Instant Pot Yogurt

Over the past few months, I have made yogurt in Instant Pot at least 10 times and have shared behind the scenes on my Instagram stories. You need only 2 ingredients – a jug of milk and a bit of yogurt with active  bacterial cultures. No specialty yogurt starter required.

Instant Pot yogurt comes out just as store bought. You can strain it further into a super creamy and thick Greek yogurt. Then you can turn some of Greek yogurt into a cream cheese (yes!). And then make the tallest and fluffiest pancakes in the whole entire world with leftover whey.

Don’t have a yogurt function on your pressure cooker? No worries, you can make Instant Pot yogurt without yogurt button. Also turn some into vanilla yogurt. We’ve got it all figured out for you!

How to Make Yogurt in Instant Pot

1. In Instant Pot with a yogurt function, add milk, close the lid and set pressure release valve to Venting. Press Yogurt button until display reads Boil. Milk will take about an hour to heat up and when it’s finished, Instant Pot will beep, turn off and display will say Yogurt. 
2. Open the lid and using a food thermometer check milk’s temperature. It should be 180 F and higher. If it’s not, press Saute button and give the pressure cooker 5-10 minutes to heat the milk further. Check again. 
3. Remove inner pot with milk and let it cool down either on a counter (3-4 hours) or in a sink filled with cold water (15 minutes) until food thermometer reads 110 F and lower. Remove the milk skin on top. 
4. Add yogurt.
5. Whisk to combine without touching the bottom (disturbing sticky milk).
6. Close the lid and leave pressure release valve in either position. Press Yogurt button until time counter is displayed and adjust time to 10 hours with + or – buttons. 
7. After 10 hours, Instant Pot will shut off. Insert a spoon in the yogurt and if it’s standing, your yogurt is ready.
8. Remove the inner pot and chill in the fridge for 6 hours or overnight. To make yogurt completely smooth, whisk it without touching the bottom.
9. Divide between glass jars or make Greek yogurt, vanilla yogurt, cream cheese and yogurt whey pancakes. I told you, I’ve got it all figured out for you. BUT before we dive in, I want you to know that you can make Instant Pot yogurt without yogurt button.

How to Make Instant Pot Yogurt without Yogurt Button

1. Timing is everything with this method. Follow steps 1 – 6 in Instant Pot yogurt recipe and cool off milk quickly in the sink. In the meanwhile keep lid on the Instant Pot to keep it warm.
2. Then in step 7 instead of turning Instant Pot on for 10 hours, wrap it in a large beach towel and leave on a counter overnight.

Note: Instant Pot should be OFF and milk still lukewarm, that will ensure proper incubation and favourable environment for live cultures to grow.

How to Make Instant Pot Greek Yogurt

1. Line large mesh strainer with cheesecloth folded 4 times or single layer of coffee filters, place on top of a bowl making sure there is enough space for draining the whey and add desired amount of yogurt. 
2. Strain for 4 hours. Greek yogurt will be thicker along the walls, just stir after adding to a jar. 

How to Make Cream Cheese

1. Cream cheese is longer strained Greek yogurt. Follow instructions for Instant Pot Greek yogurt and strain desired amount overnight. 
2. Transfer to a glass container and mix with a pinch of salt. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

What to Do with Yogurt Whey

Don’t know what to do with all that whey liquid? How about the world’s fluffiest healthy pancakes?!

How to Make Instant Pot Vanilla Yogurt

1. Whisk 1 cup of regular or Greek yogurt with 2 tbsp maple syrup or honey and 1 tsp pure vanilla extract. Adjust to taste and store like other yogurt. 

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FAQ About Making Yogurt in Instant Pot

Q: Can I cut recipe in half?

A: Sure, same instructions.

Q: Can I use almond, coconut, soy etc. milk?

A: No.

Q: Do I have to sanitize the pot and utensils?

A: No, I never did just like with kombucha recipe. Never had an issue.

Q: How much Instant Pot Greek yogurt yields 1 gallon of milk?

A: 8 cups or 64 oz.

Q: My Instant Pot lid smells. Will it affect the yogurt taste?

A: It won’t but for a peace of mind remove the silicone ring when making yogurt. You need it only for pressure cooking and yogurt is made not using this method.

Q: My yogurt didn’t set. What did I do wrong?

A: If you follow the recipe to a T, it shouldn’t happen. Most important points are:

1. Yogurt starter with live and active cultures.
2. Boil milk to 180 F and higher.
3. Cool to 110 F and lower and ONLY THEN add yogurt starter.

Q: I have heard about cold start method. Why you don’t do that?

A: OK, for cold start method you should use Fairlife ultra pasteurized milk only. After a thorough research, I came to a conclusion it is unhealthy because it contains additives with many nutrients destroyed during extremely high temperatures. Not to mention it’s not available organic and is produced by Coca-Cola company. Got it? It just can’t be good. You can read more.

Q: Is making yogurt in Instant Pot worth it?

A: Yes and no. Depends how much that jug of milk and the type of yogurt you make cost in your area. For example, in Canada 1 gallon of organic milk costs $9, which yields 8 cups (64 oz) of Greek yogurt, that costs $24 to buy. Plus organic cream cheese I can make which is not sold in Canada, not to mention all that whey you can use instead of buttermilk when making pancakes.