Homemade Instant Pot Mocha Yogurt

Over the last couple months, I’ve had a great response to my original Instant Pot yogurt recipe. Would you believe that was my very first attempt at an Instant Pot recipe?!  If you don’t have a pressure cooker yet, you need one in your life. Since the original was so successful, I thought why not keep working the old recipe! While vanilla yogurt is one of my favorite flavors, it doesn’t hurt to mix it up a bit.  Additionally, the hubby actually placed a request.

He is a flavored yogurt kind of guy. I can’t really blame him. Especially because I have him eat a lot of yogurt. The guy doesn’t normally provide much in the way of feedback or requests. But that was until now.  Coffee flavored yogurt, that was the request. I have to admit, I thought it sounded good too. Give me anything with caffeine please! Now you can get a double-shot with your breakfast. Grab that mug of coffee and serve yourself a bowl of Homemade Instant Pot Mocha Yogurt.

Your attitude will thank me!

To get started you’ll have to gather your ingredients: milk, starter yogurt, instant coffee, cocoa powder, and maple syrup (optional). When it comes to selecting your milk, you can use anything from skim to whole. I opted for 2%, but I might experiment with the others in the future. Some readers have had luck with lactose-free milk as well. As for the starter yogurt, you’ll need 1-2 tablespoon of plain, store-bought yogurt. Make sure to grab a high-quality “starter yogurt” such as Chobani or Fage with live, active cultures.  You’ll want those good probiotics to transfer over to your homemade yogurt.

To start, pour the milk into a cold Instant Pot and cover with the lid. Press the “Yogurt” button and continue to press until the pot reads “boil.”  This step will pasteurize the milk and gets it ready for yogurt making. When the boiling cycle has completed, the pot will make a beeping noise and read “Yogt.”  Remove the lid, no need to let the pressure come down as no pressure is used.

Stir the milk and take the temperature, it should read between 180-185 degrees. If the milk hasn’t come up to temperature, repeat the boiling process one more time. When you get the right temperature, remove the pot and allow to cool to 110 degrees.  For those times when I’m in a hurry, I throw it in the fridge. Keep in mind you’ll have to keep a closer eye on the temperature if you are doing a fast-cool method.

When the milk comes down to temperature, we are ready to add the starter yogurt. I like to combine a quarter cup of the warm milk with the starter yogurt in a small dish. Take a whisk, and mix well.  When the milk and starter yogurt are well combined, add cocoa powder, coffee, and maple syrup, mixing well. Then, transfer the milk mixture back into the pot and stir. Adding the maple syrup is optional, but I like the touch of sweetness it adds.

Place the pot back into the base. Push the yogurt button until it reads “8:30.”  You can then adjust the time as you need. I prefer the flavor of the yogurt when cooked from 8-9 hours. For a tarter yogurt, cook 9-11 hours. Under the set time, the “normal” function should be lit. After the time has been set, you can walk away and let the pot do its magic.

After the yogurt has incubated for the set time, you’re ready to finish up. When you open the lid, you will notice a thin layer of liquid on top.  This is simply the whey. You have two options here: traditional-style yogurt or Greek-style yogurt.  For traditional, just mix well to combine the whey with the yogurt. This will give you a thinner consistency. For those who prefer Greek yogurt, you will need to strain the yogurt. To strain, pour yogurt over a colander lined with cheese cloth or you could also use a rice milk bag. Let sit until it reaches the desired consistency.

Then, it’s done!  Yes, you’ve got delicious Homemade Instant Pot Mocha Yogurt. Transfer the yogurt into a storage container and you’re ready to go. You can expect about six cups of yogurt. I prefer to portion out in small jars so it’s easy to grab throughout the week. The more convenient, the more I am likely to use it. You won’t want to waste this delicious yogurt.

You can expect the yogurt to keep for about 7-10 days. While the mocha version is perfectly delicious, I also recommend trying my Homemade Instant Pot Vanilla Yogurt with add-ins like granola, maple syrup, fresh fruit, or jam. It helps me mix up the flavor throughout the week.  Both are super good in overnight oats!

Are you ready to give this a try?  Get at it!  Throwing this together for your family this week? Be sure to let me know by tagging a photo #stephanieleenutrition on Instagram.  I’d love to see what you all cook up. Happy eating, xo!

FOLLOW ALONG WITH ME