Instant Pot Greek-Style Homemade Yogurt
Here is how to make the creamiest, thick Greek-style yogurt in the Instant Pot directly in the steel pot by using “Yogurt” button/function.
Servings: 6
Calories: 300kcal
Ingredients
- ½ gallon (2 liters) whole milk
- 3 tablespoons plain whole milk starter yogurt with Active Bacteria Culture ( eg. Greek, Chobani, Oui, etc.)
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
Equipment
- 1 Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker with Yogurt Button/ Function
- 1 Whisk or a hand mixer
Instructions
- Step1: Boil Milk: Plug in the Instant Pot and remove the lid. Pour milk and heavy whipping cream in the inner pot of the Instant Pot. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and lock the lid on the pot, switch the “Pressure Release Valve” to close. Press the “Yogurt” button/function and then the “Adjust” button to choose the “Boil” setting to boil the milk. It should take about 20 minutes for this process totally. The Instant Pot display screen will change to “Yogt” mode once the boiling is done. Typically, the temperature of milk will be 180 degrees F/ 83 deg. C.
- Step 2: Cool Milk: Remove the inner steel pot from the Instant Pot and let it cool naturally or cool it by placing the pot in ice cold water. Cool until it is lukewarm, typically 115 degrees F/ 46-degree C. It takes only 2 minutes to cool down if you use the ice cold water method. Now put the steel insert back into the Instant Pot.
- Step 3: Temper milk with the starter yogurt: Once milk cools down to 115 degrees F, to temper the milk, transfer 1 cup of milk from the pot to a bowl and add 3 tablespoons of starter yogurt to it. Whisk it well to incorporate properly. Now pour this Starter/Milk mix back into the steel pot with the rest of the milk. Whisk the whole milk well once again to incorporate well, the more you whisk the better results you will get. Close the lid with the pressure valve in any position (venting or sealing does not matter as it is not under pressure) or place a clean glass lid.
- Step 4: Incubation: Now press the “Yogurt” button and then use the [+] or [-] buttons and select 8:00 hours. It should be at “Normal” setting. When the program is finished the letters “Yogt” will appear in the display. You can easily do this incubation overnight to ease out the wait time. You will wake up to a great creamy yogurt. Longer time will produce a tarter yogurt.
- Step 5: Refrigerate: After the incubation stops, remove the lid gently to prevent the condensation liquid to drop on set yogurt. Remove the inner pot and cover it with a clean and dry glass lid or a plate and refrigerate it immediately. This prevents the yogurt from becoming too tart. It also helps the yogurt to become thick and dense.
- Step 6: Serve: Remove from the fridgr and serve this deliciously creamy yogurt plain or add some honey and some fresh fruits or go ahead and experiment with different things. Enjoy.
Video
Notes
- Once you make this yogurt the first time, you will have your own “Starter Yogurt” to set next batches. Make sure you save a little bit of yogurt from each batch and you will never need to purchase “Starter Yogurt” again. You can even freeze the starter yogurt.
- Make sure you use the right amount of yogurt culture as mentioned in the recipe. If you add less culture then it may take longer to set or may not set at all. Too much of culture could yield really sour yogurt.
- You can try this boiling method of making yogurt in any Instant Pot model that has the yogurt button/function. Only the LUX models of Instant pot do not have the yogurt button/function.
- Always use fresh yogurt starter with live active culture in it or you can use the starter yogurt from the previous batch.