools in the fridge for 8 hours or more, you can’t use your Instant Pot.
Plus, I prefer to make my yogurt frequently, rather than make a big batch and keep it in the fridge for too long. The potency of the active cultures diminishes the longer you keep the yogurt. So the quantity of yogurt I can make using the PIP method in individual cups is just right for me.
Here are some other some of my recipes that use yogurt:
– Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala
– Instant Pot Cashew Butter Chicken
– Instant Pot Chicken Shawarma
– Instant Pot Lamb Biryani
Tips and Substitutions
Yogurt Starter
For the yogurt starter/culture, I use my own yogurt. If I am starting from scratch, I use Fage brand of Greek yogurt. Fage has a mild taste, but if you like your yogurt tangy, try and experiment with other brands. I use full-fat yogurt.
Always remember to set aside a couple of tablespoons of yogurt so you can use it as a starter for the next batch.
I bring the starter yogurt to room temperature to allow the live and active cultures to flourish.
If the yogurt starter loses its potency over multiple batches, just add a tiny bit of lime juice to the starter and allow it to sit at room temperature for a while before adding the starter to the milk
For even better results, smear the yogurt around the edges of the inside of the jar.
Individual Cups vs Larger Bowl
For this Instant Pot yogurt recipe, I use separate jars, but you can just as easily use a larger oven-safe bowl that fits in the Instant Pot.
If you’re using the larger bowl, use about 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon of starter for 32 ounces (1 quart) of milk.
Make sure your canning jars or bowls are oven-safe. If you use something too thin, your milk can overflow or the container can crack.
The Instant Pot company offers yogurt maker cups as an accessory. These are convenient because they come in their own tray.
Milk
I use whole milk to make my Instant Pot yogurt recipe, and it comes out thick and creamy. You should be able to substitute 2% milk, but if you want to try out 1% or skim milk, make a smaller quantity (so you don’t waste milk) and see how it goes. You might need to add some nonfat dried milk.
Sealing Ring
If your sealing ring has a lingering odor, just remove the sealing ring during the Yogurt cycle. The Instant Pot doesn’t come to pressure in the Yogurt setting, so you don’t need it.
Greek Yogurt
I don’t normally make Greek yogurt because I like regular yogurt better. But if you want to make Greek yogurt, once the yogurt has completely chilled and set, strain it through a double-layered cheesecloth or coffee filter.
Accessories Required
Here’s the accessories you’ll need for this Instant Pot yogurt recipe:
- Mason jars or yogurt maker cups with tray
- Digital thermometer
- Steam rack or trivet
- Optional: Yogurt maker cups with tray
Common Problems
PROBLEM | REASON |
---|---|
Yogurt is runny | – You didn’t use whole milk – Yogurt needs to ferment longer – Yogurt needs to be cooled completely after setting – Yogurt starter isn’t potent enough; get new started |
Yogurt is sour | – Yogurt was fermented for too long – Yogurt starter is too sour – Milk was too hot when the starter was added |
Yogurt never sets | – Yogurt starter doesn’t have enough bacteria – Jars or container wasn’t clean to begin with – Milk temperature wasn’t in the correct range when yogurt was added |
Milk overflows | – Instant Pot runs hotter than recipe test model (known to happen in 8 quart). Try to steam for zero minutes. |
If you’re new to the Instant Pot and aren’t familiar with how to use it, you might find it helpful to first read one of the following guides and then come back here to learn how to make this recipe.
- Instant Pot DUO Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot ULTRA Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO EVO PLUS Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO NOVA Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO GOURMET Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO CRISP Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot PRO Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot PRO CRISP Beginner’s Manual
Instant Pot Yogurt Recipe – Ingredients
- Yogurt
- Whole milk
How to Make Yogurt in the Instant Pot (Step by Step Instructions)
- Fill jars with milk and place in Instant Pot
- Steam for 1 minute
- Quick release of pressure
- Remove jars and add starter
- Return jars to Instant Pot
- Yogurt setting for 8 hours
Fill Jars with Milk and Place in the Instant Pot
- Fill four 8 oz. canning jars with milk up to ½-inch below the rim.
- Pour 2 cups of water into the Instant Pot inner pot and place trivet in the inner pot.
- Carefully place jars on the trivet and close the Instant Pot. You can choose to cover the jars loosely with aluminum foil.
- Close the lid.
Steam for 1 minute
- Press Steam and ‘+’ or ‘-‘ until display reads 1 (1 minute).
- Instant Pot display will change to On.
- Once the Instant Pot is pressurized, the float valve will go up.
- The display will count down from 1 to 0 and it will switch to Keep Warm mode and display L00:00.
Quick Release of Pressure
- Do a Quick Release: move the steam release handle to Venting.
- When your Instant Pot is depressurized, the float valve will be in the down position.
- Press Cancel and open the Instant Pot.
Remove Jars and Add Starter
- Carefully remove jars from Instant Pot. I just use the trivet to lift the jars. If you have trouble with this, use a mitt or towel to remove the jars from the Instant Pot. Or alternately, let the jars cool in the Instant Pot for a bit before removing.
- Let milk cool to a temperature of 110 degrees F.
- Remove skin or creamy layer (if present) from the top of the milk and discard.
- Add ½ teaspoon of starter yogurt to each jar and stir well.
Return Jars to Instant Pot
- Place trivet back in Instant Pot and carefully place jars back on trivet. The inner pot should already have water in it from the previous run.
- Place lids over jars ( but don’t screw in the covers.) This will prevent condensation from dripping into the jars. You can also use aluminum foil.
- Close the Lid. Steam release can be in Sealing or Venting position. It doesn’t matter because the Instant Pot is not coming to pressure in the Yogurt setting.
Yogurt Setting for 8 Hours
- Press Yogurt and ‘+’ or ‘-‘ until display reads 8:00 (8 hours).
- When the 8 hours are up, the display will read yogt. Open the Instant Pot and move the jars to the fridge for a few hours.
Add in Fruits or Toppings
- Add fruit, honey, cinnamon and brown sugar or any add-in of your choice. Remember to save a few teaspoons of your plain yogurt for the next batch.
Instant Pot Yogurt in Jars
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon starter yogurt (leftover yogurt from previous batch, or store-bought full fat Greek yogurt)
- 32 oz. whole milk
Instructions
- Fill four 8-oz. canning jars with milk up to ½-inch below the rim.
- Pour 2 cups of water into the Instant Pot inner pot and place steam rack/trivet in inner pot.
- Carefully place jars on the trivet and close the Instant Pot. You can choose to cover the jars loosely (with aluminum foil or jar lids without screwing them on).
- Set Instant Pot to Steam for 1 minute. If you don't have the Steam function, use the Pressure Cook function (High Pressure).
- Do a Quick Release to de-pressurize the Instant Pot.
- Open the Instant Pot and remove jars when cool enough to handle. Using a digital thermometer to measure the milk's temperature, let milk cool to 110 degrees F.
- Remove skin (if present) from the top of the milk.
- Add ½ teaspoon of starter yogurt to each jar and stir well.
- Place jars back on trivet.
- Place lids over jars ( but don’t screw in the covers.) This will prevent condensation from dripping into the jars. You can also use aluminum foil.
- Close the Instant Pot lid and set to Yogurt mode for 8 hours.
- Press Cancel and open the Instant Pot and move the jars to the fridge for a few hours to chill.
Notes
- It’s best (but not absolutely necessary) to take your starter out of fridge and bring it to room temperature.
- I used the full fat variety of Fage brand of yogurt.
- I have not found a need to sanitize the pot before making yogurt. If you wish to do so, just run a water test like you did the first time you used your Instant Pot.
- It is important to use canning jars or an oven safe dish.
- Remember to save a few teaspoons of your plain yogurt for the next batch.
- See the blog post for more detailed recipe tips.
Nutrition
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I am not a certified nutritionist. I provide my best estimate of nutritional information merely as a courtesy to my readers. If you depend on nutritional information for dietary or health reasons, I suggest using your favorite online nutrition calculator to confirm the nutritional value of this recipe based on the actual ingredients that you use.
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Vinbro
i read a few other techniques that mention straining out the whey, this recipe does not have to be strained?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thanks for your question. I never strain out the whey because I grew up eating it that way – it’s full of protein and minerals. Regular yogurt you buy in the store also has the whey in it. Those who strain the yogurt are looking to make a thick Greek yogurt. If that’s what you’re looking for, I have a link on the post where I link to another blog that shows you how. Hope that helps!
Shanna
Do you leave the water in the bottom of the instant pot? Sorry if that is a stupid question!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Shanna – not a stupid question at all. It’s a fair question since there is no pressure being used in the yogurt setting. You do not have to put water in the inner pot with the yogurt setting. I leave the water just because it’s already there from the ‘boil’ stage. Thanks for your question, probably helps others!
JB
In response to the question as to whether water is required during the “yogurt” portion of the cycle, in my experience the answer is absolutely yes. The water should probably extend at least part way up your glass jars, creating a waterbath. When I first tried with no water, the yogurt never got above 90F. With the waterbath the yogurt quickly reached the proper temperature of about 105F.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thanks for commenting, JB. I usually have water in the inner pot, but know of people who do it without water, but it was not from personal experience. Thanks for sharing.
Autumn
Thanks Neena for the wonderful post. I enjoy ed the yogurt, andand it’s time to make more. When I click your link to the 8 oz jar I am confused about the variety of jars they offer. I am looking for a way to pack the most of 8 oz jars into my 6 qt Instant Pot. Are yours flat enough to pack another layer and make 8 yogurt at the same time ? Thank you again !
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Autumn – thanks for your question! The jars I link to in the post are the squat ones and no, they won’t fit in two rows. However, 7 of the taller skinny 8 oz jars will fit in the 6 quart. Like the ones in this brownie recipe. I hope that helps.
Meredith
I can fit to rows of 8 oz wide mouth jars. Maybe its a different size of instant pot? Next time I’m going to try the tiny 4 ozers –can fit 12 of those!
Paint the Kitchen Red
You probably have the 8 quart? 12 small jars sounds very convenient!
Meredith
The highest label before “Max” says 4L, so I’m going to go with 6 quart. Two rows of 4 wide mouth 8oz worked well, as did the tiny ones. But, I find the tiny ones take a lot more work to put in, take out, add starter, clean, etc. And its often not enough yogurt to eat just one! So I went back to the bigger jars. The 8ozers get me about a 6 oz serving, but the 4s are like 2.5oz serving. I think a 4oz serving would be perfect. Having a golidlocks moment haha. Fun experimenting though!
Jennifer
When you say “two rows” does that mean you are stacking them? Thanks for clarifying. I am getting ready to try this, am deciding what jars to use.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Jennifer, sorry about the confusion but yes, I mean to stack them. Hope you like it.
Ken
Hi. What the shelf of this homemade yogurt in the refrigerator?
I have not made it yet but plan to. I would be using the 4- 8 oz. Mason canning jars, 2% Fairlife milk and plain Fage yogurt.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Ken, I usually finish up my yogurt pretty quickly, but I’ve had yogurt in the fridge for a couple of weeks and it’s been fine. I’ve not used Fairlife, so I’m not sure about how it would be different. Good luck.
Meredith
I had one get a discolored spot after 2 weeks once. Scooped out the spot (and a good inch around it), and ate the rest. No consequences. I have a strong stomach though.
I’ve been using pretty low grade Winco milk (and my own starter from previous batch), so found that if the milk is within a week (before) of its date I get a fun surprise during the steaming process — curds and whey! Not yogurt, but still tasty.
I’m only one person and can’t (shouldn’t) go through it that fast, so since that event I’ve been freezing half the gallon when I first get it. Defrosted milk and even once defrosted started has been working well. (re-frozen and re-defrosted starter resulted in ~25% of the jars not setting up)
Patricia Wouters
Looking to make coconut yogurt using coconut yogurt for starter. Could I uses coconut milk for the milk? How do you think that would work? I’m looking for dairy free and low carb. Many thanks for the inspirational recipes!!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Patricia, I have never tried making yogurt with coconut milk but I assume that you’d need to have an alternative to the cultures in the yogurt starter like probiotic capsules…. Sorry I can’t be of help. I found this article from the Kitchn (https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-dairyfree-coconut-yogurt-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-216358)
Shayne Kelly
I have the (5) jar set for making yogurt in the instant pot. The jars a little smaller (between 5-6 oz). I assume that still leaving about 1/2″ from the top should work wit these? Also, do you think I need to change the time or the starter yogurt amount?
Thanks
Paint the Kitchen Red
I haven’t tried with smaller jars, Shayne, but you should be fine keeping the recipe as is. Good luck!
Buder Shapiro
Thanks for the great post. Question: Step 4 – steaming it for 1 minute. Did you check what this did to your milk temperature? Are you trying to bring it to 180F?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Buder – When I use the small jars as in the recipe, the milk boils in that 1 minute steam. But I don’t measure the temperature. Hope that helps.
Katie
Hi, thanks for the great post. I have two questions.
1) Do you know if you can do this with 8 jars, maybe a rack between them?
2) You mentioned to remove the ring if needed for odors. Do you only do that for the yogurt setting part only or the steam too? You mentioned that it comes to pressure for 1 minute, so just wanted to make sure that I am doing it correctly.
Thanks so much!
Katie
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Katie, I’ve not done more than four, but I have stacked jars for other recipes – so I think it should work, maybe fill a bit less, because the milk does boil. So for the steam part you need the ring. For the yogurt part you don’t. I don’t think the 1 minute will make your yogurt smell like curry or whatever, but you can run the sealing ring through the dishwasher, which reduces odors. Best of luck. Make sure your jars are oven-safe!
Deepa Jain
Thanks for sharing detailed steps for making yogurt.
I have question is 1 min steaming boils the milk?
Other instant pot bloggers have mentioned to use boil settings to boil the milk.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Deepa – Those recipes are using the ‘yogurt’ button to both boil the milk and then allow the yogurt to set. Because my recipe is making yogurt in individual jars (pot in pot/PIP) I use the ‘steam’ and ‘yogurt’ buttons. The 1 minute steam does boil the milk if you’re doing the pot in pot with the small jars, as described in the recipe. Hope you get to try it out – and good luck!
Kam
Thank you for this yogurt recipe! Do you know if sour cream could be used instead as the starter yogurt? I don’t have any yogurt at this time.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Kam, I don’t think sour cream has the active cultures/bacteria that yogurt has. You’re probably better off buying a small container of yogurt. Good luck.
Chelle
Awesome recipe! Next time I’ll try it with a more sour yogurt.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Chelle — to make the yogurt more sour, you can let it sit in yogurt mode for longer than 8 hours. The longer the yogurt sits out, the more sour it gets. Try that next time. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Grace
Love this idea! Quick question though: Is it okay to start with really cold milk straight from the fridge? I’m using glass canning jars and am afraid the sudden temperature increase in the Instapot will break the glass. Thanks!!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Grace – I used cold milk and had no problem. The yogurt was kept out for a bit. Make sure your glass jars are canning jars or oven safe -they will be thick glass – and you should be fine. Best of luck!
Samantha
I just used canning jars and after the steam for 1 minute step, I opened up my instant pot to find the jars broken… Just a heads up!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Oh no! Did it happen to all the jars? I’ve never encountered that with canning jars (I use Ball or Mason brand usually), only with thinner glass jars that aren’t oven-safe. Learned the hard way. Some possible reasons: refrigerated jar, not using a rack, re-using jars from store-bought items like jelly, old jars, over-tightened lid. Could also be a manufacturer defect.
Meredith
Ooh, is refrigerated jars a bad idea? I was thinking of pre-pouring my milk in the jars and keeping the whole inner pot liner in the fridge the night before to save time in the morning. But not if this’ll crack the jars! :-/
Kit
I have pint jars and coconut milk yogurt for my starter. I plan to use cashew milk for my yogurt. With the larger jars (I can fit up to 3 in my IP) do you have any suggestions? Thanks!
Patricia Wouters
How did this recipe turn out ? I think to make coconut yogurt using c coconut milk or cream. Hat do you think?
Jamie | A Sassy Spoon
Indian culture sounds similar to Hispanic culture. My mom would give me yogurt when I had an upset stomach too. Plus it’s great for sore throats! I love that you made your very own yogurt in the instant pot! Looks terrific!
Paint the Kitchen Red
That’s really interesting that your mom did that too! Funny how different cultures of the world are more alike than different, right?
Becki
I have the lux Instant Pot without the yogurt setting. Can I still use it to make this pip method? What setting would I use? Thank you for all the great info.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Becki – there is no equivalent setting for the Instant Pot Lux model. However, you might try this tip that someone’s used with success (but I haven’t tried it.) https://www.copymethat.com/r/3nkQVaG/yogurt-in-a-lux-instant-pot/ Good luck!
Joyce
This is so cool!! Making yogurt with yogurt! 😀 I loved learning about this! I didn’t realize we could do this at home! I also love having yogurt, growing up I had a awesome indian babysitter (I call her my second mom lol :)) that used to cook all these cool curries and dishes for me and taught me not to fear the yogurt! (Not very common in asian food) and from then on I would have it with everything! Oh how I miss her. Thank you for this awesome tutorial! 🙂
Paint the Kitchen Red
I love it – what a great story about your introduction to yogurt – thanks for sharing!
Erica
I’ve been a big believer in the health benefits of probiotics for a long time now but never thought to make my own yogurt! Thanks for a very detailed and excellent recipe!
Paint the Kitchen Red
One less thing to buy from the store, and make at home. The 8 hour time can be scary but as you can see, the hands-on time is minimal.
romain | glebekitchen
I haven’t even thought about homemade yoghurt in years but I can instantly remember it as a flavour of my childhood. I’m only half Indian but yes I love plain yoghurt too. And I loved the homemade yoghurt I used to get at home best of all. Thanks for a big food hug!
Paint the Kitchen Red
It’s funny how living back in India, it was ‘yoghurt’, but here in America it’s become ‘yogurt’ for me. I’m glad that this brought back old memories for you!
Nina
Nice. I still do it the old fashion way.
Go to mummy’s and raid her fridge.
Paint the Kitchen Red
That works too! Unfortunately don’t have that option 🙂
Riva
I love plain, full fat yogurt, too! My family eats a lot of it–we go through about 3-4 containers a week. I need to try this homemade version, I’m sure it would be very cost effective at our house! Thanks for sharing, pinning for later.
Paint the Kitchen Red
Definitely cost effective, Riva. Eating yogurt is so healthy and your kids will have good immunity! Nice job, mom 🙂