Thick Instant Pot Greek Yogurt Recipe is so simple to make. This creamy and smooth Greek Yogurt will save you so much money. Make some yogurt in 9 easy steps!
Instant Pot Greek Yogurt (photo by Beth Braznell)
Once! One time is all it takes and you will never buy yogurt again. Instant Pot Greek Yogurt will have you jumping for joy. Only two ingredients are needed to make incredible Instant Pot Greek Yogurt in the Instant Pot Smart DUO or Instant Pot DUO. Only a few steps and some patience and knowledge, will get you there fast.
Directions for the Instant Pot Smart DUO60 and Instant Pot Smart DUO60 are identical. For Yogurt made in a GoWise 8 Quart Pressure Cooker, please see my GoWISE USA Greek Yogurt Recipe.
Directions for the Instant Pot Ultra, Instant Pot Smart, Instant Pot DUO and DUO Plus are all found on the COMPLETE RECIPE CARD following the pictorial narrative.
Before you continue – if you are lactose intolerant, my friend Marilee says ” Yogurt bacteria convert lactose into lactic acid, which makes yogurt tangy. Use regular milk and incubate 19-24 hours… voila lactose free! And tangy !!” She’s got an M.D. after her name, so she knows stuff!
Fresh Berry Yogurt Parfait
Fresh fruit, Agave and a sprinkle of Orange Ginger Pecan Granola makes a delicious Parfait. I also love Fresh Berry Compote with Instant Pot Greek Yogurt and more often than not, I add a couple of Tablespoons of my 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 the thick yogurt and store in my refrigerator.
Big savings, plus, the taste of this homemade yogurt is divine. A wonderful Grab and Go breakfast!
Mason Jars full of Dannon Dutch Apple Yogurt
After reading about yogurt failures, I did extensive experimentation to recreate and figure out all the issues, so that you will have great Yogurt on your first try. Many people assume that when your Instant Pot Pressure Cooker beeps after the boil cycle, the temperature is 180 degrees. It doesn’t always happen.
Just an FYI – This post with these tips/tricks/findings/method are all my unprecedented and original work from February 2016.
While many think it is not imperative to get your yogurt to 180 degrees, I am here to tell you that you will have better results. In fact, my best and thickest yogurt is when the milk reaches 182-185 degrees.
Granola and Strawberry Compote Yogurt Parfait
He did not like that I put granola on his and promptly removed it!
It’s also really important to stir the milk before taking the temperature, to avoid hot spots and an inaccurate reading. This could be one of the reasons you are having a failure, assuming that is what is happening.
Another reason for failure has to do with the setting of the time for the yogurt to incubate. It is important you understand about the buttons and how they work.
Cast of Ingredients for Instant Pot Greek Yogurt
Start by sterilizing your Instant Pot cooking pot. Pour 3 cups of water into the cooking pot and run it through the Steam Cycle for about 5 minutes. {Full Directions are at the end of this Article.}
It is important to start with a cold pot, so that your milk won’t scorch on the bottom and have trouble getting up to temperature. Allow the Instant Pot Pressure Cooker itself to cool down naturally or pop it in the fridge for a few minutes.
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.
Some recipes call for powdered milk; it’s a crutch and if prepared properly, you never need anything more than Milk and Yogurt Starter.
Homemade Yogurt Starter
After the first time making yogurt, you will have your own “Starter,” so make sure you save a little bit from each batch. You should never need to purchase “Starter” again. The starter can be frozen. These King Size Ice Cube Trays (for starter) are the perfect size to hold 2 Tablespoons of starter. They are perfect for Scotch on the Rocks! 😉
Yogurt is great in place of sour cream. Greek yogurt is higher in protein and lower in sugar because of the straining. Your Whey can be used for my Instant Pot Yogurt Whey Dutch Oven Crusty Bread recipe!
I suggest making a really good and plain yogurt and adding in flavoring and sweeteners, before you eat. Many people save the whey for bread making so you probably don’t want flavored or sweetened Whey! For a delicious Noosa like recipe, try my Instant Pot Homemade Noosa Honey Yogurt Copycat recipe.
Here are some wonderful and sweet add-ins:
Pressure Cooker Fresh Berry Compote (Stewed Fruit)
Pressure Cooker Fresh Strawberry Compote
Pressure Cooker Easy Key Lime Curd
Homemade Orange Ginger Pecan Granola
Pressure Cooker Easy Lemon Curd
Pressure Cooker Dannon Dutch Apple Yogurt Compote
Pressure Cooker Fresh Peach Crisp Compote
Pressure Cooker Pumpkin Apple Butter
Pressure Cooker Orange Ginger Cranberry Sauce
Remove Frozen Starter Cube from Freezer
If you have previously frozen starter from your last batch of yogurt, remove one cube from the freezer, so that it will be defrosted by the time you need to add your starter.
Add Fresh Milk to the Instant Pot DUO
If you feel you want to use flavoring, like Vanilla Extract or Vanilla Beans prior to incubation, add it to the milk when you add your starter.
Please click the giant PINK BUTTON below to go to Page 2 (Detailed Printable Recipe follows the Step by Step Tutorial).
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Hi! Two questions… have you ever used raw milk and if you don’t strain it, it’s just regular yogurt, right?
Thanks!
Would like to learn as much as possible about the instant pot.
I have followed this recipe twice with great results. Getting ready to make my third batch of Greek Yogurt today!
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?
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.
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!
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
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.
Great instructions! How long does the yogurt typically last before it “expires”? Trying to decide whether to make a full batch or half batch.
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!
Hi Lorilei. So glad you had a nice success. Jill
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?
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
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?
Cynthia, either you used ultra pasteurized milk, or your pot was set to less. Did you use starter? Jill
I had the same problem. Just looks like milk. I did use fresh goat milk, don’t know if that makes a difference. Thoughts?
There are many reasons. Pot could have been on less, bad starter, etc. Jill
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?
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!
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.
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!
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?
Do you have to use a flat wisk?
No, Tracy. It is just my favorite one. Jill
Oops, I used the low setting. Will it be okay to eat?
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!
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.
Your smoothie looks delicious! Jill