Instant Pot Cold Start (No-Boil) Yogurt

Cold Start Yogurt made right in your Instant Pot is an easy and delicious way to enjoy rich and creamy homemade yogurt. Quicker and easier than the traditional way of making yogurt, this cold start method uses ultra-filtered milk eliminating the need to boil the milk or use thermometers to monitor temperatures. It reduces the number of steps and prep time to make amazingly smooth, thick and creamy yogurt.

Why make yogurt using your Instant Pot?

How to make Instant Pot Cold Start Yogurt

Homemade Cold Start Instant Pot yogurt only requires 2 ingredients: ultra-filtered/ultra-pasteurized milk and a small amount of yogurt as a starter culture.

Pour the Fairlife ultra-filtered milk into a clean pot

*Optional Step

• Sterilize the Instant Pot and any yogurt-making utensils before you start

Add the yogurt starter with active bacterial culture into the milk

Using a clean whisk, mix the starter yogurt into the milk until it is evenly incorporated

*Optional step

• To flavor or sweeten the yogurt, add a can of sweetened condensed milk or a bottle of flavored coffee creamer to the milk and whisk until evenly mixed

Place a lid on the Instant Pot (any type of lid can be used during the incubation process). If using the pressure lid, no sealing ring is required and the venting knob can be in any position.

Using the Yogurt function on the Instant Pot, set the time anywhere between 8-12 hours.

Let the yogurt incubate for 8-12 hours (do not disturb the yogurt for at least 7 hours). The longer the yogurt incubates the tangier it will taste.

Once the yogurt reaches your desired level of tanginess, place the pot into the fridge for 1-2 hours to stop the fermentation process.

*Optional steps

• strain the yogurt using a yogurt strainer if you desire a thicker consistency
• Flavor or sweeten the yogurt by adding fruits, sugar, honey, maple syrup or other sweeteners

What kind of milk do you use to make Yogurt?

When making yogurt, the type of milk used will affect the thickness and how creamy the final yogurt will be. You can use any type of milk (1%, 2%, 3.25% or 3.8%) however for the thickest and creamiest yogurt we recommend using milk with the highest fat content.

If using the traditional boil method to make yogurt, any type of milk can be used including milk alternatives like soy and almond milk. The final thickness and consistency of the yogurt will vary depending on the type of milk used and yogurts using lower fat content milk will most likely require straining to achieve a thicker consistency.

For cold start (no-boil) yogurt, ultra-filtered or ultra-pasteurized milk (any percentage) must be used since these kinds of milk have already been boiled to kill any bacteria. We used Fairlife 3.25% ultra-filtered whole milk in our Instant Pot Cold Start Yogurt recipe.  This ultra-filtered milk is pasteurized to kill any bacteria and this milk also goes through a different filtration process resulting in milk with 50% more protein and 50% less sugar than regular milk.

Why do you need to use yogurt to make yogurt?

When making homemade yogurt, you need a small amount of yogurt as a starter culture to begin the milk fermentation process. The yogurt starter culture must contain active bacterial cultures, most notably L. bulgaricus and S. thermophilus bacteria which are used to ferment the milk and form the soft creamy yogurt texture. Not all yogurts are the same, so we recommend that you select a brand of yogurt that you like since the taste and consistency of your final yogurt batch will largely depend on the type of yogurt starter used.

PRO TIP* Save a small amount of your final yogurt to be used as a starter culture for your next batch. Simply freeze some of the yogurt in teaspoon-sized portions using an ice cube tray and thaw a cube at room temperature 1-2 hours before making your next batch of yogurt.

How to sweeten and flavor Yogurt?

You can sweeten or flavor the yogurt at various times:

• If you prefer to sweeten or flavor the entire batch of yogurt you can do so at the beginning. Add a can of sweetened condensed milk or a bottle of flavored coffee creamer into the milk along with the yogurt starter. Be sure to whisk the ingredients together well before you start the incubation.
• You can opt to make an entire batch of plain yogurt and then add flavoring or sweeteners after the yogurt has set. This gives you the option of customizing separate flavors. You can keep some plain yogurt to use in place of sour cream for cooking and baking recipes. You can also add in fruits or flavor the yogurt with sweeteners such as sugar, honey, or maple syrup.

Tips for making the best Instant Pot Yogurt

• Make sure the Instant Pot and any yogurt-making utensils are clean or sterilized before starting
• Use ultra-filtered/ultra-pasteurized milk when making cold start (no-boil) yogurt
• Use milk with high-fat content for thick and creamy yogurt
• Use a good yogurt starter with active bacterial culture
• If using the Instant Pot pressure lid during incubation, take out the sealing ring to avoid transferring smells from previous meals into the yogurt
• Incubate the yogurt for at least 8 hours or until it reaches your desired tanginess
• Strain the yogurt using a yogurt strainer if you want a thicker consistency
• Add condensed milk, sweeteners or fruits to flavor the yogurt
• Freeze a small amount of your yogurt to use as a starter culture for your next batch

How long does Instant Pot Yogurt keep?

Homemade Instant Pot yogurt will last for 10-14 days in the fridge. Store in an airtight container or portion the yogurt along with granola or fruits into small individual containers to be enjoyed in single-sized servings.  This yogurt is so delicious we guarantee that you and your family will gobble it up in less than 2 weeks.

How to make yogurt without a Yogurt Function?

We used an Instant Pot Duo to make this homemade yogurt as it has a dedicated Yogurt function with pre-sets to incubate the milk during the yogurt fermentation process. If you don't have a yogurt function on your Instant Pot or One-Pot device you can still make homemade yogurt using the traditional boil method.

1. Using the "Saute" function, heat and boil any type of milk you prefer until it reaches 180°F to kill any bacteria. It's best to use a thermometer to monitor the temperature and make sure to stir the milk often to prevent it from scorching.
2. Once the milk reaches 180°F, turn off the pot and let it cool to 110°F. You can speed up this cooling process by stirring or submerging the pot in a cold ice bath.
3. Once the milk reaches 110°F, add in the yogurt starter culture and whisk until evenly mixed.
4. Close the lid and wrap the pot in a large towel to help keep it warm during the incubation period. *Do not use the "Keep Warm" setting as it will be too hot for the yogurt to ferment.
5. Let the yogurt incubate for 8-12 hours or until it reaches your desired tanginess.
6. Place the pot into the fridge for 1-2 hours to stop the fermentation process.
7. Optional: Strain the yogurt if a thicker consistency is desired.
8. Add any flavorings, sweeteners or fruit and store in the fridge for up to 14 days.