Instant Pot Yogurt Recipe

Pour the milk into the Instant Pot’s insert. Lock on the lid. It does not matter if the steam vent is open or closed. Press the “Yogurt” button, then press “Adjust” so the digital readout says “Boil” or “High.” (The readout will depend on the model. Refer to the yogurt section of the Instant Pot manual.)

After this, depending on the Instant Pot model, press the “start” button. Eventually, it will bring the milk to 180 degrees F (this kills off undesirable microorganisms). It usually takes about 30 minutes.

When it’s done*, the Instant Pot will beep and its readout will say “Yogt.”

Right after the Instant Pot beeps, turn it off and lift out the insert of hot milk. Put the thermometer in the milk and wait until it’s 116 degrees F. This can take as long as 1 hour.

To speed down the cooling, set the insert of hot milk in a bath of ice water and stir the milk. The temperature will drop in about 5 minutes. (If it dips below 110 degrees F, pop the insert back in the cooker, press “Yogurt,” then “Adjust” and monitor the thermometer until it’s back in the right zone. Remove the insert from the cooker.)

Remove the thermometer. There will be a film of coagulated milk on the surface of the milk; carefully lift this off with a spoon and discard.

Put the starter in a medium bowl and add about ½ cup of warm milk. Whisk until smooth, then pour into the insert of milk and whisk to combine.

Set the insert of milk back in the Instant Pot, lock on the lid (once again, the steam vent may be open or closed), and press YOGURT. On some models, such as the Ultra, press “adjust” and change the setting from “HIGH” to “MEDIUM.” After that, if the readout does not say “8:00,” add time using the + button until it does.

The Instant Pot will incubate the yogurt for 8 hours before switching itself off (the display will read “Yogt” once the 8-hour default programming is complete). Use the +/- button to adjust the incubation time*.

Start checking on the yogurt after 4 hours. As the yogurt incubates, don’t; jostle the Instant Pot too much—it can keep the yogurt from setting well.

It can take anywhere from under 4 to over 12 hours for the yogurt to set depending on the yogurt starter.

Open the lid carefully when checking to minimize the condensation from dripping back onto the yogurt.

The yogurt is set when it jiggles all as one unit if the insert is nudged, and it does not run if the pot is tipped. There may be some clear liquid (the whey) floating on the surface and at the edges.

Once the yogurt is set, gently lift the insert from the cooker. Pouring it out or stirring at this point can make the yogurt runny.

Set the insert on a rack to help it cool faster, but don’t pop it right in the fridge, since rapid temperature changes can also thin the yogurt. Once it’s at room temp (about 2 hours), set it in the refrigerator.

Chill for at least 6 hours. The yogurt might seem lumpy after it’s been chilled, but vigorous whisking will smooth it out. At this point, strain it or transfer it to sterile containers.

The yogurt should be good for up to 2 weeks. As it sits in the refrigerator, it will get tangier and lose some of its body.