Yogurt is a go-to breakfast, snack, or treat in our household, but I was sick of feeding my family the store bought options full of sugar and other additives. There are multiple methods for making homemade yogurt, but I wanted to figure out the easiest, quickest, and most delicious method. Lo and behold, this super easy homemade Greek yogurt Instant Pot recipe is incredibly delicious, so easy to make, and so much healthier than store bought varieties!
For a great way to enjoy the delicious, homemade, Greek yogurt on the go - check out my recipe for homemade yogurt tubes! These homemade yogurt tubes are significantly healthier and a more cost effective alternative to the store bought Go-Gurt. In addition, only 3 ingredients are necessary (we like using our homemade Greek yogurt, strawberries and honey).
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Ingredients
- Yogurt Culture - We like to use plain, whole milk, Greek yogurt. It must contain active and live cultures.
- Milk - We like to use whole raw milk. Other varieties of milk also work (pasteurized, nut milk, etc.)
- Toppings - We like to add granola, berries (fresh or frozen) and honey.
See recipe card for quantities.
Sourcing Raw Milk
It is my dream to someday have a family milk cow. Until then, I was fortunate to find a local gal who sells raw milk from her jersey named Cloud. If you don’t have a milk cow of your own (many beginners in the raw milk world don’t) I would recommend searching realmilk.com. One important factor in choosing a raw milk supplier, for me, was a well cared for and healthy cow. In addition, I wanted to be sure the suppliers process was extremely sanitary. When we went for our first raw milk pick up, we got to meet Cloud, and the supplier discussed the importance of a sanitary process - I was thrilled!
Instructions
Start with a clean Instant Pot and a clean lid seal that is free of odors from past cooking. Add ½ gallon of raw milk to the pot, then add ½ cup of the yogurt culture to the pot.
The yogurt culture must contain live and active cultures as shown in the photo above.
Whisk the milk and the yogurt culture together. Place the lid on the Instant Pot, then press the yogurt setting. Adjust the time setting to 20 hours.
Once the timer goes off, the yogurt is complete. Transfer the yogurt from the Instant Pot into a large jar. Refrigerate for 24 hours. After 24 hours you may see some whey rise to the top. Use ladle to remove whey and store in another jar for other uses.
Strain the yogurt through a cheesecloth sack to achieve a thicker, Greek yogurt texture. Pour the cooled yogurt from the jar into the cheesecloth sack, allowing the whey to drip into a bowl beneath it. Once the dripping has slowed, transfer the yogurt from the cheesecloth bag back into the jar and store in the refrigerator.
Add toppings to the yogurt such as granola, berries (fresh or frozen) and a sweetener such as honey. Enjoy!
Hint: The whey strained from the yogurt can be used in smoothies!
Equipment
An Instant Pot is required for this super easy homemade Greek yogurt recipe (Raw Milk or other varieties). We use our Instant Pot for a variety of delicious recipes, so it is a key kitchen gadget in our household and well worth the investment.
These half gallon mason jars are what we store our raw milk in, and they are so handy! These jars are not required for the yogurt making process, but they sure do make it easier.
For a thicker consistency and texture(Greek yogurt), the excess whey will need to be strained off the yogurt. The easiest way to do this is by utilizing these cheesecloth bags.
Storage
Store the homemade Greek yogurt in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. If there is any remaining yogurt in the refrigerator after 10 days we like to freeze the yogurt in small cubes (like these) to pop into smoothies.
FAQ
Yes! The store bought option will contain high amounts of added sugar and other additives.
No! You can make yogurt with many varieties of milk, but we prefer whole milk/ raw milk.
From start to finish, you will enjoy your yogurt in a little less than two days. However, the actual time it takes to actively make the yogurt hands on, is less than 10 minutes.
Easy Homemade Greek Yogurt (Raw Milk)
Equipment
- 1 Small Ladle
Ingredients
- ½ Gallon Whole Milk (we use fresh, raw milk)
- ½ Cup Plain Greek Yogurt (must contain live cultures)
Instructions
- Pour ½ gallon of milk into the Instant Pot.
- Add ½ cup of Plain Greek Yogurt to the milk in the Instant Pot, whisk to combine.
- Press the Yogurt setting on the Instant Pot and set the timer for 20 hours.
- When the timer goes off, transfer the yogurt to a large jar and place in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
- After the yogurt has cooled, you will see some of the whey rise to the top. Ladle this off and place in another jar for other uses.
- Place the cheesecloth bag in a large bowl and dump the yogurt into the cheesecloth bag.
- Hold the cheesecloth bag above the bowl and allow the whey to drip into the large bowl. The whey can be transferred to jar for other uses.
- Transfer the yogurt from the cheesecloth bag into a clean ½ gallon mason jar and store in the refrigerator. Enjoy!
Notes
- The store bought yogurt must contain live cultures
- Multiple varieties of milk will work, we prefer raw milk with the cream mixed in
Hi, I’m Megan!
I’m the gal behind the blog, Porch on the Prairie.
My husband and I moved to our little century farm in 2021, and I’ve been learning all things homesteading ever…
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