Instant Pot® Greek-Style Yogurt

At first glance, this recipe may seem a bit complicated, but it’s actually very easy once you get the steps down. Once you’ve made a couple batches of this delicious, creamy, and smooth Greek Style yogurt, you’ll never want to buy the store-bought varieties again.

Note: You can use any plain, non-flavoured yogurt with active cultures in place of the packaged yogurt starter used here. You can also save some of each batch you make to use as starter for future batches. Simply freeze in ice cube trays, and then thaw completely when ready to make another batch.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Active cook time: 45-55 minutes
Incubation time: 8-10 hours
Serves: 4-6

Special Equipment Needed:

Pressure cooker with ‘Yogurt’ function – see below for details

Yogurt Starter – either plain yogurt with active cultures or yogurt starter – see below for details

Instant Read Digital thermometer – see below for details

Cheesecloth – see below for details

Ingredients:

½ gallon whole milk
2 packets of yogurt starter

Optional, To Serve: (as pictured)

Fresh strawberries and bananas, sliced
Granola

Directions:

Add milk to Instant Pot® and select the ‘Yogurt’ function. Select ‘Adjust’ until the screen says ‘boiL.”

Add lid and wait until the unit beeps to indicate it is finished boiling. The screen will say “YoGt” when done. (See image) Insert instant read thermometer into the milk to ensure it has reached at least 180°F (see images).

Turn unit off and remove pot to allow milk to cool. For quicker results, place pot in a tub of cold water or leave on the counter to cool naturally.

When an instant read thermometer reads 110°F, the milk is cool enough to add the yogurt starter. For best results, remove about a cup of the milk from the pot and stir the starter into that before pouring into the rest of milk in the pot.

Return pot to unit and cover with the lid (no need to seal for this function). Select the ‘Yogurt’ function again and make sure the setting is on “Normal’ (NOT “Low” – very important!) and adjust time for 8–10 hours. The longer the incubation period, the tangier the yogurt will be.

When the yogurt is done incubating, remove the lid and turn unit off. Line a strainer with some cheesecloth and place over a large bowl. Pour yogurt into the strainer and place in the refrigerator to strain for several hours to overnight. The longer the yogurt is allowed to strain, the thicker the yogurt will be.

Once yogurt is strained, discard the liquid whey (or save to use in smoothies) and transfer the yogurt to a bowl. If the yogurt texture is lumpy, process with an immersion blender or hand mixer until creamy and smooth.

Serve immediately topped with fresh fruit, granola, and a drizzle of honey, if desired, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several days. Enjoy!

Amazon Links for Special Equipment Shown in Images:

Yogurt Starter Cultures:

Yogurt Starter Cultures – Pack of 3 Freeze-dried Culture Sachets

Ultra-fast & accurately all-powerful thermometer provides precise temperature readings within 3 blazing seconds. With 0.1℃ resolution and 1℃ accuracy in all typical cooking temperatures, It frees you from all the guesswork in cooking.

Cheesecloth:

5 Pack Cheesecloth Reusable for Straining, 100% Unbleached Pure Cotton Muslin Cloths, Soft Square Cheese Clothes Weave Fabric Filter for Straining, Cooking, Baking (50 x 50 cm Food Strainer Cloth)