Making homemade yogurt is so simple! This easy homemade recipe is one that you will make again and again. Making your own yogurt is an easy way to save money on your groceries and feed your family healthy homemade food. The best part is that all you need is a couple of spoonful’s of yogurt and some milk to get started!
I am always looking for new ways to save money on our grocery bill and one day a friend of mine was telling me about this amazing homemade yogurt she was making for a fraction of the cost of the store bought stuff. Her testimonial of how delicious, healthy, and cheap it was inspired me to start making my own yogurt as well.
Here in Canada 1 liter worth of high quality Greek yogurt costs roughly $10 CAD. I can make 2-4 liters of homemade yogurt for just the cost of a jug of milk (roughly $5 CAD as of February 2025). That is a huge savings! Four times as much yogurt for half the price. I’ll take that deal please!
This post will show you the simple steps to take to make your own homemade yogurt that is just as delicious as the store bought stuff. But first I will tell you what you need to help make the process seamless and achievable in your busy week.
Table of Contents
Equipment needed to make simple homemade yogurt
The first thing I would highly recommend getting to make yogurt at homed is an instant pot or any electric pressure cooker that has a “yogurt” function on it. This is not necessary as I know of people happily making yogurt in their slow cookers or ovens; however, it honestly makes the process SO much faster and easier. In this post I will be showing you the pressure cooker method because it is by far the easiest.
Secondly, I would recommend having a food thermometer. I use a meat thermometer that has a long cord and an alarm. Usually I set the temperature to the desired amount and then plop the prob into the milk and wait for it to alert me that it is ready. I stir here and there to make sure nothing is burning but I find that using a food thermometer like this make this “waiting” part of the yogurt making go by easier.
Lastly, you will likely want something to strain the yogurt with after it is ready. Some people don’t mind runny yogurt and there are times when I leave it this way for smoothies. However, if you like thick Greek yogurt; you will want a yogurt strainer or cheese cloth and a large bowl to drain the whey into.
What yogurt should I buy as my starter yogurt?
You can buy special yogurt starter cultures if you are looking for specific cultures for specific gut health needs. However, I usually buy a ready made yogurt from the store that I really like the taste and texture of.
The two criteria for buying a starter yogurt are; 1. must be plain (no flavors) and 2. must have live cultures in it. On the side of the yogurt container it will tell you all of this information.
What kind of milk can I use to make homemade yogurt?
In my opinion, the best milk is whole milk! It has the right fat content to make nice, creamy yogurt. Sometimes I will even add in a little bit of heavy cream to make it extra decadent. Having said that, you are able to make yogurt out of pretty much any kind of milk you want. Raw, pasteurized, plant-based, goat, cow and the list goes on!
The texture and taste will vary based on what type of milk you are using.
How to make simple homemade yogurt:
Simple Homemade Yogurt
Equipment
- 1 electric pressure cooker with yogurt function
- 1 food thermometer
- 1 yogurt strainer or cheese cloth optional
Ingredients
- 2-4 liters whole milk
- 2-6 TBSP plain yogurt of your choice
Instructions
- Add milk into the electric pressure cooker and heat with the sauté/boil feature to between 150℉-180℉. Be sure to stir every now and then.
- Once the desired temperature is reached, remove the metal bowl insert and allow the milk to cool to between 105℉-110℉. The entire heating and cooling process takes me about 30 minutes. Once cooled, gently remove any "skin" from the top of the milk.
- Take the yogurt starter (2-6 TBSP depending on how much milk you have – less for less milk and more for more milk) and mix it well in with the milk.
- Next, place the metal bowl insert back into the electric pressure cooker and cover with the lid. You can have it vented or not vented. Then press the "yogurt" function and set the time for 8 hours.
- After 8 hours, remove the metal bowl insert again and cover the top with plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for 8 hours or overnight.
- The next morning, the yogurt will be ready to eat! If you like a thick Greek yogurt, this is when you would transfer the yogurt into a yogurt strainer or cheese cloth.
- I personally place cheese cloth over a regular strainer for 4 hours in the fridge. Be sure to use a bowl beneath it to catch the whey.
- For thicker yogurt, leave in the strainer for up to 8 hours. Then enjoy!
Notes
Can I use whey for anything?
Yes! Please don’t throw away your whey. That’s a tongue twister!
Whey is the liquid that drains out of the yogurt when you are turning it into thick Greek yogurt. It is a wonderful source of protein and vitamins that can be added to other recipes or used for various other purposes.
I use whey in:
- Smoothies
- As part of marinade for meats
- In baking recipes instead of water or milk
- As a fertilizer for some of my plants
In my weekly routine, I usually end up putting the yogurt whey into a chicken marinade for dinner on the day that I am straining my yogurt.
Final thoughts about simple homemade yogurt
I am sure that as you are reading through this recipe, you are thinking “hey Tessa, this takes over 16 hours and a lot of work which actually makes it not simple at all”. I hear you! It seems daunting but I promise you that once you get the routine down it is very easy. The most involvement this recipe needs from you is about 30 minutes once every 1-2 weeks to heat and cool and mix the ingredients. The rest of yogurt making is just a lot of waiting in which you do not have to even think about the yogurt.
If you just give it a try once, you will see how easy it actually is!
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Thank you for taking the time to read this easy homemade recipe and learn how to make simple homemade yogurt. If you have any additional tips or tricks I would love to hear about them in the comments below. Enjoy eating your delicious yogurt!
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