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Home / Recipes / Breakfast / Instant Pot Greek Yogurt (Thick and Creamy)

Instant Pot Greek Yogurt (Thick and Creamy)

February 12, 2016 By Jill Selkowitz / 721 Comments Updated January 17, 2023 / As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs I earn from qualifying purchases; see all disclosures.

A silver spoon standing in the center of an Instant Pot that has greek yogurt in it.
Jump to Recipe

Instant Pot Yogurt – Thick and Creamy Yogurt is so simple to make in 8 easy steps. Add one more step to make it Instant Pot Greek Yogurt. Keto and Low Carb yogurt instructions too!

Instant Pot Greek Yogurt

Instant Pot Greek Yogurt

For the very best and most popular Instant Pot Yogurt recipe, look no more.

After reading about yogurt failures, I did extensive experimentation to recreate and figure out all the issues, so that you will will make the best yogurt in your Instant Pot or GoWISE USA on the very first try. This method and all these tips and findings are my unprecedented and original work from February 2016.

Jump to Section

  • Can Lactose Free Milk be Used for Instant Pot Yogurt?
  • Ingredients for Instant Pot Yogurt
  • How long does it take to make Instant Pot Yogurt?
  • How to Freeze Yogurt for Starter
  • Can Whey Be Used for Starter?
  • Do I Need a Thermometer for Instant Pot Yogurt?
  • Flavoring Instant Pot Yogurt
  • Incubating Instant Pot Yogurt
  • Tips and Tricks for Instant Pot Yogurt.
  • Make Greek Yogurt
  • How to Store Instant Pot Yogurt
  • Instant Pot Greek Yogurt

Can Lactose Free Milk be Used for Instant Pot Yogurt?

  • Yes. Yogurt bacteria converts lactose into lactic acid, which makes yogurt tangy.
  • Use regular milk and incubate 19-24 hours… voila, lactose free! And tangy !!

 

Cast of Ingredients for Instant Pot Greek Yogurt

Cast of Ingredients for Instant Pot Greek Yogurt

Ingredients for Instant Pot Yogurt

  • Milk – Whole Milk yields the thickest yogurt.
  • Yogurt Starter – any brand of yogurt with just milk and live cultures. I prefer to use Fage.
  • Instant Pot DUO Plus  – all models, but the LUX, have the Yogurt Feature. Ninja Foodi works in exactly the same way at the Instant Pot DUO Plus.

Only a few steps and some patience and knowledge, will get you there fast.

Ultra Pasteurized Milk for Instant Pot Yogurt

  • Type of Milk and or Starter (culture) plays a role. Ultra Pasteurized Milk is heated to 280 degrees, which kills about 99.9 percent of the bacteria needed to properly culture yogurt, so therefore, it doesn’t generally set up well. Milk labeled “Organic” is most likely Ultra Pasteurized.
  • The “Starter” you use for the yogurt is very important too. The first time making yogurt, purchase a high quality container of yogurt containing milk and live active cultures; nothing more, nothing less.

Pro Tip: For a quick “Cold Start” or “No Boil” method, use my Instant Pot Cold Start Yogurt [No Boiling] where you WILL use the ultra pasteurized milk.

Pour the Milk into the Instant Pot DUO

Pour the Milk into the Instant Pot

Do I have to make a Whole Gallon of Milk for Instant Pot Yogurt?

  • No. If you want to make Half a Gallon of Milk for your homemade yogurt, just cut the entire recipe in half.
  • The Milk will heat through quicker too!

Is Instant Pot Yogurt made under Pressure?

  • No, the Yogurt Function is not under pressure.
  • The lid can be removed at any time.

 

Boil the Milk

Boil the Milk

How long does it take to make Instant Pot Yogurt?

  • Whisking the milk every 10 minutes during the boil cycle will help the milk come up to temperature quicker.
  • Getting milk to 183-185 degrees and holding there for a few minutes, will yield a thicker yogurt.
  • Boil Cycle will take about 45 minutes.
  • Cool Down will take about 10 minutes.
  • Incubation Time for Instant Pot Yogurt – From 5 hours to 10 hours.
  • Most people incubate for 9 hours.

How to Freeze Yogurt for Starter

  • After the first time making homemade yogurt, you will have your own “Starter,” so make sure you save a little bit from each batch.
  • These King Size Ice Cube Trays (for starter) are the perfect size to hold 2 Tablespoons of starter yogurt. They are perfect for Scotch on the Rocks! 😉

 

Prepare the Starter

Prepare the Starter

Can Whey Be Used for Starter?

  • Yes, you can use whey for the starter yogurt.
  • You can even freeze the whey to use as your starter for homemade yogurt.

Do I have to thaw my Yogurt Starter?

  • Yes, the yogurt you use for your starter must be thawed!
  • It should be defrosted enough to temper into the warm milk.

 

The Temperature Should Read 180 Degrees Image

The Temperature Should Read 180 Degrees

Do I Need a Thermometer for Instant Pot Yogurt?

  • Yes. If you just rely on the functions of the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, you won’t know if the temperature of the milk reached the optimal number. Therefore, using a thermometer, will let you know and if you want to continue to heat the milk more, you have the knowledge.
  • There will be hot spots, so stir the milk first and then use your Digital Thermometer to check the temperature of the milk.

The Sauté function can be used if needed to get the milk up to temp. Just make sure to use a whisk continuously, until the Digital Thermometer reads at least 180 degrees; it’s important. (I like to get to 182-185 degrees.)

Pro Tip: Make sure to have a good working digital thermometer.

 

Whisk Milk for a Quicker Cool Down This Old Gal Yogurt

Whisk Milk for a Quicker Cool Down

The best way to cool down the milk for yogurt is to place the cooking pot into the kitchen sink full of cold water.

Why Cool Down Milk in Sink?

  • While an ice bath will cool the milk quicker, you will have a better overall yogurt result using cold water and not shocking the milk. Using a whisk will aerate the milk and help it to cook down quicker.

If you sense a metallic taste try using this silicone whisk instead. Another way to cool down the milk is to let the cooking pot sit on a cooling rack, but that will take about 30 minutes.

 

Temperature of Milk Reads 110 Degrees

Temperature of Milk Reads 110 Degrees

When the temperature reaches 95-110 degrees, you are ready to add your yogurt starter.

To purchase this cheap digital thermometer, please click here.

 

Remove a Little Milk from Instant Pot and Mix in Starter

Remove a Little Milk from Instant Pot and Mix in Starter

The yogurt that you use as the “Starter,” needs to contain live cultures and milk; nothing more.

Flavoring Instant Pot Yogurt

  • If you want to flavor your homemade yogurt with Vanilla Extract or Vanilla Beans, it can be added when the yogurt starter is added.
  • Sugar and sweeteners are best added after the yogurt has chilled.

Pro Tip: The bacteria in the yogurt needs to work without fighting with any sugar.

 

Cooled Down Milk with Starter

Cooled Down Milk with Starter

The milk will look bubbly, which is fine. The milk is ready to incubate to become yogurt in the Instant Pot.

 

Push the Yogurt Button, the Adjust to the Time You Prefer

Push the Yogurt Button, then Adjust to the Time You Prefer

This glass lid is nice to use since the yogurt is not under pressure. The regular lid works well too!

Incubating Instant Pot Yogurt

  • Incubating the yogurt for 8-10 hours will give you a tart, but not overly sour yogurt.
  • For a milder tasting yogurt, try incubating for 6-8 hours. For a more tart yogurt, incubate longer.
  • The longer incubation time, the more beneficial bacteria in the yogurt is produced.

It is a good idea to start the yogurt process in the evening. While you are sleeping, the yogurt can incubate.

Pro Tip: For yogurt that is lower in carbohydrates, incubate for 12-14 hours and then strain the yogurt for 4-12 hours. This will greatly reduce the sugar from the milk.

Normal and Less Settings on the Instant Pot?

  • The “Normal” function is for incubating yogurt. The timer will start at 8:00 and can be adjusted up or down.
  • After adjusting, the time will count up. Make sure the Instant Pot says “Normal.”
  • The “Less” function on the Instant Pot is used by many people to retard their bread quicker, as it provides a warm environment. When the adjust button is pressed the Instant Pot will display 24:00.
  • Don’t just use the “-” to get it back down to 8:00 or 10:00 hours. The Display Screen must say “Normal.”

My Instant Pot Yogurt Whey Dutch Oven Crusty Bread recipe uses the “Less” function and is a great way to use your whey, after straining the yogurt.

 

Cover Yogurt and Place into the Refrigerator

Cover Yogurt and Place into the Refrigerator

After incubation, the yogurt should be covered with saran wrap or a glass lid and place it in the refrigerator for at least 6-8 hours to chill and firm up.

Tips and Tricks for Instant Pot Yogurt.

  1. Sterilize the Instant Pot. This helps to remove any odors from prior Instant Pot meals. You don’t want your yogurt tasting like my Competition Chili con Carne recipe, would you?
  2. Placing the cooking pot in fridge after sterilizing will help to prevent the milk from scorching during the boil cycle.
  3. During the boil cycle, stir the milk before taking the temperature, to avoid hot spots and insure an inaccurate reading.
  4. You will get thicker yogurt when the milk reaches 182-185 degrees.
  5. Cooling down the milk in a sink full of cool water is preferred over an ice bath.
  6. Check that your Instant Pot is on the Normal “setting” during incubation not “Less.”
  7. Yogurt needs several hours in the fridge to set up, so don’t be tempted to stir.

The starter can be frozen. Only freeze enough for a couple of weeks. You should never need to purchase “Starter” again so long as the frozen starter is used within a few weeks.

Yogurt is great in place of sour cream. Greek yogurt is higher in protein and lower in sugar because of the straining.

 

After Chilling in the Fridge, the Spoon will Stand Upright

After Chilling in the Fridge, the Spoon will Stand Upright

The Instant Pot Yogurt will be thick at this point and ready to eat.

 

Grab and Go Breakfast Fresh Fruit Yogurt Parfait

Grab and Go Breakfast Fresh Fruit Yogurt Parfait

A wonderful Grab and Go breakfast!

Fruit Toppings for Instant Pot Yogurt

  • Instant Pot Fresh Berry Compote, Instant Pot Strawberry Compote
  • Instant Pot Lemon Curd or Instant Pot Key Lime Curd
  • Instant Pot Peach Crisp
  • Instant Pot Dannon Dutch Apple – My favorite as a kid!

Non-Fruit Toppings for Instant Pot Yogurt

  • Simple Dulce de Leche Recipe {Pressure or Slow Cooker}
  • Homemade Granola

Fresh fruit, Agave and a sprinkle of Orange Ginger Pecan Granola makes a delicious Parfait.

 

Straining Yogurt Makes it Greek Style

Straining Yogurt Makes it Greek Style

Yogurt that has not been strained is just regular yogurt. Strained yogurt is called “Greek Yogurt.”

Make Greek Yogurt

The Euro Cuisine Greek Yogurt Maker makes Yogurt Straining so much easier and is my first choice for straining and making Greek style yogurt.

What constitutes Greek Yogurt is just using Milk and the Starter (no powdered milk is used) and then STRAINING the Yogurt to remove whey. That’s all it is…..strained Regular Yogurt = Greek Yogurt!!

If you use a Strainer instead, you may need several layers of cheesecloth, butter muslin or coffee filters in order to achieve translucent/clear whey. If your whey is coming out cloudy, add another layer of cheesecloth, butter muslin or coffee filters to your straining device.

When to Strain Yogurt for Greek Yogurt

  • It is best to first chill the Instant Pot Greek Yogurt, so that it sets up, undisturbed.
  • However, you can strain the Yogurt and chill it at the same time right after incubation, but, you will end up with more Whey.

If you first chill the Yogurt, your yield will be much greater.

 

A Long Strain Time Will Make Super Thick Yogurt

A Long Strain Time Will Make Super Thick Yogurt

The above photo shows Yogurt that was strained overnight. All you need is two to three hours is fine to achieve a nice, thick Greek Yogurt.

Ideas for Leftover Whey

  • Instant Pot Yogurt Whey Dutch Oven Crusty Bread in less than 5 hours!
  • Yogurt Whey Indian Chapati a/k/a Roti (Flatbread)
  • Pressure Cooker Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding
  • Instant Pot Mexican Hot Chocolate Frozen Yogurt Bars – Delicious summer treat

For a delicious Noosa like recipe, try my Instant Pot Homemade Noosa Honey Yoghurt Copycat recipe.

 

 

 

Instant Pot DUO Greek Yogurt

Instant Pot DUO Greek Yogurt

How to Store Instant Pot Yogurt

  • For individual servings, add a couple of Tablespoons of Fresh Berry Compote and/or Lemon Curd to the bottom of 15-16 Kerr Half Pint (8 oz) Mason Jars and then fill up the jars with yogurt.
  • Use larger Reditainers Extreme Freezer Containers to store yogurt in bulk.

More Uses for Instant Pot Yogurt.

  • Add dollop on top of my Pressure Cooker Competition Chili Con Carne
  • Use on Instant Pot Drive Thru Tacos in place of sour cream.
  • Top Pressure Cooker Chicken Enchiladas with yogurt.
  • Make Homemade Naan!
  • Make Homemade Greek Tzatziki

Now that you are a pro at yogurt making, make sure to check out the most delicious Instant Pot New York Cheesecake recipe ever!

Kitchen Equipment and Essentials

  • Instant Pot
  • Amco Advanced Performance 18/10 Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons
  • Salbree Steamer Basket
  • Anchor Hocking Glass (Liquid) Measuring Cups
  • Rösle Stainless Steel Flat Whisk– a MUST have, probably my most used utensil
  • Kerr Half Pint (8 oz) Mason Jars
  • Euro Cuisine Greek Yogurt Maker
  • Digital Thermometer
  • King Size Ice Cube Trays (for starter)

Caring is sharing! If you would like to support This Old Gal, please share this recipe on Social Media, so that I can continue bringing you more wonderful recipes!

If you share a picture of something you make from our blog, tag it with #thisoldgalcooks so we can see it. We might feature it on Instagram! It makes my day when I see you’ve made one of our recipes!

Here is the handy printable recipe:

Instant Pot Greek Yogurt 2

Instant Pot Greek Yogurt

4.93 from 172 votes
Print Pin SaveSaved! Rate
Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes
Incubation: 8 hours hours
Total Time: 45 minutes minutes
Servings: 14 servings
Calories: 118kcal
Author: Jill Selkowitz

Ingredients

  • 1 Gallon Whole Milk (or 2% Milk, Low Fat or Fat Free Milk)
  • 2 Tablespoons Yogurt "Starter" (Fage or Skye Whole Milk PLAIN Yogurt)
US Customary - Metric

Recommended Products

Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker
Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker
Digital Thermometer
Digital Thermometer
Rösle Stainless Steel Flat Whisk
Rösle Stainless Steel Flat Whisk
Tempering Cup
Tempering Cup
Euro Cuisine Yogurt Strainer
Euro Cuisine Yogurt Strainer
Jumbo Ice Cube Tray
Jumbo Ice Cube Tray

Instructions

Sterilize (Optional)

  • Add three cups of water to the Instant Pot cooking pot, lock on lid and close Pressure Valve. Push the Steam button and adjust time to 5 minutes.
  • When Beep is heard, open Pressure Valve (Quick Release). When all pressure has been released, remove lid and dump out the water. Dry and cool off cooking pot.

Make Yogurt (Not Under Pressure)

  • Pour Milk into cold/cool Pressure Cooker cooking pot. Cover with IP Lid or Glass Lid. Close the Pressure Valve, if desired.
  • Push Yogurt button and then the Adjust button, until it says "boil."  {For IP Plus, push Yogurt button until it says "boil"}  A few times during boil cycle, remove lid and whisk Milk.
  • When Beep sounds, open lid, whisk and take temperature. If the temperature is not 180 degrees, repeat last step or use the Sauté/Low function to get it up to temp, whisking continuously.
  • When 180 degrees is reached, remove cooking pot and place in kitchen sink full of cold water. Cool Milk down to 95-110 degrees, whisking often.
  • Temper starter - scoop out some Milk and whisk in the Starter. Pour Milk (w/the Starter) back into cooking pot, whisk thoroughly.
  • Place cooking pot back into the Instant Pot and cover with IP Lid or Glass Lid.  Press Yogurt button.
  • The display screen will say 8:00 (hit again or Adjust, if necessary). {For IP Plus, press Yogurt button repeatedly until the display says 8:00 Normal}  Make sure display says "Normal." Use the +/- button to adjust time to your desired level of tartness. The program will end after whatever time you have set to incubate.
  • When Cycle ends, remove cooking pot (covered) to refrigerator, until cool, 6-8 hours (undisturbed).

How to Make it Greek Yogurt

  • Use a Yogurt Strainer and strain the yogurt in the refrigerator for at least two hours. Your whey should be translucent/clear.
  • If the whey is cloudy, add another layer of cheesecloth/butter muslin to your straining device. The Euro Strainer should produce clear whey.

Keto/Low Carb Yogurt

  • Adjust time to 14 hours and then strain yogurt overnight in the refrigerator.

Notes

  • Whisking the milk every 10 minutes during the boil cycle will help the milk come up to temperature quicker.
  • Getting milk to 183-185 degrees and holding there for a few minutes, will yield a thicker yogurt.
  • Boil Cycle will take about 45 minutes.
  • Cool Down will take about 10 minutes.
  • Greek Yogurt is simply yogurt made from milk and a live culture starter and then strained for at least two hours.
  • Don't forget to save some of the strained yogurt in ice cube trays to use as your future starter.
  • Whole Milk works best and give the most creamy and thick consistency, but 2% or low fat can be used as well.
Low fat and fat free milk will work, just please note the consistency will be thinner.

How to Make Low Carb Yogurt

  • Incubating the yogurt for longer periods of time will rid the yogurt of more sugars, so that the yogurt will be lower in carbs. The longer you strain the yogurt, the more whey is released, which means more carbs are also strained.
  • You can also use heavy cream instead of milk.

How To Make Instant Pot Yogurt in Instant Pot Ultra

  • Turn Dial to the Yogurt Setting and press to select.
  • Press Dial and set the time to 6-10 hours (depending on tart preference) and then press again to confirm.
  • Turn Dial to Temp, select "Medium," and press Dial to start.
  • Display will say "Yogt," when complete.

How to Sweeten Instant Pot Yogurt

  • Instant Pot Fresh Berry Compote
  • Instant Pot Lemon Curd
  • Instant Pot Strawberry Compote
  • Simple Dulce de Leche Recipe {Pressure or Slow Cooker}
  • Homemade Granola
  • Instant Pot Peach Crisp
  • Instant Pot Dannon Dutch Apple
  • Instant Pot Key Lime Curd

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Instant Pot Greek Yogurt
Amount Per Serving
Calories 118 Calories from Fat 9
% Daily Value*
Fat 1g2%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Cholesterol 10mg3%
Sodium 72mg3%
Potassium 282mg8%
Carbohydrates 6g2%
Sugar 6g7%
Protein 20g40%
Vitamin A 8IU0%
Calcium 220mg22%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Mention @ThisOldGalCooks or tag #thisoldgalcooks!
© ThisOldGal.com - Sharing the recipe link to any of my recipes posts are both encouraged and appreciated. Unauthorized and improperly attributed or non-attributed use of this material, including screen shots, copy/paste of full recipes to any social media site, website, mobile application or service (e.g., copymethat, recipe keeper, pepper) or cookbook, without the requisite attribution or otherwise with express written permission from Jill Selkowitz is strictly prohibited. You may share a photo with a link back instead.

PIN this Instant Pot Greek Yogurt Recipe {Pressure Cooker Yogurt}!

A silver spoon standing in the center of an Instant Pot that has greek yogurt in it.

Instant Pot Greek Yogurt

75.1K shares
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February 12, 2016

About Jill Selkowitz

Hi, I'm Jill. I'm a mom to Tonkinese cats and enjoy sharing restaurant quality meals, easily made at home. With my easy step by step photos and directions, new cooks will be able to follow along and cook like rock stars.

Comments

  1. Jill Miller says

    July 20, 2023 at 8:48 am

    Is it safe to eat yogurt if the IP setting was on low instead of normal?

    Reply
  2. Hiliary says

    July 2, 2023 at 2:55 pm

    5 stars
    2nd time making this and love it! Just curious what the actual service side is? I track macros and wasn’t sure what it was

    Reply
    • Jill Selkowitz says

      October 18, 2023 at 2:14 pm

      Hi Hiliary. So glad you enjoy the yogurt. I think the serving size is about 4 ounces, but personally, I eat more at a time. Jill

      Reply
  3. Annie M says

    February 5, 2023 at 8:09 am

    5 stars
    I had a problem a couple of times, with my yogurt coming out runny -and then realized it was because I got just a little bit of water in with the yogurt before incubating. One time, I just rinsed my whisk in
    water a few times while I was stirring. since making sure all my utensils do not get wet, the problem has been solved.

    Thanks Jill! I love making yogurt and it is SO much better than store bought!!

    Reply
    • Jill Selkowitz says

      October 18, 2023 at 2:25 pm

      Thank you, Annie. Enjoy. Jill

      Reply
  4. Lauren D. says

    April 28, 2022 at 3:46 am

    5 stars
    Hi! I have one question. The recipe says to leave it in the fridge undisturbed for 6-8 hours. Does that mean do not strain it until after that time? I’ve been straining it right away, but am wondering if it would be improved in some way if I let it rest and cool first as the recipe appears to suggest.

    Reply
    • Jill Selkowitz says

      May 21, 2022 at 4:25 pm

      That is what it means.

      Reply
  5. LuAnne says

    April 2, 2022 at 7:32 am

    5 stars
    I’ve been using this method for making Greek yogurt for several years and it always turns out perfect. The only thing I didn’t like about the process was that some of the milk would get stuck on the bottom of the IP liner because I finished the ‘boil’ process with the ‘saute’ option to speed up the heating of the milk. Even though I stirred constantly while using the saute option, it still stuck. It was always a pain in the butt to clean that stuck on milk off the bottom of the liner. Recently, I’ve started heating the milk on the stove in a non stick pot. Yes, it makes another pot dirty but it’s so worth it not to have to clean the stuck on milk out of the IP liner. Now I love making yogurt even more!

    Reply
    • Jill Selkowitz says

      April 5, 2022 at 1:44 pm

      Hi LuAnne. Thank you,. That sounds like a good plan! Enjoy. Jill

      Reply
  6. Suz says

    February 1, 2022 at 2:33 pm

    I started having stomach issues with store bought yogurt. Remembering I use to make it, but no longer having a yogurt maker, I went looking for a recipe. I am so happy to have found yours. The yogurt was easy and so delicious. I am writing hoping that you or one of the other commenters might know why this yogurt also bothers me. I do not have any issues with any other milk products. I thought it would be some ingredient added to commercial yogurt. But no. I also have trouble when I take pro or prebiotics. Can anyone help? Try Jill’s recipe it is great.

    Reply
    • Jill Selkowitz says

      February 5, 2022 at 11:43 am

      Hi Suz. I am glad you found this recipe and it was a success. I suggest asking that question to your doctor. Jill

      Reply
    • Suz says

      July 14, 2023 at 9:01 am

      5 stars
      Doing further research I found the using A2 milk solved the problem! Just thought it might help someone else.

      Reply
  7. Sharon Sankey says

    October 6, 2021 at 9:17 am

    5 stars
    LOVE this recipe for the IP*! My hubby is lactose intolerant, but can eat this greek yogurt. I like that I can use regular milk that I sterilize myself rather than purchasing it at the store. I use this yogurt as a substitute for sour cream and buttermilk as well as enjoying it as is with a drizzle of honey and fresh fruit and nuts.

    *I have purchased another pressurized cooker brand and am wondering how do you make this recipe without a “yogurt” function? THANK YOU so much for your reply!

    Reply
  8. Delta says

    March 27, 2021 at 7:46 am

    5 stars
    I tried this recipe twice already. I used fresh milk. The outcome is wonderful soft creamy yogurt. I love all the details and information given. Thanks,

    Reply
    • Jill Selkowitz says

      March 27, 2021 at 2:48 pm

      Thank you, Delta. Glad you enjoyed your yogurt! Jill

      Reply
  9. Megan says

    March 14, 2021 at 7:12 am

    Hello,

    I am making this receipt but only going a half gallon on whole milk. I have added 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract when I mixed in the starter. I also would like to add agave to my yogurt. How much would I use for a half gallon of milk and would you suggest adding it before or after straining?

    Reply
  10. Nichole says

    January 20, 2021 at 1:42 pm

    Love this recipe and have been using it for a few years now. Question though, any way to get the nutrition facts for this if you use skim milk?

    Reply
  11. Katrina says

    July 19, 2020 at 9:38 am

    5 stars
    I made this for the first time last week and it turned out great!

    Two questions:
    How long is Greek yogurt good for?
    How much yogurt is considered a serving on your nutritional information?

    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Tiffany says

      January 22, 2021 at 3:23 pm

      5 stars
      I’m also curious what serving size was used in the nutritional info included. I couldn’t find an answer in all the comments.

      Reply
  12. Katrina says

    July 16, 2020 at 11:17 am

    5 stars
    I am been considering making this for a while. It seemed very daunting. But it was simple! My first batch is currently cooling in the fridge!

    I found it took longer to both bring up to heat and cool down than the recipe. Hoping to become more efficient with this.

    I have high hopes since lactose-free yogurts are expensive and some times hard to come by.

    Reply
  13. Nancy says

    July 15, 2020 at 4:01 am

    5 stars
    I use this recipe on a weekly basis. Love it. I strain to make Greek yogurt. I also use the drained whey to add to my bread. Imparts a wonderful sour dough flavor!! A half gallon of milk drained gives me nearly a quart of whey!I also use 1% milk. Work very well!

    Reply
  14. Joy says

    June 15, 2020 at 3:32 pm

    5 stars
    Hello Jill, I have made this successfully many times and we love it in our house! Unfortunately, the last two times I made it it has come out very runny, like nothing has changed during the process at all. The first time I used frozen (then thawed) starter, and the second time I used a yogurt that I bought again for that purpose (Fage). Any ideas what the trouble could be? It’s hard to go back to store bought yogurt after this deliciousness.

    Reply
    • Jill Selkowitz says

      July 12, 2020 at 11:51 am

      5 stars
      Perhaps the pot was set to less.

      Reply
  15. Julie says

    June 5, 2020 at 4:58 am

    I have found that if I let the milk cool naturally to 110, my yield increased. No rushed cooling of the milk for me anymore.

    Reply
  16. Deanna says

    May 29, 2020 at 2:46 pm

    My husband loves Key Lime Greek Yogurt. Can I use a Key Lime starter or lime juice to flavor? How can I make this taste like Kirkland’s Key Lime Greek Yogurt? THANKS!

    Reply
  17. Terri says

    May 29, 2020 at 1:12 pm

    Why do I see cautions against using flavored yogurts for starters? They have live bacteria too, so if one used a mild flavor such as vanilla it wouldn’t taint the batch so that later added other flavor couldn’t cover it. Or not. I scooped the top portion of a fresh, (newly bought), unstirred “fruit on the bottom” yogurt and it worked just fine, no flavor showed up at all.

    Reply
  18. Judy says

    May 19, 2020 at 4:56 am

    5 stars
    I have been making your recipe for a couple of years and love it- I am pretty sure I have paid for my Instant Pot with the money I have saved buying Greek yogurt. Unfortunately, last night I did too much multi-tasking while making it and got careless…and forgot the starter. Is it possible to still use that milk or do I need to start with a new gallon? (It was on the yogurt setting for 10 hours) Very frustrating! (All I had to do was double check the recipe!! oh well!) Thanks for your help!

    Reply
    • Jill Selkowitz says

      May 24, 2020 at 3:34 pm

      Hi Judy. That is up to you. It probably s fine, but I don’t want to make the decision. Jill

      Reply
  19. Kristin says

    May 18, 2020 at 6:59 am

    Do you have a recommended amount of vanilla extract and sugar/sweetener to add to this recipe?

    Reply
    • Jill Selkowitz says

      May 18, 2020 at 3:19 pm

      It is a personal preference. Start with less and add more if needed. Jill

      Reply
  20. Mandy says

    May 15, 2020 at 11:08 am

    I have a house divided on greek yogurt vs regular yogurt, if I make greek yogurt and freeze the 2 tbsps, can I use that started for non greek yogurt…and vice versa? Also if I add vanilla when adding my starter and freeze that for next time, will I always want to add the vanilla?

    Thanks!

    Reply
  21. Jenna says

    May 14, 2020 at 10:38 am

    Hello! I have used your recipe with lots of success! We recently started buying raw, non pasteurized milk from a local farm. Can this milk be used with this recipe or should we still but regular pasteurized milk from a store to make yogurt?

    Reply
    • Jill Selkowitz says

      May 15, 2020 at 5:15 pm

      I would not use raw in this recipe. Jill

      Reply
    • Danielle says

      June 10, 2020 at 11:40 am

      Using raw milk won’t change anything in this recipe but you will be pasteurizing the raw milk, essentially, and destroying the beneficial effects of the raw milk. If you don’t heat the milk and do the cool start process you can add high quality gelatin to make a thicker end product.

      Reply
  22. Jenna says

    May 14, 2020 at 3:33 am

    I’ve been using your method for a while now and love it! We recently started buying milk from one of our local farms. It is raw, unpasteurized A2 milk. Can I use it to make yogurt? Or should I still be using regular pasteurized milk from the store?

    Reply
  23. Gator Lanphear says

    May 7, 2020 at 10:06 pm

    Is the second time in the pot for 8:00 is it 8 hours or 8 min?

    Reply
  24. Dawn says

    May 7, 2020 at 8:37 pm

    If I’m only using 1/2 gallon of milk, would 1 TBS starter (fage 2%) really be enough?

    Reply
    • Sandra A MERRITT says

      June 1, 2020 at 12:31 pm

      yes

      Reply
  25. Donna says

    May 3, 2020 at 4:44 pm

    Can i use this method to make Greek yoghurt with ultra pasteurized milk? Or would i have to use the Instant Pot cold start method?

    Reply
    • Jill Selkowitz says

      May 7, 2020 at 3:23 pm

      You can use that milk for this recipe. Jill

      Reply
  26. K Ann Guinn says

    May 1, 2020 at 9:10 am

    5 stars
    I can’t recall if I’ve ever left a comment or rated your recipe, but I just wish to say that I only use your recipe and tips for my Instant Pot Greek yogurt, as it is the one that finally gave me success when first learning to make yogurt. I also like your cold-start method and use that on occasion when I’m too tired or have less time to fidget with the whole boil method process. It is also very good (and super easy!), but I agree with you that the boil method yields the best and tastiest results.

    Thanks for not only providing this wonderful recipe, but all of your expert advice, which has really made a difference. I think especially getting the milk to a slightly higher temperature and leaving it for a few minutes works so well.

    I always refer to your post when folks are asking questions about making yogurt in their Instant Pot. Keep up the good work!

    Reply
    • Jill Selkowitz says

      May 7, 2020 at 9:23 pm

      Hi K Ann. Thank you so much for your lovely message. It is truly appreciated. Jill

      Reply
  27. Sharon says

    May 1, 2020 at 5:04 am

    Can you use a pressure cooker to make your Greek Yogurt recipe?

    Reply
  28. Victoria says

    April 25, 2020 at 4:17 pm

    5 stars
    First off, let me say I love this recipe – have made it many times and have turned others on to it. A few times I have had the problem of the Greek yogurt being “grainy” rather than being smooth and creamy and trying to figure out what might be causing this. Any ideas – i.e. the brand of the starter, the length of time culturing time, the temperature the milk is heated to before cooling and and adding the culture? My solution has been to use a wire whip after straining the yogurt but that tends to thin it down a bit. Thanks, open to any and all suggestions…

    Reply
    • Jill Selkowitz says

      April 27, 2020 at 4:40 pm

      It is possible the milk might have scorched on the bottom of the pot. Jill

      Reply
  29. jen says

    April 7, 2020 at 5:59 pm

    my insta pot doesnt have a ypgurt setting. would you recomend the “keep warm” button?

    Reply
    • Becca says

      February 6, 2021 at 7:52 am

      5 stars
      Wondering the same for my friends asking!
      I’ve made this many times and love it!

      Reply
  30. Linda says

    April 5, 2020 at 8:03 am

    Delicious! I’ve made this twice now with great success. 2 litres of Lucerne skim milk and 1 Tbsp Kirkland Greek yogurt.

    Reply
    • Jill Selkowitz says

      April 5, 2020 at 4:58 pm

      Thank you, Linda. Jill

      Reply
  31. Kaye says

    March 27, 2020 at 5:10 pm

    5 stars
    I made this with a half of a gallon of whole milk. Absolutely delicious. Feels like eating a dessert, especially with her fruit compote recipe. Mine was very thick before I added the vanilla and honey flavorings. Then after it was blended it was more smooth and pour-able. Thickened up slightly after being in the refrigerator though. I had a 4-5 servings yield from it.

    I ate mine with some mango, the berry compote, and homemade granola on top. Divine as dessert or even as a meal for me. I was surprised that the yogurt had less of the tangy flavor that I don’t love, more rich and creamy like whipped cream or pudding. Will definitely make again.

    Reply
    • Jill Selkowitz says

      March 28, 2020 at 2:29 pm

      Hi Kaye. Thank you very much. I am glad you enjoy the yogurt. Jill

      Reply
  32. Suzanne Robbins says

    March 6, 2020 at 8:41 am

    I have a instant pot duo so I use a half gallon of milk. Would you have any reason why i can not get the milk to reach your suggested temperatures such as 183-185 degrees and then downtown the lower degrees for incubation?

    Reply
  33. Carol Fellers says

    March 4, 2020 at 9:30 pm

    Can I use fat free milk for instant pot yogurt?

    Reply
  34. Ivy Hutchison says

    March 1, 2020 at 4:34 am

    Thank you for the step by step directions. I’m anxious to try it. How would I make yogurt higher in active cultures? Probiotic? Thanks

    Reply
  35. Bonnie says

    February 19, 2020 at 8:34 am

    5 stars
    I tried this using 1 qt lactose free whole milk and store bought plain yogurt for the starter. I used 1 Tb per cup of milk. I incubated first 12 hours & then strained for 5 hrs to help remove sugar for diabetic hubs. It is thick & delicious before refrigerating!
    The yield was three 6 oz jars. Is that because I strained it? I only made a small batch to see if it worked out. It’s perfect & easy!! So much cheaper than store bought lactose free yogurts!! Thank you for the great instructions!

    Reply
    • Jill Selkowitz says

      February 21, 2020 at 1:25 am

      Thank you, Bonnie. Jill

      Reply
  36. Joy says

    February 12, 2020 at 7:53 am

    Thank you for sharing this recipe. I have made it several times now and it always comes out perfectly. I leave it for nine hours for a little extra tang. We love it with my homemade granola.

    Reply
    • Jill Selkowitz says

      February 12, 2020 at 4:26 pm

      Thank you so much, Joy. Jill

      Reply
  37. Nannaboo8 says

    February 5, 2020 at 4:42 pm

    How long will the yogurt keep in fridge? And also the whey in fridge and if frozen?

    Reply
  38. Amber says

    February 4, 2020 at 9:57 am

    I am just looking at your Nutrition Facts… What is the serving size? 1/2 cup or 1 cup?

    If I strain it longer then 2 hours, will it increase the protein? Do you know by how much/or where I might be able to figure out the calculation?

    Thanks in advance! 🙂

    Reply
  39. Belinda says

    January 29, 2020 at 7:49 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious and easy to make yogurt, thank you!
    How much whey would I use as a starter?
    Thank You

    Reply
    • Jill Selkowitz says

      January 30, 2020 at 2:40 pm

      Thank you, Belinda! Jill

      Reply
  40. Anna Hill says

    January 25, 2020 at 9:37 am

    Five stars I just made my second batch of Greek yogurt

    Reply
    • Jill Selkowitz says

      January 25, 2020 at 5:59 pm

      Wonderful! Jill

      Reply
  41. Candice says

    January 18, 2020 at 6:59 pm

    Your picture has 2% milK yet the recipe says whole milk. Which milk should be used?

    Reply
    • Jill Selkowitz says

      January 18, 2020 at 7:27 pm

      Whichever you like. Jill

      Reply
  42. Mary Moore says

    January 17, 2020 at 2:15 pm

    I have a question about making Greek yogurt in my instapot. Can I use instant low fat milk to make your recipe and do I have to boil it? Thank you for your help.

    Reply
    • Jill Selkowitz says

      January 17, 2020 at 8:10 pm

      Instant milk, you mean the powdered stuff? That is an interesting question. You sure can try and then let me know how it tastes. JIll

      Reply
  43. Debbie says

    January 11, 2020 at 5:23 am

    5 stars
    My IP doesn’t have the yogurt setting so what can I do?

    Reply
    • Becca says

      February 6, 2021 at 7:56 am

      5 stars
      Same question!
      I’ve made it many times and my friends without the yogurt button have asked!

      Reply
  44. Jeanie B says

    January 5, 2020 at 12:05 pm

    The best yogurt ever! I divided the yogurt and strained half the recipe, and the strained product is like cream cheese! I don’t think this recipe needs straining it is awesomely delicious unstrained.

    Reply
  45. Judy says

    December 27, 2019 at 4:37 pm

    Hi Jill, I like trying many of your recipes for the instant pot (which I use a few times a week). Thanks for your clear instructions and photos. I started making my own greek yogurt using the cold method. It is much easier and less steps than the standard method. I originally didn’t want to make yogurt if I had to go through all steps required. so when my daughter in law showed me how simple the other way was and how delicious and thick it came out, I was hooked.
    I start with using Fairlife 2% milk which is ultra filtered making it lactose free friendly. I add the yogurt starter) heaping 2 TBS Greek yogurt blended into a little of the milk. Pour the milk into the instant pot and add a pinch of salt.
    Turn on the IP and push the yogurt button and put on a lid (I use the glass lid). 8 hours later or a few hours later if you don’t get to it just as the display reads YGRT). Shut the machine by pressing cancel and put the pot into the refrigerator (I put on the silicone clear lid now) for at least 24 hrs. No stirring once done. Then spoon it into mason jars. That’s it! Oh, and I occasionally use half of the 2% with half of whole milk.

    Reply
    • Jill Selkowitz says

      December 27, 2019 at 4:53 pm

      Yes, that is the recipe from my blog. Jill

      Reply
  46. Isolde says

    December 26, 2019 at 12:26 pm

    I just got an Instant Pot and this yogurt recipe looks good. About how much vanilla would you add per gallon of milk for vanilla Greek yogurt? That’s my favorite flavor. Thanks for sharing your recipe!

    Reply
    • Jill Selkowitz says

      December 26, 2019 at 1:08 pm

      That is up to you, but I would start with just a Tablespoon. You can add more after the yogurt is made. Jill

      Reply
    • M H says

      January 2, 2020 at 9:41 am

      4 stars
      I just made a half gallon batch of this, and I ended up using just two cap fills of vanilla. After setting up in the fridge over night, it had that distinct vanilla flavor store bought has (in the best way).
      Currently its straining in the fridge to become greek yogurt, so I’m not sure how much flavor will carry over after that. Will try to report back with my findings.

      Reply
  47. Carole says

    December 15, 2019 at 2:32 pm

    LOVE the yogert recipe and the lemon curd!!#

    Reply
    • Jill Selkowitz says

      December 16, 2019 at 3:52 pm

      Thanks, Carole. Jill

      Reply
  48. Amber says

    November 24, 2019 at 4:05 pm

    I have made these recipe countless times, and it is the best!

    However this time, I spaced due to my 2 year old having a tantrum.. and I just realized (2.5 hours into incubation) I forgot to add the starter (ahh!!). In haste I opened the IP and whisked it in. Have I now messed up the yogurt? Should I start over? Or is there another step I should incorporate with this batch?

    Any feedback would be very much appreciated.

    Thanks in advance!
    A

    Reply
    • Jill Selkowitz says

      November 24, 2019 at 4:56 pm

      It should be just fine. Let it incubate longer to make up the time without the starter. Jill

      Reply
  49. Tina Hervol says

    October 15, 2019 at 5:34 am

    5 stars
    I take care of my 92 year old Mom. I have trouble getting her to eat before her medicine so I have been making her your yogurt. I can put her pills in the yogurt and she loves it. Just the two of us and we go through a gallon of milk every week. Thanks for the recipes. We also love your crusty bread made with the way. This was originally the reason I bought the instant pot..Now thanks to you it never leaves my counter.

    Reply
    • Jill Selkowitz says

      October 22, 2019 at 1:35 pm

      Thank you so much, Tina. I am glad you and your mom enjoy the yogurt. Jill

      Reply
  50. Barbara Hirzel says

    October 8, 2019 at 8:01 pm

    5 stars
    I have been making this yogurt recipe for some time, over a year. Jill, you make every recipe doable for anyone! Thank you. You took the fear right out of this whole process. I am so comfortable making this. Thank you for all the advice and information. I love looking at your recipes. Anyone doing the Greek yogurt, make sure to try the whey Dutch oven bread recipe. OMG!!! Now, I cannot live without that bread.

    Reply
    • Jill Selkowitz says

      October 9, 2019 at 4:14 pm

      What kind words, Barbara, thank you so much. Jill

      Reply
  51. Shelly says

    October 8, 2019 at 3:34 pm

    In looking at the nutrition info I don’t see the size of the serving. Can you help me? Thanks!

    Reply
  52. Erin says

    October 6, 2019 at 9:09 am

    I am in the process of doing this right now! Question about the whey – can that be frozen?

    Reply
  53. Oprah Winfrey says

    October 4, 2019 at 7:14 pm

    5 stars
    In one of the pictures you have I think 8 oz mason jars with some brown liquid at the bottom of the yogurt. It looks delicious – what is that? Caramel?

    Also, the Greek strainer that you recommended – will that work for 1 gallon worth of milk all at once?

    Great website – what are your best keto-oriented instant pot or keto recipes?

    Thank you,
    Oprah Winfrey

    Reply
    • Allison says

      October 7, 2019 at 2:47 pm

      I used 2 strainers for a gallon of milk. I incubate overnight for 9 hours then refrigerate while I am at work. I then use 2 strainers and let that work overnight again. It is so thick and amazing. A little local honey and berries and granola and my crew are happy campers!

      Reply
  54. Bobbie says

    September 30, 2019 at 8:45 pm

    5 stars
    Hi Jill, how do I sterlize my instant pot? Thanks!

    Reply
  55. Rachel says

    September 26, 2019 at 7:56 am

    I’ve been keto since 2015 and thought yogurt would never come back into my life but my friend made this the other day and it was DELICIOUS!! She suggested that I read up on the process which decreases the amount of sugar consumed at the end, combined with Fairlife being lower carb to begin with, I cannot wait to make it myself!

    One question that I can’t find a concrete answer to so I thought I’d come straight to the source: Can I make this method (NOT the no-boil method) exactly as written with Fairlife milk? My friend used regular milk so that’s the only change I want to make but I don’t want to ruin it. I plan to make both this method and the no-boil method but want to be sure it won’t be a wasted experiment!

    Thanks a bunch!

    Reply
    • Jill Selkowitz says

      September 26, 2019 at 4:08 pm

      Rachel, I don’t see why not. Jill

      Reply
  56. Alexis says

    September 25, 2019 at 4:30 am

    Can you make this recipe with dairy-free milk (like soy, almond, or oat milk)? Thanks!! I’ve heard great things about your recipe!

    Reply
    • Jill Selkowitz says

      September 26, 2019 at 4:23 pm

      The process is different for non dairy. There are additional ingredients. Jill

      Reply
  57. Kim Taylor says

    September 16, 2019 at 4:26 pm

    Hi Jill, I love this recipe for yogurt! And the lemon curd! What is the yogurt serving size? Is the nutritional values based on an 8 oz serving or smaller?

    Reply
  58. Christine says

    September 2, 2019 at 5:10 am

    5 stars
    Hi. I made this recipe yesterday with organic milk and it worked out perfectly. I added an extra spoonful of starter (faage yogurt) because I was concerned that the organic milk would not contain enough lacto bacillus. I cultured the yogurt for 20 hours because I like tart yogurt. Next time I will culture it for 24 hours to see how that works. It set up like a charm. Thanks for your thorough instructions. You are one of go-to bloggers for all things instant pot. I’m looking forward to using the abundant whey to brew up some fruit kvass. Who knew that whey was so useful! Now I feel bad about all of they whey that I have discarded from plain commercial yogurt over the years.

    Reply
    • Jill Selkowitz says

      September 2, 2019 at 5:33 pm

      Thanks, Christine. There are so many useful things to do with whey. Jill

      Reply
  59. Allison says

    September 1, 2019 at 1:17 pm

    5 stars
    This is fantastic. Followed the recipe exactly. My instant pot doesn’t have a yogurt button so I just sealed the lid and wrapped it in some beach towels for 9 hours and it came out great. Called it for 6 hours and strained it for 4 hours. I have made 3 batches in the last 2 weeks.

    Reply
    • Jill Selkowitz says

      September 1, 2019 at 6:11 pm

      Wonderful, Allison, so glad you had a great experience and then made more and more! Jill

      Reply
  60. Jack McRitchie says

    August 19, 2019 at 8:41 pm

    Still my favorite yogurt recipe. I decided to experiment by adding a 14oz can of sweet & condensed milk to the milk just taken off the heat. After the cooling and straining process, I ended up with a real creamy and delicious yogurt.

    Reply
  61. Sandra says

    August 6, 2019 at 7:53 am

    I’ve made this a few times and LOVE it!! I’d like to beef it up with probiotics. Any suggestions? Can I break open a probiotic capsule and add it after the boil/cool stages?

    Reply
  62. Amber says

    July 31, 2019 at 11:48 am

    Thank you for this detailed recipe! It turned out perfectly!!

    Question(s): How long can I store the individually jarred yogurt in the fridge? Is there a difference in time if I add a compote or curd to the bottom?

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Jill Selkowitz says

      August 16, 2019 at 12:00 pm

      5 stars
      Once you add something to the yogurt, it will not last as long as if you just store it plain. For plain I suggest a week or two at the most.

      Reply
  63. Nancy says

    July 20, 2019 at 5:04 am

    I tried your recipe, followed it exactly except that I let it cool naturally, taking the inner pot out and placing it on a cooling rack. It took about 45 min to get to the desired temperature. Also my leftover whey from a previous batch was room temperature. My yogurt is very runny, more like kefir.
    I’m cooling it now with hopes that it will firm up
    a bit but I would have expected it to be firmer than it is.
    Any suggestions or advice?

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      October 27, 2019 at 4:44 am

      I just started straining mine and it has the same consistency as yours in your comment. Did you find a way to improve it?

      Reply
  64. Maggie says

    July 19, 2019 at 6:53 pm

    Is there a way to make this dairy free?

    Reply
  65. Annette says

    July 10, 2019 at 8:58 am

    5 stars
    Do I cool the yogurt before putting in the fridge or does it go directly from Instapot to fridge? I’ve just made my first batch, thanks for thorough instructions!

    Annette

    Reply
  66. BambiPerry says

    July 8, 2019 at 7:25 pm

    5 stars
    Love this recipe!

    Reply
    • Jill Selkowitz says

      July 9, 2019 at 9:29 am

      Thank you very much. Jill

      Reply
  67. Kristine says

    June 24, 2019 at 4:29 am

    Just wondering what I did wrong, couldn’t get to temperature and the boil never beeped. The temperature seemed to be going down. Stirred every 10 mins. I don’t think my milk was ultra pasteurized would that have made a difference? Just said pasteurized. I stopped and put it in the fridge and will try again. Thanks Thanks

    Reply
    • Jill Selkowitz says

      June 24, 2019 at 2:49 pm

      Test out your pot by adding in a few cups of water and sealing and then hit steam for 3 minutes. See if that clears things. Jill

      Reply
  68. Tina says

    June 19, 2019 at 4:14 pm

    What can you do if you forget to add the starter and incubation is done.

    Reply
    • Jill Selkowitz says

      June 19, 2019 at 5:48 pm

      Start incubation over. Jill

      Reply
  69. Caroline says

    June 7, 2019 at 8:15 am

    5 stars
    Hi Jill:
    Excellent recipe! I made yogurt for the first time ever yesterday and it turned out perfect and so delicious. I halved the recipe by using a Pyrex, four-cup pitcher on the trivet in my instant pot (adding a cup of water to the bottom of the pot) otherwise following your instructions. The whole procedure just fell into place perfectly. Thank you for all the details which contributed to my success.

    Reply
    • Jill Selkowitz says

      June 7, 2019 at 12:57 pm

      Wonderful, Caroline. I am so happy you enjoyed this recipe. I hope you will share the recipe link in all your FB groups! Jill

      Reply
  70. Kathy says

    June 7, 2019 at 7:37 am

    What is the serving size for this recipe?

    Reply
  71. Rose says

    May 30, 2019 at 5:23 pm

    5 stars
    Hi, for the first time I tried to use lactose free milk instead of just regular skim milk and it came out runny. I’ve been using your recipe successfully for at least a year if not longer and this is my first “fail”. Do you think it was the lactose free milk? Was there something I needed to do differently? I usually only incubate 5-5.5 hours since I like my yogurt mild. Did it perhaps need more time? I bought a fresh carton of Chobani plain greek yogurt which I’ve used successfully before since it’s been some time since my last batch. I hate that I wasted a 3 dollar half gallon of milk. 🙁 Thank you for any help you can give.

    Reply
    • Jill says

      June 3, 2019 at 12:18 pm

      I was not there to see if any steps were missed, so I suggest retracing the steps and then re-incubating the milk. Jill

      Reply
  72. Leigh Chapman says

    May 12, 2019 at 1:28 pm

    About how much vanilla would you recommend adding to a cup of this? I’ve found several recipes that use vanilla Greek yogurt, but I don’t want to buy vanilla yogurt when I’ve got this delicious yogurt already in my refrigerator!

    Reply
    • Jill says

      May 12, 2019 at 5:37 pm

      Start with a little and add until it is good for you. Jill

      Reply
  73. Wayne Harrison says

    May 1, 2019 at 7:56 am

    I use the leftover whey on our dogs’ dry food. They love it and it’s good for them.

    Reply
  74. Mary Lomma says

    April 30, 2019 at 12:44 pm

    5 stars
    2nd time I made yogurt. This recipe is perfect!!

    Reply
    • Jill says

      May 3, 2019 at 1:07 pm

      Thanks, Mary. Jill

      Reply
      • Lisa says

        May 9, 2019 at 4:19 am

        Are there instructions for a 6 quart?

        Reply
  75. Kristi Wheeler says

    April 26, 2019 at 7:21 am

    5 stars
    I love how super simple making yogurt is in the Instant Pot! Your tip to freeze some of the yogurt to use as starter is GOLD! It’s so helpful and saves money for the next batch. I’ll never go back to store bought yogurt after making it in the IP!!

    Reply
    • Jill says

      April 26, 2019 at 12:49 pm

      Thank you, Kristi. Jill

      Reply
      • Suz says

        July 14, 2023 at 8:56 am

        I have made this many times 1/2 gallon and 1 gallon milk. Worked wonderful. I tried using the frozen yogurt (leftover from purchased yogurt) for the first time and my yogurt did not thicken? Do I have to throw the milk away or can I add yogurt again and retry?

        Reply
  76. Debbie says

    April 21, 2019 at 5:43 pm

    5 stars
    Easy to follow and super delicious… I have been making this recipe for over a year with excellent results!! I hate the times when I need to resort to store bought 🙂

    Reply
    • Jill says

      April 21, 2019 at 6:33 pm

      Thank you, Debbie. So glad you enjoy the recipe. Jill

      Reply
  77. Nancy Johnson says

    April 9, 2019 at 9:55 pm

    Do you have a recipe making yogurt in the IP 6 qt lux which doesn’t have a yogurt button?
    Thank you

    Reply
  78. Aimee says

    April 1, 2019 at 3:47 pm

    5 stars
    Love this recipe! I do have a question: sometimes my yogurt will be insanely thick, creamy, and delicious. Other times it comes out runny. I follow the same recipe but can’t figure out what causes this to happen. Do you have any advice?

    Thank you for this delicious recipe. You save me a ton of $ as my husband and kiddo eat yogurt like it’s going out of style. ?

    Reply
    • Jill says

      April 1, 2019 at 7:56 pm

      Hi Aimee, thank you so much. It could be the strength of your starter or the temperature during the boil cycle. Jill

      Reply
      • Aimee says

        April 3, 2019 at 5:12 am

        Hi, Jill!

        Would you clarify, please? I make sure it gets to 180 when I boil it (sometimes needs 3 boil cycles to get there) and use about 2 Tbsp of starter. I originally used a plain full fat greek yogurt as my starter but have been using mine for a few weeks.

        Thank you so much!

        Reply
        • Aimee says

          May 28, 2019 at 4:16 am

          Hi, Jill!

          I just wanted to check in re this question. =)

          Reply
  79. Ann Vogel says

    March 30, 2019 at 6:46 pm

    Hi. I did not have good results with yougart. I followed your recipe and all your tips. I incubated for 8 hours and left in fridge to set for 6 hours. I strained it for 4 hours and it was runny and lumpy. Any idea what I did wrong?
    Thank you for any help!

    Reply
    • Jill says

      April 1, 2019 at 7:59 pm

      Sounds like your pot was on less, rather than on normal. Jill

      Reply
  80. Caryn Suehowicz says

    March 26, 2019 at 9:51 pm

    5 stars
    This is easy and fun to make. Thanks for the tips! I did 12 hours and loved the result.

    Reply
    • Jill says

      March 27, 2019 at 1:25 am

      Thanks, Caryn. Jill

      Reply
  81. deb baker says

    March 19, 2019 at 7:32 pm

    I just got the instapot and don’t have a yogurt setting. what would be the best settings etc, to do yogurt?

    Reply
  82. Kelli Rumburg says

    March 10, 2019 at 12:11 am

    Hi Jill,
    how are you? I am a Trim Healthy Mama in maintenance mode and am wanting and ready to make my own greek yogurt in my IP
    First I have 2 questions:
    1) Do I still need to use Whole milk even if I want to make 0% greek yogurt like what is encouraged on the Trim Healthy Mama plan for E meals? and
    2) What is the boil cycle on the instant pot? I don’t see a button for this on my instant pot (I have a IP-Duo60)

    Reply
    • LINDA says

      March 17, 2019 at 7:58 pm

      kELLI RUMBURG, I saw your comment and thought I could help.

      1) I have made IP yogurt with skim (0%) milk with good results and,
      2) the “boil” you ask about is part of the yogurt button function. See step 2 under Make Yogurt (Not Under Pressure). Cheers

      Reply
  83. Cassidy says

    March 9, 2019 at 8:37 am

    When you say save some of the strained yogurt to use as a starter, do you mean the stuff you would actually eat or the super liquidy stuff that you strain out?

    Reply
    • Katie says

      July 21, 2019 at 8:29 pm

      I use some of the yogurt, the part you eat. But, I just re-read the instructions and it sounds like you can use either one.

      Reply
  84. Janet says

    March 8, 2019 at 10:51 am

    My first 2 batches did not set up. I just had curdled milk. what did I do wrong?

    Reply
    • Jill says

      April 9, 2019 at 10:38 pm

      I’m sorry, there is not enough info here to give an answer. Please review the post to make sure each step was followed. Jill

      Reply
  85. CleanUpKate says

    February 27, 2019 at 11:33 am

    5 stars
    Wow, the directions you provided here are beyond helpful. I’m pretty sure you answered ALL of the questions I had about making yogurt. So thank you very much for all the effort, time, detail and pictures you put into this post.
    I grew up in the ’70’s and my Mum always made yogurt and I’ve been thinking about making it for years. Thanks to your instructions, I’m finally on it.

    I’ve now made 4 batches using your directions and each has come out perfectly. I’ve gradually upped the incubation time from 8 to 10.25 hours, hoping to get the tangy taste that I remember from my mother’s homemade yogurt. I haven’t gotten there yet – all batches have had only a slight hint of tang. Do you have an incubation time recommendation for tangy yogurt? Or is there something else I should be trying to get that tang?

    Again, many MANY thanks for your fool-proof instructions. Greatly appreciated.

    Reply
    • Jill says

      February 27, 2019 at 6:30 pm

      Thank you very much. Perhaps try using another starter that is tangier. Nine hours should provide a nice tang. Jill

      Reply
  86. Suzanne Hadley says

    February 26, 2019 at 8:27 am

    5 stars
    I have made this recipe many times and we love it. For some reason the last time I made it there were lumps in it that I tried to whisk out and was somewhat successful. Any idea what might have happened? This was the first time I used my Ultra for yogurt but otherwise I followed the same procedure as in the past. Thanks.

    Reply
    • Jill says

      March 1, 2019 at 2:13 am

      Hi Suzanne, I don’t know what happened, perhaps the temperature was set too high. Jill

      Reply
  87. Ann M Cooper says

    February 16, 2019 at 2:01 pm

    I see the nutritional information, but it doesn’t say how large a serving is. Does anyone know?

    Reply
  88. Leslie says

    February 12, 2019 at 8:48 am

    5 stars
    Could a person freeze regular milk to use for a batch of yogurt later? We are going away and have quite a bit of milk left

    Reply
    • Jill says

      February 12, 2019 at 3:25 pm

      Yes. Jill

      Reply
  89. Nikki says

    January 30, 2019 at 10:27 am

    5 stars
    Best yogurt ever and fun to make!!! I put some together in the Michaels exclusive Ball half pint jars with the peach compote, fresh berry compote, strawberry compote, lemon curd and dannon dutch apple and gave some away to friends and they love them! I also used some chalkboard lids so I could label them. If you want a picture let me know. 🙂

    Reply
  90. Nikki says

    January 30, 2019 at 10:27 am

    Best yogurt ever and fun to make!!! I put some together in the Michaels exclusive Ball half pint jars with the peach compote, fresh berry compote, strawberry compote, lemon curd and dannon dutch apple and gave some away to friends and they love them! I also used some chalkboard lids so I could label them. If you want a picture let me know.

    Reply
  91. Lisa says

    January 29, 2019 at 3:31 am

    5 stars
    Thanks So much for the recipe and easy print out. I used to make yogurt and a small yogurt machine with individual Jars I often times used a yogurt starter that was dried in packets freeze dried you didn’t mention anything in regards to using live and active cultures that are freeze dried would I still follow the same method?
    Can you please email your answer since I don’t know where to find your answer. Thank you

    Reply
  92. K Ann Guinn says

    January 28, 2019 at 10:49 am

    5 stars
    Thank-you so much!

    After much trial and error in making yogurt in my instant pot, you have provided the most helpful tips that have brought made yogurt-making a success! I finally have the process memorized, but when I’ve forgotten anything, yours is the first recipe I check.

    I’ve also tried your no boil recipe and agree that this one is preferable, but it sure is nice to have a quicker and easier method that requires little to no straining as well.

    Keep up the good work. I’m sure I’ll be checking your website for other great recipes and ideas.

    Reply
    • Jill says

      January 28, 2019 at 11:33 am

      I am so glad you enjoy my recipes. Thank you so much. I am sure you will find more recipes you will enjoy. Jill

      Reply
  93. Janet says

    January 28, 2019 at 4:31 am

    I have the yogurt button and tried this a week ago with good results using Greek yogurt and organic whole milk. I tried it again night using siggi’e 0% because the store I was at didn’t have any plain Greek yogurt in a small container. It is just warm milk this morning! Now what do I do??

    Reply
  94. Jules says

    January 25, 2019 at 11:27 pm

    5 stars
    After trying a bunch of organic milks I tried the Trader Joe’s brand and it’s been great! I’m curious on how long the shelf life is after making it yogurt?

    Reply
  95. Cindy Del Carlo says

    January 20, 2019 at 3:24 pm

    5 stars
    How much of this Greek yogurt is one serving? I’m trying to figure out Weight Watchers points.

    Reply
  96. Karen says

    January 13, 2019 at 7:36 am

    After heating my milk to 180, I forgot to let my milk cool before I added my starter. Do I need to throw this away or can I let it cool and add more starter?

    Reply
  97. Krista says

    January 10, 2019 at 5:26 pm

    5 stars
    How long does this last in the refrigerator?

    Reply
  98. Jessy says

    January 6, 2019 at 6:16 pm

    I want my yogurt to be slightly sweetened (agave nectar, maybe? Coconut sugar? ) and also vanilla flavored. When do I add sweetener and vanilla to the yogurt?

    Reply
  99. Jenna says

    January 4, 2019 at 6:08 am

    I thought I set the time right so it would be ready in the morning….but at 5:30 am the pot and yogurt were cool. Should I start over? Just wonder about bad bacteria.

    Reply
  100. Caren Hulsey says

    January 3, 2019 at 6:59 pm

    I started early this morning and the result is exciting. I let it incubate for 9.5 hours and it is now straining. I strained half of it for a couple of hours and put that in a bowl because my sieve isn’t too big. I’m on my second half to strain. In an hour, I will add the first half back to it because it will fit. I will strain all of it through the night and enjoy fresh homemade yogurt with blueberries, granola, and honey in the morning.

    Reply
    • Jill says

      January 3, 2019 at 7:21 pm

      I am so happy to hear this news. Enjoy. Jill

      Reply
  101. CoDee says

    January 3, 2019 at 7:03 am

    5 stars
    I was always scared to make yogurt. I found your blog and it is very helpful and informational. I made Greek yogurt for the first time and now I am hooked!! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Jill says

      January 3, 2019 at 10:53 am

      That is wonderful to hear. Jill

      Reply
  102. Joanne Wineinger says

    January 2, 2019 at 2:00 pm

    Can almond milk be substituted for a non-dairy option?

    Reply
  103. Randi Schmid says

    December 31, 2018 at 10:24 am

    5 stars
    I’m making my first batch today. How large is a serving size (in cups preferably)?

    Reply
  104. Cozette says

    December 27, 2018 at 6:46 pm

    Gotta try this!

    Reply
  105. Ruby says

    December 16, 2018 at 3:39 am

    Help, how do you make this with an IP with no Yogurt button?

    Reply
  106. Susan says

    December 10, 2018 at 10:14 am

    5 stars
    When I do the boil function and the temp does not reach 180 degrees, what steps do I use to saute to reach temp then get back to yougurt 8:00 hours? If I press yogurt again after cooling down to 95-110 degrees the program wants to start again at boil. (I’ve made this most excellent recipe before without having to use saute to get it to temp. I’m rather flummoxed as to what is different this time.)

    Reply
  107. Leslie says

    November 28, 2018 at 9:18 am

    5 stars
    I made my first batch yesterday and I missed the part about setting Yogurt button to “Normal” I’ll be ready for that next time…..it still seems to have worked but I’m hoping its still safe to eat after incubating at the wrong temp??

    Also….Initially I bought an organic coconut milk to use for Flavour and because we have a daughter that is vegan. I took it back and got regular milk since since it was my first try but …Would that have worked?
    Thanks. Great recipe!! and easier than I expected. Will be doing this regularly

    Reply
    • Jill says

      November 29, 2018 at 11:57 am

      Coconut milk yogurt is a different process. Jill

      Reply
  108. Katherine Knapp says

    November 27, 2018 at 11:35 am

    5 stars
    OMG. I will never buy yogurt at the store again. I was reluctant to make yogurt. I thought it was difficult so I never really considered it… until I bought another Instant Pot (one for our trailer and another in the house). This time I got the 7 in 1 so I figured I’d give it a go. It is absolute heaven. I love your instructions for the process. I never realized it was that easy to make and you covered every question that one could ever have on the process, starter, whey etc. Moving on to make your IP Yogurt Whey Dutch Oven Crusty Bread now. Thank you ?

    Reply
  109. Michael Rudman says

    November 26, 2017 at 1:56 pm

    5 stars
    I have made many a batch and use most of your techniques. I like the fact that homemade yogurt has no gums, modified food starch, or preservatives. I like my yogurt thicker but not necessarily as thick as the greek yogurt you have described. Since there’s only two of us, I make a quart a week. One quart whole milk takes 3 TBS starter. If I want thicker yogurt, rather than strain I add 1/4 cup powdered milk to the batch. Whole milk yourt has been shown to be associated with more weight loss than yogurt made from skim milk. Lately, I have not added powdered milk as I prefer the taste without it. I use an infared thermometer so nothing touches the milk and there’s a bit less to clean. A good IR thermometer can be purchased for less than $20.

    Reply
  110. Lindsey Mercer says

    November 25, 2017 at 6:36 pm

    5 stars
    I have greek yogurt every day. Now i can make my own, i am excited to try it. I usually layer my yogurt with suckers no sugar added caramel sauce. So good. like a sundae almost. Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply
    • Jill says

      November 27, 2017 at 10:46 am

      Oh, that sounds yummy. Enjoy. Jill

      Reply
  111. Kathy L. says

    November 21, 2017 at 2:33 pm

    5 stars
    Jill, thanks for your thorough directions on making greek yogurt in the IP.
    1) I liked that you included a sanitizing step at the beginning. That makes me feel more confident that all soap and food residue has left the pan prior to boiling the milk. I fill up my pot halfway – although that may not be necessary. Let’s just chalk that up to my OCD nature.
    2) Kudos to recommending reaching a temperature of at least 182F, not just 180F. In my experience reaching 185F has improved my success markedly, and the frequent whisking helped achieve that. Equally important, I cool to 110F before adding the starter (and I found that the contents on one side of my pot were hotter than in other test points in the pot; that reinforced my desire to cool to 110F).
    3) WHISKING. I had never whisked as much before trying your directions – 1) while heating the milk, 2) before checking the temperature of the milk, 3) while cooling. It did seem to cut the amount of time to complete those steps. I’m sold!
    4) I make a half batch at a time because that’s all that will fit in my Euro Cuisine Yogurt Strainer. Plus generally I am the only one in the house eating yogurt.
    5) I made one batch using Fairlife whole milk and the second batch with Horizon organic whole milk; I used plain Icelandic yogurt as my starter. The Fairlife batch yielded very little whey liquid at the bottom of the Euro Cuisine Yogurt Strainer, but I had an inch or more of whey after straining the Horizon batch. And my post-straining yield (on a half-gallon of milk) from Fairlife was 1.5 quarts of very thick Greek Yogurt, whereas my yield from Horizon was just 1 quart. Given the time invested in producing a batch of yogurt, it’s worth my while to buy Fairlife.
    6) Your directions didn’t mention adding any granulated sugar, but I added 1/4 cup of granulated sugar when adding the starter. The result was a slightly sweet yogurt to which no more sugar was needed for palatability. The sugar did not seem to interfere with the thickening of the yogurt.
    7) Thank you for a very organized and helpful presentation.

    Reply
    • Jill says

      November 22, 2017 at 8:44 pm

      Thank you so much, Kathy. Jill

      Reply
  112. Tina Corn says

    November 15, 2017 at 11:40 pm

    Can you use raw fat free milk??

    Reply
    • Jill says

      November 16, 2017 at 12:58 am

      Tina, for this recipe, raw milk is not recommended. Jill

      Reply
  113. Kathy Leake says

    November 9, 2017 at 9:33 pm

    5 stars
    I just purchased the 3-quart Instant Pot. If I’m using it to make yogurt with 1/2 gallon of milk, do I use half the yogurt “starter” as well or stick to the 2 tablespoons? And do I use the same incubation period? Thanks for posting all these recipes for us!

    Reply
    • Jill says

      November 10, 2017 at 10:24 pm

      Ingredients in half, IP time, the same.

      Reply
  114. HV says

    November 8, 2017 at 9:09 am

    5 stars
    Hi Jill, thank you for this recipe!
    My first batch was the best yogurt I have ever had. It was also the first thing I ever made in my instant pot. I was in love!
    Thank you, HV

    Reply
  115. Kelly says

    November 6, 2017 at 10:57 am

    5 stars
    Hi! Can you tell me how you figured out the nutrition information for the finished Greek yogurt? I use 2% lactose free milk And I strain it a lot. I’m assuming the protein amount will be higher and the carb amount will be lower per serving than the actual milk. Would the calories be higher because it’s more condensed? Trying to figure out the WW points. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Jill says

      November 8, 2017 at 2:26 am

      Hi Kelly. I used a nutrition calculator. Jill

      Reply
  116. Malone Guthrie says

    October 29, 2017 at 8:47 am

    5 stars
    Thanks for the great recipes, Jill, I use them a lot. I know you must be a busy lady with such a successful blog, but it really would be nice to see some answers to the very good questions.

    Reply
  117. Denise says

    October 26, 2017 at 5:41 pm

    5 stars
    Update: Put the yogurt back through the incubation stage for 10 hours and it worked just fine. Strained for 2 hours and sweetened with agave and vanilla. Turned out well.

    Reply
  118. A. Smith says

    October 24, 2017 at 4:53 am

    5 stars
    This was my first time making yogurt. Thank you so much!!
    I used and sterilized the pot portion in my dishwasher just before making the yogurt, so did not steam it. But I only washed the lid by hand. I incubated yesterday and put in the fridge overnight to have fresh yogurt this morning. It looks great! But then I went and read your Noosa yogurt post this morning and realized I had not sterilized my lid. Is that okay?

    Reply
  119. Fern says

    October 19, 2017 at 2:56 pm

    5 stars
    I made yogurt! And it turned out! That’s a lot of yogurt! I took some of it right away and added just a touch of Agave and granola. DELICIOUS! I have it straining now. Can I freeze the whey in small portions?

    Reply
  120. Rich says

    October 18, 2017 at 9:21 am

    5 stars
    Thanks for the great recipe, I made my first Greek Yogurt yesterday.. followed your instructions to the letter and it turned out great. Had some blueberries so put those in bottom of jar topped with yogurt this morning. Yummy.

    Reply
  121. rachel says

    October 16, 2017 at 3:45 pm

    5 stars
    hi! i made yogurt twice now with your wonderful recipe. this time, i forgot to clean steam first before making my yogurt. is this ok? can i still eat the yogurt?

    Reply
  122. Maureen Bergstrom says

    October 11, 2017 at 3:34 pm

    5 stars
    I made yogurt using your recipe last week and it turned out fabulous. I really think it was because of your suggestion to use the whisk to heat thoroughly (and get the temp to 180-or more) and then to cool it down. I used 2% milk and whey from previous yogurt making. I strained it to make Greek yogurt. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Jill says

      October 12, 2017 at 1:49 pm

      Thank you, Maureen. I am glad you had a great success. Jill

      Reply
    • Tracey says

      December 8, 2018 at 7:39 pm

      Hi. You use whey instead of “yogurt starter” correct!? How much do you use with, let’s say, a gallon of milk? Thx

      Reply
  123. Laurie says

    October 9, 2017 at 9:20 am

    Going to try making Greek yogurt for first time! I am a bit confused about the “starter.” I purchased a starter (2 packets of starter culture). How do I use this with your recipe? I have 1/2 gallon of whole milk. Each packet is for 1qt. Help!

    Reply
  124. Mary says

    October 3, 2017 at 11:55 am

    5 stars
    How long is the yogurt good for. I just made my first batch and I’m so excited.

    Reply
  125. Rebecca Longie says

    October 1, 2017 at 9:04 am

    5 stars
    Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I just received my Instant Pot a week ago and one of the big selling points for me was the ability to make my own Greek yogurt. I’m pretty sure that a few months of making my own will pay for my initial investment. I made my first batch of yogurt early yesterday using a gallon of 2% milk, and in spite of making a really dumb mistake, it turned out great. The mistake? The yogurt had been incubating for two hours before I realized I had forgotten to add some yogurt in for starter. So, I took out a cup of the milk from the pot, added 3 TB of yogurt, mixed it well, then poured into the pot and whisked it in. I was so happy that it worked. I put half in my Euro Cuisine strainer (wonderful accessory) and drained it overnight. This morning I had thick and delicious Greek yogurt for my breakfast and will also try it in place of sour cream tonight on a baked potato. Saving whey for some no knead bread. Thanks again for sharing.

    Reply
  126. Susan says

    September 28, 2017 at 8:18 am

    5 stars
    Is there a recipe for Instant Pot coconut milk yogurt?

    I made your recipe for Greek yogurt and found it to be delicious and perfect texture.

    Reply
  127. Laura says

    September 27, 2017 at 6:06 am

    5 stars
    I never leave comments but want you to know your yogurt recipe worked perfectly! I haven’t used my Instant Pot much after I bought it and was thinking I wasted my money but now I can make my own fresh yogurt from raw milk. I tried to make yogurt one time years ago and it was a runny mess. I was so excited when my spoon stood up in the pot just like your picture! Your directions and tips are very good. THANK YOU!

    Reply
  128. Susan D says

    September 26, 2017 at 3:07 am

    5 stars
    I followed your instructions to the letter and my yogurt was perfect. Thank you so much for this detailed and informative post. Yogurt is coming off my shopping list!

    Reply
    • Jill says

      September 27, 2017 at 2:16 am

      Hi Susan. I am so glad you enjoyed homemade yogurt! Jill

      Reply
  129. Barbara Brady says

    September 23, 2017 at 2:07 pm

    Oops! That was “should I use”

    Reply
  130. Barbara Brady says

    September 23, 2017 at 2:05 pm

    Hi Jill
    If I use my whey for the next batch of yogurt, how much shout I use for 1/2 gal of milk. Thanks for all your yummy recipes!

    Reply
  131. Janice Rybczyk says

    September 23, 2017 at 5:44 am

    5 stars
    This was so easy when I actually tried it last evening. It looks somewhat complicated, but it’s not. This morning I had a quart of thick delicious yogurt (even warm) that the spoon stuck upright. Thanks so much. I only “cooked” mine for 10 hours and it is mildly tart which for me is terrific

    Thanks so much for a great instructions!

    Reply
  132. ANGELA says

    September 16, 2017 at 1:25 pm

    Is there any reason this wouldn’t work with goat milk? Also, the starter that I would like to use Is Hewitt’s goat yogurt. Ingredients: goat milk ingredients (goat milk, goat skim milk powder), active bacterial culture. Would this be a good starter?

    Reply
  133. Vicki Garino says

    September 13, 2017 at 3:12 am

    5 stars
    Hi Jill,

    Thank you so much for this and all of your wonderful recipes. When I first got the ip I was nervous because on some of the threads I read that people were having disasters….you, however, made it easy.

    I have a yoghurt question…..I’ve made your recipe about 1/2 dozen times with great success. Most recently, I discovered the dairy I get my milk at has non-homogenized milk so I decided to try that. The first batch came out runny and I assumed I did something wrong in the process. Strained it and it was fine, just less of a yield. I tried a second time and sure enough, runny. I’m guessing it’s the non-homogenized milk, though I can’t fathom why? Do you have any thoughts?

    Thanks for your thoughts! 🙂

    Vicki

    Reply
  134. Patti says

    September 9, 2017 at 2:30 pm

    Just finished my first yogurt in the ip and I must say it is the best yogurt ever. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
    • Jill says

      September 9, 2017 at 2:38 pm

      Thank you, Patti! 🙂 Jill

      Reply
  135. Bob says

    September 9, 2017 at 3:23 am

    love the site am excited to try the yogurt recipe, I have bought some chobani greekplain yogurt non fat. Will that work as starter. thanks

    Reply
  136. Maria says

    September 2, 2017 at 3:18 pm

    How long will this stay good in the refrigerator?

    Reply
    • KarenB says

      September 12, 2017 at 2:22 pm

      5 stars
      I have kept .one in fridge, plain, then added fruit and Stevia when I was going to eat it, and it’s still great after 2 weeks or so

      Reply
  137. WayneH says

    August 28, 2017 at 6:56 am

    Any idea why this worked? I started the boil procedure at about 4 pm, getting the temp up in the range you like then turned off the IP and cooled it down, mixing in the yogurt starter when the temp decreased to the range you specify. I put the pan back in the IP and kept the lid on, intending to start the 8-hour yogurt function at about 10 pm. I ended up forgetting about the yogurt until I woke up the next morning. I opened the pot and my yogurt was set (?) I never went through the 8-hour heated phase but the yogurt was set and delicious!

    Reply
    • Megan says

      September 7, 2017 at 2:43 pm

      That just means it stayed warm enough overnight for the yogurt to incubate without the instant pot keeping it to temp.

      Reply
  138. Denis says

    August 27, 2017 at 4:55 pm

    It worked like a charm. The flyover and texture were very good

    Reply
  139. Sandra says

    August 27, 2017 at 11:16 am

    5 stars
    Great recipe and commentary.Puzzle me this: Made 2nd batch with 1 gallon reg homo milk and got same amount strained Greek yogurt as 1st batch with 1/2 gallon lactose free homo milk. After cooling 1st was very thick and 2nd was reg yogurt consistency. Only difference was 1st batch I held at 183-185 temp like you mentioned for thicker yogurt. So it’s really more economical to boil and hold at higher temp. Yes 24 hrs incubation does give you lactose free yogurt and tart like store bought. Lactose free milk for 8 hrs make a sweet one.

    Reply
  140. Rich says

    August 25, 2017 at 3:31 pm

    Can I freeze Homemade Greek Yogurt, and if so for how long.

    Reply
  141. Ali says

    August 25, 2017 at 12:54 pm

    5 stars
    Using your instructions, I made my very first time yogurt, and this made the most creamy icing-like yogurt I’ve ever tasted. Better than gourmet store-bought!

    In response to a few of the comments on here, I used

    1/2 gallon ultra-pasteurized organic milk (instead of one gallon unpasteurized),
    Fage whole milk plain yogurt for starter (2 TBS, exactly as much as you would for a full 1 gallon milk),
    incubated for just over 8 hours
    strained for 8+ hours.

    Reply
  142. Katie says

    August 24, 2017 at 8:22 pm

    5 stars
    What’s the recommended time frame for consuming the yogurt?

    Reply
  143. Bridget says

    August 20, 2017 at 7:01 am

    If you use a gallon of milk will it all fit in the Euro Cuisine Greek Yogurt Maker? I seem to end up with so much yogurt when it’s ready to be strained. The description says it holds 2qts. I seem to have more than that. I am currently using 2 strainers and bowls.

    Reply
    • Jill says

      August 20, 2017 at 6:14 pm

      Hi Bridget. I strain my yogurt, half and half. Jill

      Reply
  144. Sharon Beckmon says

    August 19, 2017 at 1:24 pm

    5 stars
    I made my very first batch of yogurt in my 8 quart Instant Pot yesterday. I let it set in the refrigerator for about 20 hours.
    This afternoon, I ladled it into a strainer lined with coffee filters. To my surprise, there was no whey?!?! The entire gallon and a half turned to yogurt.
    I will let it drain overnight. Then, I will have my Greek yogurt
    I used Meier brand plain Greek yogurt.
    The left-over yogurt in the bottom of the pot was much softer, so I put vanilla and raw sugar in it and drank it like a milkshake…delicious!

    Reply
    • Jill says

      August 19, 2017 at 2:32 pm

      Hi Sharon. Great news. This is why it is important to refrigerate prior to straining. You get a much larger yield. Jill

      Reply
      • Sharon Beckmon says

        August 19, 2017 at 3:04 pm

        Thank you so much for having such a nice site!
        The information is really appreciated.

        Reply
        • Jill says

          August 20, 2017 at 12:34 am

          Thank you, Sharon. Jill

          Reply
          • Sharon Beckmon says

            August 20, 2017 at 10:16 am

            5 stars
            Update on yogurt…..
            I put the 6 qts. Of yogurt in a coffee filter lined strainer and put it back in the refrigerator for about 20 hrs.
            I got 3 qts. Of whey and 3 qts. of the creamiest, thick Greek yogurt one could imagine! The whey is very clear.
            I am beyond pleased!
            I put the whey in 1 qt. wide-mouthed canning jars and vacuum sealed them. They are waiting in the refrigerator until I can find good recipes to use them.
            Any suggestions on how to use that much whey?

  145. Cheryl Mathews says

    August 19, 2017 at 4:34 am

    Help!! I thought I followed the recipe exactly but I messed up somewhere. I think I didn’t let it incubate properly (the settings on my IP must have been wrong, my fault). Looking back, it must have incubated only 8 min then I put it in the fridge. Now this morning its still liquid. How do I fix this? which steps do I repeat?

    live and learn!

    Reply
    • Terri King Beaver UT says

      January 13, 2019 at 8:09 am

      I thought I did it all per the recipe too.. 8.5 hours incubating… then overnight it refrigerator…mine came out soupy… not sure what I did wrong…

      what is a troubleshoot reply??

      LOVE the website. Thank you

      Reply
  146. Jenifer Upton says

    August 17, 2017 at 6:48 pm

    Perhaps you stated this in the recipe but exactly how much milk do you put in the Instant Pot to make the yogurt?

    Reply
  147. Karen Corson says

    August 13, 2017 at 6:05 am

    5 stars
    Thank you!! I can’t wait to try this!! So easy to read and understand!!

    Reply
  148. Kim says

    August 12, 2017 at 11:32 am

    I’m noticing on the ultra. You use yogurt setting. Then select custom then set temp to 181 which sets to boil. Your instructions say go to yogurt and push until it reads boil. Mine dies nit ha e that option. You chose temp. It would allow me to select boil. Am I missing something. My first time with the new ultra. I own an duo but decided to buy the ultra to avoid the trying to get it to boil trial and error

    Reply
    • Jan says

      November 11, 2017 at 5:54 pm

      5 stars
      Use the custom temperature and set for 110 and then select hours for your incubation time.

      Reply
  149. Jenifer says

    August 9, 2017 at 6:11 am

    5 stars
    Sorry – so new to all of this. I am confused about this comment: “If you want to add sugar and/or vanilla, now is the time to do so. However, I recommend that you wait until after incubation”.

    Add the flavor after the 8 hour incubation period, but before leaving undisturbed in the fridge for 8 hours?

    Reply
  150. Michaela says

    August 4, 2017 at 5:12 am

    Where does everyone buy their starter? Any particular brand you recommend? The yogurt starter from Cultures for Health seems to have good reviews. Once I have that and my cheese cloth I can’t wait to try this recipe. I love how detailed the steps are.

    Reply
    • Jill says

      August 4, 2017 at 6:25 pm

      Micheala. I just used Fage from the grocery store. Jill

      Reply
    • Christine Collins says

      August 18, 2017 at 5:33 pm

      5 stars
      I use to buy Dannon whole milk plain yogurt. So I chose to use the Dannon as my starter. I used two tablespoons and then put the rest in 2 tablespoons into 4 tablespoons size ice cube tray and frozen the rest in six cubes. Once I finish up my cubes, I’ll save two tablespoons from my current batch of Greek yogurt batch for the next stater.
      Does that help?

      Reply
  151. Anne Marie says

    August 3, 2017 at 3:55 am

    continued from last comment: 1. Use slow cook for 1 hour and the milk does not burn and you can walk away and do something else. 2. Don’t waste your precious yogurt. USE THE WHEY for your next starter. It works beautifully!

    Reply
    • Barbara Brady says

      September 23, 2017 at 2:11 pm

      How much of the whey do you use? Thanks for helping

      Reply
  152. Anne Marie says

    August 3, 2017 at 3:50 am

    I have been making yogurt in my instant pot for over a year. I have learned 2 things. I hate the boil function because my milk burned at the bottom and I do not want to babysit my instant pot. So I use the slow cook function for one hour

    Reply
  153. Brittny Betts says

    August 2, 2017 at 4:44 am

    5 stars
    Help! I used a gallon of the milk you recommended and what I thought would be an excellent starter. My yogurt was incubating for 6 hours bc we don’t care for really tart yogurt. I did everything you said and I paid close attention to the temps. My yogurt sat in the fridge, covered for 7 hours. I check it when I went to be and it was extremely runny! I then left it undisturbed all night, for another 8 hours and looked again this morning and nothing changed! It’s still VERY runny! What am I doing wrong? This is my first try in an IP, second try ever. I’m sad and frustrated and I’m don’t wasting money! What can I do?

    Reply
  154. Alice says

    August 1, 2017 at 9:42 am

    What happens if your milk gets hotter than 185? Does it hurt the end product?

    Reply
    • Shirley in NJ says

      August 2, 2017 at 3:36 pm

      Alice,
      I’m not entirely sure. But I do know I heated my milk to 189 before realizing it was up to temp, and I think it rose another degree or two after I turned it off. It still made beautiful thick yogurt, no problem!

      Reply
  155. Greta says

    July 31, 2017 at 9:29 am

    Thank you for posting this recipe. I badly want to make homemade ORGANIC yogurt. How can I make it without using ultra-pasteurized organic milk?

    Reply
  156. Ruth says

    July 31, 2017 at 5:39 am

    I also have a question about how to figure out the calorie count for the yogurt. Do you have any suggestions on how I would figure that out if using 2% milk. And what is the serving size that you figured out when using the whole milk? 1/2 cup?
    Thanks in advance for your advice

    Reply
  157. Nicole Gunning says

    July 29, 2017 at 7:33 am

    5 stars
    I’m so happy you know the nutritional values! What size serving is it based on? 1/2 cup or full cup?

    Thanks!

    Reply
  158. Marge Hutton says

    July 29, 2017 at 7:17 am

    I have had my Insta Pot for just over a week and have had both success and failures with making yogurt. Can’t figure out why I’m having failures when I seem to be doing the same thing. With my failures I # 1: Boil the milk, let it cool below the recommended temps, them touch yogurt, adjust, to less, adjust to 8:00 hours, after time is up and I open the cover, two times there has been barely and texture to it. WHAT AM I DOING WRONG?? My last failure was I used 10 cups of 2% milk, where I usually only do 8 cups. With the 10 cups I increased the time to 10:30 hours.

    Reply
    • Jill says

      July 29, 2017 at 10:50 am

      Marge, please read the directions. First you say you cool below the recommended temps and then you say you adjust to less. Jill

      Reply
  159. Reggie Gore says

    July 26, 2017 at 6:07 pm

    This is so thick and creamy and the most delicious yogurt I’ve ever had. My son and granddaughter love it!! I strained it for about 9 hours. Thanks for the great recipe. I’m trying your cottage cheese recipe next.

    Reply
  160. LuAnne says

    July 26, 2017 at 11:44 am

    Thank you for this recipe! I have a couple of questions.

    1. I’m on a low carb diet and I eat whole milk yogurt a few times a week. The theory is that, between the time the yogurt is packaged until the time you buy it, the bacteria continues to eat the sugar so the carb count is much lower than the number on the package. Although, I really want to make my own yogurt, I don’t want to consume a lot of carbs. Any idea what the actual carb count is for this homemade yogurt and what the timeframe is where we could assume that the bacteria is finished eating the sugars?

    2. What is the fridge shelf life of the yogurt?

    Thanks!

    Reply
  161. Barbara gross says

    July 26, 2017 at 11:19 am

    Oops, I used the low setting. Will it be okay to eat?

    Reply
  162. Tracy says

    July 25, 2017 at 5:16 am

    Do you have to use a flat wisk?

    Reply
    • Jill says

      July 25, 2017 at 3:28 pm

      No, Tracy. It is just my favorite one. Jill

      Reply
  163. Christina Galegos says

    July 24, 2017 at 8:52 am

    Since I live at 5280 feet high, I am waiting for your reply to the altitude question. Also, since I am lactose intolerant, I have become accustomed to buying and using goat’s milk. Does that make any diffeence?

    Reply
    • APRIL M says

      July 30, 2017 at 8:30 pm

      5 stars
      I found Fairfarm 2% lactose free milk! I made the yogurt today for the first time and it is looking good. Just finished the incubation, decided to go with 7 hours. Now its in the fridge.

      I’m wondering if it can be freezed? I believe so, but I’m thinking it might affect the texture.

      April

      Reply
  164. CHAZ says

    July 23, 2017 at 11:45 am

    I made it and something went amiss! After a 10-hour incubation, I have yogurt-y smelling milk soup. Can I salvage this by adding more starter (and at what temp?) and incubating again? I thought I took careful measurements and incubated on “normal.” So bummed. Yogurt is the sole reason I bought my IP. I’ve been using stovetop pressure cookers for years!

    Reply
  165. Susan Tymchuk says

    July 20, 2017 at 9:15 pm

    5 stars
    I am having a hard time getting my 1% milk up to 180, it takes up to 90 minutes or more. First I do the boil, then try boil again, then sauté. When I first got the pot it never took this long but then I was using 2 litre..now I am loving the yogurt and using a gallon.

    Reply
  166. Connie Waite says

    July 20, 2017 at 5:48 am

    5 stars
    Do the instructions change for different altitudes or humidity? I have followed your instructions successfully many times, but my sister who lives in Wisconsin is not having any success. I live in Utah. Thanks for any tips or possible solutions!

    Reply
  167. Bea Shumey says

    July 17, 2017 at 9:49 pm

    Well, I set the pot to boil and when it beeped..the milk was already 187*, so I cooled it down as quickly as I could and added my starter and now it is incubating…we will see if it turns out, or turns into cheese! What do you think?

    Reply
  168. Cynthia Slegel says

    July 16, 2017 at 1:58 pm

    Didn’t work for me. I used 1 gal. Of milk and boiled until beep. Wished, took temp. And it was less than 180° so I sauteed and turned off at 185%°. Transfered to cold water bath until temp was under 115°. Incubated for ,8 hours , put in fridge overnight and found it to be the consistency of milk, not even sightly creamy. What can you tell me?

    Reply
    • Jill says

      July 16, 2017 at 3:20 pm

      Cynthia, either you used ultra pasteurized milk, or your pot was set to less. Did you use starter? Jill

      Reply
    • Charlotte Andrews says

      July 25, 2017 at 6:26 am

      I had the same problem. Just looks like milk. I did use fresh goat milk, don’t know if that makes a difference. Thoughts?

      Reply
      • Jill says

        July 25, 2017 at 3:27 pm

        There are many reasons. Pot could have been on less, bad starter, etc. Jill

        Reply
    • Mark says

      August 2, 2017 at 4:51 pm

      Maybe the cultures are getting killed off early if you are only cooling to just below 115. Try cooling to 95-100. And make sure you whisk so there are no hot spots.

      Reply
  169. Kathy Gospodarek says

    July 15, 2017 at 7:10 am

    What are your thoughts on sterlizing, sanitizing the other equipment used in making yogurt. I read your instructions on the pot but how about the whisk, thermometer, etc. ?
    Thank you

    Reply
  170. Kassidee says

    July 13, 2017 at 8:47 pm

    5 stars
    I see the yield is 14 servings. Is that one-cup/8 ounce servings? I couldn’t find an actual measurement listed, only the jar size. I’m just trying to decide if it’s worth the time and effort to make it – if the yield is enough 🙂
    And I assume this is unstrained servings?

    Reply
  171. Lorilei says

    July 12, 2017 at 10:37 pm

    5 stars
    Thanks so much for a great recipe! My IP only reached 173 degrees after the yogurt boil setting, I followed your instructions and used the sauté function to 180 degrees. Yogurt is delicious!

    Reply
    • Jill says

      July 13, 2017 at 6:34 pm

      Hi Lorilei. So glad you had a nice success. Jill

      Reply
  172. Kristina says

    July 4, 2017 at 5:43 am

    Great instructions! How long does the yogurt typically last before it “expires”? Trying to decide whether to make a full batch or half batch.

    Reply
  173. Jill says

    July 1, 2017 at 9:28 pm

    Your smoothie looks delicious! Jill

    Reply
  174. Linda says

    July 1, 2017 at 5:29 pm

    What do you mean when you say the bacteria may fight the flavourings?, “If you want to add sugar and/or vanilla, now is the time to do so. However, I recommend that you wait until after incubation, so that the bacteria in the milk doesn’t fight with any flavorings.” I’m trying to figure out what that means. I’ve had good success making it, then straining, and then adding a bit of sugar and vanilla, but it does seem to get runnier/thinner after stirring in the sugar and vanilla. Mostly I want to save time and it seems like adding the sugar and vanilla before incubation may solve that, but I don’t want to ruin a batch when I’ve had success making the recipe as posted.

    Reply
  175. Hollie says

    June 29, 2017 at 9:19 am

    Thank you for all the help!! I made my first batch but we like the sweetness of yoplait yogurt. I cannot find a recipe for the exact amount of sweetener to use, so I’ve ended up with a lot of unusable samples? Any specific amount of sweetener? We like the banana one! Thanks for your tips!

    Reply
    • Jill says

      July 1, 2017 at 2:08 am

      Hi Hollie~

      It is a personal preference. Start with a little and add more until it is the right amount of sweetness for you. Jill

      Reply
  176. Evelyn says

    June 29, 2017 at 6:48 am

    5 stars
    Just made yogurt in the liner for the first time. (Previously I used the in-jars method a couple of times.) This turned out so thick and smooth and creamy. The only straining I needed to do was what was in the bottom of the pot after spooning out most of the yogurt. I ended up with 4 pint-size Mason jars almost full. I used a half gallon of whole milk (not ultra pasteurized). I incubated for 10 hours and it was the perfect tartness for our liking.

    Reply
  177. Adele Aiken says

    June 29, 2017 at 4:06 am

    5 stars
    If I plan to strain the yogurt, do I put it in the strainer immediately after making the yogurt or do I first put it in the fridge overnight (I make during the day) and then strain? I also am curious about the spoon standing straight up – is that after it’s cooled or after it’s cooked and strained?

    Reply
    • Marge Hutton says

      July 29, 2017 at 7:20 am

      I have had my Insta Pot for just over a week and have had both success and failures with making yogurt. Can’t figure out why I’m having failures when I seem to be doing the same thing. With my failures I # 1: Boil the milk, let it cool below the recommended temps, them touch yogurt, adjust, to less, adjust to 8:00 hours, after time is up and I open the cover, two times there has been barely and texture to it. WHAT AM I DOING WRONG?? My last failure was I used 10 cups of 2% milk, where I usually only do 8 cups. With the 10 cups I increased the time to 10:30 hours.

      Reply
      • Shirley Pena says

        August 2, 2017 at 3:43 pm

        Could it be you forgot to add the starter?
        Using 10 cups milk vs 8 is no problem. You don’t even have to increase the time if you don’t want to (unless you prefer the taste of more tart yogurt. More time = more tart).

        Reply
  178. Lyn says

    June 26, 2017 at 12:28 pm

    I have followed this recipe twice with great results. Getting ready to make my third batch of Greek Yogurt today!

    Reply
  179. John Whelan says

    June 26, 2017 at 10:50 am

    Would like to learn as much as possible about the instant pot.

    Reply
  180. Camille Nordwall says

    June 19, 2017 at 9:20 am

    Hi! Two questions… have you ever used raw milk and if you don’t strain it, it’s just regular yogurt, right?
    Thanks!

    Reply
  181. Camille Nordwall says

    June 19, 2017 at 8:56 am

    So what happens if you use raw milk?

    Reply
  182. mary says

    June 18, 2017 at 5:58 pm

    First attempt at yogurt making in my instant pot. used goats milk and followed your instructions. what I ended up with was a pot of thick gelatinous yogurt. even when strained it was still gelatinous. Tasted very mild considering I incubated for 10 hours. It was on yogurt normal.

    Reply
  183. Mel says

    June 14, 2017 at 10:27 am

    Would it work with cow milk alternatives such as coconut or almond milk?

    Reply
    • Jill says

      June 15, 2017 at 8:37 pm

      Hi Mel. You would need a different type of starter, among other things. This recipe is just for regular milk. Jill

      Reply
  184. Lisa says

    June 12, 2017 at 3:44 am

    5 stars
    First, thank you for the directions!

    I have a question pertaining to straining the yogurt. Using the Euro Strainer, I’ve tried straining immediately after incubation as well as after setting the yogurt in the fridge for 6 hours. Both attempts have super-fail results. The yogurt is running right through the strainer.

    I’ve posted on the Euro website as well as Amazon and no one can find a solution/reason. Hoping your expertise comes in handy.

    Thanks in advance!
    L.

    Reply
    • Jill says

      June 14, 2017 at 4:38 pm

      Lisa, it sounds like your pressure cooker is set on less, rather than normal. Jill

      Reply
  185. Alexis says

    June 6, 2017 at 8:23 pm

    5 stars
    I love this recipe! I was wondering though, do you let your Greek yogurt sit in the fridge for 6-8 hours and then start straining? Or can you immediately start straining after the Instant Pot cycle is done and have the yogurt strain and chill at the same time? Thanks so much!

    Reply
  186. Dianne Collins says

    June 3, 2017 at 12:31 pm

    5 stars
    Thank you for the great recipe and instructions that even this IP novice could follow. I’ll never eat store bought yogurt again! But I have a question.

    When I went to put the second half of the batch in the strainer, whey was already separating out. I strained it anyway and it came out nice and thick. Is it normal for it to start to separate like that? I used whole milk and Fage starter, incubated for 8 hours and chilled in the fridge overnight.

    Reply
  187. Catherine Muscarelle says

    May 30, 2017 at 8:29 pm

    Hi, Jill!
    Thank you fo your amazing recipe! I was raving about my yogurt to my son, who also has an IP, and found out that his IP does not have a yogurt button. Could you please tell me how he can set this manually? I have seen several people ask,but I cannot find your answer to this question.

    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Jean T says

      June 5, 2017 at 11:09 am

      My instant pot does not have a yogurt cycle.
      Can you please tell me how to set it manually
      I’m anxious to make this great recipe.
      Thanks

      Reply
  188. Pugmom says

    May 30, 2017 at 8:43 am

    5 stars
    I have made this fabulous yogurt almost weekly. I have tested skim milk, 1% and 2% and like the 2% the best so far. I am trying to keep the calories down so don’t want to use whole milk. I make a gallon at a time and strain it until it is very thick. If it gets too soft after a few days, I strain it again and it comes out perfect! I have started adding vanilla extract at the beginning of incubation. My question is, has anyone tried stevia to sweeten the yogurt at the start of incubation? Again, I am trying to cut calories. Thank you Jill for ALL of your amazing recipes. Every one I have tried is PERFECTION!

    Reply
  189. Sharon says

    May 29, 2017 at 5:52 am

    Loved all your tips for making Greek yogurt

    Reply
  190. Sharon says

    May 29, 2017 at 5:32 am

    5 stars
    Loved all your tips for making Greek yogurt in the instant pot

    Reply
  191. Rebecca T. says

    May 28, 2017 at 6:47 pm

    I followed your directions perfectly and the yogurt is amazing! Just a question. I use 2% milk. Do you know how to apply whatever formula you used to calculate the nutritional info for the whole milk. It seems different than just the info for the milk alone. I make greek yogurt. I know that a lot of the carbs drain out in the whey, but who’s to know how many? I do Trim Healthy Mama, so knowing this info is pretty important. Thanks so much!

    Reply
  192. Sharon B says

    May 28, 2017 at 3:07 pm

    Hi! I tried making yogurt for the first time yesterday. I wanted to use raw milk as that is what I buy. The recipe (not yours) was specially for raw milk. It was a total FAIL!
    I’m going to try again with your recipe and pasteurized milk. But one quick question: is a candy thermometer ok? I also have a meat thermometer, but it’s not like the one you use. Thanks!

    Reply
  193. Melody Francis says

    May 27, 2017 at 11:23 am

    5 stars
    How long can it stay in the Instant Pot on Keep warm after it’s incubated?

    Reply
  194. Michelle says

    May 27, 2017 at 10:48 am

    5 stars
    This is my second time making yogurt and I’m following your directions to a T. I’m having a lot of trouble getting it to 182° It takes FOREVER!! The first time I did at least three boil cycles then I still had to put it on sauté afterwards do you have any advice for me? This is second time I’ve had it on Saturday for at least 10 minutes Thanks in advance.

    Reply
    • Jill says

      May 27, 2017 at 2:59 pm

      Hi Michelle~

      Please make sure to follow the directions on the recipe card.

      Jill

      Reply
    • Rae says

      June 18, 2017 at 8:43 am

      I’m having the same issue and have followed the recipe instructions. I’ve also asked a friend who makes yogurt frequently. Jill, would you be able to provide us an interval that you whisk? I.e.: every 2, 5, 10, 79 minutes whisk….

      Reply
      • Jill says

        June 23, 2017 at 7:06 pm

        Hi Rae. I usually just whisk once or twice. Jill

        Reply
  195. Bella Barrows says

    May 27, 2017 at 9:20 am

    Willthe euro strainer hold all of the yogurt? On Amazon it said it only holds 2 quarts.

    Reply
    • Camille Nordwall says

      June 19, 2017 at 9:21 am

      I’d like to know too!

      Reply
  196. Kim says

    May 25, 2017 at 11:08 am

    5 stars
    I am incubating my first batch of yogurt in my Instant Pot. I just now realized that I only used a half gallon of milk but used the full 2 tablespoons of yogurt for my starter! Oops! What will that mean?

    Reply
  197. Nancy says

    May 23, 2017 at 6:21 am

    Do you strain it for Greek yogurt after letting letting it set in the frig?
    Or do you strain it immediately for 2 hour for Greek yogurt in the frig?
    Starting my first batch NOW!!

    Reply
  198. lulu says

    May 21, 2017 at 11:26 am

    Do you chill the yogurt before you strain it?

    Reply
  199. Jessica says

    May 18, 2017 at 1:58 pm

    5 stars
    Hi Jill! I’m an IP newbie but made this yogurt last week when I first got my pot. I just had a quick question (need some clarification): Is it okay to sweeten with honey and add vanilla after incubation but before refrigeration? I’m mostly just making regular yogurt (no straining) and am finding that with doing it individually after the yogurt is cold my raw unfiltered honey does NOT want to mix in. But, I also don’t want to risk ruining an entire pot of yogurt by stirring it before it’s fridge set. So is it okay to add honey at that point and then chill? Thank you so much for this blog. I’ve already made a few of your recipes and everything so far has been wonderful!

    Reply
  200. Stephanie says

    May 17, 2017 at 10:40 am

    I’m super excited to make yogurt using your recipe today! I gave birth to my sixth baby a few months ago and I am working on losing the weight, so calories are being counted ? How did u figure out the calorie count for your yogurt? I’m making mine today with 2% milk. If I don’t strain it, would it roughly b the same calories as the same amount of 2% milk? Thank u for your time and awesome recipes.

    Reply
  201. Mary says

    May 16, 2017 at 6:40 pm

    5 stars
    Hi, thanks so much for being the test kitchen and sharing the perfect recipe! I just started using my IP and found your blog. Just wondering how long is the yogurt good for once finished. I’m the only one in my family thta eats this and just curious how long it is good for. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Jill says

      May 17, 2017 at 1:20 am

      Hi Mary~

      I am so glad you are enjoying yogurt. Two weeks is a good amount of time in the fridge.

      Jill

      Reply
      • Ira says

        January 4, 2022 at 6:09 pm

        Hola! My IP does not have a yogurt button. At what temp should I set it?

        Reply
  202. Stephanie says

    May 16, 2017 at 5:23 pm

    My yogurt turned out a little watery like it didn’t set up right. Still tastes good, just not super thick. What might I have done wrong?

    Reply
  203. Devan Pfeiffer says

    May 16, 2017 at 6:34 am

    I just got my instant pot a few days ago, and have had success with your recipes! I made your strawberry compote first. It was unbelievably easy and delcious. I was intimidated by making yogurt, but your tutorial made it so easy. And it is so delicious topped with the strawberry compote!
    Thank you for the recipes!

    Reply
    • Jill says

      May 17, 2017 at 1:24 am

      Hi Devan~

      Congrats on your purchase. I am so glad my tutorial helped you to make good yogurt. Nothing better than fresh compote and homemade yogurt! Have fun cooking.

      Jill

      Reply
  204. Lisa Fourroux says

    May 13, 2017 at 7:59 am

    Hi Jill
    Thanks for this recipe!
    I want to make vanilla yogurt. I see when not to add the vanilla, but I’m not sure when to add it in the process. Thank you.
    Lisa

    Reply
  205. Pritha Ghoshal says

    May 12, 2017 at 7:04 am

    5 stars
    Hi Jill, Thanks for the clear instructions, I was able to make really good greek yogurt in my first try itself. Do you have any suggestions about how long the yogurt can be kept in the refrigerator? Also I separated a little bit of the yogurt to use as starter next time. I kept that also in the refrigerator. How long will that remain active in the fridge?

    Reply
    • BuckeyePeach says

      May 31, 2017 at 5:46 pm

      I find it’s better to immediately freeze a couple tablespoons of your fresh yogurt to use for starter next time, rather than let it sit in the fridge. The frozen will always be fresher than what has been sitting in the fridge for a while.

      Reply
  206. Joline Crane says

    May 11, 2017 at 4:24 pm

    I have Power XL pressure cooker,are there instructions for yogurt and cottage cheese for this model? Is it possible for me to make in my XL cooker?

    Reply
  207. Nancy says

    May 7, 2017 at 6:02 am

    I am with the comment made by KB below. Been making my own yogurt for about 15 years using different methods. My Instant Pot was purchased for making yogurt. It kept coming out so thin, even using whole milk. After searching I came across This Old Gal’s site and read about checking the temp after “boil.” Sure enough mine was not getting high enough. Making another gallon now, digital thermometer is at the ready! Every day I get comments from my coworkers on “now what’s in the 8 oz canning jar?” Thank you so much for your tried and true information. You have a wonderful web site!

    Reply
    • Jill says

      May 8, 2017 at 12:44 am

      Hi Nancy~

      I am so glad you are happy with your yogurt now. Over a year ago, when I first read about “failures,” I was determined to get to the bottom of it. I did many experiments and figured out why people where having the same issues over and over again. It was exciting to have been the one who did get to the bottom of it all and cracked all the codes to make perfect yogurt. I put my own findings into this blog post. Thank you for your comments.

      Jill

      Reply
  208. Tracy says

    May 5, 2017 at 12:20 pm

    Do you have nutrition information for yogurt made with 1% milk?

    Reply
  209. Lisa Fourroux says

    May 5, 2017 at 6:17 am

    5 stars
    I’m on Amazon ordering all of my yogurt “tools”. I like the idea of the Euro Cuisine GY60 Greek Yogurt Maker With Stainless Steel Strainer, but need your advice. Does it only strain 1/2 of your recipe at a time? I read comments/reviews but you have the yogurt making experience, so I came to the source.
    Thank you in advance –
    Lisa

    Reply
    • Jill says

      May 8, 2017 at 12:32 am

      Hi Lisa~

      The strainer does one half of a gallon of milk at a time. It is very easy to use and washes up nicely. I always make a gallon of yogurt and then strain half and then the other half.

      Jill

      Reply
  210. Jenny says

    May 2, 2017 at 3:43 pm

    Jill,
    This is the fourth time I’ve made the yogurt. It’s truly delicious but I am having a problem. The first time it came out perfect. The last three times it’s been like soup when finished incubating for 8 hrs. (Still tastes good). I made sure I followed your directions, exactly. I’ve watched videos on YouTube. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.
    I’m using whole Milk and Fage yogurt for a starter. All temperatures good. Incubating yogurt/normal for 8hrs.
    Do you have any idea why it’s like soup? Thanks

    Reply
    • Jill says

      June 8, 2017 at 12:58 am

      Jenny, what type of milk are you using? Jill

      Reply
  211. Tammi says

    May 1, 2017 at 9:28 pm

    5 stars
    Made this three times now and I’m very happy with the outcome. First time was thin, because I used an ultra-heated milk instead of fresh. (I’m in Germany; milk is commonly sold in liter boxes on the shelves.) Using fresh milk and straining produced the kind of yogurt I wanted. Thanks so much for the step by step!

    Reply
    • Jill says

      May 4, 2017 at 11:12 pm

      Hi Tammi~

      I am glad you were able to find fresh milk and get the outcome you love. Enjoy. Jill

      Reply
  212. ange bunch says

    May 1, 2017 at 3:27 pm

    None of the links to the digital thermometer work. Can you tell me the make and model so I can look it up? Can it be left in meat in the oven?

    Reply
    • Jill says

      May 3, 2017 at 2:53 am

      Hi Ange~

      Thanks for letting me know. I have fixed all the links. Here is the link for the Digital Thermometer. This cannot be left in the oven. This Meat Thermometer has the probe that can be left in the meat in the oven.

      Jill

      Reply
  213. KB says

    April 30, 2017 at 8:37 am

    After trying my friend’s Instant-pot yogurt using Jill’s recipe, I bought an instant pot SOLELY for the purpose of making it. It is that good. Thank you, Jill, for the easy to follow, well-tested, delicious yogurt recipe. I make it every 10 days or so, I use my own starter (originally from Fage). It is better than any store-bought Greek yogurt and way more affordable.. My advice: do what Jill says… exactly… and you will have a perfect batch of yogurt every time. Thank you for helping the DIY-challenged cooks of the world reach success.

    Reply
    • Jill says

      May 4, 2017 at 12:52 pm

      Hi KB~

      Thanks so much for the kind words. I am so glad I was able to help you and others make perfect yogurt. All that testing and recreating user failures, almost two years ago, really cracked the code to perfect yogurt. It makes me happy that almost everybody with an IP has learned from my findings/method.

      Jill

      Reply
  214. Nicole says

    April 30, 2017 at 6:48 am

    5 stars
    My yogurt didn’t set and there were partial yogurt pieces at the bottom of the pot. Not sure what happened. Any advice? I’ve made this before and it’s been successful so I’m not sure what happened.

    Reply
    • Jill says

      June 20, 2017 at 2:08 am

      Hi Nicole~

      It sounds like some milk burned on the bottom of the pot. Jill

      Reply
  215. Nins says

    April 30, 2017 at 1:23 am

    Mine came out nice and thick. How log should I incubate to get a really tart Yogurt. I did 10 hours. The Whey, to me looked cloudy. How clear is it supposed to be. I used the Euro 60 Greek Yogurt Maker, and let it drain overnight.

    Reply
  216. Judy says

    April 28, 2017 at 4:15 am

    Have you ever tried flavoring the yogurt with essential oils (like lemon or tangerine or …)

    Reply
  217. Elise Richard says

    April 28, 2017 at 2:36 am

    We just got the instant pot ultra. We were so excited to try to make yogurt. This morning, however, it looked like just plain milk. Nothing thick or anything. What did we do wrong?? Thank you!!

    Reply
    • Jill says

      June 14, 2017 at 4:41 pm

      Hi Elise. Not being there, I don’t know. Please check all the steps and make sure that your pot was on the right settings for the yogurt incubation. Jill

      Reply
  218. Mommy2jands says

    April 24, 2017 at 4:46 pm

    I’m new to using the IP and I got an 8 quart one. Will the timing be the same or does it need to be adjusted? Will results vary because of a bigger pot? Also, I’ve seen people post your recipe and have it incubate for just 6 hours and having it turn out super thick and not needing to strain it. I don’t understand what you mean by it needs to read normal and not less when adjusting the time. Also, I don’t have a glass top yet. Instead of putting the regular IP top into the fridge can I just use plastic wrap?

    Reply
  219. Randy says

    April 23, 2017 at 5:56 pm

    How many days does this keep in the fridge? I am single and can’t eat that much yogurt. 🙂

    Reply
  220. Ailynn says

    April 22, 2017 at 3:04 am

    5 stars
    My tired brain accidentally placed the lot in fridge after adding starter at 110. Is it okay to just now incubate in pot?

    Reply
    • Jill says

      June 11, 2017 at 12:11 am

      Hi Ailynn. That is fine. 🙂 Jill

      Reply
  221. KarenB says

    April 20, 2017 at 9:08 am

    How do you come up with the nutrition information ? I watch my sugar and protein so i would like to know how i can figure out the nutrition info after i make mine using your recipe. The nutrition information is for the plain Greek yogurt without anything added. Correct ?

    Reply
  222. Andrea Wilson says

    April 19, 2017 at 7:39 am

    I made this yesterday. I like a less tart yogurt so only incubated it for 8 hours and then drained it to thicken. It is really, really wonderful. Today I made the fruit compote, and it is terrific, too. Thanks!

    Reply
  223. Delaine says

    April 18, 2017 at 8:35 pm

    A bunch of condensation from the lid fell into my heated milk, did I just ruin the yogurt process? I continued on and it is now incubating. This is my first time making yogurt so I hope I didn’t mess it up. Thank you for the wonderful and thorough instructions!

    Reply
    • Jill says

      April 19, 2017 at 12:59 am

      Hi Delaine~

      Your yogurt will be fine. As long as your pot is on Normal and not less, all will be well. Have fun. Jill

      Reply
  224. Pat says

    April 18, 2017 at 3:03 pm

    Help, please. My yogurt came out wonderfully but the euro strainer, even with coffee filter insert, still produces milky/cloudy whey. I wanted to use the whey for baking your bread, but it is my understanding that I need the whey to be clear. True? (I LOVE your delicious, easy to follow recipes!)

    Reply
    • Jill says

      April 18, 2017 at 8:22 pm

      Hi Pat~

      Cloudy whey is fine for the Bread. No worries. Thank you too! 🙂 Jill

      Reply
  225. Diane says

    April 18, 2017 at 12:33 pm

    Are there instructions, or is it even possible, to make yogurt if you have the IP that doesn’t have the Yogurt function?

    Reply
  226. WayneH says

    April 17, 2017 at 9:50 am

    ” However, I recommend that you wait until after incubation”

    So after incubation – before you put it in the refrigerator to set – is when you would add sugar or vanilla? Would you just pour it on top and stir the yogurt then to get it mixed properly?

    Reply
    • Jill says

      April 19, 2017 at 1:01 am

      Hi Wayne. I would sweeten prior to eating. Jill

      Reply
  227. Joline Crane says

    April 17, 2017 at 9:43 am

    Wondering if it’s possible to make this in the power pressure XL machine?

    Reply
  228. hana says

    April 16, 2017 at 10:13 pm

    4 stars
    Is it possible to put the milk in glass container inside the instant pot for the whole process?

    Not directly pour the milk into the instant pot.

    Reply
  229. Shirley Welk says

    April 14, 2017 at 5:14 pm

    I have a Power Pressure XL pot. No you garb button. Can I make yogart?

    Reply
  230. Harlean Greathouse says

    April 14, 2017 at 5:54 am

    Thank you, Jill I have searched and searched for instructions for Making yogurt with my instant pot. This is the first one that is very clear about each and every step. The photos are also appreciated. I just spent all day yesterday trying to follow someone else’s directions, and ended up with about a cup of solid that looked a little like cottage cheese. I will try again, but believe that I will go back to my old recipe that takes about 30 minutes of work, then wrap it in towels and forget it for about 12 hours, and it is ready to finish up in the same manner that you describe. I do strain mine as I like the thicker, creamer texture. However, the good thing is that I have found your site (and bookmarked it for future reference. So, thankyou, thank you, thank you!!!

    Reply
    • Jill says

      April 16, 2017 at 1:37 pm

      Hi Harlean~

      Thanks so much for the lovely words. I try to be very clear. I am glad you found my site. Jill

      Reply
  231. Natalya says

    April 13, 2017 at 6:50 pm

    I prefer to use organic milk but most organic milk is ultra pasteurized in my area. Do I need to adjust the amount of starter or anything in my recipe for it to turn out well?

    Reply
  232. Maria Oropallo says

    April 13, 2017 at 6:34 am

    5 stars
    Ugh
    I accidently hit the yogurt button twice. How do I reset?
    I turned it off, now it wants to boil again. I know that’s not right.

    Reply
  233. Ed says

    April 11, 2017 at 2:37 pm

    5 stars
    Better than any store bought yogurt I’ve ever had. I eat it almost every day and more economical than buying at the store.

    Reply
    • Rhonda says

      April 11, 2017 at 5:46 pm

      I luv luv making Jill’s yogurt. I will never buy commercial yogurt again. Thanks Jill.

      Reply
      • Jill says

        April 13, 2017 at 11:35 pm

        Hi Rhonda~

        Thanks. 🙂 Jill

        Reply
  234. KarenB says

    April 10, 2017 at 10:02 pm

    How much milk do you use? It doesn’t say. I bought whole milk, as I need the fat but never the sugar. I add the splenda after the 8 hours of it on the yogurt setting? I bought fage plain yogurt for my starter but if I make a whole gallon of milk, do I use 4 tablespoons of fage?

    Reply
  235. Mary Mozingo says

    April 10, 2017 at 7:52 am

    5 stars
    How long should the yogurt be “good” in the fridge. I used whole milk. The recipe worked for me this first time. Thanks!

    Reply
  236. Mary Mozingo says

    April 10, 2017 at 7:14 am

    5 stars
    How long do you estimate the yogurt is ” good” for? I used 1 gallon of whole milk. Just my 2 people in my house, so wondering when I need to consider freezing it. Thanks. Recipe worked for me on my first attempt!

    Reply
  237. Tracy Penn Sweet says

    April 6, 2017 at 8:14 pm

    Do you need to use the Bluetooth instant Pot or any instant pot with a yogurt funcrion?

    Reply
  238. Darlene says

    April 6, 2017 at 7:06 pm

    5 stars
    I just made this and put two tablespoons of starter yogurt into milk, will this ruin it?

    Reply
    • Darlene says

      April 6, 2017 at 7:09 pm

      I used one half gallon of whole milk.

      Reply
      • Jill says

        April 11, 2017 at 2:45 pm

        Hi Darlene. Your yogurt will be fine. 🙂 Enjoy. Jill

        Reply
  239. Fernando Milmo says

    April 6, 2017 at 6:23 pm

    5 stars
    Thank you for all you do!

    I wanted to add that you can use whey from a previous batch so no more wasting yogurt as starter. I found that the best ration is 4 tbsp of whey (as long as it has live culture) per gallon of milk. Thus, if you use whey as starter double the dosage from your recipe to get it right. The whey can be frozen. This works for me.

    Reply
    • Donna says

      April 7, 2017 at 3:33 pm

      5 stars
      Is 1/3 cup whey too much

      Reply
  240. linda says

    April 6, 2017 at 8:07 am

    I do not see the recipe on the yogurt..would you please post it..it states it is on here..but I haven’t found it..thank you.. 🙂

    Reply
  241. txgrandma says

    April 5, 2017 at 3:32 pm

    5 stars
    I made this and it was a smashing success! I used organic milk and yogurt for a starter and it was the smoothest and creamiest yogurt I’ve ever had. No tart taste to it. I am currently straining it for Greek yogurt and expect that is will get better by tomorrow. Thanks for such a great tutorial. It was very helpful!

    Reply
    • Jill says

      April 5, 2017 at 6:39 pm

      Hi txgrandma. Thanks for your wonderful words and I am thrilled that my method has worked so nicely for you! Enjoy. Jill

      Reply
  242. Mei says

    April 4, 2017 at 12:48 pm

    5 stars
    I have made IP yogurt successfully with other recipes. I tried your recipe and followed your exact directions. Using whole milk, the yogurt came out quite thick and no need to strain to make Greek yogurt. I served with your IP Lemon Curd. Both recipes are a hit with the family. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Jill says

      April 4, 2017 at 5:56 pm

      Hi Mei~

      Thank you for the kind words. I am glad you had better success with my recipe. Enjoy your yogurt! JIll

      Reply
  243. Stef says

    April 3, 2017 at 3:51 am

    5 stars
    So I use to make homemade yogurt in my crockpot & it was awesome but wanted to try it in my IP now that I have one. It turns out well except that it is not completely smooth – it has little “lumps” or granulars of yogurt in it – they are like the size of a sugar granular that hasn’t disolved. I never had this with my crockpot method so it’s new to me. Any ideas what I should modify to fix this? I followed this recipe exactly & used a brand new carton (just opened) of fresh fage yogurt that I have had much sucess with in the past. My son is on the autism spectrum with sensory issues and he won’t eat the yogurt with the little “lumps” in it – I even whisk it and they are still there, Other than the little “lumps” it sets up great and has an awesome flavor. Could I maybe not use the yogurt button on my IP and try a lower temp for longer time?

    Reply
    • Jill says

      April 11, 2017 at 3:00 pm

      Hi Stef. It is possible that some milk burned to the bottom of the pot and was whisked into the milk. If you start with a cool pot whisk a few times during the boil cycle, you should not have this problem. Jill

      Reply
      • alyssa says

        May 9, 2017 at 3:43 pm

        I had this same peoblem and I started with a cold pot and whisked 4 times during cycle 🙁

        Reply
  244. Lynn says

    April 2, 2017 at 10:44 am

    I am planning on making this tonight and wanted to clarify the “starter”. As this will be my first attempt i do not have a starter. Someone referenced store bought Greek yogurt. Just wanted to clarify that this would work and/or if there any other suggestions for the starter

    Reply
    • Jill says

      April 11, 2017 at 2:58 pm

      Hi Lynn. I like to use Fage for the starter. Thereafter, I freeze some of my own yogurt to use as the starter. Jill

      Reply
  245. Pam Bettendorf says

    April 1, 2017 at 8:15 pm

    Hi Jill. I believe I read in one of your yogurt recipes that the yogurt is not made under pressure, therefore, the sealing ring should be removed from the lid. Is this correct? Thanks a bunch!

    Reply
    • Jill says

      April 4, 2017 at 6:01 pm

      Hi Pam. You can leave it in or take it out as it does not matter. Jill

      Reply
  246. My Duong says

    March 26, 2017 at 8:12 am

    Does it matter if you store yogurt in containers with metal lids or plastic lids?

    Reply
  247. Momaseeta says

    March 26, 2017 at 7:59 am

    I am dairy free but love yogurt. Can I use plain almond milk rather than lactose cow milk?

    Reply
  248. Hanna says

    March 24, 2017 at 5:55 pm

    Does transferring to another vessel to cool in the fridge count as “disturbing” it? I don’t have a second IP pot so I need mine while the yogurt is setting…!

    Reply
    • Hanna says

      March 26, 2017 at 5:09 am

      First batch (organic milk and bought greek y for starter) followed these great instructions to a T, it rested in IP pot and came out silky smooth. Second batch I used some saved starter from first batch (it wasn’t thawed but I tempered it) then transferred to glass bowl to rest.
      Don’t know which caused this (transferring? frozen/saved starter?) but y came out lumpy and loose, strained a pint of whey out of half gallon…!? Still delicious tho!

      Reply
  249. Sarah says

    March 20, 2017 at 5:48 am

    HI Jill!
    My IP does not have a yogurt button…can I still make yogurt in it?
    Thanks!
    Sarah

    Reply
  250. Christy Ziliotto Madden says

    March 17, 2017 at 9:58 pm

    Oh dear – I realized that my pot has been on the ‘less’ setting for 7 hours! I corrected it but now wonder if I should incubate it longer . . . it looks like it’s getting thick, but I’m reluctant to disturb it now. Suggestions?

    Reply
    • Katherine says

      March 26, 2017 at 7:15 am

      5 stars
      I think it is super easy for this to happen. I didn’t know whether to turn it off or leave it saying YOGT after the boiling process. I left it in that setting and placed the pot back in after cooling it to 110 and then pressed the YOGT button. It changed it to LESS and showed the 8 hours so if I hadn’t been paying attention because of her notes in the blog I totally would have done the same thing. I’m going to pay better attention my second time around, but I think a solution is to turn it off after the boiling process and then hit the Yogurt button and carry on with the incubation after that. **Sorry if this doesn’t make sense…I woke up super early to put the yogurt in the fridge after incubating all night. And as last night/today is my first attempt I am far from an expert. I just wanted you to know you weren’t crazy for doing that. =)

      Reply
  251. Christy Madden says

    March 17, 2017 at 9:55 pm

    Oh dear – I realized that my pot was on the ‘less’ setting for 7 hours . . . it looks like it is incubating and I shut it off and turned it back to ‘normal’. Should I incubate it longer?

    Reply
  252. Cindy Marie Kuest Myers says

    March 17, 2017 at 3:00 pm

    First attempt was a success! I don’t don’t why I was intimidated to do this, as it was so easy. (Thanks to your clear instructions) I incubated it for 10 hours, but would still like a lot more tang. Is there such a thing as incubating it too long? Does it just get more sour or is there a limit? Can I try 14-16 hours for example? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Mark says

      March 25, 2017 at 6:46 pm

      Check out my comment on February 19th regarding the incubation time and getting a little more of the yogurt-y tang you’re seeking.

      Reply
  253. Cincin says

    March 17, 2017 at 2:19 pm

    Thank you so much it came out great, except I over strained my yogurt ;-p Are you able to reuse your starter every time, or do you have to start from scratch every few times? I heard the commercial starters only last a few batches unless you use “heirloom” starter that can regenerate forever.

    Reply
    • Jill says

      March 17, 2017 at 5:21 pm

      Hi Cincin~

      I freeze mine and use them for the next batch and so on. I am still using starter from my batches and haven’t purchased any more commercial yogurt.

      Jill

      Reply
  254. S says

    March 17, 2017 at 8:01 am

    At which point would it be more like sour cream? Before or after straining it for greek yogurt? I think I am not understanding that part. Also do you know how long I would have to strain it for it to be more like cream cheese? I have heard of some people doing this. Thanks 🙂

    Reply
  255. Judi says

    March 14, 2017 at 10:29 pm

    Hi Jill, I’m cooling my second batch of yogurt. My problem is that with both batches, the milk burned on the bottom of my IP. I ended up putting it in a stainless steel bowl to cool while I clean my pot, but I can’t keep doing this. I feel like I’m following your directions correctly with stirring several times during boil and continually when I’ve used saute to get the milk to 180 degrees. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

    Reply
  256. Melissa says

    March 12, 2017 at 7:40 pm

    I need whey for a fermented food recipe I want to try, and I’ve been wanting to try yogurt in my IP, two birds with one stone right? But the recipe I need the whey for says to make sure not to use whey from something that goes over 105 degrees after its been cultured because it might harm the live cultures in it. I have searched and read for hours and I cannot find the temperature of the IP during incubation. Does anyone know how warm it gets during incubation?

    Reply
    • Melissa says

      March 13, 2017 at 4:58 pm

      Found it, 96 to 109 degrees

      Reply
  257. Christina says

    March 12, 2017 at 2:15 pm

    How much vanilla extract would you recommend adding for 1/2 gallon milk? And I’d sugar necessary if using vanilla? If so how much sugar should I add, and when? Thank you!

    Reply
  258. Jennifer Ceva says

    March 10, 2017 at 2:54 pm

    Great recipe, it worked perfectly for me last night in my very first batch of Instant Pot yogurt. Thanks!

    Reply
  259. Heather Anne says

    March 10, 2017 at 11:22 am

    Thanks so much for taking the time to perfect this recipe and share it! I didn’t think I was going to jump on the IP yogurt making bandwagon, but our favorite yogurt just took another price hike and I keep finding organic milk on awesome sales at ALDI USA … so jump I did! With teenagers who are healthy eating fans, this recipe is a really blessing!

    Reply
  260. Leah Turner says

    March 9, 2017 at 3:05 pm

    Hi! I heard I can make lactose free yogurt in the instant pot if I cook it longer or something…anybody know anything about this? Thank you!

    Reply
  261. Theresa says

    March 8, 2017 at 3:24 pm

    I’ve made this twice with great success! My husband will only eat homemade Greek yogurt now. Thank you for the detailed steps!

    Reply
  262. Shannon Ryan says

    March 8, 2017 at 11:26 am

    I have a strange question.. I just followed your yogurt recipe. It was going very smoothly and beautifully.. For some reason during the very last stage prior to putting it back in the instant pot for 8 hours.. I pulled the plug in the sink before removing the pot.. a bit of water bubbled up and over the side of the pot!! A little water got in.. did I ruin everything!??! Is it still ‘safe’ to eat you think?

    Reply
  263. Jenna says

    March 8, 2017 at 11:08 am

    Is there a version of this recipe for those of us who have the IP without the yogurt button?

    Reply
  264. Pamela Jean Bettendorf says

    March 8, 2017 at 4:37 am

    What an excellent and clearly written article! Thank you so much for taking the time to publish this in such great detail. I have my Instant Pot arriving tomorrow and will be making yogurt this weekend and I am confident that I will be much more successful after reading this. I have to do non-dairy and no refined sugar, so I will be experimenting with different recipes, and I’m thankful to have you to get me started with the hard part, technique!

    Reply
    • Jill says

      March 8, 2017 at 2:12 pm

      Hi Pamela~

      Thank you very much for your kind words. After seeing many people struggling with yogurt making, I spent months doing testing to discover every possible situation. My tips/methods blog post is the first of its kind using the Instant Pot for yogurt and my research and discoveries are being used by other bloggers (most without crediting me).

      Jill

      Reply
      • Pamela Jean Bettendorf says

        March 9, 2017 at 2:08 pm

        Jill, I’m so sorry to hear about the plagiarism. Unfortunately, that happens more often than not on the internet. I, for one, appreciate and recognize the effort and time you put into your research and you definitely have helped a huge amount of us be successful. Keep doing what you are doing, it is not going unnoticed!

        Pam

        Reply
  265. Lauren says

    March 7, 2017 at 3:31 pm

    This looks amazing – is it possible to use non-dairy milk and starter (like unflavored almond or soy) to get the same results? Thanks!

    Reply
  266. Roni says

    March 7, 2017 at 12:24 pm

    The European Greek yogurt strainer holds only two quarts, right? If you start with a whole gallon of milk, will all of it fit in the strainer?

    Reply
    • Jill says

      March 13, 2017 at 5:08 pm

      Hi Roni~

      The Euro Strainer holds half a gallon at a time.

      Jill

      Reply
  267. modeknit says

    March 7, 2017 at 9:42 am

    Just made my first ever yogurt and it’s DELICIOUS! Thank you for your great instructions!

    Reply
  268. Sylvia says

    March 7, 2017 at 8:22 am

    Followed directions BUT when I hit yogurt to incubate it shows “9” then goes off and back to “0” and counts up. Also you bolded that pressure should be on normal. Mine is on less and I can’t figure out how to fix it. IP DUO V2.
    Thank you. I can;t wait to eat it and hope I didnt screw it up!

    Reply
  269. Amy Jeffries says

    March 6, 2017 at 12:41 pm

    Does this work with non-dairy milk, like almond, cashew, coconut, etc? We are a dairy-intolerant family and I’ve yet to be able to find a good plain non-dairy greek yogurt. Would love to be able to make one.

    Reply
  270. Karen says

    March 4, 2017 at 8:37 pm

    Hi Jill,
    I’ve changed my mind and wanted it to incubate 10 hrs but I’ve set it for only 8, is there a way to change this? Thanks in advance, Karen

    Reply
    • Karen says

      March 5, 2017 at 10:52 am

      I just did 8 hrs and it looks fab! It’s now in the fridge draining the whey. I can’t wait! I gave my dog the lil bit that remained in the pot and he cleaned his bowl. He loves yogurt I think more than humans.

      Reply
  271. DebbieH says

    March 4, 2017 at 12:20 pm

    Thank you Jill once again. I made your Greek yogurt twice now and it’s sooo good! It’s so nice to have something quick to grab on mornings we have to get out the door early too. THANK YOU for sharing with us all!

    Reply
  272. Barbara Cremin says

    March 4, 2017 at 9:17 am

    Would it ruin the outcome if I transferred the incubated mixture to a different container before placing it in the refrigerator to cool? I don’t want to tie up my liner pot for that long.

    Reply
  273. Jenny says

    March 3, 2017 at 7:41 am

    I just made Greek yogurt and lemon curd for the first time using your recipes and had delicious results! Your instructions are fantastic and I’m still just beside myself that I am able to make these things (of course, the Instant Pot does all the hard work LOL)

    Reply
    • Jill says

      March 25, 2017 at 1:37 am

      Hi Jenny~

      That is terrific. I am glad you are enjoying your Instant Pot. Jill

      Reply
  274. Shawna says

    March 3, 2017 at 7:08 am

    Thank you for your detailed instructions!! I’m an IP newbie, so this might be a dumb question, but when you put the yogurt in the fridge, can I transfer it to another container first, or must it stay in the IP to be successful?
    TIA,
    Shawna

    Reply
  275. Rachael says

    March 2, 2017 at 5:42 am

    My Instant Pot does not have a yogurt button- how should I incubate for 10 hours after I spoon in the starter? Slow cook button???

    Reply
  276. Britt McCarthy says

    March 2, 2017 at 4:11 am

    Thanks so much for your step by step instructions! IT was perfect almost made the “LEss” mistake when I went back to set my yogurt function. I just put mine in the fridge and it already looks firm and beautiful! Cant wait to try! Love your sight, thanks for all the wonderful IP recipes!

    Reply
  277. Erica Knoop says

    March 1, 2017 at 11:30 am

    Hi Jill,

    I tried making your yogurt in my ppcxl. When using a starter yogurt, can using organic yogurt effect the consistency! I used stonyfield organic plain. Also, when incubating I left it in the pressure cooker and put a towel over it for 8 hours. The yogurt still came out thin. Thoughts on if the organic yogurt could have caused this or if it went wrong during incubating? It is still edible and yummy when I added honey and vanilla but it was way too thin to put in my euro yogurt maker to strain to make Greek. Thank you!

    Reply
  278. Yogurt Newby says

    March 1, 2017 at 7:08 am

    I’m an idiot. I’m was so tired when I was making this yesterday that I totally forgot to cool it down after getting it to 183…. obviously that then killed my starter. ????

    Is it possible to just heat this “milk” up again, let it cool to 95 degrees and then add new starter? Or am I toast?????

    Reply
    • Jill says

      March 2, 2017 at 2:11 pm

      Just let it cool down and add the starter. Jill

      Reply
  279. Staci T. says

    February 27, 2017 at 1:54 pm

    This recipe is wonderful. Make sure to read the container of your starter yogurt carefully. The first batch was great, second batch my son picked up some yogurt for me. I didn’t check it first. Running mess, haha.

    Reply
  280. Tammie says

    February 26, 2017 at 8:59 pm

    I made my first batch last night and I’m a believer!! How can I determine the macros of this recipe? I used fat free milk and strained 8 hours. Also, how many grams per serving? Thanks!????

    Reply
  281. Marie says

    February 26, 2017 at 7:52 pm

    Is your milk straight out of the fridge cold when you start or do you let it warm up a bit on the counter? I’ve made this twice now with milk straight from the fridge (and in glass bottles) and I had to go an extra 1/2 hour on boil to get up to temp.

    Reply
    • Jill says

      April 14, 2017 at 12:02 am

      Marie, I use cold milk in a cold pot. Jill

      Reply
  282. Sheryl says

    February 26, 2017 at 4:24 pm

    I incubated on less…is it ruined?

    Reply
  283. Sarah Bartlett says

    February 26, 2017 at 1:45 pm

    HI Jill,

    I made this Now. First time was perfect, this batch didn’t set. I know what I did wrong, I forgot to let it cool before adding the starter. My question is now that it cooked/ incubated for 6 hours and it has cooled to 105, can I add starter and restart the 6-10 hours incubate or is it garbage?

    Reply
  284. Alexis says

    February 26, 2017 at 1:27 pm

    5 stars
    Wondering how you would recover from temperature errors. If I forgot I had the milk on boil and it flipped to yogurt on its own, can I just take back up to 180s and make as before or is it ruined? Similarly, let’s say when I’m cooling it (before incubating) I cool it below 95 degrees by accident. Must I take it back to 180? Only above 95? Or is the whole thing ruined?

    Reply
    • Jill says

      April 11, 2017 at 2:41 pm

      Hi Alexis~

      Your yogurt is not ruined. Just add the starter and then incubate. Jill

      Reply
  285. Molly says

    February 26, 2017 at 10:27 am

    My pressure cooker doesn’t have yogurt button. I have the pressure cooker xl. Will it still work ? Anyone use a different machine ?

    Reply
  286. Meirav says

    February 25, 2017 at 5:57 pm

    Thank you for the detailed recipe, how many days does the prepared yogurt last in the fridge?

    Thanks

    Reply
  287. Jeannette Pilling says

    February 25, 2017 at 6:31 am

    Would you use same measurements if using almond or rice milk?

    Reply
  288. Elizabeth says

    February 25, 2017 at 5:01 am

    I made yogurt for the first time using your recipe and notes and it was perfect! Thank you for all of the information, you’ve made it easy! In particular I followed your advice for holding temp between 182-185 for a few minutes, and during boil cycle I whisked a number of times. I thought maybe too much but it turned out perfectly. I also used the euro strainer and it could not have been easier!

    Reply
    • Jill says

      February 25, 2017 at 4:13 pm

      Hi Elizabeth~

      I am glad your yogurt was such a success.

      Jill

      Reply
  289. Tatyana says

    February 24, 2017 at 6:27 pm

    I can’t thank you enough for sharing this awesome recipe! I have made yogurt before, using a yogurt maker, but never this good. It was super easy, too!

    Reply
    • Jill says

      February 25, 2017 at 4:13 pm

      Thanks, Tatyana. I am glad you have had great success.

      Jill

      Reply
  290. Nancy says

    February 24, 2017 at 11:30 am

    This is my first batch of yogurt.My batch is currently incubating. After incubation, do I let all of it chill for 6-8 hours and then strain for additional 2 hours to make the greek yogurt…….Or place 2 quarts into Euro Strainer and strain as it is chilling?

    Reply
    • Sam says

      February 26, 2017 at 7:05 pm

      First chill for 6 -8 hours so it can set up then strain it to make greek yogurt

      Reply
  291. Louise Wrage says

    February 23, 2017 at 1:01 pm

    Any idea nutritional value?

    Reply
  292. Melanie says

    February 23, 2017 at 6:51 am

    Hi, how long will the yogurt keep in the fridge?

    Reply
    • Nancy says

      February 25, 2017 at 12:31 pm

      I’ve read up to 3 weeks

      Reply
  293. Vicki George Taylor says

    February 23, 2017 at 4:37 am

    So I made yogurt for first time. Decided to incubate over night, but the process took less time to prepare than I estimated. So by the time I finally got to the yogurt incubation cycle and programs 8 hours I realized it was going to be complete at 4 am. I unhappily woke at 7 am. Is my yogurt still good?

    Reply
    • Jill says

      March 14, 2017 at 12:34 am

      Hi Vicki~

      That should be fine.

      Jill

      Reply
  294. Maranatha N Adam Parke says

    February 22, 2017 at 10:12 am

    I can’t see the yogurt recipe and would love to

    Reply
  295. Aubrey says

    February 21, 2017 at 9:28 pm

    I have the IP-LUX so it doesn’t have the yogurt button…any suggestions? ????

    Reply
  296. DebbieH says

    February 21, 2017 at 5:52 pm

    Jill, Is it okay to add sweetener and vanilla flavoring after it’s been strained so I don’t have the flavorings in the whey? Also, can you tell me about how much of each to use for one recipe? Thank you! Finishing up my second batch which turned out perfect again!

    Reply
  297. Michelle Levy says

    February 21, 2017 at 12:07 pm

    I made my first batch following these directions, and it came out so creamy and delicious. I strained it to make it Greek-style, and was left with a ton of whey.

    Can you make ricotta with the whey left over from making yogurt?

    Reply
  298. Jan says

    February 20, 2017 at 2:13 pm

    Love the recipe and detailed directions. Now I feel I can try this. Thank you!

    Reply
  299. Mark says

    February 19, 2017 at 11:09 am

    I found your tips very helpful. I’ve never been able to get up to 180 after even the second round on Boil, so after the first round I just go ahead and select Manual High. Your suggestion to let the milk sit at 185 for a few minutes has really helped result in a thicker end product. I also didn’t have as good success using only 2 measured tablespoons for starter. Once I started using 3 heaping soup spoons, then letting it incubate for 11 hours (instead of 10), I’ve found my yogurt to be thicker and with a slight bit more yogurt-y tang to it. I use whole organic milk, but am not sure if this makes a difference as I haven’t tried it with reduced fat milk.

    Another note: the cold water in my kitchen is never really cold, and it takes quite a while to come down to 110 while in the bath—even with whisking. I add about 5-6 ice cubes to the water in the sink so the water is cooler, yet not ice cold. This has helped, too.

    I wanted to add this note so that others can see that they can experiment with getting their yogurt just they way they like it, and it isn’t meant to be critical in any way.

    By the way, my favorite topping is a dollop of your stovetop lemon curd. Refreshing, healthful, and delicious!

    Reply
  300. James W. Ernest says

    February 18, 2017 at 9:30 pm

    I’ve attempted this recipe 5 different times with the same result- runny yogurt. And yes, i followed all of the tips and incubated for 10 hours and set for another 10 hours. I have another recipe that calls for 1/2 c yougurt starter and it comes out perfectly. What am I doing wrong? Has anyone else had this experience?

    Reply
    • Jill says

      February 19, 2017 at 3:02 am

      Hi James~

      I wonder if your pot is defaulting to less, not normal, during incubation. What kind of milk are you using? What temperature is the milk when you add the starter?

      Jill

      Reply
  301. Barbara says

    February 17, 2017 at 9:06 am

    Dear Jill,
    I have been making your Greek yogurt recipe in my IP and love it. I took 4 cups of whey and added it to a gallon of whole fat milk and put it on Sauté until it got to 180 degrees F and made some unbelievable ricotta cheese! Here’s my question

    Can I use the whey that came from making the ricotta (there was a lot!) as I did the whey from the yogurt making? Is it the same?

    Reply
    • Jill says

      February 19, 2017 at 3:03 am

      Hi Barbara~

      I don’t see why not.

      Jill

      Reply
  302. Patricia says

    February 17, 2017 at 4:34 am

    I followed your directions but my yogurt did not thicken at all, it’s still just like milk. Do I throw it away or can I go through the process again? What do I do?

    Reply
    • Jill says

      February 19, 2017 at 3:05 am

      Hi Patricia~

      Did your pot default to less, rather than incubate on normal? You can add more starter and incubate again.

      Jill

      Reply
  303. Melissa Watts says

    February 16, 2017 at 10:39 am

    If I defrost some of a previous batch of yogurt to use as my starter and it is liquid, not thick at all, can this still be used to make a good end product?

    Reply
    • Jill says

      February 19, 2017 at 3:07 am

      Melissa~

      Yes, that is fine. Mine is always thin too.

      Jill

      Reply
  304. DebbieH says

    February 15, 2017 at 5:29 pm

    Hi Jill!

    I am making the yogurt & I goofed on my timing. Will it hurt to leave it in frig cooling for about 10 hours instead of 6-8?

    I can’t wait to try it! Thank you for sharing your recipe!

    Reply
    • DebbieH says

      February 16, 2017 at 1:47 pm

      It turned out great!!

      /Users/debhollingshead/Pictures/iPhoto Library.photolibrary/Previews/2017/02/16/20170216-164318/i6s1bi%sQqeoXB8FAFvS1w/IMG_3317.jpg

      Thank you Jill!

      Reply
    • Jill says

      February 16, 2017 at 7:54 pm

      Hi Debbie~

      You can leave it as long as you like. Not a problem at all.

      Jill

      Reply
      • DebbieH says

        February 21, 2017 at 5:46 pm

        Thanks Jill! It turned out perfect! I am on my second batch because all my friends stole all my jars! 🙂 I’d post a pic of how nice it turned out if I could. Thank you so much.

        Reply
  305. Joi says

    February 14, 2017 at 6:16 am

    I tried this recipe today and it turned out awesome. Thank you for such a nice and easy-to-follow recipe.

    Reply
    • Jill says

      February 14, 2017 at 7:52 pm

      Hi Joi~

      Wonderful. I am so glad you were happy with your yogurt. Thank you for sharing that with me.

      Jill

      Reply
  306. Clare says

    February 13, 2017 at 2:11 pm

    For those in U.K. I used 3.3 pints full fat milk to 1 tablespoon Fage total Greek yoghurt in my ip and it came out perfect. Heavenly!

    Reply
  307. Stephanie says

    February 12, 2017 at 1:19 pm

    What do you recommend to use as initial starter?

    Reply
    • Kelley says

      February 16, 2017 at 3:19 pm

      I use Nancy’s Organic Greek Yogurt and am happy with the results. To me, the most important factor is that the only ingredients are milk and live cultures.

      Reply
    • Mark says

      February 19, 2017 at 11:13 am

      I used Noosa, only because it looked like it contains a greater variety of active cultures than some other brands. I’m not sure if that makes a difference, but my yogurt tastes great!

      Reply
  308. Janet says

    February 12, 2017 at 9:43 am

    Hi….Thank you so much for the detailed instructions…..I had given up on using my IP for yogurt, but thought I’d give it one more try when I found your recipe. I have to say, this is by far the best yogurt I’ve ever made. I’ve been using an electric yogurt maker for a couple years and thought it was awesome, but for some reason, this seems to taste even creamier and better; so much so that I’m giving away my beloved yogurt maker. Yes, it is more work making it in an electric pressure cooker, but the results are worth it!

    Reply
  309. Rike B says

    February 11, 2017 at 8:59 pm

    my instant pot doesn’t go to boil when it’s on the yogurt function…. so how do I do this first step?

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      February 17, 2017 at 4:58 pm

      Hit the “adjust” button to get to boil. Yogurt, then adjust.

      Reply
    • Peggy says

      February 20, 2017 at 11:15 am

      I didn’t the sauté function kept winking and checking temperature frequently.

      Reply
  310. Laura says

    February 11, 2017 at 5:19 pm

    I bought organic Low fat yogurt. Will it still work? Also, have you done coconut yogurt ?

    Reply
  311. Anne says

    February 11, 2017 at 12:14 am

    Hi,
    I see you use a gallon of milk. Yet, the Euro Strainer only holds a half gallon from what I’ve read. Do you have two Euro Strainers or do you stain in batches?

    Thanks for the thorough instructions. Can’t wait to try out your recipe. My goal is to make a yogurt resembling the brand “Noosa”. Hope I can make something as good or better without using gelatin as Noosa does to get the consistency. Noosa is not as thick as Greek yogurt.

    Reply
  312. FRancine Shea says

    February 10, 2017 at 3:49 pm

    I used 1/2 gal 1% milk and fage 2% plain Greek yogurt The boil setting never got up to 180. My yorurt never set up even after I strained it Advice?

    Reply
    • iplanandgodlaughs says

      February 16, 2017 at 1:43 pm

      I boil mine on the stovetop to get up to 180+ and pour over into the instant pot. let it run on “yogurt” overnight. Drained in a large colander lined with an old clean pillowcase cut in half. I used regular grocery store milk–nothing special. It was super thick and creamy. I think the temp is important.

      Reply
    • Joy Leverton says

      February 17, 2017 at 10:32 am

      Yogurt wont set unless you reach 180. We ended up switching over to saute after the boil cycle. Just remember you MUST whisk constantly on that setting or milk will scorch.
      Everything went just fine after that.

      Reply
    • Kelly says

      February 17, 2017 at 4:56 pm

      I have read if you don’t get desired temp after boiling to repeat that boil cycle. I haven’t even tried to make it yet, but I did read that. Good luck!

      Reply
    • Patty says

      February 24, 2017 at 5:02 pm

      I had to recoil mine and it turned out great!

      Reply
  313. Linda says

    February 8, 2017 at 6:45 am

    after the overnight incubation can’t i pour the yogurt into another container for refrigeration? or do you think that pouring action is too much disturbance for it to set up properly. This Old Gal refrigerates her’s all day, so my stainless steel pot will be tied up nearly 24 hours.

    Reply
  314. Connie R Perkins says

    February 7, 2017 at 7:01 am

    trying to get your blog and having no luck. I think I am stupid

    Reply
  315. Sarah Rolheiser says

    February 6, 2017 at 9:59 pm

    Hi there! I’m confused as to when is the best time to add vanilla. In one place the article says after incubation is best but in another place it says to place it in the fridge for 8 hours undisturbed.

    Reply
  316. Sandra Merritt says

    February 6, 2017 at 8:43 am

    HI! I am making yogurt for the first time and after cooling the yogurt, added starter and put it back into the pot. Set it to yogurt and 10:00 but the display doesn’t say Normal.. It went to 00:00 and now it’s adding up. The little display where it lets you + or – time is on “less” Am I on the right track? Or should I cancel? I’m leaving it until I see otherwise from all you experienced cooks out there!

    Reply
    • Jill says

      February 6, 2017 at 7:27 pm

      Sandra, the article talks about making sure the setting is on normal, not less.

      Jill

      Reply
  317. Rebecca says

    February 4, 2017 at 9:50 am

    Do you use 1 strainer for 1 gallon? I’ve been seeing conflicting reviews. I want to order a strainer, but don’t know if I need 2. Thank you! Fantastic recipe!

    Reply
    • Jill says

      February 6, 2017 at 7:29 pm

      Hi Rebecca~

      I use one strainer for half the batch and then strain the second half after the first half is processed.

      Jill

      Reply
  318. Chris says

    February 2, 2017 at 8:43 am

    How long is the yogurt good for?

    Reply
  319. Stacy says

    February 1, 2017 at 7:00 am

    Can this be made with fat free milk? (I’m on Weight Watchers and my points are valuable.)

    Also, any idea what the “nutritional” facts are?

    Thanks

    Stacy

    Reply
  320. Sandy says

    January 31, 2017 at 8:29 am

    My instant pot does not have a yogurt setting, what setting do I use?

    Reply
  321. Ashes says

    January 29, 2017 at 8:34 pm

    I tried freezing my starter, but when I thawed it the starter was liquid. Ian this normal?

    Reply
  322. Jessica Gregory says

    January 29, 2017 at 7:49 pm

    I’ve got yogurt incubating now but was wondering if I should have sanitized my thermometer and whisk? Hopefully I can plan better next time so I don’t have to get up at midnight to put it in the fridge!

    Reply
  323. Nannette says

    January 29, 2017 at 5:15 pm

    I used freshly made almond milk and a starter from culturesofhealth.com at four hours I accidentally unplugged for a second or two plugged back in . I peaked at it. Smelled the tang of yogurt and on habit gave a gentle stir.put lid back on and 4 hrs yogurt. Did I mess it up by stirring?

    Reply
  324. naomi says

    January 29, 2017 at 4:17 pm

    5 stars
    Hello — I used your recipe last week and it turned out great! Getting ready to make another batch. Question for you: after the milk has boiled and cooled, and the starter has been added, can I place the liquid into glass jars inside the main pot? I rarely have room in my fridge for the entire IP bowl to cool and would rather have 2 smaller containers to refrigerate. Do you foresee this causing any problems?

    Thanks so much!

    Reply
    • Sam says

      February 26, 2017 at 7:14 pm

      Yes you can pour it into jars prior to incubation. After incubation, cover thd jars and gently place the jars in the refrigerator to cool.

      Reply
  325. AD says

    January 29, 2017 at 6:25 am

    I set my IP for 8 hours not realizing that it would be around 1 a.m. when it finished. It sat in the IP until around 7:30. Do I need to throw this batch out?

    Reply
  326. Faith says

    January 28, 2017 at 8:26 am

    5 stars
    Thank you so much, especially for the tip about whisking the milk periodically during the boil cycle. I didn’t have any scorching or skinning and it reached 180 on the first go! Previously I would end up with a skin on the bottom of the pot… Ew. Cant wait til this batch is done 🙂

    Reply
    • Jill says

      January 28, 2017 at 9:22 pm

      Hi Faith~

      This is good hear. I am glad you are enjoying making yogurt.

      Jill

      Reply
  327. Kat says

    January 27, 2017 at 11:11 am

    I am making the yogurt with a half gallon as opposed to a gallon. Do I need to incubate still for the 8-10 hours suggested, or do I only need to incubate for 4-5 hours? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Faith says

      January 28, 2017 at 8:31 am

      Incubation time is the same 🙂 I’m doing the same thing right now, actually!

      Reply
  328. Lyndy says

    January 26, 2017 at 4:03 pm

    5 stars
    I didn’t realize you could add the sweetener before incubating! Any idea how much sugar and vanilla to add to a gallon of milk? We like it barely sweet– just enough to take the sour edge out of the yogurt.

    Reply
    • Sam says

      February 26, 2017 at 7:11 pm

      I use only 5 cups of milk and I add 2 Tablespoons of vanilla and 3 Tablespoons of honey. It’s not too sweet.

      Reply
  329. Judith says

    January 26, 2017 at 11:01 am

    5 stars
    Thank you for the detailed guide. It did turn out great. I already gave my yoghurt maker away 😉

    Any suggestions on what to do with all the whey?

    Kind regards
    Judith

    Reply
  330. JJ says

    January 25, 2017 at 8:11 am

    Can someone direct me to where I might find the calorie count for IP yogurt made with whole milk and strained to Greek consistency? I cannot figure out how to account for whey- whether drained or not. I have my first go at it in the refrigerator right now cooling before the draining.

    Reply
  331. Linda Flood says

    January 25, 2017 at 7:04 am

    5 stars
    Thanks so much for this recipe! I made it for the first time yesterday and I can’t stop eating it. SO EASY! Thanks for explaining everything so well. I can see me making this many many more times. I had some coffee flavoring syrup and I added about 1/2 t to 1t to a serving and it was just wonderful. Never buying yogurt again!

    Reply
  332. Julie says

    January 24, 2017 at 10:25 am

    How much vanilla do you add when you make vanilla yogurt?

    Reply
    • Jill says

      January 24, 2017 at 12:11 pm

      Hi Julie~

      It is a personal choice. For a gallon you might want to start with just a teaspoon.

      Jill

      Reply
      • Julie says

        January 26, 2017 at 1:28 am

        Thank you, I’ll give that a try! The plain yogurt is delicious but hubs and the kids want their sugary vanilla back 🙂

        Reply
  333. Me says

    January 23, 2017 at 9:57 pm

    Recipe is amazing! My first time and oh so delicious and creamy!! Ahh how did I never do this before?!?! I used 1 gallon of 1% milk and added 3tsp of mexican vanilla and 1 cup of Splenda at the appropriate time. Oooh yummo!! Thank you!!

    Reply
    • Jill says

      January 24, 2017 at 12:14 pm

      Hi Me~

      Sounds wonderful. I am glad you are enjoying your yogurt.

      Jill

      Reply
  334. Lesley says

    January 23, 2017 at 7:43 pm

    I just bought aninstant pot but it doesn’t have a yoghurt button? Can I still use it some other way to make yoghurt?

    Reply
  335. Melissa says

    January 23, 2017 at 3:57 pm

    5 stars
    Great information. Thanks. I’m about embark on my first batch of yogurt.

    If you were going to make individual pots of yogurt, would you mix the starter in and then divide into the individual containers? (Right around stop 9 and 10 in your recipe.)

    Thanks so much.

    Reply
  336. Marlene Kaim says

    January 22, 2017 at 7:21 pm

    5 stars
    Wow! I’ve been toying with idea of buying the Instant Pot. I’ve always made yogurt, ( we Americans of Lebanese descent call it “Laban”) without much fuss, but of late have had trouble finding good starter, or it has not set well. New kitchen, new city, different oven (where it incubates covered with a towel wrapped around it for 8-10 hours). Anyway, your method using the IP seems to take all the guesswork and happenstance out of the process! I will let you know after I purchase an IP and make my first batch. And thank you so much for all the detailed information and supply lists! I do have the euro strainer.
    I’ll be back with you soon!
    Marlene

    Reply
  337. Kim D says

    January 22, 2017 at 1:17 pm

    HI, I have the Instant Pot DUO80. Would the instructions be the same since it’s an 8 quart rather than the 6 quart?
    Thanks so much!

    Reply
  338. Leslie Berger says

    January 21, 2017 at 7:47 am

    First timer here….. How can you stir the milk if the lid is on and locked during Boil ? TIA

    Reply
    • Jill says

      January 21, 2017 at 9:25 pm

      Hi Leslie~

      Just turn the lid to “unlock,” remove it and stir.

      Jill

      Reply
    • Mary says

      January 27, 2017 at 10:31 am

      Leslie, it is not under pressure when you make yogurt. 🙂

      Reply
  339. Sarah says

    January 18, 2017 at 7:20 pm

    Would it be possible to use a nut milk bag to strain?

    Reply
    • Jill says

      January 18, 2017 at 9:08 pm

      Hi Sarah, a nut bag is fine. There is one on this page. https://thisoldgal.com/favorite-pressure-cooker-accessories/

      Jill

      Reply
  340. Jeanne says

    January 18, 2017 at 1:01 pm

    5 stars
    Followed this recipe exactly and the yogurt turned out wonderful. My question is how long does it keep in the refrigerator since it does make a big batch?

    Reply
    • Jill says

      January 18, 2017 at 1:35 pm

      Hi Jeanne~

      About 2 weeks is good.

      Jill

      Reply
  341. Diane says

    January 18, 2017 at 8:23 am

    4 stars
    Can you explain the variation in the yields? My friend and I both made yoghurt using this recipe, however I used 1 gallon and she used half a gallon (2L). We both got about 10 cups, so I’m wondering why the yields would be the same when I used almost double the amount of milk. We both used organic milk but different brands. Any insight?

    Reply
  342. Margaret says

    January 14, 2017 at 5:53 am

    5 stars
    Thank you for the recipe. Could you please share what one can do with the whey and perhaps post a few links?

    Reply
  343. Aimee says

    January 13, 2017 at 6:01 pm

    I just realized after 9h of waiting, thet I hat it set on the “less” setting for tbe incubation period. any way to salvage the yogurt, or should I chuck it and start over?

    Reply
    • Jill says

      January 13, 2017 at 7:00 pm

      Hi Aimee~

      Check the temperature and then add more starter and start the incubation period again. You may only need a few hours.

      Jill

      Reply
  344. Beth says

    January 13, 2017 at 12:37 pm

    I made this a couple of weeks ago and it came out perfect. Yesterday I made another batch using the “starter” saved/frozen from the first batch. Did not change a thing other other than the starter and covering it with the silicone IP lid that ended up popping off (last time I used plastic wrap to cover the pot) and this morning it’s just like milk. Any way to fix it at this point? I’m not a “smoothie” person, so other suggestions for use would be appreciated.

    Reply
    • Jill says

      January 13, 2017 at 7:01 pm

      Hi Beth~

      Is it possible that your pot was set on low, instead of normal. I would take the temperature and add starter and incubate again

      Jill

      Reply
  345. Judy Koenings says

    January 12, 2017 at 8:45 am

    5 stars
    I followed your recipe exactly and was rewarded with delicious yogurt. But I have too much for just two of us!! How long will my yogurt keep in the fridge? can I freeze it without losing the nutritional value of the live cultures??

    Reply
    • Me says

      January 23, 2017 at 9:52 pm

      Wondering the same thing!

      Reply
      • Me says

        January 23, 2017 at 9:53 pm

        Also, how can the starter be frozen when the Fage container explicitly says “Do not freeze”

        Reply
  346. Sarah Cooper says

    January 11, 2017 at 5:46 pm

    My IP does not have the yogurt feature, but I really want to make yogurt. How can I do it?

    Reply
  347. Kara says

    January 10, 2017 at 6:35 pm

    5 stars
    Thanks so much for this recipe and pictures! I just have a question about the starter. I used a powdered yogurt starter for my first batch as recommended by a friend. It set up beautifully and now I’m ready to freeze my starters for future batches. Do I do this before I strain to make “Greek” yogurt or after and does it matter?

    Reply
  348. Vicki says

    January 8, 2017 at 7:28 am

    Two things. First, I’m guessing that you use muslin and not Muslim. Second, when you strain the yogurt, is there anything you can use the drained content, “whey” for?

    Reply
  349. Kristen says

    January 7, 2017 at 10:20 pm

    5 stars
    I made yogurt yesterday. First time. i let it strain through the night. I also added 1/2 cup honey. It is very tart and i feel like we have to add a lot of agave or honey to make it a little sweeter. If i strain less will it be a little more sweet?

    Reply
  350. Mark says

    January 5, 2017 at 6:57 pm

    5 stars
    I really like the hints. I like my yogurt with a bit more of a sourish tang. Not a lot, though. You seem to imply that if less starter is used, the yogurt won’t be as sour. Would you recommend that I use 4 tablespoons of starter to get a little more tang? If not, do you have any ideas? Thanks.

    Reply
  351. Megan Christensen says

    January 5, 2017 at 3:18 pm

    When you incubate the yogurt do you leave the pressure valve open or close?

    Reply
  352. Marva says

    January 1, 2017 at 7:56 pm

    5 stars
    Love this

    Reply
  353. Terry says

    January 1, 2017 at 3:49 pm

    Can I substitute coconut milk or other non dairy milk and a non dairy starter yogurt?

    Reply
  354. Donett says

    December 30, 2016 at 3:31 pm

    5 stars
    First time making yogurt an it is awesome. thanks for easy to understand recipes.

    Reply
    • Jill says

      December 30, 2016 at 4:21 pm

      Thanks, Donett!

      Jill

      Reply
  355. Deb says

    December 30, 2016 at 10:51 am

    I am at the incubate step and the time is set for 8:00 but the less function is lit up.Is that okay or how do i move it to normal function ?

    Reply
    • Cortney says

      January 17, 2017 at 2:16 pm

      I think you just use the adjust button to adjust it to be set to normal

      Reply
  356. Nicole L. Neale says

    December 30, 2016 at 9:04 am

    What type of milk is best to use? Non-fat? 2 percent?

    Reply
  357. Sheri says

    December 30, 2016 at 7:53 am

    5 stars
    I recently stumbled across a really handy yogurt making timetable that spelled out how long the different steps took and what time you’d reach the different stages depending on what time you started. I could swear it referenced This Old Gal so I didn’t save it thinking I would find it here, and of course now I can’t find it anywhere. Does that sound familiar to anybody?

    Reply
  358. Andrea Leimer says

    December 29, 2016 at 8:46 am

    5 stars
    This is an AWESOME recipe and I only had 1 batch come out too thin….. Not sure why.
    I will NEVER buy store bought yogurt again!

    Thanks you soooo much!

    Reply
    • Andrea Leimer says

      December 29, 2016 at 8:50 am

      Also, I have been using Whole Organic milk. With the new year, I am looking at possibly switching to fat free (or 2%) organic milk to go along with the 24 day challenge. Thoughts?

      Reply
      • MidwestTess says

        January 28, 2017 at 5:03 pm

        Hi! Consider staying with the whole milk, as it should have a lower sugar/carb content. Also know that healthy fats are good for you, are more filling, and stave off hunger longer. Blessings!

        Reply
      • Autumn Choka says

        March 15, 2017 at 7:40 am

        I was wondering if Organic made a difference. It’s the only milk I use.

        Reply
  359. Jill says

    December 27, 2016 at 12:45 pm

    Hi! I’m new to the IP world. My IP doesn’t have a yogurt button – is there another way to do this process without it?

    Thanks!

    Reply
  360. Jessica says

    December 27, 2016 at 4:33 am

    I’ve made this recipe 3 times and it was perfection. Last night I made it again with agave as a sweetener instead of the honey I usually use. This morning after the 9 hr. incubation, it appears much more runny than it has previously. Do you think this was caused by the Agave?

    Reply
  361. Rhonds says

    December 25, 2016 at 9:02 am

    5 stars
    Can i strsin the yoghurt right away afternit has cooled, or do i have to leave it set in the fridge for several hours first?

    Reply
    • Wendy says

      January 3, 2017 at 2:34 pm

      5 stars
      I would chill it for a good four hours at least to maximize thickness before straining as Jill references this in her post “Don’t feel tempted to stir the yogurt. It needs several hours to set up properly. I usually leave it alone until the next morning.”

      Reply
  362. Tammy says

    December 21, 2016 at 4:42 pm

    5 stars
    I’ve been making yogurt for years and never knew i could freeze some starters! Thank you for this tip! Getting ready to try my first batch in the IP.

    Reply
  363. Nancy Vallereux says

    December 19, 2016 at 11:33 am

    I made this recipe for the first time, yesterday. I’m certain that I did everything as you suggested. This morning, it was no thicker than the whole milk was originally. The only thing I can think of is that the live cultures in the high quality plain yogurt were no longer alive. What can I do with the failed recipe now? Thanks

    Reply
    • MaMaLaLa says

      January 5, 2017 at 9:05 am

      5 stars
      Use the milk in smoothies. You can even freeze into ice cubes and then blast in your blender when you need it for yummy smoothies.

      Reply
  364. Debbie Flowers says

    December 19, 2016 at 9:46 am

    Can I use coffee filters or cheese cloth to strain yogurt? I also have new clean cloth baby diapers, i use for straining my milk i milk. Is the vent open or closed during incubation period? Sorry for all the questions.
    Debbie

    Reply
  365. Gail Dawson says

    December 11, 2016 at 1:35 pm

    5 stars
    Can Almond Milk be used in this recipe? I was thinking I’d make my own in the Vitamix. My grandson is having issues with milk products so I’m hoping to figure out how to make Almond Milk Greek Yogurt. THANKS!
    P.S. I appreciate the detail and all the tips on your site. THANK YOU!

    Reply
    • Scott says

      December 14, 2016 at 9:01 am

      Almond milk won’t work unless you add sugar to it.

      Reply
  366. Tricia C says

    December 11, 2016 at 11:33 am

    I can’t wait to make this. I bought an Instant Pot just the other day with this in mind. Since I am just starting out and this would actually be the first thing I would be making is there a brand if yogurt you could recommend to use as my first starter? Thanks in advance.

    Reply
  367. Laura J Heath says

    December 10, 2016 at 5:35 am

    How many ounces would you suggest as a healthy serving?

    Reply
  368. Robyn says

    December 9, 2016 at 10:07 pm

    5 stars
    Hi Jill,

    I’ve read that you can use the whey as a starter for your next batch of yogurt?
    Is this true? same result as using the yogurt.

    Thanks!

    Reply
  369. Bethany says

    December 9, 2016 at 8:51 pm

    Ok, so I’m making the yogurt and I noticed that you said you stir halfway through the boil cycle. Does that mean you leave the steam vent open so that you can open the lid and stir it? Sorry, I’m fairly new at the instant pot!

    Reply
  370. Linda Green says

    December 9, 2016 at 7:27 pm

    Do you know if you can use lactose free milk to make your yogurt recipe?

    Reply
  371. Lea says

    December 7, 2016 at 10:54 am

    maybe this has been covered, but I’ve read & reread. approximately how long is the cycle to get the mil to 180°? I’m trying to figure out timing since it seems to be a very long process.

    Reply
  372. Cynthia says

    December 6, 2016 at 3:05 pm

    I am so excited to try your yogurt recipe but I have one question:
    Can you use a cold, stored probiotic that has active cultures or do you need the actual yogurt to start?
    I have a probiotic that I got from the health food store that has to be kept at like 41 degrees for the cultures to stay active.

    Reply
  373. Nuugz says

    December 5, 2016 at 8:03 pm

    5 stars
    Hi Jill, my starter yogurt has organic whole milk, skim milk powder and active bacterial cultures (it lists a whole bunch including probiotic). Is that OK to use to start? I’m more concerned with the skim milk powder part. Awaiting your reply so I can get started. Thanks! 🙂

    Reply
    • Jill says

      December 6, 2016 at 11:11 am

      Hi Nuugz~

      That will be fine! Have fun, you will love it. Let me know the results!

      Jill

      Reply
  374. Robyn says

    December 5, 2016 at 7:22 pm

    Hi Jill.

    Thanks for all your hard work on this site! You have been my go to for any recipe that I want to try in the IP. I’m new! Anyway I wanted to make some greek yogurt tomorrow because I’m running out and don’t want to go buy some if it is really this easy! Anyway I only have a candy thermometer on hand. Can I use that to get the temp reading? is it reliable enough ?

    Thanks! Robyn

    Reply
    • Jill says

      December 6, 2016 at 11:12 am

      Hi Robin~

      That will work.

      Jill

      Reply
  375. Debbie says

    December 5, 2016 at 1:21 pm

    Hello! New IP user. I make my own yogurt, have for years, but looking forward to trying it in the IP. I heat my organic jersey milk to 110, add starter, then ferment for 24 hours to remove most of the lactose. Can I still ferment it that long in the IP. I feel like that should be fine but I’ve always used glass and now would be stainless steel. Also could I still use my mason jars in the IP?
    Peace and Paint,
    Debbie

    Reply
    • Naomi says

      December 24, 2016 at 6:35 am

      Yes and yes.

      Reply
  376. Laura Clark says

    December 5, 2016 at 10:13 am

    Since I will be making yogurt only for myself, I am guessing 1/2 gallon would be the size I should use. Do you need to adjust any of the times you listed?

    Reply
    • Jill says

      December 5, 2016 at 5:51 pm

      Hi Laura~

      No time adjustment needed.

      Jill

      Reply
  377. Marie says

    December 5, 2016 at 3:41 am

    Made your recipe and it’s in fridge now! I have a question: is there supposed to be a layer of liquid on the yogurt when it comes out? I assume this was condensation since it was in there 2.5 hours after the 10 hour setting since the yogurt was done while I was sleeping. I poured this liquid off but it looked like what you would see when the yogurt is strained. It’s sitting in fridge now and looks awesome and I’ll stir it later. But I didn’t know if this liquid layer is normal and in the future I should leave it on there or it is just because it sat before I could put it away? Poor planning on my part! Thank you.

    Reply
    • Shirley Pena says

      August 4, 2017 at 3:04 pm

      That liquid you are seeing is the whey since you haven’t strained the yogurt yet. Just like the whey on top of sour cream containers or even plain yogurt containers. If you don’t mind thinner yogurt, you can stir it back in, but if you prefer Greek style yogurt, it’s better to strain off the whey.

      Reply
  378. Sheri says

    December 4, 2016 at 1:36 pm

    5 stars
    I am an Instant Pot newbie. I am ready to try making yogurt but I have a question. The Euro Cuisine strainer says it hold two quarts, but your recipe calls for a gallon of milk. Do you have to stain the yogurt in two batches?

    Reply
    • Jill says

      December 4, 2016 at 8:19 pm

      Sheri, I strain in two batches.

      Jill

      Reply
  379. Gail Carmisciano says

    December 3, 2016 at 2:13 pm

    4 stars
    I have really been enjoying making yogurt. My first batch using whole milk was delicious. I had to make a batch with non fat (skim) milk for my son-in-law – which was OK but he can have it. Tonight I am going to try 1/2 2% and 1/2 Whole. My question is, Will it hurt the yogurt if I put it on to incubate for 10 hours at around 6:30 or 7:00 – which will mean it will be done at 5:00 a.m. I may not get up till 6 or so – will it be a problem for the yogurt to sit there that extra hour or so? Or should I just wait to put it on till a little later?
    thanks so much, for all you do,
    gail

    Reply
  380. Susan says

    December 3, 2016 at 8:41 am

    5 stars
    Hi Jill! I have been making Greek yogurt according to this recipe for months now. I make it once a week, and have never had a failure, it is perfect every time. I’ve paid careful attention to your details like swishing around to avoid hot spots in the cool down from boil, and extending time to 10 hrs, etc. I only have one question, that has perplexed me since I began making yogurt: Why do we need the pasteurize stage if the milk is already pasteurized? Why not just bring the milk to 110-115 and begin the yogurt stage?

    Reply
  381. Peggy says

    December 1, 2016 at 1:01 am

    Where do you find milk that isn’t ultrapasturized? I live in southern NM and that’s all I can find in the stores. Does that mean I won’t be able to make it? Even the Horizen organic milk is ultrapasturized.

    Reply
    • Gail says

      December 3, 2016 at 5:38 pm

      It’s ok if it’s pasteurized, it just can’t say ultra pasteurized.

      Reply
      • Allison says

        December 4, 2016 at 1:05 pm

        Where are you seeing that it can’t be ultra pasteurized? Is this truly important or should I give it a go (seeing how I already bought a gallon of milk that is ultra pasteurized)?

        Reply
      • Remlee says

        December 5, 2016 at 3:44 am

        Pasteurization means milk is heated to 161 degrees F for a minimu of 15 seconds, or 145 degrees F for 30 minutes. In Ultra Pasteurization, milk is heated to 280 degrees F for a minimum of 2 seconds. UP is done because it kills basically all bacteria in the milk. It gives milk a longer shelf life, such as organic milk, which may not sell as quickly as traditional milk. UP alters the protein in milk more due to the high heat and you may have a difficult time getting the proteins to denature correctly for yogurt. UP milk also tends to have a more cooked milk flavor.

        Reply
  382. Miriam says

    November 27, 2016 at 4:19 pm

    Can’t get to the 2nd page due to all the freaking ads!

    Reply
    • Jill says

      November 27, 2016 at 7:05 pm

      Hi Miriam~

      The ads help pay for my site, so that I can continue to provide you with free recipes.

      Jill

      Reply
    • Renee says

      November 29, 2016 at 12:47 pm

      I can’t read the rest of page two either 🙁

      Reply
      • Jill says

        November 29, 2016 at 6:24 pm

        Hi Renee~

        What has happened?

        Jill

        Reply
  383. Jan White says

    November 27, 2016 at 3:37 pm

    5 stars
    I have been making yogurt for a year but I have never strained. It was always good & I enjoyed but when I found your recipe I decided to try it. Not only the recipe but 2 very good tips (to me), 1 tip was starting with a cold liner to eliminate the scorching, which I always had a problem with. The other tip is whisking while boiling to get the milk up to temp quicker. Following your recipe I am straining for 6 hours. The yogurt is so creamy. One of my favorite add in’s is the apples cooked in the IP.

    Reply
    • Jill says

      November 27, 2016 at 7:06 pm

      Hi Jan~

      Thank you so much. I am glad you are enjoying your yogurt.

      Jill

      Reply
  384. Rita says

    November 27, 2016 at 7:26 am

    I have never strained my yogurt and always end up with super thick greek like yogurt. I think the secret is to keep it at 185 for 10 minutes before letting it cool down. I’ve even had it go over 185 and it made it even thicker. To keep it simmering, I put the IP on saute medium after it has come to temp using the yogurt/boil setting.

    Reply
    • Jill says

      October 16, 2017 at 12:27 am

      Hi Rita. Yes, that is what I do. Jill

      Reply
  385. Becky says

    November 17, 2016 at 1:27 pm

    4 stars
    Thanks for your post. How long does the Greek yogurt last in the fridge? 5 days? Longer? Great post and am trying this tonight!

    Reply
    • Kris Pyle says

      December 6, 2016 at 10:52 am

      1 star
      I, too, am curious how long the yogurt lasts in the fridge. I go thru two – 24 oz. cartons of Greek Yogurt in 2 weeks (sometimes takes even longer) and I use maybe 16 oz. of Sour Cream a month or so. Could I halve the recipe? (1/2 gallon milk + 1 T starter..??)

      Reply
  386. Christie Pollard says

    November 17, 2016 at 11:34 am

    5 stars
    Two questions: 1/ can you use almond milk? 2/ can you adapt to using instant pot that does not have the yogurt setting?

    Reply
    • Cheryl says

      November 27, 2016 at 6:10 am

      I would like to know as well.. I got so excited when Instant pots went on sale, I grabbed the first one… which is a lux.. Im a bit distraught because I was really really looking forward to making yogurt in it. :/

      Reply
      • Amy says

        December 13, 2016 at 11:04 am

        same here. Bought a LUX on Black Friday thinking I would never want to make yogurt. Well…

        Reply
  387. Stephanie says

    November 11, 2016 at 9:26 am

    Thanks so much for this awesome recipe! I’m on my third batch and I love the taste of homemade.

    Troubleshooting question though: I saved the yogurt from the first batch to use as starter for subsequent batches. But each subsequent batch seems to get a little thinner such that I have to strain longer to get the desired consistency. The starter has been frozen for probably 4-5 weeks. Any thoughts? Should I be using fresh yogurt for started each time? Thanks!

    Reply
  388. Sue says

    November 11, 2016 at 5:40 am

    For a low sugar yogurt, how much sugar would you add and vanilla?

    Reply
    • Jill says

      November 11, 2016 at 1:12 pm

      Sue~

      That is a personal choice. I don’t add sugar to my milk when making yogurt.

      Jill

      Reply
  389. TANIA FRASER says

    November 9, 2016 at 2:30 pm

    I have a question when you say “I prefer using a lesser amount of starter, for a longer period of time. It yields a much thicker and creamier yogurt, without being overly sour.”…is the 2 Tbl the ‘lesser’ amount you are referring to or do you use even less?

    I have to tell you that I love Greek yogurt and learning about straining it to make it thicker was really amazing! I had no idea! Great article! I am so glad I came across your article via Pinterest.

    Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Jill says

      November 9, 2016 at 2:55 pm

      Tania, the two Tablespoons is the lesser amount. Some people use more.

      Jill

      Reply
  390. Diana says

    November 4, 2016 at 3:38 pm

    Hello,

    I made yogurt for the first time using your recipe in my instant pot. For some reason, it turned out a bit lumpy. Any idea what I could have done wrong? Maybe too much whisking?

    Thanks

    Reply
  391. Laura says

    November 4, 2016 at 6:07 am

    5 stars
    Hi Jill,
    Last night I started a batch of yogurt using 1/2 gallon of pasteurized goat milk. I went through 2 boil cycles plus sauté to achieve 180 degrees; reduced to 110 then incubation for 10 hours overnight. This morning it is very thin liquid. I placed a top and put in fridge. Do you think there is a chance it will set? Perhaps I have used the wrong type of milk? Thank you In advance for your time and feedback.

    Reply
  392. Sue says

    November 3, 2016 at 6:53 pm

    Why do you chill it and then strain it? If I strain it right after it’s done, it only takes 30-40 min on the countertop vs. your hours in the fridge. (I’m honestly asking if I’m missing something.)

    Reply
    • Jill says

      November 3, 2016 at 7:09 pm

      Sue, it is dairy. I would not leave it out on the counter. The yogurt is thicker if it sets up first.

      Jill

      Reply
  393. Christian Calderon says

    October 26, 2016 at 12:43 pm

    I have made several batches of greek yogurt using Organic whole milk without any issues. I switched to Organic Valley – Grassmilk and after two boil cycles, I can’t seem to get the temperature past 120F. With the other types of milk, I was already very close to 180F. Any thoughts?

    Reply
  394. Laura says

    October 25, 2016 at 6:21 am

    5 stars
    Hi again,
    After 10 hours of incubation, I have just put my yogurt into the fridge for the day. It looks like it has set nicely. In reading some of the comments it appears as though the pressure should have been on “normal”. I see that mine was set to “less”. Please tell me which button to use to make the change for the next batch. In my haste last night, I threw in 2 whole vanilla beans (silly me) rather than scraping out the caviar. I hope this is not a problem. At what point should I remove them?
    My first failed attempt was using a recipe from another site. Your instructions are spot on. Thank you! If I were to add anything, it would be a guideline as to the approximate time needed for the boil cycle as well as cool down. It took about 45 mins for 2 boil cycles plus sauté to bring 1 gallon to 183 degrees. Then another 30 mins for cool down to 110 degrees. I guess I didn’t realize it would rake this long.
    Please forgive the lengthy comment and thank you again for your help.

    Reply
  395. Laura says

    October 24, 2016 at 9:40 am

    Hi Jill, thank you so much for your detailed instructions. My first attempt failed so I am hopeful for positive results. I purchased Fage Total 0% Greek yogurt. Will this work or do I need a special starter? I will be using 1 gallon of non fat milk. Many tanks for your help. I love your recipes.

    Reply
    • Jill says

      October 24, 2016 at 12:50 pm

      Hi Laura. I used Fage for my first time and now only use my own yogurt as a starter for the next time.

      Jill

      Reply
      • Laura says

        October 24, 2016 at 1:45 pm

        Perfect. Thanks for the quick response.

        Reply
  396. Sheri says

    October 19, 2016 at 7:33 am

    Hi Jill! This is the best yogurt ever!!! I have made it twice now. Your instructions are spot on. My hubby and I like it sweetened with sugar…about 3/4 cup per half gallon makes it similar tasting to the cups you buy premade (Oikos). I have some LorAnn Oils food grade oils that I’ve been playing with (usually use them for cakes n frosting). Have made wonderful coconut, tangerine, lemon, and key lime flavors so far. I used 4-5 drops from a 1 dram bottle. Awesomeness!!! Thank you again!

    Reply
    • Sheri says

      October 20, 2016 at 6:58 am

      ***4-5 drops per 6-8 oz jar of finished Greek yogurt.

      Reply
  397. Eileen says

    October 11, 2016 at 5:31 pm

    Great recipe with detailed instructions! I followed the recipe but had some issues. The milk did not get to 180 after 2 boils and took quite some time to get to 180 on saute. I noticed that after the boil, the milk burned on the bottom. I whisked it as best I could. I did put less starter and incubated for 9 hrs. I also strained using the strainer but I did not use cheesecloth or filter. And I did it overnight. Ultimately, the yogurt was delicious plain but made better when I made the compote!

    Reply
  398. Sarah Green says

    October 4, 2016 at 9:06 pm

    5 stars
    Hi, thanks for the wonderful recipe, I’m about to try it this week. When buying the starter am I getting an organic yogurt, is that how you only have milk and cultures? Also can you use home made Kiefer as a starter?

    Reply
    • Jill says

      October 5, 2016 at 1:02 am

      Hi Sarah~

      Plain yogurt is just milk and active cultures. I don’t know about Kiefer.

      Jill

      Reply
  399. Marilyn Rudesill says

    September 20, 2016 at 9:44 am

    My Yogurt turned out great.

    Reply
    • Jill says

      September 20, 2016 at 6:01 pm

      Hi Marilyn~

      I am so happy to hear this. 🙂 Enjoy.

      Jill

      Reply
  400. Marilyn Rudesill says

    September 17, 2016 at 1:42 pm

    5 stars
    I just followed this to the tee, Ill know tomorrow how yummy its going to be.

    Reply
    • Jill says

      September 18, 2016 at 2:18 am

      Hi Marilyn~

      It you really followed the recipe to the “tee,” then you should have a great success.

      Jill

      Reply
  401. Ezzie B says

    September 10, 2016 at 3:28 am

    5 stars
    I made your yogurt recipe last night. I’ll make 2 changes next time: I’ll use whole milk instead of 1% and I’ll set it for 10 hours because I love thick Greek yogurt.

    You do a great job with your instrutions, pictures & relies! Love your site! It’s become one of my favorites! I’ll add one question posed by my sister “can buttermilk be used?” I don’t believe it can but not sure why I think this.

    Reply
  402. Ross Gallion says

    September 7, 2016 at 2:14 pm

    3 stars
    Jill thank you for letting me join your group. Really love the recipes I’ve tried and they turned out really well. Tried the yogurt yesterday and it was. a little grainy. what did I do wrong? I followed the recipe

    Reply
    • Jill says

      September 7, 2016 at 2:44 pm

      Hi Ross~

      I don’t know why your yogurt was grainy. During the boil cycle, did you need to saute and if so, did you use the whisk along the bottom of the pot continuously, so that a skin would not form?

      Jill

      Reply
  403. Stacey says

    September 7, 2016 at 8:18 am

    Thank you SO much for this recipe and the precise directions. I just made my first batch of yogurt and it is so very good. I’m just hoping I can manage to save some for the family when they come home later today.

    Reply
  404. Sharon says

    September 7, 2016 at 6:05 am

    Hi. Love your recipes. I tried the yogurt recipe and have a question. What do you do about the condensation that gathers from putting something warm in the refrigerator? Do you put plastic wrap on top of the yogurt or something?

    Thanks.

    Reply
    • Jill says

      September 7, 2016 at 10:58 am

      Hi Sharon~

      Just put a cover on the pot.

      Jill

      Reply
  405. Barb K says

    September 1, 2016 at 6:17 am

    5 stars
    When you use the RSVP strainer do you have to line that with anything? Thanks for the recipe, no other one I looked at told about the temperature having to be at 180° My batch with your recipe came out delicious, might strain for another hour next time. I find it hard to get it out of the nut bag and was looking for a better way. A friend uses Mr Coffee type filters and strains multiple times as they are small. I want a one shot deal that is easy to get out!
    Also, I used skim milk, do you know if that makes a difference in the yield?

    Reply
    • Jill says

      September 1, 2016 at 11:41 pm

      Hi Barb~

      If using the RSVP strainer, I would line it with cheesecloth. I like the Euro Strainer shown in the recipe. It’s the easiest, in my opinion. Skim milk will produce a bit more whey.

      Jill

      Reply
  406. Shernette says

    August 26, 2016 at 6:07 pm

    I am going to try your recipie but I have a question. I bought Yogurmet yogurt starter. Can this be used for this recipe? It seems it can only be used in their yogurt maker and I don’t really want to buy one. Thanks in advance.

    Reply
    • Jill says

      August 27, 2016 at 2:22 am

      Hi Shernette~

      I have never heard of Yogurmet, but I do know that “yogurt starters” can be used to make yogurt in the Instant Pot.

      Jill

      Reply
  407. Karen says

    August 22, 2016 at 8:48 am

    Hi Jill, I am going to try my very first batch of yogurt with your recipe tonight and I was wondering – do I have to leave the sealing gasket in or can it be removed since the yogurt isn’t ‘coming to pressure’? Thanks for all of your great recipes!!
    Karen

    Reply
    • Jill says

      August 23, 2016 at 1:53 am

      Hi Karen~

      You can remove the sealing gasket if you like. I keep my dessert sealing gasket in. Let me know how your yogurt comes out.

      Jill

      Reply
      • Karen says

        August 24, 2016 at 10:12 am

        5 stars
        Jill – it came out SOOOO good!!! I used plain Chobani Greek yogurt as my starter and I let it incubate for 10 hrs – no need to strain, it is nice and thick!! My husband thinks the yogurt is a little tart – I used a rounded tablespoon of starter for a half gallon of milk so I think next time I will use less starter – or use a regular plain yogurt instead. I also made your berry compote. So delicious!! I was so intimidated to make yogurt and now I think homemade yogurt might become a weekly thing in my house!! Thanks for all of your great recipes!!

        Reply
        • Jill says

          August 25, 2016 at 1:21 am

          Hi Karen~

          If the yogurt is too tart for your husband, try a 9 hour incubation time, or even 8 and see how that works.

          The compote is delicious with the yogurt. I make it all the time as well.

          Jill

          Reply
  408. Kim says

    August 15, 2016 at 4:23 pm

    3 stars
    I have the instant pot LUX so it doesn’t have the yogurt button, which I think is silly, since it was more expensive then the DUO. Someone mentioned that there were instructions on here on how to make yogurt with the LUX, I can’t seem to find those instructions I would appreciate some help. Thank you

    Reply
    • Jill says

      August 25, 2016 at 1:27 am

      Hi Kim~

      To make yogurt with the LUX, some people use the slow cook option to get the milk to 180 and then use the warm function to incubate the milk.

      Jill

      Reply
  409. Jackie says

    August 15, 2016 at 3:57 am

    I finally am trying it and my yogurt is setting up for the 8 hours now. So I want to strain it I was thinking of using my collapsible strainer lined with coffee filters. Do I let it strain in the pot with the lid on and for how long? What’s your best storage technique

    Reply
    • Jill says

      August 15, 2016 at 7:29 pm

      Hi Jackie~

      Allow the yogurt to cool all day or overnight and then strain it in the refrigerator.

      Jill

      Reply
  410. Melissa Chwojdak says

    August 12, 2016 at 6:58 am

    5 stars
    I have made yogurt in the past in those one cup yogurt makers Salton used to sell with great success, but tyhis is my first time in IPDuo that I just bought Wednesday. . When I checked the temp after boil (using a half recipe as a first time try), I was so close(178), I put the pot on saute, whisked and watched the temp closely until I got to 183. I hope this works, and I think it should as this is what I would do on stovetop. Much faster than going through a second boil cycle. Hope that works!! My question is, do I have to do the overnight in the IP pot, if so, I will need to do some fridge rearranging or go turn on the fridge in the RV. Also, I have 9.5″ silicon lids – they fit perfectly on the top of the IP.. I found them at Aldi’s for lezs than $10 for 2. From the last question, I am thinking they should work. Loved your instructions, so easy to follow. Melissa

    Reply
    • Jill says

      August 12, 2016 at 12:34 pm

      Hi Melissa~

      Yogurt making is so easy with the IP DUO! That is awesome you got such a great temperature on your first try. Definitely keep your yogurt in the pot as you don’t want to mix or disturb it. I needs to set up properly, undisturbed. I heard about those Aldi covers and need to get some.

      Jill

      Reply
      • Mary Beth says

        September 16, 2016 at 9:30 am

        5 stars
        I have a question/thought about this point – since you are just finished stirring in the cultures, would it be that much more disruptive to the yogurt to pour it into a different container to cool? If you make it on the stovetop, that is what you do anyway, usually…

        Reply
        • Mary Beth says

          September 16, 2016 at 9:35 am

          oh, wait, never mind – I missed a step, the pot does the incubation after the cultures are added – if I were doing it on the stove, I would have had to pour into a container to incubate at controlled temperature, and THEN move to fridge, and you would not want to disturb it then, so never mind! I was wondering about your straining process in the metal strainer, did you line that with cheesecloth? I understand that the yogurt would have to be kept out of any accumulating whey…

          Reply
          • Mary Beth says

            September 16, 2016 at 9:40 am

            oh, geez, if I would have just kept reading! I see that you do use cheesecloth in that strainer! You can ignore all three of my comments, sorry to bother you, but happy to have found this post, and blog!!!

          • Jill says

            September 17, 2016 at 2:01 am

            Mary Beth~

            No bother at all. Glad you found your answer.

            Jill

        • Jill says

          September 17, 2016 at 2:00 am

          Hi Mary Beth~

          I often pour the milk into another cooking pot to cool down and then add the starter. No problem in doing that.

          Jill

          Reply
  411. Stephanie says

    August 9, 2016 at 9:52 am

    For the chilling in the fridge, if I don’t have the glass lid, can I just cover with a plate or does this part require a sealed cover (in which case, I would just use plastic wrap)? Thanks so much!

    Reply
    • Jill says

      August 9, 2016 at 4:53 pm

      Hi Stephanie~

      Anything to cover the pot will work. It does not need a seal. Thanks for using my recipe. 🙂

      Jill

      Reply
  412. Cheryl says

    August 8, 2016 at 6:42 am

    5 stars
    Made your yogurt last night and the berry compote! Perfect!! Thanks so much!!! Directions very easy to follow. Yogurt could use a bit more “tang” -I used Fage for starter–but it’s more than terrific and such a $ saver!!!

    Reply
    • Jill says

      August 8, 2016 at 10:29 am

      Hi Cheryl~

      Thank you for using my recipes and so glad it worked so well. I love the yogurt and compote as a dessert too!

      Jill

      Reply
  413. Lori M says

    August 6, 2016 at 7:59 am

    5 stars
    Hey Jill – how long will the frozen starter be good for?

    Thanks in advance!

    Reply
    • Jill says

      August 7, 2016 at 1:48 am

      Hi Lori~

      If packaged well, a couple of months. 🙂

      Jill

      Reply
  414. Christine DuVal says

    August 5, 2016 at 4:55 pm

    My daughter loves Yoplait vanilla yogurt, but for so many reasons (not the least of which is how expensive it is), I would rather make it for her than buy it. Do you have any recommendations as to how much vanilla and sugar I would add per recipe to get a similar taste? I realize it won’t be exact of course, but I have no clue where to even start! Should I just use regular sugar, or is there another sweetener that would work better?

    Reply
    • Jill says

      August 5, 2016 at 10:38 pm

      Hi Christine~

      I would suggest using a vanilla bean, which would taste awesome. As far as sugar, that is a personal preference. You could add about 1/4 of a cup and taste it and go from there. I like to add my sweeteners right before I am ready to eat. I love agave.

      I bet your daughter will love the yogurt you make. It is so much better tasting that store bought.

      Let me know how it goes. 🙂

      Jill

      Reply
      • dawn says

        September 20, 2016 at 9:14 pm

        How much of a vanilla bean would you use per serving? I want to make the the yogurt plain, but want to add flavors and sweeteners later. I am also unsure how to go about adding a vanilla flavor per serving…

        Reply
        • Jill says

          September 21, 2016 at 3:55 pm

          Dawn~

          For a gallon of milk I would use two vanilla beans.

          Jill

          Reply
          • teresa says

            November 5, 2016 at 5:29 pm

            Do you just put the vanilla bean in whole and then pull it out before incubation? I’ve never used whole vanilla beans before…

    • Brenda Stubblefield says

      October 12, 2016 at 6:41 pm

      5 stars
      well Heelo Christine the most talented cake lady ever!!

      Reply
  415. Addie says

    August 5, 2016 at 6:09 am

    Hi Jill,

    I love your site and appreciate the InstantPot recipes! I made yogurt for the first time this week, and I made another batch of your fabulous compote to top the yogurt.

    I plan to use your recipe to make my next batch of yogurt and have a question. For my first batch I added sugar and vanilla prior to incubation. Can I use this yogurt or the whey for starter in my next batch? Or do I purchase plain yogurt (with active cultures) to use as my starter?

    I can’t wait to try your yogurt recipe!

    Reply
    • Jill says

      August 6, 2016 at 2:16 pm

      Hi Addie~

      Glad you have had success with making yogurt. The sugar will interfere with the bacteria during the boil cycle. The starter needs to be just yogurt with active cultures.

      Thank you for visiting!

      Jill

      Reply
      • LeAnn says

        August 12, 2016 at 9:56 am

        When you replied “The starter needs to be just yogurt with active cultures.” Can’t this starter also be whey as your printed recipes states?

        Reply
        • Jill says

          August 12, 2016 at 12:38 pm

          Hi LeAnn~

          Sorry I wasn’t very clear. Yes, why works too. 🙂

          Jill

          Reply
  416. Grace says

    August 4, 2016 at 7:49 am

    HI Jill,
    I followed your recipe to the T but still ended up with really runny yogurt. Even after straining for more than 2 hours it is not the consistency that I was expecting for Green Yogurt. Mine also had some lumps/curds. What am I doing wrong?

    After staining I had about 2 qts of whey. Is that normal?? From your picture it looks like your yogurt was thick after being refrigerated. Please help!

    Reply
    • Jill says

      August 4, 2016 at 12:24 pm

      Grace~

      Please tell me what you did different from the recipe instructions.

      Jill

      Reply
  417. Isabel says

    August 4, 2016 at 7:10 am

    If I leave the yogurt to strain in a nut bag inside a strainer will that be okay or do I need to have the bag suspended? I’m wondering how to do that inside the refrigerator as I’m assuming that leaving it to strain in room temp wouldn’t be recommended?

    Reply
    • Jill says

      August 4, 2016 at 12:28 pm

      Hi Isabel~

      The yogurt needs to be in the refrigerator to strain. If the nutbag is inside the strainer, it should be okay, but if the bowl fills up with whey, the bag may be sitting in the liquid.

      Jill

      Reply
  418. yung says

    August 3, 2016 at 7:06 am

    Hi Jill,

    Typically how long does it take for the boil cycle?
    I am not sure if I missed the beeping the first time because I was not in the kitchen but don’t want to open the lid yet in case it isn’t finished.

    Thanks for your help!

    Reply
    • Jill says

      August 3, 2016 at 10:54 pm

      Hi Yung~

      The boil cycle takes about 25 minutes. If you need to run it through again, the second time is much quicker.

      Thank you for your question and for visiting my site.

      Jill

      Reply
  419. Jutta Holden says

    August 1, 2016 at 11:32 am

    Thanks to all your great help my yogurt turned out just great! Did exactly as per your detailed instructions, even the 10 hours in Instant Pot!
    Strained it for 2hours wich was just perfect for me! Next is your Strawberry Compote to go with it! Thank uou so very much for your detailed instructions, coul not have done it without them and your help!

    Reply
  420. Jennie says

    July 28, 2016 at 4:58 pm

    Thank you so much for the detailed instructions given in this recipe, especially explaining that you need to check the milk temperature after the boil cycle! I have made 3 batches of yogurt in my Instant Pot, all with just 1 boil cycle, and without checking the temp. All were pretty runny, but being new to homemade yogurt, I didn’t know I had a problem! I just strained, strained, strained, and enjoyed the thick yogurty result. Now after trying your method, my yogurt is so thick before straining that I’m not going to strain at all. My yield has approximately doubled! Thank you!!

    Reply
    • Jill says

      July 29, 2016 at 5:35 pm

      Hi Jennie~

      Thank you so much for the lovely comments. I am thrilled that you are now yielding a greater amount of yogurt. That is so wonderful.

      Jill

      Reply
  421. pat says

    July 28, 2016 at 12:32 pm

    HELP!!!! Can someone help this idiot (me)? Was making the above recipe and when the scalding was finished I took temp and it was around 200 degrees. Afterward I dumped in my starter (whey) before letting it cool down. I’m a bacteria murderer :(. My question is: can I let it cool then add in more starter or should I just dump it and start over? Thanks for help. pat

    Reply
    • Jill says

      July 28, 2016 at 1:52 pm

      Hi Pat~

      Calm down, it will be fine. 🙂 You are not an idiot. Let the milk cook down to 105-110 and add your new starter. I get the best results at around 185 degrees. I’ve never gone as high as 200, so I cannot comment on that, but would love to hear your results.

      Jill

      Reply
  422. Debbie says

    July 27, 2016 at 4:17 pm

    I want to put vanilla in my yogurt. I am using a half gallon of whole milk. How much vanilla extract should I use?

    Reply
    • Jill says

      July 27, 2016 at 6:45 pm

      Hi Debbie~

      The amount of vanilla is up to you. For half a gallon, I might just use one-half to one teaspoon of extract and/or the caviar from one vanilla bean. Remember, this won’t make it sweet.

      Thanks so much for visiting. Let me know how you do with the yogurt.

      Jill

      Reply
  423. Stephanie says

    July 27, 2016 at 11:35 am

    Jill,
    Thanks so much for this recipe! Quick question, (as a newbie, I’m a duck out of water) during the incubation time, do you have the valve set to “Venting” or “Sealing”? Looking forward to trying this soon! Thanks again, by the way, your “Blue Cheese Broccoli Butternut Pasta” is amazing!

    Reply
    • Jill says

      July 27, 2016 at 1:02 pm

      Hi Stephanie~

      I keep my valve closed, but it really does not matter. Thanks for the compliments on the Blue Cheese Broccoli Butternut Pasta. I am so glad you liked it. 🙂

      Jill

      Reply
  424. Ella says

    July 27, 2016 at 2:56 am

    Silly question, do you strain it 2 hrs before you refrigerate? Air to make my own yogurt

    Reply
    • Jill says

      July 27, 2016 at 11:11 am

      Hi Ella~

      Thanks for visiting. As per the recipe, the yogurt is strained after it has rested in the refrigerator.

      Jill

      Reply
  425. Bethany says

    July 23, 2016 at 7:07 pm

    5 stars
    Hi Jill! Thank you for your recipe. Just a few quick questions- if you use 1/2 gal of milk, should I only use 1 T of starter? Also- can I use just the strained whey from a previous batch for starter? How much?

    Reply
    • Jill says

      July 23, 2016 at 7:56 pm

      Hi Bethany~

      Thank you for your question. You are correct to use half the starter if you are using half the milk.

      Some people use their whey from previous batches as a starter and have good results. Others don’t. Whether you use yogurt or whey from a previous batch, you would want to make sure it was frozen right away, as leaving it the refrigerator for some time, will reduce the activity.

      Jill

      Reply
  426. Ian says

    July 23, 2016 at 2:12 pm

    Hi there,
    This might seem like a stupid question, but are your temperatures in Fahrenheit or Celsius?
    Thanks! I’m looking forward to trying this out.

    Reply
    • Jill says

      July 23, 2016 at 7:53 pm

      Hi Ian~

      Not stupid at all and in fact, I will add that into the recipe. I use Fahrenheit here in the US.

      Thank you for visiting and for your question.

      Jill

      Reply
  427. Sharon says

    July 22, 2016 at 8:18 am

    Going to give this a try, but a little confused. You show how to incubate in the Instant Pot for 10 hours, then you state:

    Place a cover on your Cooking Pot and place in the refrigerator overnight (or all day, if you made yogurt the night before). Don’t feel tempted to stir the yogurt. It needs time to set up.

    Do you do both or is it one or the other? Let it sit in the Instant Pot for 10 hours and then overnight in the refrigerator? I wonder because you also state that you have a second inner pot so you can continue to use the Instant Pot.

    Thanks.

    Reply
    • Jill says

      July 22, 2016 at 10:44 am

      Hi Sharon~

      Since I start my yogurt at night, I incubate throughout the night and the chill the yogurt in the refrigerator all day, the next day. Some people start their yogurt in the morning, incubate all day and then refrigerate the yogurt in the refrigerator all night and strain the next morning.

      While the yogurt is chilling in the refrigerator, I can use my other cooking pot in the Instant Pot.

      Jill

      Reply
  428. Donna W says

    July 20, 2016 at 11:43 am

    If you have 0ne gallon of milk, how much product do you have after you make the yoguart? I’m seeing that some of the strainers are 3 cups capacity or so many ounces. Please advise if you have to strain in multiple batches, or if you have one container that strains all that a 1 gallon of milk makes…

    Thanks! We are looking forward to making this later this week.

    Donna

    Reply
    • Jill says

      July 20, 2016 at 11:46 am

      Hi Donna~

      The strainer that I use above, holds 1/2 of the batch of yogurt. Some people own two of the strainers. You can always strain half at a time.

      Thank you for visiting and let me know how you do with the yogurt.

      Jill

      Reply
      • dawn says

        September 20, 2016 at 9:05 pm

        5 stars
        I am confused reading these comments and want to make sure that I do the right thing. Can the time setting in the fridge be the same time you are straining or do you need to set the yogurt in the fridge and then strain it in the fridge?

        Reply
        • Jill says

          September 21, 2016 at 1:57 am

          Hi Dawn~

          It is important to let the yogurt set up in the refrigerator before straining.

          Jill

          Reply
        • Jill says

          September 21, 2016 at 3:55 pm

          Hi Dawn~

          The milk needs to set up in the refrigerator. I do it overnight or all day long.

          Jill

          Reply
  429. Wendi says

    July 20, 2016 at 8:43 am

    Hi! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe! I just got my IP a few days ago. This recipe is the first I’m trying. It’s actually in the incubation stage right now. I never thought to double check to see if I’m doing half a recipe should I do half the incubation time or if that’s standard regardless. I’m trying it with almond milk first to see. I’ve gotten away from a lot of dairy with my family. Hopefully I’ve done everything right. We all love yogurt!

    Reply
    • Jill says

      July 20, 2016 at 11:19 am

      Hi Wendi~

      Thank you for visiting. Congrats on owning an Instant Pot! Making yogurt is so wonderful. Using almond milk is a bit different than regular milk. Let me know how yours comes out.

      Jill

      Reply
  430. Shannon says

    July 19, 2016 at 11:19 am

    Just an FYI on my machine I have to push the yogurt button and then the adjust button for it to say boil on the screen. I made this recipe before and it turned out great!

    Reply
    • Jill says

      July 19, 2016 at 11:59 am

      Hi Shannon~

      Thank you for that. I added that in the recipe. I am glad your yogurt came out great. 🙂

      Jill

      Reply
  431. Jennifer says

    July 16, 2016 at 3:32 pm

    So glad I found your method before trying my first batch in my new IP!! It’s incubating now and I have high hopes for the outcome.
    Like you, I prefer my yogurt very thick so am planning on straining for a couple of hours. I do have a nut milk bag but I am nervous about pouring the yogurt in to it without making a mess! Do you suspend the bag once filled to get the best result?
    Thanks!!

    Reply
    • Jill says

      July 16, 2016 at 4:40 pm

      Hi Jennifer~

      Thank you. I am glad you found me too. 🙂 The nut bag is suspended to allow the whey to drip off. I use yogurt strainer you see in the photos and do half at a time, while the other half stays in the pot. When you set the time to incubate, did you set it up from 8:00 or down from 24:00? Some people are accidently hitting the button an extra time, which causes the pot to adjust to low.

      Jill

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        July 16, 2016 at 7:27 pm

        I can’t remember if I went up or down but I checked carefully (after reading your advice earlier in the post) that it is on normal not low so I think I’m ok!

        So, you strain it while it sits in the fridge for the “set up” time? If so, glad I checked as I was going to leave it to set overnight and then strain it in the morning!

        Reply
  432. Leann says

    July 4, 2016 at 11:18 am

    Hey Jill – So tickled to find your website….In your list of equipment used, you mention Reditainer Extreme Freeze Deli Food Containers with Lids AND freezer labels. Are these containers what you use to store your yogurt in the fridge?

    Thanks for clarifying this for me, I didn’t see them mentioned in your commentary instructions.

    Reply
    • Jill says

      July 4, 2016 at 12:27 pm

      Hi Leann~

      Thanks so much for the comments!

      I use the Reditainers to store bulk yogurt and the half pint Mason jars to store individual servings, as I like to add fruit and then the yogurt on top. That way, I can grab and go. I’ll go and link to the containers and labels to make it easier. 🙂

      Jill

      Reply
  433. Marsha says

    July 2, 2016 at 11:29 am

    Thank you, Jill, for such an in depth recipe making yogurt! I’ve had my Instant Pot for over a year but still haven’t mustered up the courage to make yogurt. After reading your recipe, I feel like I can make it with confidence! Hubby is lactose sensitive, do you know if lactose free milk can be used? Thanks again!

    Reply
    • Jill says

      July 2, 2016 at 10:27 pm

      Hi Marsha~

      Yogurt making seems intimidating, but it is really super easy. I have not tried lactose free milk, but I don’t see why it would not work. You will still need to use a good yogurt as a starter. Does yogurt affect him the same way milk does? I wonder if because it is incubated, it might not cause as big a problem as drinking a glass of milk, which I know is not pleasant. 😉

      Jill

      Reply
    • Barbara says

      July 3, 2016 at 10:21 am

      I felt the same way…intimidated. I had mine for 7 months. I saw this recipe, mustered up the nerve and went for it. Turned out great. Still eating the first batch. Just go for it!

      Reply
  434. Lynn Bystrom says

    July 1, 2016 at 4:08 pm

    5 stars
    YAHOO!!!! This recipe/procedure worked! I thank you so much!

    I have an additional question, though, about almond milk…….if I wanted to make ‘almond milk’ yogurt, do I literally need to start with almonds and water, or could a commercially prepared almond milk work, like Blue Diamond?? Thank you for any input.

    Reply
    • Jill says

      July 1, 2016 at 4:59 pm

      Hi Lynn~

      I am so glad the recipe worked for you. I updated it a little yesterday as I’ve been getting even better yogurt with a slight change.

      I have heard that commercial almond milk does work. Some people add ground cashews to that too, I have heard.

      Jill

      Reply
      • Charlotte says

        October 21, 2016 at 6:42 am

        Is it necessary to boil the plant based milk?

        Reply
  435. Barbara says

    June 29, 2016 at 3:07 pm

    5 stars
    I had never made yogurt before. I found this recipe on Facebook. Yesterday, I followed these directions exactly as written. Wow!! It turned out perfectly. Thank you for making this so easy to follow. And for stressing the importance of making sure the steps are followed. It was crazy how well the yogurt looks and tastes.

    Reply
    • Jill says

      June 29, 2016 at 3:39 pm

      Hi Barbara~

      Thank you so much for your message. I am thrilled you had a great success making yogurt. This is what I love to hear. Have tried the compote on your yogurt yet? That’s my favorite, with some granola.

      Jill

      Reply
      • Barbara says

        July 3, 2016 at 10:17 am

        5 stars
        We have enjoyed honey, fresh fruit and granola. I want to try compote. Next time. I have given some to my doggies who eat it first every time. I did try to mix yogurt with a banana in nutrabullet. A happy mistake. It came out runny so I tasted it. I realized it tasted just like the yogurt drinks my husband would drink…pretty expensive drinks. All in all, this whole progress is a win.

        Reply
        • Jill says

          July 3, 2016 at 1:52 pm

          Hi Barbara~

          Great news. I am thrilled that you have great results with this recipe. My compote recipe is very easy and very delicious.

          Jill

          Reply
  436. cathy says

    June 23, 2016 at 4:26 pm

    If you use a 1% milk does that mean you have to use a 1% yogurt starter or can you mix a 1% milk with a 2% or 0% yogurt starter? I am gearing up to make some next week and am making my shopping list :)….

    Reply
    • Jill says

      June 23, 2016 at 8:12 pm

      Hi Cathy~

      You can use any percentage of milk and Yogurt “starter,” but make sure the label shows live cultures and no extra ingredients.

      Jill

      Reply
      • cathy says

        June 29, 2016 at 5:53 pm

        The yogurt starter I bought says….Skim milk, cream, active bacterial cultures…….this should be fine right? I am using skim milk plus this starter (1/2 gallon instead of a full gallon plus 1 tble starter)…..very excited to try this on Friday :)…….

        Reply
        • Jill says

          July 1, 2016 at 12:15 am

          Hi Cathy~

          I personally prefer yogurt made with whole milk as it is really thick and creamy. Did you buy a container of yogurt, or something actually called “yogurt starter”?

          Half gallons usually get up to temperature without the need to do a second boil.

          Let me know.

          Jill

          Reply
  437. cathy says

    June 22, 2016 at 3:18 am

    How long will the yogurt last in the fridge? Does it last longer if you use no fat/low fat milk or high fat? or does it make a difference?

    Reply
    • Jill says

      June 24, 2016 at 2:28 pm

      Hi Cathy~

      I wouldn’t go more than two weeks.

      Jill

      Reply
  438. Leslie says

    June 16, 2016 at 9:49 am

    5 stars
    Thank you so much!! Your steps were so easy to follow. I have followed tidbits and I always felt my yogurt was runny. I set my Instant Pot last night for 10 hrs and my yogurt was perfect. I did have to do a boil 3x and still never hit over 171 and I just went with it. I have read where people say you can’t make yogurt using lactaid milk but I have to stay away from dairy and I used 2% Lactaid milk and my yogurt after straining a few hours is nice and thick. Not too tart either. I save the whey and use it to make a no knead artisan bread that another yogurt maker on facebook had suggested.
    On another note I made Pressure Cooker Beef and Macaroni (Bolognese/Johnny Marzetti) on Monday and it was perfect. Thanks again.

    Reply
    • Jill says

      June 16, 2016 at 12:08 pm

      Hi Leslie~

      Thank you so much for your nice comments. I am thrilled your yogurt came out perfect. I also use the whey in my sourdough bread baking. Also glad you enjoyed the Beef and Macaroni. It is a popular one, it seems.

      Jill

      Reply
    • Julie says

      July 17, 2016 at 7:35 pm

      Can you share your bread recipe

      Reply
      • Jill says

        July 17, 2016 at 11:51 pm

        Hi Julie~

        There are several bread recipes on the blog. Are you looking for bread using natural fermentation or yeasted bread?

        Jill

        Reply
  439. Karen says

    June 15, 2016 at 12:56 pm

    I have been trying to make yogurt in my new IP and this looks like my next recipe to try. The last one was too runny I have it straining now. I am the only one that eats this can I cut this in half? The other videos I watched did not use the boil on the yogurt button then used the manual for 1 minute I think that’s where I am going wrong and not testing the temp. If I let it get too cool under the 110 do I need to start over again? Also is it better to add sweetener and fruit after it’s made? I love the granola you made when you change it up what other things do you use? I also live in Florida near Tampa. Where are you? I have a bulk store in Brandon. Can’t wait to try this. Thanks Karen

    Reply
    • Jill says

      June 15, 2016 at 5:34 pm

      Hi Karen~

      Thank you for your message. You can make half a batch, just cut the starter in half. I would add the fruit and sweetener after straining (if you store in individual containers) or when you are ready to eat.

      My husband and I used to live on the East Coast, but visited the West Coast frequently, Brandon, in particular.

      Jill

      Reply

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