Instant Pot Yogurt

Instant Pot Yogurt! Oh, yes! Today's post has everything you need to learn to make delicious yogurt in Instant Pot. 7 flavors and one perfected recipe to serve yogurt for breakfast - a flavor for every day of week. Gluten free. 

Does this sound like a delicious plan or what?! 

I'm obsessed with making yogurt in instant pot. It is easy, and so simple you would want to buy IP just to make yogurt. (no kidding).  Clean, delicious and healthier.. Nothing beats a bowl of homemade yogurt. Plus Instant Pot makes so consistent quality of yogurt every time, you will fall in love. 

In short, Instant Pot yogurt is must try at least once! 

I'm one of those people who don't like to drink milk :) (don't quote me this because I simple can't). I always reach for almond milk or mostly yogurt. I have to have a small bowl every day with meal or in breakfast. Yogurt helps keep a healthy gut (healthy gut means healthy immune system) and also has serving of calcium for strong bones. Who needs milk?! ;)
Specially homemade yogurt: 1) is thickener free, 2) can be low-fat or full fat, and 3) has no artificial flavors. Just bring on-board your favorite brand of pasteurized milk and get set to make yogurt in Instant Pot.

Only 10 minutes prep. ( a tad more if making all flavors the same day).

Here are few things to know when making a yogurt in Instant Pot:

1) What Instant Pot do to make yogurt? It is no rocket science or a miracle. All IP does is provide warm environment for yogurt cultures to grow at good moderate rate. Moderate ratemeans not so fast and not too slow. Very fast will spoil the culture and kill the yogurt bacteria. End result will be either runny yogurt or too sour yogurt. Too slow will spoil the milk. Hence not a good edible yogurt. 

These above cases often happen when we try to ferment yogurt without Instant Pot or much experience. e.g if weather change. The yogurt recipe which worked best in summer will not work in winter because cold don’t let yogurt culture grow properly.

How does Instant Pot help?

It maintains the perfect temperature for yogurt culture to grow that it not very fast and not too slow. The result is a delicious batch of perfect yogurt every time.

Sound awesome! Isn't it?

Only make sure to follow the recipe such as use right culture, heat milk to right temperature, and ferment for couple of hours undisturbed. (check details in recipe directions)

Yogurt Culture Starter: It is very important to use good yogurt culture starter for making yogurt. I use Freeze Dried Yogurt Starter (affiliate link) to make initial batch of yogurt. It comes in convenient 1 Box containing 6 packets of 5 grams each. 1 quart milk uses 1 packet. For subsequent batches, I use homemade leftover yogurt.

2) Instant pot yogurt recipe

For today’s recipe I tried a number of batch of yogurt using different methods preached by different IP manuals. I'm sharing two of my favorite methods in directions. (Method - 1 IP's Yogurt Setting is my personal favorite.)

Honestly, making yogurt in Instant Pot was a dream-come-true achievement for me. I always wanted to own that fancy Yogurt maker often sold in high end appliance stores. When I got my Instant Pot and saw the "Yogurt" setting. It was huge excitement. These days, I'm obsessed with making yogurt in IP. 

Now, that I have perfected the Instant Pot Yogurt recipe. It has become such a regular in our weekly menu. I buy a quart low fat or 1% milk just to make yogurt. Over the weekend, even on a weekday when I have Instant Pot free. I mean, I have not planned another food to cook in IP. I mix my favorite flavor or plain yogurt recipe, and leave it in Instant Pot to ferment. 

A few hours later yogurt is ready to devour. With Instant Pot's "Yogurt" setting I don't have to worry about maintaining regular temperature for yogurt to ferment right. It does all for me. Seriously, consistent good-looking yogurt every time. It makes buying Instant Pot so worth money. If you own an Instant Pot, I highly recommend making yogurt in it once. You will love the results. Plus the benefit of clean homemade yogurt are so great.

Please note that homemade yogurt has no thickeners. It will not taste or not have texture like Greek or starch-full store yogurts. For more creamy yogurt, you can use whole fat milk. Or strain the yogurt overnight to drain excess water and make it thick like Greek-style.

Flavors of yogurt I make in Instant Pot: You can try any flavors. By all means, plain yogurt is most versatile and ever-green. Today's recipe showcase following flavors:

1. Mango Yogurt: I cooked mango with cinnamon and sugar. You can also use mango jam or Just mango with honey.
2. Strawberry Yogurt: I prefer strawberry jam or strawberry cooked with sugar and pinch of salt.
3. Kiwi Yogurt: Same as Strawberry.
4. Blueberry Yogurt: Blueberry is better as jam than cooked blueberry. The cooked berries result in blue color in yogurt which I did not like.
5. Lemon Honey Yogurt: One of my favorite. Just a spoon of honey and fully mixed with few drops of lemon juice. Make sure lemon is mixed well in honey or it will curdle the milk.
6. Peach Cobbler Yogurt: Omg! Peach yogurt tastes like Peach Cobbler only healthier. Please follow recipe from directions.
7. Plain Yogurt: Can never go wrong with plain yogurt. It goes well with everything. Smoothie, breakfast, or even on side with curry.
8. Vanilla Yogurt: One more favorite of my family. Milk, culture, honey and hint of vanilla. Always perfect.

I start with same yogurt base. (slightly sweetened or unsweetened). Then, I layer the flavor of fruit/jam at the bottom of container, followed by yogurt.

IMP: Make sure flavoring is at room temperature. Cold or hot will change the milk temperature and resulting yogurt may no set properly.

Before you head to the recipe. Let me sum-up this Instant Pot yogurt recipe tutorial for you. Specially, if you decided to skip all my chit-chat above, then this summary is for you. :)

1. Clean, easy and delicious Homemade Yogurt. No preservatives or thickeners.
2. Two Instant Pot methods to make Yogurt at home. Simply follow the steps.
3. One recipe - 8 flavors of yogurt. One for every weekday!
4. Keeper recipe to serve healthy breakfast any day of the week. Make a batch of yogurt at once, serve whole week.
5. Remember:
a) Only use pasteurized milk to make yogurt. Either buy pasteurized milk (read label on milk carton). I use Organic Valley Organic Milk which is ultra-pasteurized. Or for regular milk, heat and bring to boiling point (at 100 degrees Celsius). Then let it cool completely. Only then head to the recipe.
b) Use good yogurt starter. (check notes).
c) Use clean cooking utensils and yogurt making container.
d) Follow the recipe.

Friends, today is first day of Spring. And this easy recipe of Instant Pot yogurt is ready to make your breakfast healthier, lite and delicious. Yogurt is good for gut healthy and good source of milk calcium. So, enjoy half a cup everyday!

Happy Spring!

-Savita