Whether you’re making regular or Greek yogurt, it’s time to learn How to Make Yogurt! It’s incredibly easy, requires virtually no prep work and the outcome will amaze you: Wonderfully thick, creamy, luxuriously delicious yogurt! This homemade yogurt recipe is SO good and SO easy, you’ll NEVER need to buy store-bought again!
How long does it take you to pour a gallon of milk into a slow cooker?  That’s how much prep time is involved in making this gloriously thick, rich, creamy Easy Homemade Yogurt recipe! And you have full control over its thickness – we’ll show you how to make Greek yogurt or regular yogurt, your choice!
Why Should I Make My Own Yogurt?
There are several advantages to making your own yogurt:  It tastes better, has a better texture, is MUCH CHEAPER, and it’s MUCH HEALTHIER than store-bought because it has a MUCH HIGHER PROBIOTIC CONTENT. Really, it’s a complete win-win!
What Kind of Milk Should I Use to Make Yogurt?
For the thickest, creamiest yogurt we recommend whole milk but you can also use 2% and even skim milk.
How to Make Greek Yogurt
The difference between making regular and Greek yogurt simply comes down to how long you strain it. More on that in the recipe below.
What Do I Need to Make Yogurt?
- Milk
- Plain yogurt (as a starter culture)
- Cheesecloth
- Thermometer
- Pot or Slow Cooker
- Colander
Besides milk you’ll need some plain yogurt as a starter culture for your initial batch. Then you can use yogurt from that batch for your next batch and so on. There is no need to buy a special starter culture, all you need is plain yogurt. The plain yogurt will act as a starter culture to introduce healthy bacteria/probiotics to your homemade yogurt. It is essential that the yogurt you use has live cultures in it. Most grocery stores sell plain yogurt with live cultures but just be sure to check the label on the container confirm that it has l. bulgaricus and s. thermophilus in it.
You will also need some cheesecloth to strain the yogurt (trust me, it’s much easier than it may initially sound).  I use and recommend this cheesecloth because it’s 100% unbleached cotton, is high grade, is very durable for multiple uses, and you get a ton of it. Overall it’s the best value I have found for the quality.
You’ll also need a thermometer.  Heating the milk to right temperature and then reducing it to the right temperature are both critical to the success of your yogurt.
The other item you’ll need is either a slow cooker or a large, heavy stock pot and a colander for straining.
© Piliphoto | Dreamstime
Slow Cooker or Stovetop to Make Yogurt?
You can use either with great success and the choice is entirely up to you.
Using a Slow Cooker:
Pros: The heating process is slow and gentle so there is no risk of scorching the milk and having to throw it all out. Plus it’s hands free and the milk can heat up over the course of a few hours while you’re doing other things.
Cons:  It takes a lot longer to heat up the milk than if you’re using a pot. But that’s only a disadvantage if you’re in a hurry.
Using a Stock Pot:
Pros: It’s much quicker than using a slow cooker. The milk heats up faster and then all you have to wait for is for it to cool back down and then set.
Cons:Â It requires your constant attention and as the milk gets hotter it requires constant stirring in order to prevent the milk from burning (and it can burn very easily if you’re not paying attention).
You can see that both have their pros and cons and it purely comes down to personal preference. I use and like both methods but generally use my slow cooker/crock pot more often because of the hands-free convenience of plugging it in and going about my daily tasks. Any crock pot or slow cooker will do the job. I use and love my Hamilton Beach Stay or Go 7 Quart Slow Cooker.
Do I Have to Bring the Temp to 180 F if I’m Using Pasteurized Milk?Â
Virtually every yogurt-making recipe will tell you to heat the milk to 180 degrees F before bringing it back down to 110 degrees F to inoculate it with a starter culture. Â The question you may ask yourself is, if I’m using pasteurized milk already do I need to heat it to 180 degrees or can I just skip that step?
Here’s what I’ve learned: Â Heating it to 180 degrees isn’t for the purpose of killing unwanted bacteria as much as it is for creating a thick texture. Â The heat changes the structure of the proteins in the milk and enables it to thicken into yogurt. Â I wanted to test that for myself and heated the milk to just a little over 110 degrees, added the starter culture, and proceeded from there. Â It hardly thickened at all. Â But when I heat it to 180 degrees, then let it cool to 110 degrees before adding the starter, it thickens up beautifully.
What is Whey?
That yellowish liquid that’s left over after you strain the yogurt….that’s called whey. When making homemade yogurt, you’ll always end up with some whey as a by-product.  The longer you strain the yogurt, the thicker it will get, the more whey it will yield.  If you strain it to full capacity for an extra thick Greek yogurt, you’ll end up with about 8 cups of whey, but every batch will be different.
Whey is milk minus the fats and solids. Â It’s basically water with lactose and protein. Â And it’s the protein that’s the valuable ingredient here. Â Milk contains two types of protein, casein and whey. Â Most of the casein ends up in the yogurt and the whey is in the liquid by-product.
How to Use Leftover Whey
I’m so glad you asked! Whey is a great source of protein and is used in powdered form in protein shakes and protein bars. But how can you this leftover liquid whey? Here are a few ideas:
- Use it in place of water when you’re making broth or soup for an extra rich broth.
- Use it in place of water for baking bread or pastries.
- Add it to your smoothies of an extra protein boost.
- If you have a vegetable garden, use it lower the pH level of your soil if you’re growing things that prefer soil with a higher acidity level, like tomatoes.
Can You Freeze Whey?
Yes, it can be frozen for up to 6 months.
Can I Make a Smaller Batch of Yogurt?Â
This recipe calls for a gallon of milk because this yogurt will keep for a good 2 weeks in the fridge, giving you plenty of time to finish it off. (Note that a gallon of milk won’t yield a gallon of yogurt. It will yield about 2 quarts of yogurt depending on how long you strain it.) If however you would prefer to make less you can absolutely cut the recipe in half and use a half gallon instead. Just be sure to remember to reserve enough of the yogurt to act as the starter for your next batch.
How Much Protein and Calories Are in My Yogurt?
This is a question I get frequently. Calorie count and protein content will depend on how much whey was removed in the straining process and there really isn’t a way to measure that. Even calories are hard guess because through the straining process the end product is much more condensed that the original milk product.  The best we can do is estimate.
© Fortyforks | Dreamstime
Homemade Yogurt Troubleshooting
“My yogurt didn’t set and I have yogurt soup!”
There may be an occasion or two when your yogurt doesn’t set properly.  I’ve made probably close to 50 batches and fortunately it’s only happened to me twice but it was nevertheless disappointing. Many factors can be at play for a failed batch, anything from the first step to the last. If you’ve done everything right and have followed every step correctly from start to finish, all I can say is that the yogurt-making process involves fragile live bacteria and sometimes, well, they have a mind and will of their own. And if you’re using store-bought yogurt as your starter culture, it may claim to have live bacteria that is…no longer live. The only thing to do is try again with a new batch. But just because it failed turning into yogurt doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy it.
Don’t throw out the “soup!”
Throughout Europe and other parts of the world you can get a variety of delicious plain and flavored yogurt drinks. You can drink your yogurt milk and you’ll still be benefitting from those healthy probiotics. Add some honey or flavored syrups or blend in some berries or fruits of your choice and enjoy it in smoothie form!
Ways to Eat Yogurt
The ideas are almost endless. Here are a few:
- Add fresh berries or cut up fresh fruits to enjoy with your yogurt along with a sprinkle of cinnamon and/or a drizzle of honey or maple syrup for a healthy breakfast or snack.
- Make parfaits with fresh fruit and granola.
- Blend it with fresh or frozen fruit or with nuts, peanut/cashew/almond butter, chocolate, etc. to make smoothies.
- Add other ingredients and seasonings to use as a sandwich, toast or bagel spreads.
- As the base of a savory dip for oven-baked chips, bread or raw veggies.
- As the base of a sweet dip for fresh fruits or toasted cinnamon pita strips.
- Use it in place of mayonnaise for ranch dressing and other creamy dressings.
- Make homemade tzatziki sauce.
- Replace sour cream and buttermilk with yogurt in baked goods like cakes, muffins, pancakes or our sweet potato pie.
- Make yogurt fruit popsicles.
- Use it in place of sour cream for things like tacos, enchiladas and burritos.
- Use it in place of mayonnaise for egg, tuna, chicken salad and potato salad.
The way I most commonly enjoy my yogurt is simply stirring in a spoonful of fruit preserves with a little powdered stevia for a healthy, low-carb treat to satisfy my sweet tooth. Another favorite way is to make vanilla yogurt by stirring in some high quality vanilla bean paste.
You’re going to love how rich and creamy this yogurt is – it’s almost like eating dessert!
© Corinna Gissemann | Dreamstime
How to Make Yogurt
Let’s get started!
IF USING A STOCK POT INSTEAD OF A SLOW COOKER:  If you’re in a hurry or don’t have a slow cooker you can use a stock pot. Simply heat the milk in a large stock pot over low to medium heat. Just be sure to stir it regularly, especially as it gets hotter, to prevent the milk from scorching. Then follow the rest of the instructions as written.
Pour the milk into the slow cooker and set it to HIGH. Go about your business, it’ll take at least 2 hours (usually longer) before the temperature’s up to 180 degrees. Use a thermometer to check the temperature.
Once the temperature is up to 180 degrees, turn off the slow cooker or stove top and let the milk cool to 110 degrees F. Â Again, go about your business, this will take at least another 2 hours.
Once the temperature is 110 degrees, mix a little of the warm milk into the room temperature starter yogurt, then gently but thoroughly stir it back into the milk using up and down, left and right motions (not circular). Close the lid and turn off the slow cooker.
Wrap a large bath towel around the slow cooker and let it sit undisturbed in a draft-free, room temperature (or warmer) area for 10-12 hours or overnight. If the environment is too cool the yogurt will not set.
When you remove the lid you’ll find that the milk has thickened and the whey has separated.
Look at that fabulous thick texture! Â The transformation is almost magical. Â You’ll be so excited the first time you make this! Â I still get excited every time I lift the lid.
Line a colander with some cheesecloth.
I currently use this cheesecloth. It’s great quality and you get a lot of it for an excellent price.
Pour the yogurt into the cheesecloth. Â If it doesn’t all fit (depending on the size of your colander), let the yogurt strain until there’s room enough to add the remaining yogurt, then continue to strain.
Depending on how thick you want the yogurt, this will take several hours. Â For thick Greek yogurt, you’ll end up straining it for at least 4 hours. Â That will also depend on the gauge of the cheesecloth. Â Set the colander on top of a large glass bowl. Â If leaving it to strain for several hours, you can put it in the fridge if you prefer and let it strain there.
See the liquid in the glass bowl above right?  That’s whey. See the section “How to Use Whey” for ideas.
Store the yogurt covered in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Â When you’re ready to make another batch, use some of the previous batch for the starter culture.
If fully strained to make Greek yogurt, you’ll end up with about 2 quarts (8 cups) of whey and 7-8 cups of Greek yogurt.
You’ll end up with less whey and more yogurt if you strain it less to make regular yogurt.
Cook with it, bake with it, eat it plain or with a variety of mix-ins, whatever your heart desires!
Enjoy!
Be sure to also check out our tutorials for how to make:
- Quark
- Mascarpone
- Sauerkraut
- Collard Kraut
How To Make Yogurt
Ingredients
- 1 gallon whole milk, 2% or skim milk (whole milk is recommended for thickest, creamiest results) (see note about using raw milk) *this method does NOT work with non-dairy alternatives
- 1 cup plain yogurt at room temperature, either from previous batch or store-bought (**The yogurt must have live cultures in it to work. Check the ingredients to make sure they include l. bulgaricus and s. thermophilus.)
- Equipment:
- Slow cooker or Pot
- Thermometer
- Cheesecloth
- Colander
Instructions
- IF USING A STOCK POT:  If you're in a hurry or don't have a slow cooker you can use a stock pot. Simply heat the milk in a large stock pot over low to medium heat. Just be sure to stir it regularly, especially as it gets hotter, to prevent the milk from scorching. Then follow the rest of the instructions as written.IF USING A SLOW COOKER: Pour the milk into a slow cooker set to HIGH and close the lid. It will take 2-3 hours before the temperature of the milk is up to 180 degrees F. Check it with an instant-read thermometer. Once it's at 180 degrees, turn off the slow cooker, close the lid, and let the milk cool to 110 degrees F. This will take another 2-3 hours. Once the temperature is between 110 and 115 degrees F, add some of the warm milk to the plain yogurt, stir to combine, and then gently but thoroughly stir the mixture back into the milk in the slow cooker using up and down, left and right motions (not circular).
- Close the lid, wrap the slow cooker or stock pot with a large bath towel, and let it sit undisturbed in a non-drafty place at room temperature (or warmer) for 10-12 hours or overnight. If the environment is too cool the yogurt will not set. During this process the milk will have thickened and the whey will have started separating from the milk.
- Line a colander with a cheesecloth and pour the yogurt into it. Set the colander over a large glass bowl and let it strain at room temperature for several hours, until you've achieved the desired thickness (length of straining time will also depend on the gauge of the cheesecloth. I use this cheesecloth - excellent quality and you get a lot of it for a great price) For thick Greek yogurt plan on at least 4 hours. You'll end up with about 8 cups of whey and 7-8 cups of Greek yogurt.
- Store the yogurt in the fridge in an airtight container, preferably a glass bowl for up to 2 weeks. When ready to make another batch of yogurt, use a cup of the previous batch as the starter culture.
Notes
**You don't have to use the slow cooker method. For a quicker method simply heat the milk in a large stock pot over low to medium heat. Just be sure to stir it regularly, especially as it gets hotter, to prevent the milk from scorching. Then follow the rest of the instructions as written.
Nutrition
First published on The Daring Gourmet June 2017
Martin says
If I want vanilla flavored yogurt can I add vanilla bean as it heats up in the slow cooker or should I use vanilla essence after it’s all done and thick?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Martin, adding things to the yogurt while the cultures are developing can interfere with the thickening process, but I would think that adding a vanilla bean would be just fine. If you try it please let us know how it turns out!
Ozark_Hillbilly says
Huge success! We used skim milk and this stuff is awesome! You stated the yogurt/whey ratio, but I didn’t pay attention to that detail. I should have started with more than 1.5 quarts of milk!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
SCORE!!! So glad it was a success, Ozark Hillbilly, and thanks for the feedback!
Angela says
I’m making another batch tonight, this time with 2% milk. Experimenting never tasted so good. After sharing with family, the first batch is just about gone. And, I needed an excuse to use up the remainder of that, dare I say it? store bought yogurt!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
You’re on a roll, Angela, you GO! I know, it really is exciting when you discover how to make your own yogurt, and how EASY it is! I think I made three batches the first week I ever tried it :)
Ozark_Hillbilly says
Well, our first batch is wrapped in the towel. We used the yo’gourmet starter we had in the pantry. I used too much starter, but I’m hopeful. Temperatures were dead-on, and we are excited to see how this ends up! We already make our kefir and are hoping this new venture is as successful as that. My little “granola girl” has really worked hard at getting me into eating healthier and when I had my annual blood work completed last week, the results were fantastic!!! This will be another tool in the toolbox.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s awesome news and a “good job” to both you and your granola girl! :) Let us know how the yogurt turns out!
Kristin says
Thanks for the great recipe! I made the yogurt according to your instructions (was very careful about temperatures), and everything seemed correct up until I strained the yogurt – it went right through the cheesecloth. How do I know if the yogurt set properly? It looked thick and yogurt like when I took the lid off the crockpot, and I stirred it (maybe I wasn’t supposed to do that?) and it looked very much like normal yogurt. When I poured it into the colander/cheesecloth, a lot of yogurt went through. After it settled a bit I moved the colander to a different bowl and it seems like only whey is straining now. Maybe some of the yogurt set and some didn’t? Any advice or wisdom would be greatly appreciated.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Kristin, if a lot of yogurt went through then yes, it’s because it didn’t set properly and if it’s not set by the end of the designated time it’s not going to set. Something went wrong with the culturing process. Make sure the slow cooker is wrapped well with a towel in a draft-free, warmish place for the full time. I also added a couple more specific guidelines that I had in my post but not the recipe box, namely it is imperative that the yogurt starter you use has live cultures in it, i.e. the ingredients must include l. bulgaricus and s. thermophilus. The other thing is to make sure that when stirring it the yogurt is dissolved and evenly distributed. Avoid using a circular motion and instead use an up/down, left/right motion to gently incorporate it. It sounds like you got really close to the right finished product, hopefully with a little minor tweaking it will turn out perfectly next time. Let us know!
Denise says
Just a “why” question. What is the importance of “up & down”, “left to right”? Why can you not stir? Just curious. Thank you!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Denise! It has to do with being gentle so as not to disturb the fragile bacteria cultures.
Kathy says
Hi Kim, my yogurt starter has l acidophilus and bifidus,l.casei will these cultures wor in the yogurt?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Kathy, I think those should be fine. The main thing is that the yogurt starter has live cultures and yours does. Let us know how it turns out!
Angela says
I made this for the first time last night. I’m a bit of a yogurt snob and like other posters, store bought yogurt, even premium brands, just fall short…waaaaayy short. Some majors brands aren’t even really yogurt by definition. They are thickened with gelatin and lord knows what all else they have in them or don’t have in them! I like my yogurt so thick you can eat it with a fork. My first attempt turned out fabulous! I let it strain a long time and it’s about the consistency of mascarpone cheese. Pure yogurt Heaven!!! I like the fact that I have complete control over the final product and it was so easy! I will never buy store bought again unless in a happy, drugged yogurt stupor I forget to reserve a cup for my next batch. OK, I can see that happening! But I promise, no buying brand yogurt to eat, just to use as starter. Thanks again for this fabulous recipe. Gotta run, fresh blueberries, raspberries and Heavenly yogurt are not just calling my name…they are screaming it! Now I can’t wheyt to use the whey in cooking.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
YES!! That’s exactly how I feel, Angela, so much of the stuff in the store is just plain yuck. I mean, look at the ingredients – besides gelatin like you already mentioned, they often pack the yogurt full of cornstarch and the texture is just awful, nothing like yogurt should taste. I agree, this homemade yogurt is so rich and thick and creamy, we love it! And it needs no further embellishing than fresh berries and a little dab of honey – heaven indeed!
Sharon says
Hi again, I see there is a diff in the US gallon and the British Gallon. So which is this?
Or how many cups would you use in place of a gallon. We use litres.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Sharon, all of the recipes on my blog are in U.S measurements, so this is a U.S. gallon. There are 16 U.S. cups to a gallon.
Sharon says
does it make a diff if you warm the milk first slightly and then put it in the slow cooker? To save time and mostly electricity!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Sharon, no it shouldn’t make any difference at all. The important thing is just to bring it up to the correct temperature, whatever method you use or how quickly isn’t important. Let us know how it goes!
Brandy says
Hi Kim, I made this yogurt today using Organic Grassmilk, and 1 cup of the Fag’e 2% yogurt as I couldn’t find any whole fat yogurt anywhere! At any rate it turned out great! It’s so delicious! Nothing at all like store bought yogurt. So creamy, and mild. I was eating it right out of the bowl plain and loving it! Now I’m not sure why, but I didn’t get anywhere near 8 cups of yogurt. I got a lot of the whey water, and about 4 cups total of yogurt in the end. I let it sit on a single layer of cheese cloth for about 7 hours. I stirred it a little but it was still runnier then I like and I noticed that I had some thicker looking yogurt on the bottom of my bowl once I drained off the whey water. SO…I emptied my yogurt from the cheesecloth and put my yogurt in a bowl. I cleaned the colander and lined it with double thick cheese cloth, put all the yogurt back in it, and added the thicker yogurt that had strained through. I then put it in the refrigerator for about another hour or so. It turned out perfect but all total a lot less then I was expecting. I eat like a cup day so 4 cups isn’t going to last me very long. Next time I will double the recipe.
I wanted to ask you if you have any suggestions for getting the yogurt out of the cheesecloth. Any tricks to make it easier? Overall I love this yogurt, and its a lot cheaper then the $6.00 a quart I’ve been paying, plus its not loaded with preservatives and tastes sooo much better! I will be making this A LOT now! But I do think in the future that I’m going to find some fine gauge cheesecloth, seems to me that is the better way to go. Thanks for the recipe!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Brandy, awesome, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! The amount of yogurt you get in the end is directly related to how much whey you strain out. The thicker the yogurt, the less of it you’ll have. I’ve only used the cheesecloth that I link to in my post so I can’t comment on any other brands or gauges. If I’m reusing the cheesecloth I’ll wash it out with hot running water.
Joel says
For something similar but not quite Greek, I use the Caspian Sea yogurt (aka matsoni) starter. No heating necessary. It’s not as thick but can be strained if need be.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s interesting, Joel, I’ve never heard of it but will need to look into it, thanks!
Anonymous says
Just wanted to share this recipe.
Helen says
Thanks for the recipe! :) I love greek yogurt! but I have a quesion , can I use a regular saucepan instead of a slow cooker to make this recipe?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Helen, absolutely. It will just require frequent monitoring and stirring so that the milk doesn’t scorch. Let us know how it turns out!
Amy says
I am excited to try this recipe! I have never used cheese cloth before. Is it reusable?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Amy! Yes, it is. Just rinse it with very hot water and let it dry. Let us know how it goes!
Katherine Thorne says
I just made my fourth batch of this and it’s perfect. I wanted to comment on the previous two comments about the yogurt being too liquidy. Getting the temperature right at both ends (heating and cooling) is extremely important and I recommend using an instant-read thermometer. The key is getting the yogurt to set properly before straining it. And I used the cheesecloth that Kimberly recommends in her post and everything has turned out perfectly following the directions exactly.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks for the feedback, Katherine. I’ve made this yogurt at least a dozen times, all successful, but there was one time it didn’t set properly and just ran through the cheesecloth. Since then I’ve been extra cautious about the temperatures and all has gone well. I have to wonder though if the freshness of the milk and the yogurt culture is connected to the outcome.
Erika says
So I was so excited to try this and everything went perfectly until the straining process. My yogurt is straining straight through the cheese cloth and not separating out the whey. Do you know what I did wrong. Currently what I have tastes exactly like yogurt just thinner.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Bummer, Erika! That’s disheartening, I know. I guess it could have to do with the grade of cheesecloth you’re using (ie, if the holes are too large) but most likely it just didn’t set properly – either something was off with the temperatures or it was the yogurt you used as the starter.
Jared says
I am wondering if you use a single layer of cheesecloth or perhaps more when you wrap it over the colander? I am going to make this for the first time and don’t want to allow too much through but also don’t want it to clog up. Thanks for the great recipe!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Jared, thanks for asking that. Yes, I just use a single layer, otherwise it will take forever to drain. And don’t worry about losing the yogurt part itself, only the whey will drain through the cheesecloth. It is critical though that the yogurt is properly set before pouring it into the cheesecloth otherwise everything will come pouring through (been there, done that ;)
Margie says
I had to experiment with my cheese cloth, having never used one before. In future, I will order the one you recommend. It took 3 times to get yogurt mixture to separate! I bought Faberware Canning Cheesecloth and learned not to unfold it and double layer it…straining whey perfectly now!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Excellent, Margie, I’m so glad it all worked out, enjoy your yogurt!