Instant Pot Vanilla Yogurt

A no boil Instant Pot vanilla yogurt recipe. Sweet and delicious easy homemade yogurt recipe with only 3 ingredients.

If you own an Instant Pot and are in an Instant Pot facebook group you have seen everyone talking about making yogurt in your electric pressure cooker. So I decided it was time to see what they hype was about and made Instant Pot vanilla yogurt. 

The idea of making yogurt intimidated me. So I went down a rabbit hole of facebook groups reading hundreds of threads and comments. What I discovered is that it’s only 3 ingredients and you can basically sleep through the whole process. But will it really be as good as store bought? It’s even better!

Instant Pot yogurt methods

Now there’s a few methods to make homemade yogurt in your Instant Pot. One where you boil the milk to a certain temperature and then add your starter. This method can be used if you do not have a yogurt button.

The second method being a no boil method using ultra filtered milk. Which sounds easier? The no boil method. 

There are more popular ways to sweeten your yogurt with this method. One being coffee creamer and the other being sweetened condensed milk. To me coffee creamer seems a bit more appealing and not as sweet. I also like that you can change the flavor of your yogurt by which coffee creamer you are using. 

I tend to like cleaner ingredients so I am using Coffee-mate Natural Bliss coffee creamer.  Don’t want a sweet yogurt? Skip the coffee creamer or sweetened condensed milk. 

Not all Instant Pots have the yogurt button. Make sure yours does before starting this recipe.

What is a yogurt starter?

Yogurt has bacteria in it. Don’t worry it’s a good bacteria that eats lactose turning it into lactic acid. This gives yogurt it’s tangy flavor and helps control the consistency of yogurt. Now what can you use as a starter for your yogurt? The answer is simple. Any yogurt from the grocery store that says active cultures on the label. 

Once you make yogurt you can save 2 tbsp of your yogurt as a starter. It’s called an heirloom starter and you can freeze it for 30 days. 

Which milk to use?

Since we are not using the boil method the best milk to use is ultra filtered pasteurized milk. The most common milk available in most grocery stores is Fairlife. The more fat that is in the milk reflects the thickness of the yogurt. This is why you want to use whole milk. 

Do you need to strain the yogurt?

It depends on which consistency you like. It you want a regular yogurt then it’s good as is. If you are looking for a thicker greek style yogurt then you can strain some of the liquid with a cheese cloth. Make sure to save the liquid. It’s called whey and full of nutrients. 

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Which Instant Pot do I have?

I have two Instant Pots. The one I used here is the 6 quart duo. It’s perfect for making recipes like this. For making side dishes or smaller portions I love to use my 3 quart. Making mashed potatoes I always do it in my 3 quart with a steamer basket. If you are cooking for a bigger family or like to make a lot of soups I would recommend getting the 8 quart. 

Looking for a way to store your Instant Pots? Check out how I use this Instant Pot cart.

Yield: 16 Servings

Instant Pot Vanilla Yogurt

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An easy no boil Instant Pot vanilla yogurt recipe. Sweet and delicious homemade yogurt recipe with only 3 ingredients.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 8 hours

Additional Time 4 hours

Total Time 12 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 52 fl. oz. of Fairlife Whole Milk Ultra Filtered
• 2 cups (16 oz) of Coffeemate Natural Bliss Coffee Creamer
• 2 Tbsp of Oui Yogurt (or yogurt with live cultures)

Instructions

Pour a 1/4 of the amount of milk and whisk in yogurt.

Once combined whisk in the remainder of milk and creamer.

Press the yogurt button on your Instant Pot for 8 hours. Cover with Instant Pot lid (not sealed) or a glass lid or plate.

Do not stir. Chill for in Instant Pot liner for 4 hours.

Notes

Make sure the milk is ultra filtered.

You can use a large glass lid from your everyday pot set.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 68Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 46mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 0gSugar: 6gProtein: 3g

Nutrition values are estimates only.

How to flavor your Instant Pot yogurt

There are a few ways to flavor your yogurt.

• Coffee Creamer (mix in before cooking)
• Use Extract. Try vanilla or almond (mix in prior to cooking)
• Sugar Free Jello (mix in after chilling)
• Sugar Free Pudding (mix in after chilling)

Toppings for homemade yogurt

• Honey
• Jam 
• Fresh Fruit
• Granola
• Maple Syrup

Why make yogurt at home in the Instant Pot?

This is the biggest question why make yogurt at home? Honestly I just wanted to see what the hype was about. I now make yogurt at home because it is cheaper, creamier and I control the ingredients that are put into it.

Making yogurt is a lot easier than I thought it would be. Mix 3 ingredients and walk away for 8 hours. Then let it chill for 4+ hours. It’s almost effortless to make. I slept through most of the process! BTW did I mention the best time to make your yogurt is overnight?

How to store your homemade yogurt

I store my yogurt in small rubbermaid air tight containers like these. I do have my eye on these glass yogurt containers. 

Did your Instant Pot yogurt not thicken?

Here are a few questions to troubleshoot why your yogurt may not have thickened.

• Did you use ultra filtered milk?
• Did you use pasteurized milk?
• Was your starter older than 30 days?
• Was your yogurt expired?
• Did your yogurt say live cultures on the label?
• Does your Instant Pot have a yogurt button? 

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