How To Make Yogurt
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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!
Easy Homemade Yogurt
How long does it take to pour a gallon of milk into a slow cooker? That’s about how much hands-on prep time is involved in making this gloriously thick, rich, and creamy homemade yogurt! Making yogurt at home is surprisingly easy, economical, and gives you complete control over the ingredients and consistency. I’ll show you how to make regular yogurt or thick and creamy Greek yogurt. The choice is yours.
Why Make Your Own Yogurt?
I can’t remember the last time that I bought yogurt. I’ve been making my own yogurt for at least 10 years now and I love homemade yogurt because:
- It tastes great
- It costs less
- It contains live and active cultures
- I have full control over the ingredients and thickness
Making your own yogurt is easy and once you’ve gotten the hang of it you’ll likely never buy yogurt again either!
Homemade Yogurt Ingredients and Equipment
- Milk: For the richest, creamiest results, I recommend whole milk, although 2% and skim milk can also be used.
- Plain yogurt (as a starter culture): There is no need to buy a special yogurt starter culture. You can either use store-bought plain yogurt containing live cultures or a cup of yogurt from your previous homemade batch. If using store-bought be sure to check the label on the container confirm that it has l. bulgaricus and s. thermophilus in it. These live cultures are necessary in order for your yogurt to set.
- Cheesecloth: You’ll this for straining the yogurt. 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.
- Thermometer: You’ll need a thermometer to check the temperature. Heating the milk to right temperature and then reducing it to the right temperature are both critical to the success of your yogurt.
- Large Pot or Slow Cooker: I like to use a slow cooker because of the hands-off convenience, bou can use either and I’ve provided instructions for both.
- Colander: You’ll need a colander for straining the yogurt through the cheesecloth. I like and use this one that hangs over the sink.
Slow Cooker vs. Stovetop: Which Is Better?
You can use either with great success. The best choice comes down to how much time you have and how hands-on you want to be.
Slow Cooker Method
Pros: The slow cooker heats the milk slowly and gently, which reduces the risk of scorching. It’s also wonderfully hands-off. You can let the milk heat over the course of a few hours while you go about your day.
Cons: It takes considerably longer to heat the milk than it does on the stovetop. Of course, that’s only a disadvantage if you’re in a hurry!
Stovetop Method
Pros: The stovetop method is much faster. You can bring the milk up to temperature relatively quickly, then simply wait for it to cool before adding the starter culture.
Cons: It requires more attention. As the milk gets hotter, you’ll need to stir it regularly to prevent scorching because the milk can burn surprisingly quickly if you’re not watching it.
Which method do I prefer? I’ve used both methods with success but I generally reach for my slow cooker because I love the hands-free convenience. I can plug it in and let the milk slowly heat while I go about my daily tasks.
Why Do You Have to Heat the Milk to 180°F?
A question you may be asking is, if I’m using store-bought pasteurized milk, do I need to heat it to 180 degrees or can I just skip that step? Even though grocery-store milk is already pasteurized, you should still heat it to approximately 180°F, then allow it to cool to around 110°F before adding the starter culture. Why? Because heating isn’t just about eliminating unwanted bacteria. High heat changes the structure of the milk proteins, helping the yogurt develop a thicker texture. I tested this myself. When I heated the milk to only a little over 110°F before adding the starter, it barely thickened. When I heated it to 180°F first, cooled it to 110°F, and then added the starter, it thickened beautifully. So don’t skip this step if you want reliably thick yogurt.
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. It’s basically water with lactose and protein. And it’s the protein that’s the valuable ingredient here. Milk contains two types of protein, casein and whey. Most of the casein ends up in the yogurt and the whey is in the liquid by-product.
How to Use Leftover Whey
Whey is a good 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:
- Soups and broths: Use whey in place of some of the water for additional flavor.
- Bread and baking: Substitute whey for water in bread dough and certain baked goods.
- Smoothies: Add some to your favorite smoothie for a protein boost.
- Gardening: Because whey is acidic, appropriately diluted amounts can be used around acid-loving plants to lower the pH level of the soil.
Can You Freeze Whey?
Yes, it can be frozen for up to 6 months. Freezing it in smaller portions makes it easy to thaw only what you need.
Can I Make a Smaller Batch of Yogurt?
Absolutely. This recipe uses one gallon of milk, but you can easily cut it in half and use a half gallon instead. Remember that a gallon of milk won’t produce a gallon of strained yogurt. The final yield depends on how much whey you remove (the thicker you make your yogurt, the lower the final volume) and will give you something in the ballpark of 2 quarts. Homemade yogurt can generally be refrigerated for about two weeks. If you’re making a smaller batch, just remember to reserve enough plain yogurt to start your next batch.
How to Make Greek Yogurt
You don’t need a separate recipe for Greek yogurt. The difference is simply how much whey you strain from the finished yogurt. The longer you strain it, the thicker and more concentrated it becomes. Use a cheesecloth-lined colander and simply stop straining when the yogurt reaches the consistency you like.
Help! My Yogurt Didn’t Set
Every once in a while, a batch simply doesn’t thicken. I’ve made over 60 batches, and fortunately it’s only happened to me a couple of times. But it’s nonetheless disappointing when you’re expecting thick, creamy yogurt and instead get “yogurt soup!”
A failed set can happen for several reasons. Here are some common culprits:
- The milk wasn’t heated to the proper temperature.
- The milk was too hot when the starter was added, damaging the cultures.
- The milk became too cool during incubation.
- The yogurt wasn’t incubated long enough.
- Too much or too little starter was used.
- The starter yogurt didn’t contain sufficiently active live cultures.
Because yogurt depends on living bacterial cultures, even a seemingly perfect batch can occasionally behave differently. Live bacteria can be finicky and they kind of have a mind of their own. The only thing to do is try again with a new batch. But just because it failed turning into thick yogurt doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy it.
Don’t Throw Out the “Yogurt Soup”!
A failed, thin batch doesn’t have to go to waste. Yogurt drinks, for example, are enjoyed throughout Europe and many other parts of the world, so your failed batch may simply have given you an opportunity to make something different! Here are a few ways you can turn it into a refreshing yogurt drink:
- Sweeten it with honey or maple syrup
- Add a favorite flavored syrup
- Blend it with fresh or frozen berries or your favorite fruit
- Using it as the liquid base for a smoothie
- Or instead of a drink, use it to make a cold soup like Tarator
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. 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! The transformation is almost magical. You’ll be so excited the first time you make this! 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. 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. For thick Greek yogurt, you’ll end up straining it for at least 4 hours. That will also depend on the gauge of the cheesecloth. Set the colander on top of a large glass bowl. 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 above titled “How to Use Leftover Whey” for ideas.
Store the yogurt covered in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. 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!
How Much Protein and How Many Calories Are in Homemade Yogurt?
There’s no single accurate answer because the nutritional content depends on the milk, starter, amount of whey removed, and final consistency. Straining removes water along with some lactose, minerals, and protein while concentrating the yogurt that’s left behind. As a result, calculating the calories and protein in homemade yogurt should be considered an estimate.
Ways to Enjoy Yogurt
There are so many ways you can enjoy your homemade yogurt. Here are just a few ideas:
- 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 to replace some of the mayonnaise for making creamy dressings like ranch dressing, Russian dressing, thousand island dressing, creamy French dressing, blue cheese dressing and creamy cilantro dressing.
- Make homemade tzatziki sauce.
- Replace sour cream and buttermilk with yogurt in baked goods like cakes, muffins, waffles, pancakes or pie (e.g., sweet potato pancakes, pumpkin waffles, boxty, whole wheat sourdough waffles, sweet potato pie).
- Make yogurt fruit popsicles.
- Use it in place of sour cream for things like tacos, enchiladas and burritos.
- Use it to replace some of the mayonnaise for egg salad, tuna salad, chicken salad, Olivier salad, macaroni 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!
Be sure to check out these other tutorials:
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How To Make Yogurt
Equipment
- Slow Cooker , or large stock pot
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.)
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). 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
Nutrition
First published on The Daring Gourmet June 2017
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
Hello Kimberley, I have read everyone of the above comments!! I have just made yoghurt as per your directions but have used a Yoghurt Maker which has 6 small pots in it. It has been in the ‘maker’ for 8 hours and I have just checked and it is lovely and thick! Wow! 🤗
In the past, I have made many pots of yoghurt but have never warmed the milk prior to adding the starter. (Maybe I never read the instructions properly). I would just add the starter to the milk and whisk (!!!) them together and pour the mixture of milk and starter (cold) into the pots, turn on the Yoghurt Maker and go to work. When I got home at the end of the day – lovely thick yoghurt. Now, did I get lovely thick yoghurt because I made it in the Yoghurt Maker which kept it at a constant temperature, or was I just lucky? Is it actually necessary to warm the milk if I am using a Yoghurt Maker? I don’t have a Slow Cooker.
Thankyou for your very clear instructions. Love your site!
Thank you, Mary! :) I’ve never used a Yoghurt Maker before so I’m not really sure how it works.
The first time, PERFECT. The 2nd time I left it to drain for too long ( 3hrs at room temp and then I put it in the fridge to drain for 8hrs) and it’s THICK! and dry, LOL. Tastes fine but is there some way to thin it out a bit?
Hi Stormy, congrats on the first time, yay! Your second batch: You can probably thin it out by adding a bit of milk. You know what I’d do instead though? Make cheese! The process you followed the second time is exactly what you would do if you were making a soft cheese, like labneh – a Middle Eastern yogurt cheese. You simply add a bit of salt to it and roll the thick yogurt into balls (yes, it will stick a bit to your palms) and then serve them drizzled with olive oil infused with chopped herbs, maybe some garlic, and a sprinkle of paprika. You take a ball and spread it onto a slice of crusty bread – heaven! For longer preservation you can place the balls in a jar of olive oil (I usually like to add chopped herbs). I’ll be publishing a post about homemade labneh, but that’s the gist of it.
Kimberly,
I want to thank you for this fabulous recipe. So easy! I have made it twice now and I am sure my co-workers, family and friends are tired of hearing about it! My question is can I hurry along the cooling period? My slow cooker s ceramic and once I stir in the yogurt starter and clamp down the lid it is taking more than 5 hours to cool down to 110 degrees. I have to admit I am not starting early enough and because I want to go to bed have resorted to taking off the lid and fanning the yogurt and cracking the lid. Any advice?
Then you,
Dianne
Hi Dianne, I’m so glad you enjoyed it, thank you! Yes, I get impatient myself waiting for it to cool down, especially if I got a late start and want to go to bed. To answer your question, yes, you can speed up the cooling process a bit – I often set it outside to cool down faster. Of course, if it’s summer that won’t help much!
Thanks! I love your site!
On a recent trip to Kosovo and Macedonia teaching science I stayed with a local family who made fresh yogurt every couple of days and ate it for breakfast with fruit. They would just go out in the yard, get the milk from the cow and cut whatever fruits were on the bushes. they would always keep a cup for the next batch. It was a wonderfully simple thing for them and they were shocked to hear that I paid for this stuff in the store every week. lol They made it in a frying pan and heated the milk to where you could no longer put your finger in it without pulling it back out and then just add the starter yogurt and put a lid and towel over it for about 6-8 hours sitting on top of the stove. Then they put it in the fridge. They would serve it and then add the fruit on top usually.
I have used this recipe countless times and it is awesome. I have found that a big bag of frozen fruit works equally as good as chopping fresh fruits. Either mashed or whole fruits are delicious in this mix. I put it in one pint mason jars and make enough for about 10 days each time. When it starts slightly burning your tongue as you eat it, it’s time to get rid of it. :)
Thanks for sharing your experience, Stephen. I can just imagine their incredulity at the thought of us paying such premium prices for such a basic staple :) I’m happy you’ve been making and enjoying this, thanks so much for the feedback.
Love, love love! Thank you for this recipe! Mine turned out great, but it did take almost a day to strain. As someone else mentioned, around the sides got dense much quicker then the center. The cheese cloth is so large(I bought the one you suggested), I think next time I will cut it in two and use two strainers! Also, I see where the whey can be frozen for 6 months-how long will it be good just in the fridge? Excited to add this to some soups and smoothies.
Hi Lora! Yes, the sides will strain faster because they’re on a sloped incline (i.e., a thinner layer of yogurt) than the bottom (a much thicker/deeper layer). I’ve seen so many conflicting answers to the whey storage question – some say it will keep a couple of weeks in the fridge, others say a month, many say up to 6 months, and I’ve even seen some that say over a year. If I’m not going to use it up within a few weeks I usually freeze it.
Okay Kimberly, I made your Greek style yogurt this weekend.
In a word, scrumptious.
I used the organic whole milk from Waitrose, with the cream on top, and followed the recipe to the letter. Except I had to reheat it from 90F to 115F because I had fallen asleep and it cooled down too much.
But everything else went to plan. It sat the night next to the AGA.
In the morning I started to strain it. I actually moved it to the fridge after 4 hours, and allowed it to strain more. My muslin was a very tight weave and it was taking ages. But got there in the end.
In all honesty I have never, ever tasted such fabulous yogurt. It’s so creamy, with a touch of tang. I took about a quarter of the yield (oh, yes, I did cut it down to a half gallon of milk due to my slow cooker capacity) and added a touch of honey to have with my breakfast in the morning. I may mix some stem ginger in with a portion of the rest, keeping some plain for recipes.
To top it all off, I made all this lovely, scrumptious yogurt for less than a large pot of commercial brand I was purchasing!
Win/win. :)
Fantastic, Marian, I’m so happy to hear that, yay!!
Brilliant Kimberly, just the recipe I need. Looked at others and way too complicated!
This is similar to the way I am making buttermilk; heat it to 180F, cool to 110, add the culture the first time. On subsequent batches, I mix some from my previous batch with the full milk, wrap it in a towel and set it near the AGA. Perfect every time!
Can’t wait to try this. Since I’m the only one eating the yogurt I will halve the recipe. But now, I should have it on hand whenever needed – or wanted!
Thanks!
Wonderful, Marian! And thanks for the info on how you prepare buttermilk. Happy yogurt-making :)
Hello Kimberly,
thanks for the recipe, gonna try it tonight. I have a question (dont know if its been asked/answered before, there are too many to read through all of them). Is it possible to leave the slow cooker on WARM instead of wrapping it in a towel, or is the WARM setting ‘too warm’? Thanks
Hi Kristyna, when I’ve had a couple of failed batches (didn’t set) I’ve turned it back on to WARM for 3-4 hours and it set up perfectly. But that was also after it had sat out all night wrapped in a towel and given time for the cultures to multiply. So setting it to WARM from the beginning may or may not prevent the cultures from doing their job, I’m not sure.