Raw Milk Yogurt Instant Pot Recipe an Easy Plain Whole Milk Yogurt

by Kaitlynn Fenley

Our raw milk yogurt instant pot recipe includes everything you need to know to make plain whole milk yogurt in an instant pot with a yogurt setting. This recipe works with goat milk, cow milk, raw milk, and pasteurized milk. Enjoy the instant pot raw milk yogurt chilled with fruit and granola.

Instant Pot Raw Milk Yogurt Recipe

Various probiotic bacteria play important roles in the production of yogurt. Most often, species of LactobacillusBifidobacterium, and Streptococcus are the microbes found in various types of yogurt.

Specific types of yogurt, such as Greek and Belgian, are distinguished by the species of bacteria used to culture animal-sourced milk into yogurt.

When in animal-sourced milk, the bacteria can use up lactose present for energy. This produces a byproduct of lactic acid. Lactic acid builds up in the milk causing the coagulation of milk proteins.

This transforms the milk into a semi-solid mass with a drastic change in taste. It’s delicious yogurt!

Here are the species of microbes that classify yogurt as “Greek”:

  • Streptococcus thermophilus
  • Lactobacillus bulgaricus 

Click here to buy my favorite Greek Yogurt starter cultures.

Plain Whole Milk Yogurt Using Our Raw Milk Yogurt Instant Pot Recipe

Yogurt is what I call a “sterile” culturing process. The “substrate” (the milk) is heated and then inoculated with chosen microbes.

Even when using raw milk, you should always heat the milk to 181° F for 30 seconds or 145° F for 30 minutes before using it to make yogurt.

Heating it serves two purposes. First, if you heat the milk then your yogurt will come out thicker. Second, heating the milk ensures that only the yogurt cultures grow in your yogurt, and no other microbes.

So, your yogurt will taste better and last longer. You’ll have yogurt within just 12 – 24 hours of inoculating heated and then cooled milk with friendly bacteria!

You don’t need to worry about the heat destroying the benefits of raw milk, all the great benefits will still be there, and the yogurt microbes add even more enzymes and bioactive vitamins and minerals to the milk as it turns into yogurt.

I highly suggest using organic goat milk or cow milk sourced from the farmer’s market. Raw milk works wonderfully, but you can also use pasteurized milk.

I use Kalona Super Natural low temp pasteurized, non-homogenized milk in this recipe every week.

Raw Goat Milk Yogurt in an Instant Pot

You can also choose between using goat or cow milk in this recipe! Goat milk yogurt is naturally thinner than cow milk yogurt because goat milk has less lactose and different fat composition.

You should use cow milk if you prefer thick and more solid yogurt. You can also do a half goat and half cow milk mix and then strain off the whey with cheesecloth to thicken it.

Here’s what you will need to make this Instant Pot raw milk yogurt:

Here are the settings you will use to make this recipe.

  • First, heat the milk on the high setting at 181° F
  • Then, you allow the milk to cool
  • Next, add your starter cultures or already-made yogurt
  • Last, you will incubate the yogurt for 12 hours on the medium setting at 107° F or a custom setting of 104° F.

Is this Raw Milk Yogurt Instant Pot Recipe Good for You?

Natural fermented yogurt, kefir, and some cheeses are absolutely part of a healthy diet. The key is to watch out for ultra-processed and sugar-loaded products.

Since cheese, yogurt, and kefir are cultured and fermented by beneficial microbes before you consume it, these foods are very nutritious and loaded with bioavailable vitamins and minerals.

Plus, these types of fermented foods can provide a species-rich dose of probiotics for gut health! I highly suggest shopping at your local farmers’ market for fermented dairy products or even milk to make your own… because the animals on small local farms are healthier, and the milk products will be healthier.

You can read more about my thoughts on dairy products and gut health here.

Raw Milk Yogurt Instant Pot Recipe

I just can’t get over how quick and easy this plain yogurt recipe is!! This is a simple recipe for plain yogurt, but you can easily add any flavor you’d like.

You can add in flavor components (like strawberry puree, or mango puree) before heating the milk, or you can just flavor the plain yogurt right before eating. Here are some recipes to try with this instant pot raw milk yogurt:

Print

Raw Milk Yogurt Instant Pot Recipe an Easy Plain Whole Milk Yogurt

Our raw milk yogurt instant pot recipe includes everything you need to know to make plain whole milk yogurt in an instant pot with a yogurt setting. This recipe works with goat milk, cow milk, raw milk, and pasteurized milk.

  • Author: Kaitlynn Fenley
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Fermentation time: 12 hours
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 12 hours 15 minutes
  • Yield: 16 servings 1x
  • Category: Yogurt
  • Method: Fermentation
  • Cuisine: Greek

Ingredients

Scale
  • 64 Fluid Ounces Organic Cow Milk or Goat Milk
  • 2 Tablespoons Greek Yogurt or yogurt whey with Live Active Cultures

Instructions

  1. Plug in and turn your instant pot to the yogurt setting.
  2. Pour the milk into the instant pot insert container and secure the lid in place.
  3. Adjust the yogurt setting to boil/high at 181° F. Then press start. The milk will be heated to 181° F for 30 seconds.
  4. When the instant pot beeps and the heating cycle is over, turn off the instant pot.
  5. Remove the insert container so the milk can cool. 
  6. Place a thermometer in the milk to monitor when it reaches about 115° F. This may take some time, so be patient.
  7. Remove the thermometer, you may see a film on the surface of the milk from the heating process. You can remove it with a clean spoon or stir it in. 
  8. Add in the two tablespoons of yogurt with live active cultures. (tip: dissolve the yogurt you are using as a starter in a small bit of milk before adding it to the lot of milk, it will mix in easier)
  9. Whisk until the starter culture yogurt is evenly combined with the milk.
  10. Place the insert container back in the instant pot, and adjust the yogurt setting to medium (107° F) and adjust the time to 12:00 for 12 hours of incubation. 
  11. Secure the lid in place and press start. 
  12. The time readout should say 0:00. It will incubate for 12 hours. Once you press start, the timer will indicate the time passed. You can incubate for up to 24 hours for more tart yogurt. Simply taste test at 12 hours, then restart the yogurt setting to incubate for longer if you wish. 
  13. After 8 to 12 hours of incubation, the yogurt should be slightly set, and a jelly-like consistency. 
  14. Allow the yogurt to cool at room temperature for a couple of hours, then transfer to jars and store in the fridge.
  15. If you would like to make thicker yogurt, place the instant pot insert in the fridge to chill and set. Once it is chilled you can strain the yogurt through a cheesecloth lined colander. place a colander in a clean large bowl, fold the cheesecloth three to four layers thick and line the colander, then gently pour the yogurt into the lined colander. Allow it to stain undisturbed for a few hours. Then, jar it and store it in the fridge.

Notes

  • You may see a lot of liquid whey separation after incubation, for a thicker yogurt you can strain it off through a colander lined with cheesecloth. For a thinner yogurt, you can simply stir it in.
  • Reserve some whey or some of the yogurt to culture your next batch.
  • This yogurt should keep in the fridge. It stores well for 4-6 weeks.
  • You can use a freeze-dried starter instead of already made yogurt. Just use the amount as directed on the package.
  • Goat milk yogurt is naturally thinner. For thicker yogurt, use cow milk instead.
  • You can use raw milk, non-homogenized low temp pasteurized milk, or plain pasteurized milk for this recipe.

Keywords: yogurt, raw milk, instant pot

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a 5-star review below if you loved it! Tag @cultured.guru on Instagram

You may also like

Leave a Comment

Recipe rating

23 comments

Laura June 14, 2022 - 12:24 pm

So, so easy!!
How have I never made my own yogurt before??! I can not believe how easy it is in the instapot! Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe. It is now apart of our weekly routine!

Reply
Bre G July 14, 2022 - 9:53 am

I love this recipe! I’m getting a high quality product with the simplest ingredients possible while saving money. And there is a very small amount of hands on time used up. Personally I use the 24 hour setting because I like my yogurt on the tangier side

Reply
Teresa Harper July 31, 2022 - 9:52 pm

I have never tried making my own yogurt. But this sounds delicious and so much more nutritional than any store bought! Where do you suggest getting the freeze dried starter?

Reply
Kaitlynn Fenley August 1, 2022 - 9:30 am

Cultures for health is a good option, but I prefer to use already made yogurt as a starter culture.

Reply
Michelle February 22, 2023 - 7:17 am

First time yogurt maker over here! Mine turned out very thin and lumpy! What did I do wrong? It tastes great though so that’s a plus.

Reply
Kaitlynn Fenley February 22, 2023 - 8:11 am

You probably didn’t do anything wrong! If you are using raw milk that is not homogenized, the texture can be variable. Lumps can happen when the incubation temp is a little too high. Next time, try a slightly lower temp, and strain the yogurt through layered cheesecloth to make it thicker.

Reply
Anonymous August 12, 2022 - 10:57 am

I really love this recipe!! So easy and cost effective with a toddler in the house!
Curious if there’s a way to make it thicker?

Reply
Kaitlynn Fenley August 15, 2022 - 8:21 am

Thick yogurt is strained. You can use cheese cloth or a nut milk bag to strain the whey off the yogurt.

Reply
Abigail August 18, 2022 - 4:30 pm

Where did you get the little jars to store the yogurt in? 🙂

Reply
Kaitlynn Fenley August 18, 2022 - 6:49 pm

They came with my yogurt maker. You can use 6-ounce tulip weck jars; they’re the same size and work just as well.

Reply
Kate August 18, 2022 - 11:27 pm

Can you use probiotics instead of yogurt starters ? I have a few high grade probiotics that could probably culture the yogurt just the same.

Reply
Kaitlynn Fenley August 19, 2022 - 11:52 am

You can, but I’d be sure to look at the species in the starter. You don’t want to use anything with yeast strains.

Reply
MaLou Strijbos October 19, 2022 - 10:51 am

I loved my first batch! I kept the whey, but how long does it hold and how much whey do you use if you use it for the next batch? Same amount as yoghurt?

Reply
Kaitlynn Fenley October 19, 2022 - 11:19 am

Thank you for leaving a review! I store whey in my fridge for two months in a mason jar. and yes! you can use the same amount as yogurt as a starter culture. I usually do about 2 tablespoons per quart.

Reply
Anonymous October 19, 2022 - 12:53 pm

Awesome! I stored mine in the fridge after making the first batch…but wasn’t sure if it would keep. Really appreciate the quick answer! Going to the store for more milk now…homemade yoghurt is the best 🙂

Reply
Karen October 20, 2022 - 9:16 am

Literally the simplest yogurt recipe. I’m saving so much money making it at home like this.

Reply
Alyssa October 27, 2022 - 9:01 am

Do I need to skim off the cream before making this?

Reply
Kaitlynn Fenley October 27, 2022 - 9:27 am

You can but you do not have to. You can leave it and make a lovely cream-top yogurt.

Reply
Jordan November 8, 2022 - 11:18 am

Is it ok to use store bought Greek yogurt as the starter and mix it with the raw milk? I am guessing since the milk is heated before hand it it eliminates the issues that come up when mixing raw and pasteurized?
Thanks so much!

Reply
Kaitlynn Fenley November 8, 2022 - 4:15 pm

yes, you can use store-bought yogurt with live active cultures.

Reply
Elisabeth November 9, 2022 - 10:40 am

Wow this came out perfectly and I don’t think I can ever buy yogurt from the store again! Delicious recipe and so easy!

Reply
Victoria Seppi January 10, 2023 - 11:09 pm

Do I have to boil the milk? Trying to preserve all benefits of raw milk.

Reply
Kaitlynn Fenley January 11, 2023 - 8:08 am

Even when using raw milk, you should always heat it to 181° F for 30 seconds or 145° F for 30 minutes before making yogurt. You don’t need to worry about the heat destroying the benefits of raw milk, all the great benefits will still be in the yogurt. The yogurt microbes add even more enzymes and bioactive vitamins and minerals to the milk as it turns into yogurt.

If you don’t heat it first, it may not thicken much, it probably won’t last very long, and it may not taste good.

Reply