The Best Instant Pot Yogurt Recipe (Affordable, Easy & Foolproof!)

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If you’ve ever scanned the grocery shelves and wondered why yogurt is so expensive, I’ve got great news — you can make thick, creamy yogurt at home for a fraction of the price using just two ingredients and your Instant Pot. This Instant Pot yogurt recipe is incredibly simple, budget-friendly, and practically hands-off once you get it started.

Whether you’re trying to cut costs, avoid unnecessary additives, or just love a good kitchen experiment, this homemade yogurt will win you over!

Why You’ll Love This Instant Pot Yogurt Recipe

• Only 2 ingredients needed
• Costs far less than store-bought yogurt
• No special equipment besides an Instant Pot
• Thick, tangy, and fully customizable
• Perfect for meal prep and healthy snacks

Ingredients

• 1/2 gallon milk — Whole milk makes the creamiest yogurt, but you can use 2% or skim.
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt — Make sure it contains live active cultures. Do not use flavored yogurt! Alternatively, use a yogurt starter culture.

How to Make Yogurt in the Instant Pot

1. Heat the Milk
   Pour 1/2 gallon of milk into your Instant Pot and press the Sauté button. Whisk constantly as the milk heats until it reaches 180°F. (A pocket thermometer makes this easy.)
2. Cool the Milk
   Press Cancel to turn off the heat. Let the milk cool down to 115°F.
3. Add the Starter
   Whisk in 1/4 cup of plain yogurt or starter culture. Make sure it’s unflavored and contains live cultures.
4. Incubate
   Set your Instant Pot to the Yogurt setting for 8–24 hours, depending on how tangy you like it. The longer it sits, the tangier it gets!
5. Chill
   Once the timer goes off, your yogurt is ready. Transfer it to a container and refrigerate until fully chilled.

Tips for Storing Homemade Yogurt

• Store in airtight jars or containers in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
• Want Greek-style yogurt? Strain it through a cheesecloth or fine-mesh strainer for a few hours.

Save Some for Your Next Batch!

Before you devour your delicious yogurt, be sure to scoop out 1/4 cup and store it separately. This becomes your starter for your next Instant Pot yogurt recipe, so you never have to buy yogurt again!

Homemade vs Store-Bought Yogurt — Why It’s Worth It

Making it yourself means fewer additives, more savings, and better flavor!

Fun Add-Ins & Flavor Ideas

Once chilled, dress up your yogurt with:

• Fresh berries or fruit compote
• Honey or maple syrup
• Granola or nuts
• Vanilla extract or cinnamon
• Chia seeds or peanut butter swirl

Why You Shouldn’t Use Flavored Yogurt as a Starter

It’s important to use plain, unflavored yogurt with live active cultures as your starter. You may be tempted to grab a strawberry or vanilla yogurt from the fridge and use that instead — but don’t do it!

Here’s why:

• Added sugars and sweeteners in flavored yogurt can disrupt or weaken the live cultures, making them less effective at fermenting your milk.
• Many flavored yogurts contain thickeners, gums, or stabilizers that can interfere with the incubation process, leading to runny or grainy yogurt.
• Some store-bought yogurts labeled as “flavored” don’t actually contain enough active cultures to ferment a full batch.

Instead, use plain yogurt to start your fermentation, then add your flavors later — after it’s fully chilled.

This gives you:

• Stronger probiotics
• Better texture
• More flexibility with flavor choices

Think of the starter like the base of your recipe — keep it clean, then dress it up right before serving!

Homemade Yogurt Is Easier Than You Think

This instant pot yogurt recipe proves that making your own yogurt isn’t intimidating — it’s simple, affordable, and incredibly satisfying. Once you try it, you may never go back to store-bought!

Instant Pot Yogurt Recipe

This homemade Instant Pot yogurt recipe is the easiest way to make yogurt. Top this delicious creamy yogurt with crunchy granola and fresh fruit for a healthy and delicious snack or breakfast.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 8 hours hrs

Total Time 8 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Servings: 8

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1/2 gallon milk Whole milk makes the creamiest yogurt, but you can use 2% or skim
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt Make sure it contains live active cultures. Do not use flavored yogurt! Alternatively, use a yogurt starter culture.

Equipment

• Instant Pot
• pocket thermometer

Method

 

Heat the Milk

1. Pour 1/2 gallon of milk into your Instant Pot and press the Sauté button. Whisk constantly as the milk heats until it reaches 180°F. (A pocket thermometer makes this easy.)

Cool the Milk

1. Press Cancel to turn off the heat. Let the milk cool down to 115°F.

Add the Starter

1. Whisk in 1/4 cup of plain yogurt or starter culture. Make sure it’s unflavored and contains live cultures.

Incubate

1. Set your Instant Pot to the Yogurt setting for 8–24 hours, depending on how tangy you like it. The longer it sits, the tangier it gets!

Chill

1. Once the timer goes off, your yogurt is ready. Transfer it to a container and refrigerate until fully chilled.

Notes

• • If using yogurt from a previous batch of yogurt, only use about 4-5 times before replacing the culture entirely and using store-bought yogurt to culture your homemade yogurt.
  • Reserve some starter yogurt for the next batch of yogurt.
  • If using store-bought yogurt as a starter, do not use yogurt that does not contain active cultures or yogurt that is flavored or sweetened.
    

    Tips for Storing Homemade Yogurt

    • Store in airtight jars or containers in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
    • Want Greek-style yogurt? Strain it through a cheesecloth or fine-mesh strainer for a few hours.