Instant Pot Greek Yogurt Recipe
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Instant Pot Greek Yogurt puts store bought in the back seat. It’s incredibly easy to make. This yogurt is delicious and cost effective.
Making homemade greek yogurt in the instant pot is a simple task. This greek yogurt can be started in the evening and be ready for straining in the morning. Homemade Greek yogurt is much cheaper to make than buying expensive store bought yogurts. Add sweeteners or flavoring in it to change it up from plain greek yogurt.
Instant pots make wonderful recipes. Simple soups, Meaty Italian Pasta Dinner, pulled pork, and batches and batches of instant pot Greek yogurt.
Can you make Greek Yogurt in the Instant Pot?
Greek Yogurt is easy to make in the Instant Pot. There are many advantages to making greek yogurt using the Instant Pot method over traditional stovetop methods. The Instant Pot is designed to hold a certain temperature (much like a crockpot). The Instant Pot can keep the milk temperature at 180 F and maintain an even temperature. Traditional stovetop methods require hours of supervision to ensure the milk does not get too hot and burn. The Instant Pot method requires very little stirring and close supervision.
Why isn’t my Yogurt Thickening in the Instant Pot?
If the yogurt is not thickening in the instant pot, it can be due to several reasons. The most common problem is the milk fat. Do not use skim, 1% or 2% milk. Always use whole milk when making greek yogurt. The fat in the milk is essential for properly thickening yogurt.
Make sure that the milk has reached the proper temperature. The yogurt button on the Instant Pot does not always get the milk up to 180 F. Use a thermometer to check the temperature of the milk and ensure that it has reached the proper temperature.
The longer the yogurt rests and ferments, the more it will thicken. Make sure that the yogurt is allowed enough time to properly ferment and thicken up. If you try to strain the yogurt too early, the yogurt will be too thin and runny. If the yogurt still looks thin after the resting process, it’s likely it needs to be rested longer.
How long does it take to strain Greek Yogurt?
Greek Yogurt takes between 3-4 hours to strain. Strain the greek yogurt according to the desired consistency that you want to achieve. Thicker greek yogurt requires longer straining time. The yogurt can be strained all day long in the refrigerator if you are looking for a very thick yogurt. Straining for shorter amounts of time will result in a thinner yogurt.
If you have strained the yogurt and feel that it is now too thick, add whey back in. A small amount of whey can be stirred back into the yogurt until you like the consistency.
How to use leftover Whey from making Greek Yogurt:
The byproduct from making greek yogurt is whey. The whey is the liquid byproduct that is leftover after making yogurt. A normal batch of homemade yogurt will leave you with 2-4 cups of pure whey. Many people want to use the whey instead of throwing it out. Fortunately there are many health benefits to be found in the consumption of whey. Whey protein contains high amounts of calcium, phosphorus, and B vitamins like riboflavin, pantothenic acids, and vitamin B-12, which makes it an excellent source of energy.
Our favorite way to use up Whey:
- Pizza Dough
- Pancakes
- Smoothies
- Ferment Vegetables in Whey
- Homemade Bread
- Pet Food (add it in for an extra protein boost)
- Hair Conditioner
- Buttermilk Substitute (pancakes, waffles, other baked goods)
- Salad dressing (in a vinegar dressing)
- Brine (great for turkey brining)
- Make Cheese (whey makes great Ricotta and Cream Cheese)
- Freeze Leftover Whey
Is Homemade Greek Yogurt cheaper?
Making greek yogurt at home is much cheaper than buying store bought greek yogurt. There are two benefits to making greek yogurt at home. The first benefit is ingredient control, you can make the yogurt using ingredients you feel comfortable with. The second benefit is cost. For a 32 oz container of plain greek yogurt, the cost is nearly double that of the homemade yogurt. A batch of homemade greek yogurt will yield around 72 oz of yogurt or 9 full cups.
Here is our cost breakdown of homemade vs store bought yogurt:
| Brand | Size (oz) | Cost | Cost (Per oz) |
| Chobani | 32 | $6.99 | $0.22 |
| Fage | 32 | $6.69 | $0.21 |
| O Organics | 32 | $6.99 | $0.22 |
| Oikos | 32 | $4.99 | $0.16 |
| Homemade | 72 | $7.37 | $0.10 |
More Delicious Instant Pot Recipes:
To get a feel for REALLY cooking from scratch and saving lots of money and time. Try our four bean soup recipe in the instant pot.
Don’t have an instant pot? Learn how to make Homemade Greek yogurt in your slow cooker or in any large cooking pot In this post.
Instant Pot Greek Yogurt:
- The instant pot is the easiest method I have found with no fuss and not much mess either.
- I LOVE that it safely boils the milk to exactly 180 degrees F and I don’t have to watch it OR stir it to avoid burning the milk. (I have burned a lot of milk boiling it on my stove over the years).
- I also don’t have to worry about incubating the milk and yogurt starter in less than ideal circumstances.
- The instant pot has preset the correct temperatures for both the boiling the milk and incubating the yogurt. Set it and forget it!
- The biggest challenge I have with using my instant pot for yogurt is I can’t use it for other things while it’s incubating
Tips For Making Greek Yogurt in the Instant Pot:
- I most often incubate the yogurt at night and switch the yogurt to a different large pot or my Cuisinart strainer for the final strain. That way I can get the instant pot back in business if I need it.
- The 8 quart Instant Pot makes a gallon of milk into a half gallon of Greek Yogurt with room to spare. The six quart will also hold a gallon of milk for this process.
- Use whatever milk you prefer. For kids, I recommend using organic whole milk. That is nutritionally the best for them. They need healthy fats and organic milk is actually nutritionally superior to conventional milk. Look for organic whole milk on sale. Milk just past its sell date it still perfect for making yogurt and often on sale. Even buying it at regular price you can find less expensive organic milks if you look around. You will still save money and organic Whole fat yogurt is REALLY hard to find. So make your own.
- One more thing…when you strain yogurt you are removing the hard to digest lactose. Learn more about how Greek style yogurt is more digestible for the lactose intolerant.
Instant Pot Greek Yogurt
Homemade Greek yogurt makes so much sense. Especially if you make it in your Instant pot pressure cooker. It's delicious, easy to make and saves you so much money. The kids in our family love it!
Ingredients
- 1 Gallon whole milk, organic preferred
- 1/2 cup plain organic yogurt, (no additives)
Instructions
- Pour the milk into your instant pot.
- Press the yogurt function key. Press the adjust button and set to BOIL.
- Close the lid but don't bother to seal it. We are not working under pressure.
- Once the instant pot chimes to tell you it's done remove the lid. Let the yogurt cool to 115 degrees F. (this will take some time. Set it your fridge an hour. Set the timer and check it.
- When the milk is cooled to around 115 degrees F. add your yogurt starter and whisk it into the milk.
- Set the lid on the instant pot and press the yogurt function. Press the yogurt button until the control panel show a time.
- Press the adjust key until you find the time that best works for you. (I usually use from 8 to 16 hours)
- Let the instant pot sit until the timer dings or you are ready to check your yogurt. Jiggle the pan a bit to make sure its set. Add more time if you want your yogurt more set.
- Your yogurt is now ready to eat BUT IT IS NOT GREEK STYLE YET.
- GREEK STYLE: You must strain the yogurt through a cloth until it thickens for the Greek yogurt style.
- Let the yogurt strain several hours to all day to thickness you prefer.
- The more you strain it the more lactose you remove. If you strain it long enough it will go to a soft cheese texture.
- Scoop the greek yogurt out of the strainer.
- Pour the whey into a mason jar and store in fridge. (Whey is useful for baking breads and making greek yogurt pancakes)
Notes
The fermenting time shown is VERY adjustable. I like to make yogurt after dinner and then let it sit on the yogurt function all night.
I strain it the next day until I like the thickness. Your yogurt is fairly fail safe so you can adjust the times as you prefer.
Collect the whey that this straining process leaves and store it in your fridge (at least a week) in an airtight container to use in baking. Your baking products will improve and use will use up all that milk you purchased!
Sometimes I just leave the yogurt straining in my fridge all day. When I check it if it's too thick I just add back some of the whey and whisk it back into the yogurt until I like the consistency.
Watch our demonstration video below for a complete demonstration of this recipe.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
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Kleynhuis Greek Yogurt Strainer Pouch, Organic Cotton (16"X9") -
Clothes pins 40 PACK,2 Inch Multi-purpose Stainless Steel Wire,Cord Clothes Pins Utility Clips,Hooks for Home/Office -
ThermoPro TP03A Digital Food Cooking Thermometer Instant Read Meat Thermometer for Kitchen BBQ Grill Smoker -
Instant Pot DUO60 6 Qt 7-in-1 Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Steamer, Sauté, Yogurt Maker and Warmer
Nutrition Information
Yield
16Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 153Total Fat 8gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 25mgSodium 110mgCarbohydrates 12gFiber 0gSugar 13gProtein 8g
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Has anyone tried this with a sugar sub? I’m a diabetic and greek yogurt is my delicious downfall the sugar from the milk would still be a lil high but not the 18-24 grams my fav zoi has. I had been adding truvia to the plain 7gram sugar and I enjoy that. This sounds great any ideas for diabetic who loves Greek yogurt? Thank you for sharing this also.
Hi JBadroads, This recipe is wonderful for people with a special diet like yours because you can make it with any milk you like. So you control the sugar and fat content to some degree by choosing the best milk for your needs. Choosing skim or fat-free milk would be the best option. This is because the fat content does not significantly contribute to the sugar content, and skim milk has the least amount of naturally occurring sugar. This will impact the final product somewhat. You may find the yogurt less rich than you’re used to. A Lovely organic full fat milk will give you the best texture and satisfaction.
As for the sweetener, I’d try Pure Monkfruit. I use this sweetener for my Greek yogurt and it works really well. This is a somewhat expensive option, but I was surprised how far the small bag I purchased went. And it does produce a great sweet taste without the chemical taste so many zero calorie sweeteners have. I hope this helps. Happy holidays!
Can I half this recipe? Thank you!!
Hi Morgan, Yes you can! The recipe will work great small batch. Have a great weekend!
I just found your recipe here but dont want a full fat yogurt. My absolute fav yogurt, the only one I eat, is Siggis non fat. Is there a way to make this a low to non fat yogurt? TY!
Hi Lisa. Yes, you can use a low or non fat milk rather than the full fat the recipe calls for. I have done that but prefer the richer flavor of the higher fat milk. You will get more whey from low fat so save it to use in other recipes like pancakes, biscuits, and other baked goods. Whey is valuable for baking. You will get less solid yogurt after you sieve it. But it will still be delicious. All the best!
Hi Janelle, Homemade yogurt is one of our favorites. I’m so happy you enjoyed it too. Have a great weekend!
This turned out perfect! It’s the first time I’ve made yogurt and it was particularly yummy. Thank you for posting this.
Hi Janelle, Homemade yogurt is one of our favorites. I’m so happy you enjoyed it too. Have a great weekend!
Hello! Can I cut this recipe in half? Will I have to adjust the cook times?
Hi Sara Yes you can cut it in half. Follow the instructions as you see them. The milk still has to get to 180 degrees F and cool to room temp. The number of hours you culture the milk is all about how you like your yogurt to taste. Not about how much yogurt you are making. That also applies to the straining step if you choose to do that. The yogurt will strain a bit faster if you cut the recipe in half but not enough to make a big difference. Hope this helps!
What a great website and a great recipe for yogurt. Thank you. I noticed that there were many questions about different ways to get a starter. If a starter is not available at all, try using one green chilli pepper like Serrano or Jalopeno or any green chili pepper that’s fresh and stil has a stem at the top. Boil and cool the milk as required and drop the pepper into it, cover it up in warm place overnight and you’ll have yogurt in 10-12 hours that can be used as a starter for larger quantity. The first batch may have a slight smell of the pepper, but subsequent batches will smell fresh and “yogurt-y”
Hi Perry, Welcome to Homemade Food Junkie. Thanks for contributing your ideas for this recipe. Wow! I never dreamed peppers would work as a yogurt starter. That’s really interesting.
Diane, thank you for sharing the delicious yogurt recipe, I made it for the first time yesterday, it is so delicious.
Thank you again.
Cheers, Shirley
hi Shirley, I’m so glad you made instant pot homemade yogurt. There is really no going back to store bought in my opinion. It’s so easy and so good. Thanks a million for letting us know this recipe was a success for you. Have a great weekend!
I received an instant pot for Christmas. I just tried it for the first time making yogurt. When it was done it was very tangy/sour. Which is not really what I’d want. One of my favorite yogurts is Chobani Vanilla (which is not tangy/sour at all). Do you have any tips or recommendations to get it more like the Chobani taste
Hi Sara, Did you strain the yogurt after it completed? Straining the yogurt in the Greek Style removes much of the tang. The longer you strain the yogurt the milder is should taste. I strain about 6 to 8 hours.
BTW save the whey you get for baking or pancakes. It makes them so light. Just put whey in for the water.
You can also add any flavorings or sweeteners you wish.
For sugar add it in any time after the milk is boiled. Just make sure it is thoroughly dissolved.
After the milk is finished cooling to culturing temperature add the vanilla.
For proportions: Try 3 Tablespoons of pure vanilla extract (OR 2 Tablespoons vanilla bean paste) and about 3/4 Cup sugar for a gallon of milk. Adjust to your personal taste of course. If you use a sugar replacement add it with the vanilla.
Best of luck. Let us know how it goes!
I like your recipe that you can boil the milk in the pot instead of a lot of switching. But I have instant pot due plus. I don’t have adjust button. Do you know how to boil the milk in the pot? And can I put cloth in before I pour the milk in?
Hi Yan, Here is the link to your instant pot manual. Your instant pot does have a yogurt function. So now you can refer to your manual to figure out your control panel. Your instant pot does have all the necessary functions to make this recipe. Hope that helps. Let me know if you have any more questions and have a great weekend!
Yan, I would not put the cloth in before the milk. I think it will clog and not sieve well. Also might release unappealing flavors and chemicals into the milk when boiling.
Hi, thank you for the great recipe! I’m getting an instant pot for Christmas and I can’t wait to try Greek yogurt. It’s my evening treat every night, along with a quarter cup of blueberries. I look forward to it all day long, lol. I saw some other recipes and they were super complicated and told me to buy a 50 dollar stainless steel strainer, lol. I much prefer the clothes pins and cheesecloth method.
Dumb question….do you take the yogurt out of the pot, string up the cheese cloth, and then put the yogurt back in? LOL. Thanks, Kathy.
Hi Kathy, I’m SO excited you’re getting an instant pot! One of the BEST most useful kitchen tools out there in my opinion. And Greek Yogurt is one of my favorite things. To answer your question, Yes. You have to put the finished yogurt into your cloth and then use the clothespins to hang it on the edge of the pot. Make sure you have room under the cloth for the whey to gather. Works great! Have an excellent weekend and enjoy your new instant pot. We have an entire section of recipes to help you use it right here.
Thank you so much!
Hi again! I just wanted to pop back in to tell you I made the Greek yogurt with my new instant pot and OH My GOSH. Hands down the best yogurt I’ve EVER tasted. Thank you sooooo very much for sharing your recipe, and for taking the time to answer my question about how to strain. I’m never eating store bought Greek yogurt again. This home made stuff tastes absolutely sinful, it’s so creamy and good!
Hi kathy, I’m so pleased this recipe worked well for you. I agree. Why buy it when you can make it so well at home? Nothing better! Thanks so much for getting back to us on how this recipe came out for you. I want to go make some right now!
Did you make it, lol? Your recipe is such a big hit at my house that my Dad brought me some milk today and asked me to make more, lol.
That’s so cute. I’m really delighted your family enjoys Greek yogurt this way. I’m keeping my eye out for 1/2 price organic milk. (I find gallons that are almost too old to sell on sale). That’s double good yogurt. Cheap and healthy. My instant pot has paid for itself with recipes like this. Have a great day.
what is the carb/ protein ratio for your Greek yogurt? If its not high do you know how to make one that is? Thanks, Julie
Hi Julie, I have updated the post to give nutritional information more accurately based on 1/2 Cup serving size. There are 12 grams of carbs in this recipe and 8 grams of protein. This would be for the unstrained ingredients. My nutritional ap does NOT know this is a strained recipe.
When you strain the recipe the nutrition will change as well as the thickness. As you strain the yogurt the Protein will increase up to double and the sugar will reduce by as much as half. This does alter the proportions considerably.
You have control over the nutrition. Strain less for higher carbs and lower protein. That’s the beauty of homemade. You can make it however you prefer. I hope this helps!
Just found your recipe and I’m SO excited to try making my own Greek yogurt 🙂 My only question is how long will it last in the fridge?
Hi Katelyn, You are going to love making your own greek yogurt. It will store well in your fridge at least a seek. I have held mine for two weeks several times with no problems. Please let me know how it goes and if your have any further questions. Enjoy your Memorial Weekend!
Can you reuse some of your homemade yogurt as a new starter when you are running low?
Hi Alison, That is exactly what I do. It works great for me. Thanks for your question and enjoy your weekend!
Does the towel get placed directly into the yogurt inside the Instapot for straining, and if so, how far above the bottom is it suspended?
Hi C, That’s how I do the straining since it just uses one pot. You suspend it as high as you can so the whey has room to fall beneath the bag. I will let it hang for a few hours and then squeeze the bag to get the remaining whey out. It all depends on how thickly strained you prefer the yogurt. Thanks for asking and I hope you love your Greek yogurt. Have a great weekend.
Hello! I am super excited to try this recipe out. I have a question- how much yogurt does this recipe make and how long do you think it would keep in the fridge?
Thank you!
Hi Haley, You will love taking control of your greek yogurt production with the instant pot. It’s so easy and delicious. As for how much this recipe yields…that is up to you. I begin the recipe with a gallon of milk and by the time the yogurt is strained down to VERY thick (which is how I like it) I have about 8 to 10 cups. Feel free to cut the milk volume in half if you don’t need that much Greek Yogurt. You can start with any amount of milk down to a quart. I like to make a lot at once because I use it in lots of recipes. Also I don’t like having my instant pot in yogurt production when I want it for another purpose. Hope that helps. Have a great day and let us know how this process works for you.
Do you sweeten your yogurt? If so when do you put the sweetener in?
Hi Elizabeth, I never sweeten my homemade Greek yogurt until after it is strained. I often eat it plain since it is so mild. I like to make a large batch unsweetened and use it plain in recipes and eat it plain with berries and granola.
Can I use low fat, fat free or almond milk?
Hi Fran, You can use low fat or fat free dairy milk. I found this recipe for you for coconut milk greek yogurt. Here is a recipe for almond milk yogurt. I have never tried these recipes I do know the consistency is thinner if you take out the fats. Good luck and have a great day!
Can I use probiotic capsules instead of the store bought yogurt as a “starter”.
If so, how many capsules would i use?
Hi Tracy, I have never tried to do this or heard of it till now. Plenty of people use probiotic capsules ALONG WITH a yogurt starter after the milk is scalded and cooled. Remember, after you make one batch of your homemade yogurt you can retain some of your own starter to make the next batch.
If you want to give it a try to make a batch with NO starter I found ONE you tube video that suggests it’s possible to make yogurt without a starter using high quality probiotic capsules. Here is the link. In the comments section of that video someone suggested this. “Heat milk to 102 F. Use a digital thermometer. Pour into a thermos. Add half a cap of probiotic. Close lid, shake well , let set 12 hours. If still warm (+ 90F) and not set cover and leave. If cool remove half and reheat to 102 F and add back to thermos. Repeat until set, most times it sets in 24 hours.”
I’d love to know if this works for you! Have a great day!
Finally got around to making Yogurt in the Insta Pot. It turned out great, straining right now. The kids are eagerly waiting for it to be ready.
Glad it worked out so well for you. I love using my IP for yogurt. So much less trouble than stove top or crockpot!