Homemade Instant Pot Vanilla Yogurt

Stephanie Wagner, RDN, LDN

Stephanie is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and founder of Stephanie Lee Nutrition. Originally from NE Wisconsin, she started out as a licensed cosmetologist. She then went on to graduate with a B.S. in Human Biology, emphasis in Nutrition and Dietetics and completed 1200 hours of clinical experience through Priority Nutrition Care Distance Dietetic Internship. She uses her passion for nutrition and wellness as a tool to help women feel their best inside and out.

Over the last few months, I’ve been dying to get my hands on an Instant Pot. If you’ve been on Pinterest, you’ve probably heard they are all the rage. Yep, me too. Basically, it’s a little wonder pot that can do it all. It acts as a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, sautér, yogurt maker and warmer. And as if that’s not quite enough, they even make Instant Pots with more options.  Talk about a multitasking.  Click the picture below to grab one for yourself!

I had been putting off the purchase because of my lack of storage. But come on, I had to hop on the train. I justified it as seven kitchen gadgets in one. So I was essentially saving space right?!

Luckily for me, my mom snatched one up as a Christmas gift.

For the last few weeks, I’ve been debating what to try first. I must admit, I was pretty intrigued by the yogurt function. Yogurt is something I’ve been pretty content on buying. The individuals are only $0.65 at Aldi anyway and the bulk version is a pretty good deal as well. But with my new resolutions to waste less and save money, why not ditch the store-bought variety.

So I gave homemade yogurt a go. I didn’t have much hope for this. Can homemade yogurt really taste as good as store-bought?  I was really hoping I didn’t end up with a big batch of sour milk.  But let me tell you, this Homemade Instant Pot Vanilla Yogurt was creamy delicious. You can even ask the husband. I was so stoked I did my “happy kitchen dance.”

Not only did this stuff taste good, it only requires 2-3 ingredients.  You’ll even get a few more perks out of this recipe. It’s full of probiotics, easy to make, has no sugar added, and it’s cheap!  I just polished off the last container and I’m seriously ready to make more. Plus, there is something so gratifying about making your own food; this Homemade Instant Pot Vanilla Yogurt included!

To get going on your own Homemade Instant Pot Vanilla Yogurt, you’ll have to gather your ingredients: milk, starter yogurt, and vanilla (optional). Yep, that’s it. 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. 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 prepare it for yogurt making. When the boiling cycle is completed, the pot will make a beeping noise and read “Yogt.”  Remove the lid, no need to let the pressure come down as pressure isn’t 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 temperature comes down, you’re 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 back into the pot. From here, you can add your vanilla and stir. Adding the vanilla is optional, but I like the flavor it adds.  If you prefer to use your yogurt for dips, savory dishes, or a sour cream substitute, you may want to omit the vanilla.

Place the pot back into the base. Push the yogurt button until it reads “8:00.”  You can then adjust the time as you need. I prefer the flavor of the yogurt when cooked from 8-9 hours. Under the set time, the “normal” function should be lit. After the time is 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 Vanilla 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 a week. While the vanilla is perfectly delicious, I also like to add in granola, maple syrup, fresh fruit, or my homemade chia seed jam. It helps me mix up the flavor throughout the week.  It’s even good in overnight oats!

Are you ready to give this a try?  Get at it!  Throwing some Homemade Instant Pot Vanilla Yogurt 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!

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