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    Home » Instant Pot

    Instant Pot Yogurt Cold Start

    Published: December 19, 2019 · Modified: July 9, 2023 by Erika · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Thumbnail of Instant Pot yogurt cold start.
    Jump to Recipe

    This Instant Pot Yogurt Cold Start recipe transforms ultra-pasteurized milk and a Greek yogurt starter into rich and irresistibly creamy homemade yogurt with the option for a fun flavor. It’s perfect with healthy toppings, in smoothies and smoothie bowls, and in recipes that call for yogurt, mayo, or sour cream.

    Yogurt in a jar in front of the Instant Pot.
    Jump to:
    • Cold Start Vs. The Traditional Method
    • Why You'll Love This Recipe
    • Ingredients You'll Need
    • How To Make Cold Start Yogurt In The Instant Pot
    • How To Make Traditional Yogurt In The Instant Pot
    • Expert Tips
    • Serving 
    • Storing & Freezing
    • Recipe FAQ's
    • More Easy Instant Pot Recipes
    • Instant Pot Yogurt Cold Start

    Check out my Healthier Banana Cream Pie and my Low Calorie Biscuits for more delicious yogurt recipes!

    If you’re a yogurt lover and haven’t made cold start yogurt in your Instant Pot, what are you waiting for? This underrated Instant Pot function is a great way to make a big batch of delicious homemade yogurt at a fraction of the store bought cost.

    Cold Start Vs. The Traditional Method

    Making cold-start yogurt in the Instant Pot is one of the easiest things I’ve ever used it for. It’s as simple as dumping in 3 ingredients and pushing a button - but before we get it going, it’s essential to understand the difference between the cold start and traditional yogurt making methods.

    In short, the cold start method ONLY applies to ultra-pasteurized milk. Since it’s ultra-pasteurized, you can bypass boiling the milk to remove any bacteria that standard pasteurization may have left behind.

    I buy ultra-pasteurized milk specifically for this Instant Pot cold-start yogurt, but if you have regular pasteurized milk, no worries. In this post, I’ll walk you through both methods and hopefully answer any questions that come up along the way. Let’s get started! 

    Why You'll Love This Recipe

    • It makes a large quantity at a more cost-effective price point than buying Greek yogurt from the store.
    • You can make plain yogurt and your favorite flavors.
    • If stored properly, homemade yogurt keeps for weeks in the fridge.
    • It’s versatile and valuable in many different ways.
    • Yogurt is a good source of protein, vitamins, and minerals.

    Ingredients You'll Need

    Labeled ingredients for the yogurt.
    • Ultra-Pasteurized Milk: Fairlife ultra-filtered whole milk is a good option here as it’s already been boiled and is perfectly safe for the cold start method. Again, if you cannot find ultra-pasteurized milk, you can use any type of dairy milk, but it must be boiled to remove lingering bacteria before you can use it to make yogurt.  
    • Fage 2% Plain Greek Yogurt: The reason you need a small amount of yogurt to make yogurt for the live activated cultures. It’s the starter for a brand-new batch of yogurt. 
    • Optional Flavored Creamer: I love vanilla yogurt, so I use Coffee-Mate Natural Bliss Vanilla Creamer. Feel free to use a different flavor, or omit it entirely if you prefer plain yogurt.

    How To Make Cold Start Yogurt In The Instant Pot

    Steps to make the yogurt.

    Step 1: Combine cold milk and starter. Add ultra-filtered milk and creamer (if using) to the Instant Pot and mix to combine. Add the Greek yogurt starter and whisk until smooth.  

    Step 2: Incubate in Instant Pot. Lock the lid in place, leaving the steam valve open. Press the yogurt button and let the Instant Pot work its magic. It will take about 8 hours to finish incubating.

    Step 3: Cool in the fridge. Once it’s done, remove the pot insert, cover it loosely with plastic, and then set it in the refrigerator for about 4 hours.

    How To Make Traditional Yogurt In The Instant Pot

    If you don’t have ultra-pasteurized milk, you can use any milk. However, you’ll have to use the traditional boiling method before it’s ready to incubate in the Instant Pot. Follow these steps:

    Step 1: Boil milk. Pour the milk into a large, heavy-bottomed pot, and heat over medium-high heat until the milk reaches 180 °F. Lower the heat just enough to hold the temperature at 180 °F and simmer for about 30 minutes.

    Step 2: Shock milk. When the milk is almost finished, prepare an ice bath large enough for the pot. Then, submerge the pot into the ice bath to quickly cool the milk down to 115 °F. Now it’s ready for the Instant Pot (follow the instructions above).

    NOTE: You can print the FULL recipe with all ingredients & detailed instructions below!

    Three glass jars filled with yogurt.

    Expert Tips

    • Do not stir the yogurt while it’s in the Instant Pot. For the best results, leaving it be for the entirety of the incubation period is key. 
    • For an even thicker consistency, you can strain the yogurt through cheesecloth once it’s finished. 
    • This recipe won’t work using any Greek yogurt. It must have live active yogurt cultures to work as a starter culture for a fresh batch of yogurt.

    Serving 

    As for ways to use your homemade yogurt, the options are endless. It’s the perfect consistency for making an low calorie açaí bowl or Greek yogurt parfait with homemade granola with toppings like fresh fruit, nuts, seeds, granola, and more. You can also add it to smoothies like my coconut berry smoothie or real fruit smoothie.

    You can use this yogurt if you stumble upon mayo or sour cream in many recipes. Though, you may want to use plain yogurt in that case. You can also use it to make:

    • Peanut Butter Dip
    • Greek Yogurt Dill Dip
    • Jalapeño Deviled Eggs
    • Healthy Peach Galette

    Storing & Freezing

    Storing: After letting the yogurt chill in the fridge for about 4 hours, scoop it into an airtight glass container or portion it into snack-size containers with tight lids. It will keep in the refrigerator for 10-14 days.

    Freezing: Likewise, you can freeze it for up to 2 months.

    Recipe FAQ's

    How much yogurt does this recipe make?

    This recipe yields about sixteen 1-cup servings of yogurt.

    How do you add flavor to homemade yogurt?

    I simply combine a flavored creamer like vanilla with milk to make fun yogurt flavors. You can also use a dash or pure flavoring extract like vanilla, lemon, or strawberry. If you’re planning to use some yogurt in savory recipes, it’s probably best to hold off on fruity flavors, but you can always swirl flavor into individual servings. For example, add a spoonful of strawberry jam, lemon curd, or blueberry jelly!

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    Thumbnail of Instant Pot yogurt cold start.

    Instant Pot Yogurt Cold Start

    Erika
    This Instant Pot yogurt cold start recipe transforms ultra pasteurized milk and a Greek yogurt starter into rich and irresistibly creamy homemade yogurt with the option for a fun flavor. It’s perfect with healthy toppings, in smoothies and smoothie bowls, and in recipes that call for yogurt, mayo, or sour cream.
    4.96 from 45 votes
    Print Recipe
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 8 hours hrs
    Chill Time 4 hours hrs
    Total Time 12 hours hrs 5 minutes mins
    Course Instant Pot
    Cuisine American
    Servings 16 Servings
    Calories 139 kcal

    Equipment

    • Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
    • Utensil Set
    • Angled Measuring Cups

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 52 ounces Fairlife whole ultra-filtered milk
    • 16 ounces Coffee-Mate natural bliss vanilla creamer
    • 7 ounces Fage 2% plain Greek yogurt

    Instructions
     

    • Add ultra-filtered milk and creamer (if using) to the Instant Pot and mix to combine. Add the Greek yogurt starter and whisk until smooth.
    • Lock the lid in place, leaving the steam valve open. Press the yogurt button and let the Instant Pot work its magic. It will take about 8 hours to finish incubating.
    • Once it’s done, remove the pot insert, cover it loosely with plastic, and then set it in the refrigerator for about 4 hours.

    Notes

    How to Make Traditional Yogurt In The Instant Pot

    If you don’t have ultra-pasteurized milk, you can use any milk. However, you’ll have to use the traditional boiling method before it’s ready to incubate in the Instant Pot. Follow these steps:
    Step 1: Pour the milk into a large, heavy-bottomed pot, and heat over medium-high heat until the milk reaches 180°F. Lower the heat just enough to hold the temperature at 180°F and simmer for about 30 minutes.
    Step 2: When the milk is almost finished, prepare an ice bath large enough for the pot. Then, submerge the pot into the ice bath to quickly cool the milk down to 115°F. Now it’s ready for the Instant Pot (follow the instructions above).
    • Do not stir the yogurt while it’s in the Instant Pot. For the best results, leaving it be for the entirety of the incubation period is key.
    • For an even thicker consistency, you can strain the yogurt through cheesecloth once it’s finished.
    • This recipe won’t work using any Greek yogurt. It must have live active yogurt cultures to work as a starter culture for a fresh batch of yogurt.
    • Storing: After letting the yogurt chill in the fridge for about 4 hours, scoop it into an airtight glass container or portion it into snack-size containers with tight lids. It will keep in the refrigerator for 10-14 days.
    • Freezing: Likewise, you can freeze it for up to 2 months.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 139kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 6gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 33mgSodium: 62mgSugar: 13g

    All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.

    Keyword Instant Pot Cold Start Yogurt
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Bonita

      May 11, 2022 at 7:55 pm

      I have been making my yogurt this way for a number of years. Can you tell me, what woudl be considered “one” serving? Would it be 5 ounces?

      Reply
    2. Niki

      May 04, 2022 at 6:00 pm

      Has anyone ever tried to use different flavored creamer other then vanilla bliss?

      Reply
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