4.76 from 33 reviews

Instant Pot Vanilla Bean Yogurt

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a white bowl filled with yogurt, berries and granola

Making yogurt in an Instant Pot

I have had an Instant Pot now for several years and I’ve become quite obsessed with it!

Once I made yogurt in the Instant pot, I was cooked.

Simple ingredients and some time is all you need to make homemade yogurt.

It takes 8 hours to make the yogurt. So while this Instant Pot yogurt recipe is easy, just know it does take 8+ hours of cooking in the Instant Pot! (I say 8+ because there is also an additional 4+ hours of chill time).

Yogurt contains probiotics, which have proven to be beneficial for our gut health.

A perk of making yogurt from scratch is the satisfaction of making the yogurt yourself. Plus, this recipe yields about ~7 cups of yogurt, making this Instant Pot yogurt a cost efficient recipe as well. 

fairlife whole milk ultra filteres, sweetened condensed milk, 5% milkfat yogurt

Instant Pot yogurt ingredients

Making my yogurt recipe in an Instant Pot requires just four simple ingredients: ultra pasteurized, ultra filtered whole milk, pre-made yogurt with live cultures, sweetened condensed milk (optional) and a vanilla bean (optional).

No really, that’s it!

instant pot and vanilla bean yogurt

How to make Instant Pot yogurt

Pour 1 cup of the milk and the sweetened condensed milk (14 oz) into the Instant Pot and whisk well. Pour the rest of the milk in and 2 Tbsp. of the yogurt and whisk again.

Place the Instant Pot lid, or a plate, on top of the Instant Pot and press “Yogurt.”

You should see “8:00” pop up on the screen. If not, adjust it to 8 hours. The time will count UP, so don’t worry when you see “0:00” after the Instant Pot beeps.

*Also be sure the pressure is set to “normal” and not set to “less” or “more”.

Once the 8 hours is up, the Instant Pot will read YOGT. Do not stir at this point.

Now, you need to chill the yogurt. DO NOT STIR IT OR TASTE IT YET! Cover the Instant Pot with plastic wrap and chill for 4-6 hours or overnight.

Once chilled, add in the vanilla bean. Stir until it’s evenly distributed. Give it a taste, yum!

vanilla bean yogurt in the instant pot

Store the yogurt in mason jars or containers in your fridge for up to 2-3 weeks (If it lasts that long!)

My favorite yogurt toppings

There are so many ways to dress up a plain bowl of vanilla yogurt. Here are a few of my favorite yogurt toppings I turn to each morning:

instant pot vanilla bean yogurt in a bowl with berries and granola

Yogurt starter FAQs

When making homemade yogurt — whether you’re making an Instant Pot yogurt recipe or using a different method — you must use a yogurt starter.

Figuring out what a yogurt starter is and what kind to use can be difficult if you’re new to the world of yogurt making.

Here are some commonly asked questions I get about making Instant Pot vanilla yogurt.

If I haven’t addressed your question below, please leave me a comment at the end of this post and I’ll help you as best I can!

What is a yogurt starter?

To put it simply, a yogurt starter helps transform your milk into yogurt. It contains live bacteria that helps this process along. 

What’s the best yogurt starter to use?

For homemade yogurt in the Instant Pot, you must use a yogurt start or a store bought yogurt with active cultures. I tried this Instant Pot yogurt recipe using other yogurts for my starter, and the batch that turned out best was when I used FAGE yogurt.

instant pot vanilla bean yogurt in a bowl with berries and granola

Tips for making Instant Pot yogurt

Don’t mix the yogurt after the 8 hour mark. It needs to be refrigerated for at least 4-6 hours and then you can stir!

Fairlife milk is ultra-pasteurized and ultra-filtered, which means it has more protein and less sugar. This milk will produce a thicker yogurt than just ONLY ultra pasteurized milk. If you use ultra pasteurized milk (and not ultra-filtered milk), you may need to strain your yogurt to get it thick.

I recommend using whole milk in this Instant Pot yogurt recipe for best results. However you can use any percentage fat milk you like. There has been success with the 2% Fairlife as well. (Once again just make sure it is ultra-pasteurized and ultra-filtered).

This method of making yogurt in the Instant Pot is called “cold start.” It comes out just like Greek yogurt, and no need for straining!

This recipe was made in a 6QT Instant Pot, but since making yogurt doesn’t require the Instant Pot to come to pressure, you can make this in the 3QT as well.

Depending on what you last made in your Instant Pot you may want to give it a deep clean so the yogurt doesn’t taste like whatever was made last! You don’t want your yogurt tasting like Corn Chowder!

To clean your Instant Pot, you’ll need white vinegar. Fill the Instant Pot with 2 cups of white vinegar, seal the lid and press the “steam” setting for 2 minutes. Remove the sealing ring from the lid and let it air dry all the way.

Also, I have different silicone rings. I use one for making sweet recipes, one specifically for my yogurt and one for savory recipes!

More Instant Pot recipes:

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

a white bowl filled with yogurt, berries and granola
4.76 from 33 reviews

Vanilla Bean Instant Pot Yogurt

Prep: 5 minutes
Chill time: 4 hours
Cook: 8 hours
Total: 12 hours
Servings: 8 cups
Homemade vanilla yogurt using the Instant Pot? Yup, making yogurt from scratch has never been easier thanks to this Instant Pot yogurt recipe

Ingredients

  • 1/2 gallon whole milk (52 oz) (ultra-pasteurized and ultra-filtered)
  • 14 oz. Sweetened Condensed Milk (canned)
  • 2 Tbsp. yogurt with active cultures, plain or vanilla (I used 5% FAGE)
  • 1 vanilla bean ((split and cut in half with the beans scraped out))

Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

Instructions 

  • Pour 1 cup of the milk and the sweetened condensed milk (14 oz) into the Instant Pot and whisk. Pour the rest of the milk in and 2 Tbsp. of the Greek yogurt and whisk again. Place the Instant Pot lid, or a plate, on top of the Instant Pot and press "Yogurt."
  • You should see "8:00" pop up on the screen. If not, adjust it to 8 hours. The time will count UP, so don't worry when you see "0:00" after the Instant Pot beeps. Once the 8 hours is up, the Instant Pot will read "YOGT".
  • Now, you need to chill the yogurt. DO NOT STIR IT OR TASTE IT YET! Chill for 4-6 hours or overnight. Once chilled, add in the vanilla bean. Stir until it's evenly distributed. Give it a taste, yum! Store the yogurt in your fridge for up to 2-3 weeks (If it lasts that long!)

Video

Notes

Note: Add in your favorite sweetener and mix ins to boost the flavor! 
If you don’t want to use sweetened condensed milk, that’s fine. You don’t NEED it to make yogurt. It only adds flavor. 
For the milk, I used the Fairlife milk, whole milk, ultra filtered milk. 
Recipe inspired by Six Sisters.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1cup, Calories: 305kcal (15%), Carbohydrates: 38g (13%), Protein: 12g (24%), Fat: 12g (18%), Saturated Fat: 7g (44%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 46mg (15%), Sodium: 155mg (7%), Potassium: 545mg (16%), Sugar: 18g (20%), Vitamin A: 519IU (10%), Vitamin C: 1mg (1%), Calcium: 436mg (44%), Iron: 0.1mg (1%)

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is automatically calculated. It should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Kroll’s Korner can’t make any guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

 

 

Krolls Korner

Krolls Korner

Welcome to my tiny “korner” on the Internet! I am a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist who loves cookies as much as kale. (OK, maybe I like cookies a little bit more but shh, don’t tell anyone). I am so glad you’re here! Follow along for hassle free, realistic and approachable recipes.

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lynda

I made the yogurt with the fairlife milk and no condensed milk. It thickened and was a great consistency, but it tastes like sour cream. We normally eat greek yogurt, but my family wont’ eat this…I don’t want to waste it. Any suggestions to fix and what can I do next time to make it better?

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Jennifer

Where are the rest of the nutrition info? Carbs?
I would like to try this.

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Sheila K.

Oh MY, it looks great! Can’t wait to cook em this Sunday!

Ruth

So delicious and super easy to make. Thanks for the tutorial, Tawnie!

Sharon

I followed directions for yogurt. It came out runny. What can I do to make it thicker? What would I strain it with?

Morgan

My first try at instant pot yogurt. It is delicious! I was terrified of the recipes that needed drained. Well I followed this one and no need to drain! Plus it’s just as good if not better than my favorite Oui yogurt. I won’t be buying that again!

Stephanie Schaefer

I made this and for some reason it did not thicken at all! Just looks like milk. I have done it before successfully, any ideas why it didn’t work? Should I add more yogurt to it and try again? I hate to waste all that milk

Katie

Hi, I followed your recipe and instructions (without the condensed milk). I let it sit in the fridge overnight, but my yogurt is super runny. What did I do wrong? Is there any way to thicken it?

Kelli Wegscheider

When I press the yogurt button my screen says 24:00, I adjusted it to 8:00 and pressed start but it didnt count up from zero and it didn’t say YOGT when the time was up it said end. After 4hrs it’s still liquid. Was I supposed to choose pasteurize or ferment? I just pressed yogurt adjusted the time to 8 hrs and pressed start

Kelli Wegscheider

I have the duo evo plus, I just got it so I’m not very familiar with it yet. In the manual I only have a recipe for yogurt where you have to boil and cool the liquid which uses the pasteurize setting then switch to fermenting setting. Or there is custom (which is what I did) but I have to choose time and temperature. Didn’t know what temperature so I just left it where it was and set time to 8hrs Your recipe just seemed easier than boiling and cooling and all that. I used all the same exact same ingredients you used.

Nathalie Lockhart

I’m really looking forward to trying to make yogurt again, but the only thing I’m a little worried about is the condensed milk– does it make it really sweet? I’m trying to not buy those little yoplaits for my daughter anymore, I’m thinking this is way better! Thank you!