Homemade Yogurt, Three Ways: Yogurt Maker, Instant Pot, Oven

Want to start making your own yogurt? It couldn’t be easier! Let me show you how to make Homemade Yogurt Three Ways: Yogurt Maker, Instant Pot, Oven.

Whether for health, ecological or financial reasons, many people are making their own yogurt from scratch. I started making mine over a year ago and I haven’t looked back since.

Homemade Yogurt for Health

Making my own yogurt means I can control the fermentation time. I like to ferment my yogurt for at least 10 hours, which gives it a slightly acidic flavour. However, for the past few months I have been fermenting it for 15 hours or more, with the intention of slowly increasing fermentation time to 24 hours.

The reason for this is that the longer the yogurt ferments, the more the culture consumes the lactose and transforms it into lactic acid. This makes it a lot more digestible, especially for those who are sensitive to lactose. Find out more here.

It does, however, increase the acidity, which is why I chose to gradually increase the fermentation time to get used to the different flavour. In actual fact, everyone seems to be enjoying it as much as ever.

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Homemade Yogurt for the Environment

One of the things that I particularly dislike about shop-bought yogurt is the packaging. All those small plastic pot being thrown away… Yes, it is possible in many places to recycle them, and I have been known to make maracas out of some, but I would honestly much prefer not to bring them into my home at all.

Homemade Yogurt for Your Wallet

To give you an idea of how much money you can save, organic plain yogurt here costs 1.79 €/l and organic whole milk costs 1.50 €/l. You do have to add on the cost of electricity to keep the yogurt warm, but that is minimal. The price difference is not huge for one litre, but over a year, that would really add up!

Can I Make Dairy Free Homemade Yogurt?

You absolutely can! This recipe works the same with soy milk. However, it does not work with almond or oat milk. I have heard that it would also work with coconut milk, but I have not tested it.

You simply replace the whole milk for soy milk and use either dairy free live yogurt or a packet of yogurt ferments as a starter. As far as I am aware, yogurt ferments do not contain either casein or lactose, so it is safe to use. However, always check the ingredients for allergy advice when using a new product.

How to Make Homemade Yoghurt Three Ways: Yogurt Maker, Instant Pot, Oven

I wanted to show you three different ways of making your own yogurt: in a yogurt maker (they are very popular here in France), in the Instant Pot and in a saucepan in the oven. You don’t, in fact, need any specialised equipment, but sometimes it does make life a little bit easier. It can also take away some of the variables and guess work.

The essential factor is that the yogurt needs to be in a warm environment for the whole of the fermentation process. This is where the Instant Pot and the Yogurt Maker come into their own because they keep the temperature stable.

Check out this video for a step by step tutorial of the three different methods.

Ingredients Needed to Make Homemade Yoghurt Three Ways: Yogurt Maker, Instant Pot, Oven

The ingredients are the same, whichever method you decide to use to make your Homemade Yoghurt.

• 1l whole milk, sterilised (UHT)
• 2 tbsp live yoghurt (from a previous batch or store-bought) or 1 8g sachet yoghurt culture or 60ml yoghurt whey (from making Greek yoghurt – see below).

Whole Milk

I use UHT, or sterilised, milk for this recipe since it cuts out a step and gives consistently good results. There is no preheating of the milk needed, you can use it at room temperature.

If you wish to use pasteurised milk, you will need to heat it to 43°C first before adding the yogurt starter. This, however, makes quite a runny yogurt.

If you use raw milk, you will need to scald the milk (heating it to 82°C) to pasteurise it first to kill the bacteria present. You will then need to let it cool to 43°C. If you skip this step, the bacteria in the raw milk will compete with the bacteria from your yogurt starter and your yogurt will not set.

It is important to use whole milk as the fat in the milk will help the yogurt to set.

Yogurt Starter

In order to make yogurt, you need a starter. This can be one of the following things: live yogurt from a previous batch, or shop bought yogurt (as long as it was not pasteurised and still has live bacteria in it). You can also use a packet of yogurt starter, which is easily available here in France and which you can also buy on the internet. Another solution is to use whey from making Greek Yoghurt (see below).

Homemade Yogurt 3 Ways: Yogurt Maker, Instant Pot, Oven

1. Homemade Yogurt in a Yogurt Maker

The advantage of using a yogurt maker is that the temperature is completely controlled. They also come with little glass pots that mean that you can make individual servings. This, however, is not very practical for a large family like mine. The yogurt maker only contains 6 pots, so I would need to be making yogurt every day to keep up with demand.

It is also not very practical if you wish to make Greek yoghurt as you have to empty all of the pots to drain the yogurt and then fill them back up again.

To make yogurt using a yogurt maker, pour 750ml milk into a jug, add 2 tbsp of live yogurt, live yogurt whey or a 8g packet of yogurt starter and whisk until completely blended. Pour the mixture into the individual pots in the yogurt maker and cover with the lid. Turn the yogurt maker onto programme n°1 and increase the time to 10 hours.

When the yogurt maker has finished, remove the pots and put their lids on. Place in the fridge for at least 4 hours before eating.

2. Homemade Yogurt in the Instant Pot

I have recently purchased an Instant Pot, and one of my favourite functions is as a yogurt maker. It is really so easy to do! It also enables me to make large amounts of yogurt in one go, which makes my life a lot easier as a mom of four.

First, you pour 1l of milk into the Instant Pot, then you add your yogurt starter (2tbsp live yogurt or 2tbsp live whey or 1 8g packet yogurt ferments). Whisk until blended.

Before putting the lid on the Instant Pot, remove the rubber joint as this tends to retain the smell of the meals cooked previously and can contaminate the yogurt with the smell.

With the lid on, turn the Instant Pot to Yogurt function and set the time to 10 hours (or longer if desired).

When the time is up, pour the yogurt into a container and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.

3. Homemade Yogurt in the Oven

While I enjoy using a yogurt maker and Instant Pot to make yogurt, I have found that fermenting the yogurt in a cold oven with the light on has given equally good results. This opens up the possibility of making yogurt to many people who don’t wish to buy yet another kitchen gadget.

The method is the same. In a medium sized saucepan, mix 1l milk and 2tbsp live yogurt, 2tbsp live whey or 1 8g packet yogurt culture until well blended. Put the lid on and place in a cold oven with the oven light on for 10 hours. I like to put a Post-It on the oven door to remind me that the yogurt is in there so that I don’t turn the oven on and accidently bake the yogurt!

When the time is up, pour the yogurt into a container and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.

Making Greek Yogurt

Greek yoghurt is made by straining yogurt to remove the whey. You end up with a much thicker yogurt that is higher in protein. There are, however, some nutrients that are removed with the whey, such as some calcium. If you would like to find out more about the differences between normal and Greek yogurt, click here.

To make Greek yogurt, prepare a colander or a sieve and line it with cheese cloth (I use 2 layers) or a clean, thin tea towel. Place it over a large bowl or saucepan and pour the warm yogurt into the colander. Leave to drain for at least an hour, or until the yogurt is the desired consistency. Spoon into a container and refrigerate for at least 4 hours until eating.

You can use the whey to make bread, soup or as a culture for your next batch of homemade yogurt.

How Long Can You Keep Homemade Yogurt?

Homemade yogurt last for 2 weeks in the fridge in an airtight container.

How Should I Serve Homemade Yogurt?

There are many different ways you can serve yogurt: with fruit, with honey, or savoury with herbs and salt. But my own favourite way of serving it is with Homemade Granola. Check out my favourite granola recipe here.

So, which way is best?

I think that all three ways of making yogurt work well, you just have to find the way that works best for you. My personal favourite is the Instant Pot because I can make large quantities and I am not monopolising the oven for several hours. However, I know of many friends that love their yogurt maker and having individual pots to put into packed lunches and so on is a real advantage.

So, let me know, what do you think? Which way would work best for you? Let me know in the comments, I love to hear from you 🙂

Don’t forget to check out my YouTube video here to see the whole process.

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Are you looking for more homemade meal ideas? Click here.

If you love fermenting like I do, you might be interested in my sourdough recipes too.