How to Make Yogurt at Home

Learn how to make yogurt at home with this step-by-step tutorial. Use a heating pad, a slow cooker, an Instant Pot, and more with one of these easy homemade yogurt methods.

We go through a lot of yogurt in our house. Like applesauce or Energy Bites or Trail Mix, it’s an easy snack to grab.

But we don’t stop there! Yogurt bowls with fresh fruit and granola for breakfast, yogurt in smoothies, and even mixed into baked goods – yogurt is an ingredient in all sorts of things in my kitchen.

So, I was thrilled to learn that you can make homemade yogurt yourself. It’s a big frugal win for something we eat all the time!

Anyone who is looking to save money should consider learning how to make yogurt because it can save you TONS of money!

REASONS TO MAKE YOGURT AT HOME

Now that I’ve learned how to make yogurt at home, I’ll never go back! Here are several reasons why you should consider trying it too:

• It’s really easy. Just heat, stir, and wait.
• It’s mostly hands-off. You’re not stuck in the kitchen!
• You can adjust the level of tartness.
• You can flavor it however you want, and you control the sweetener.
• It’s much cheaper to make it yourself!
• Plus, there are several methods to make it, without a yogurt maker. Find which method works for you and run with it!

HOMEMADE YOGURT INGREDIENTS

You only need two basic ingredients for this homemade yogurt recipe:

• Warm milk (preferably whole cow’s milk) **. Any type of dairy milk will work. Using a higher fat milk like whole milk will give you thicker, creamier yogurt than low-fat or skim milk.
• Yogurt starter. This can be an actual yogurt starter culture like this or existing cultured yogurt. I usually get store-bought yogurt, which also helps the finished homemade yogurt to turn out thick and creamy. Look for the words “live active cultures” in the ingredients list.

** You can make a non-dairy milk yogurt, but the process is different. Please don’t follow this tutorial and expect it to be dairy free yogurt because it won’t turn out!

HOW TO MAKE YOGURT AT HOME

There are a few different methods for making whole milk yogurt at home, but I think the heating pad method is the easiest. The only catch is that you need a heating pad that has a MANUAL on/off switch like this one, not an auto-off function.

You certainly can work around this by being home to turn the heating pad back on, but that makes the process a little more hands-on. If that doesn’t bother you though, or if you have a heating pad that doesn’t automatically turn off, heating pad yogurt is a great method!

Step 1. Pour 1 gallon of milk into a large pot.

Step 2. Heat milk on medium high heat until the temperature reads 160F on a thermometer. This kills any bad bacteria in the milk so that only the good bacteria in the yogurt will grow. Whisk the milk occasionally so that it doesn’t burn to the bottom of the pot.

Step 3. Meanwhile, line the counter with a folded towel and the heating pad turned on low.

Step 4. Place four clean glass jars on the heating pad. Measure ¼ cup of cultured yogurt into each glass jar.

Step 5. Remove the milk from the heat when it reaches 160F and allow it to cool slightly, no cooler than 115 degrees. Pour the milk into the glass jars and stir well to combine it with the warmed yogurt.

Step 6. Cover the jars with 2 towels, creating an incubation station.

Step 7. Allow the yogurt to culture for 8-24 hours before moving the jars to the fridge to cool. The yogurt will get a thicker texture the longer you let it ferment.

Step 8. Enjoy thick, creamy, and delicious homemade yogurt!

Store yogurt in jars or airtight containers in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks.

You can save a cup of your homemade yogurt to use as the starter for your next batch. If after a few batches your yogurt starts to taste not as tangy or takes longer to culture, it means the bacteria have weakened a bit. Just switch back to a cup of store-bought yogurt for the next batch.

HOW TO MAKE YOGURT USING OTHER METHODS

If you don’t have a heating pad, you can make yogurt yogurt using one of the following:

The instructions are basically the same:

Step 1. Warm the milk.

Step 2. Add the yogurt starter and stir well.

Step 3. Divide into jars (optional) and let it culture for 8-24 hours.

WHERE your yogurt cultures is the only thing that’s different:

• Cooler. You’ll want to use a large cooler and add a pot of boiling water, then close the lid. That’s what will keep the temperature steady and warm.
• Oven. Keep the oven light on. This warm environment is the same reason why I use the oven light for the first rise in my Einkorn Sourdough Bread.
• Slow cooker. The lowest setting possible will keep it warm. Do be careful that your low setting isn’t medium heat… if the temperature is too warm, the yogurt won’t thicken and could burn instead.
• Instant Pot. Follow the directions that came with your machine. Many models like this one come with a specific “yogurt” function where it does the whole process for you, from heating to incubating!
• Dehydrator. Place the jars inside and set the temperature to 100-105F. I have this dehydrator that won’t work for this recipe, but if you have a model where you can remove the trays, you can easily fit the jars inside!

HOW TO MAKE YOGURT FLAVORED

You can add flavors to homemade plain yogurt AFTER the initial culture. You can easily add fresh fruit or sweeten it with maple syrup or honey. If you like vanilla yogurt, consider vanilla bean powder or vanilla-flavored stevia!

Mix any flavors in after culturing and before you put the yogurt into the fridge, or simply add them to a single serving as you dish the yogurt out.

YOGURT RECIPES

Now that you’ve made homemade yogurt, you can enjoy a bowl plain or use it in one of these yogurt recipes!

HOW TO MAKE YOGURT FROM YOGURT FAQS

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