I’m going on a 2 1/2 year love affair with the electric pressure cooker. My first love was my trusty Cuisinart 6QT pressure cooker, which had the ability to cook on high/low pressure, sauté, brown, and simmer. It was the perfect pressure cooker to learn with, but once I felt comfortable with the basics of the PC lifestyle, I started dreaming about the all-popular Instant Pot. There was that one magical setting the Instant Pot had that I wasn’t able to achieve with my current pressure cooker that I was dying to use. The yogurt function!

Many of you had an Instant Pot long before I did and I would get lots of questions about the settings or how to make specific recipes. I felt like I wasn’t able to give educated answers, so I reached out to the Instant Pot brand to ask if they would be willing to partner together and send me one of their appliances so I could start helping all of you! They were more than happy to send the 9 in 1 Instant Pot my way and since I received it a few months ago, I have nothing but rave reviews about everything I’ve been able to make. If you’re still on the fence about joining the IP community, I totally get it – shoot me an email with any questions or concerns and I would love to answer them for you!

Instant Pot Greek Yogurt

I know that the majority of you who visit my site for pressure cooker recipes have the Instant Pot or another brand that also has the yogurt making capabilities. Most pressure cookers are offering that setting now, which is a huge bonus in my opinion. What I also know is that many of you are too intimidated or unsure about the yogurt making process to give it a try, so that’s why I wrote this post! To help you conquer your fears and come out on the other end with the thickest, creamiest, good for you Instant Pot Greek Yogurt that you’ve never had but always needed.

Let’s get started, shall we? Below you’ll find a step by step photo walk-through showing you each move that you need to take when making your yogurt. If you’re not a photo diagram kind of person, just scroll to the bottom for the text directions. I’ve read multiple manuals, cookbooks, and other blogs on making the perfect yogurt and have combined them all to bring you what I think is the best overall way. The simplest steps to yield the yummiest results.

The directions I’m going to give you are specifically for use with the Instant Pot. If you have another brand of pressure cooker with a yogurt function, I recommend using the manual they provide you with for making yogurt using their appliance. Also, I’ll be using whole milk in this recipe because it gives the thickest, creamiest greek yogurt, but you can also use 2%. I wouldn’t recommend going much lower than that though, as the results will be quite thin and watery.

Let’s go step by step now, shall we? I’m going to make this as elementary as possible, so if you ever feel like you got it already, I won’t be offended, just scroll down and print out the recipe to make it on your own!

Step 1: Pop the sealing ring out of your instant pot, scrub it with soap and clean water, then do the same with the IP lid, making sure to scrub in all the nooks and crannies. I don’t clean my IP lid as often as I should, and when you’re making savory dishes it doesn’t matter as much. But, with yogurt, you don’t want it tasting like the spaghetti bolognese you had last night or the chicken curry from last week.

Step 2: Pour 1 cup of water into your instant pot, lock the lid, and set to high pressure for 3 minutes. This is just an extra step to further sanitize everything inside your pot. This step is optional, but again, it will help your yogurt taste as pure as it possibly can. **While this is happening, set your gallon of milk on the counter to warm up.

Step 3: Pour the water out of your instant pot and pour your gallon of milk into the pot. Put the lid on the pot (the sealing valve can be in the venting position) and press the Yogurt button until the word “Boil” comes on the screen. Allowing the milk to come up to temperature on the boil setting will take between 30 and 45 minutes, depending on how long you let your milk sit out beforehand.

Step 4: Once the boil function has completed, use a thermometer to test your milk. It should be 180 degrees, but in my experience, it’s always 10-20 degrees under. Turn the sauté setting on for 10 minutes then test again. The milk should be to 180 degrees by now. If still not there, let remain on the sauté setting, testing frequently, until the correct temperature has been reached.

Step 5: Remove pot from base and set on the counter to cool. The milk needs to come down to 110 degrees. If you allow it to cool without assistance, this may take close to an hour. If you would like to speed the process up, set it in a large bowl of cold water with ice cubes or a sink filled with cold water.

Step 6: Once the milk has reached 110 degrees, remove 1/2 cup of milk to a small bowl, then add 1/4 cup of plain greek yogurt with active cultures to the same bowl. Gently whisk the two mixtures together with fork, then pour back into your instant pot. Whisk the entire mixture very gently, being careful not to scrape the bottom of your pot. There will be some scalded milk at the bottom of your pot that you don’t want to disturb.

Step 7: Place the pot back into the appliance, attach the lid, set the valve to the venting position, and press the yogurt button until 8:00 appears on the screen. If you would like a more mild yogurt, set to 7:00. If you would like a more tart yogurt, set anywhere from 9:00-12:00.

Step 8: When the time is up, refrigerate for a few hours or pour straight into a yogurt strainer, a nut milk bag, or a dishtowel draped over a colander. Place into the fridge and let strain for 4-8 hours, depending on how thick you would like your yogurt to be.

Step 9: Place yogurt into a large bowl and use a handheld mixer to mix well, removing any lumps that may have formed. Leave plain or add vanilla or other mix-ins.

Step 10: Store your whey in the fridge, sealed, for future baking! I love using mine for waffles, pancakes, muffins, etc…!

That’s all! The process will seem a little clumsy and possibly slow the first time you give it a try, but both the cost savings and the taste will make it all worth it. I get about 2 qts or 64 ounces of yogurt out of 1 gallon of milk. If you were to buy 64 ounces of plain greek yogurt in the store, you’d pay anywhere from $10-$15 as opposed to less than $3 for a gallon of milk! I’m sold!

I can’t wait to hear about your yogurt making adventures!

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Instant Pot Greek Yogurt

Instant Pot Greek Yogurt


  • Author: Kitschen Cat
  • Total Time: 10 hours
  • Yield: 2 qts 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 gallon whole milk
  • 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt with active cultures

Instructions

  1. Pop the sealing ring out of your instant pot, scrub it with soap and clean water, then do the same with the IP lid, making sure to scrub in all the nooks and crannies. I don’t clean my IP lid as often as I should, and when you’re making savory dishes it doesn’t matter as much. But, with yogurt, you don’t want it tasting like the spaghetti bolognese you had last night or the chicken curry from last week.
  2. Pour 1 cup of water into your instant pot, lock the lid, and set to high pressure for 3 minutes. This is just an extra step to further sanitize everything inside your pot. This step is optional, but again, it will help your yogurt taste as pure as it possibly can. **While this is happening, set your gallon of milk on the counter to warm up.
  3. Pour the water out of your instant pot and pour your gallon of milk into the pot. Put the lid on the pot (the sealing valve can be in the venting position) and press the Yogurt button until the word “Boil” comes on the screen. Allowing the milk to come up to temperature on the boil setting will take between 30 and 45 minutes, depending on how long you let your milk sit out beforehand.
  4. Once the boil function has completed, use a thermometer to test your milk. It should be 180 degrees, but in my experience, it’s always 10-20 degrees under. Turn the sauté setting on for 10 minutes then test again. The milk should be to 180 degrees by now. If still not there, let remain on the sauté setting, testing frequently, until the correct temperature has been reached.
  5. Remove pot from base and set on the counter to cool. The milk needs to come down to 110 degrees. If you allow it to cool without assistance, this may take close to an hour. If you would like to speed the process up, set it in a large bowl of cold water with ice cubes or a sink filled with cold water.
  6. Once the milk has reached 110 degrees, remove 1/2 cup of milk to a small bowl, then add 1/4 cup of plain greek yogurt with active cultures to the same bowl. Gently whisk the two mixtures together with fork, then pour back into your instant pot. Whisk the entire mixture very gently, being careful not to scrape the bottom of your pot. There will be some scalded milk at the bottom of your pot that you don’t want to disturb.
  7. Place the pot back into the appliance, attach the lid, set the valve to the venting position, and press the yogurt button until 8:00 appears on the screen. If you would like a more mild yogurt, set to 7:00. If you would like a more tart yogurt, set anywhere from 9:00-12:00.
  8. When the time is up, refrigerate for a few hours or pour straight into a yogurt strainer, a nut milk bag, or a dishtowel draped over a colander. Place into the fridge and let strain for 4-8 hours, depending on how thick you would like your yogurt to be.
  9. Place yogurt into a large bowl and use a handheld mixer to mix well, removing any lumps that may have formed. Leave plain or add vanilla or other mix-ins.
  10. Store your whey in the fridge, sealed, for future baking! I love using mine for waffles, pancakes, muffins, etc…!
  • Cook Time: 10 hours

 


Pair With These Amazing Granola Recipes!

Slow Cooker Cinnamon Raisin Granola

Slow Cooker Cranberry Almond Granola

Fruity Granola Breakfast Pizza

Chunky Granola


9 thoughts on “Instant Pot Greek Yogurt

  1. So excited to try this! Side question: when you use the leftover whey, do you use it as a replacement for milk in recipes?

    1. Yep! Buttermilk, milk, or even water. Basically any liquid. Or, if a recipe calls for yogurt or applesauce, you can thicken up the whey with a bit of yogurt and that will work as well!

  2. Do you need to adjust anything if you don’t care for full fat yogurt (i.e. 2% milk)?

    Thanks!

    1. Hi Maribeth, nope, no adjustment for using 2% milk. Just know that it might not be quite as thick and creamy as whole milk, but still great!!

  3. We are so use to using buttermilk for our waffles and pancakes, will the whey make them as fluffy as the buttermilk? And…. is there just one brand of “instant pot”?

    1. Mine have been pretty fluffy in the past! I’d give it a try and see what you think 🙂 The instant pot is a brand of electric pressure cookers…it just so happens to be one of the most popular right now which is why you see it everywhere!

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