Instant Pot yogurt — hands-off with built-in temperature control

4
Units:
Prep: 10 min Cook: 10 hr
Ingredients
  • 1 qt whole milk
  • 2 tbsp plain yogurt with live active cultures

The Instant Pot solves the hardest part of yogurt making: maintaining a warm temperature for hours. Its insulated pot and built-in heater hold the perfect 105-115°F range without any improvisation.

Instructions

  1. Boil: Pour milk into the Instant Pot. Press Yogurt and select Boil. The machine heats the milk to about 180°F automatically.
  2. Cool: Remove the inner pot and let the milk cool to 110°F. An ice-water bath speeds this up.
  3. Inoculate: Whisk the starter yogurt into a small amount of the warm milk to temper it, then stir back into the pot.
  4. Incubate: Return the inner pot to the Instant Pot. Press Yogurt and set for 8-12 hr. The machine maintains the ideal incubation temperature automatically.
  5. Refrigerate: Transfer to glass jars and chill at least 4 hr before eating.

Tips

  • The Yogurt button is standard on most 6-quart and 8-quart Instant Pot models.
  • 8 hr gives mild yogurt; 10-12 hr gives tangier yogurt.
  • For thicker yogurt, use the cold-start method: skip the Boil step and use ultra-pasteurized milk, which has already been heat-treated.
  • Strain through cheesecloth 2-4 hr for Greek-style thickness.
Created: 3/23/2026, 2:40:51 AM diy
Instant Pot with Yogurt function, instant-read thermometer, glass jars for storage

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