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: 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?
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. 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: Heating it to 180 degrees isn’t for the purpose of killing unwanted bacteria as much as it is for creating a thick texture. The heat changes the structure of the proteins in the milk and enables it to thicken into yogurt. 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. It hardly thickened at all. 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. 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
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?
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. 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 “How to Use 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!
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
Jessica says
As I was heating and cooling the milk in the crockpot, a thin film of milk was forming on the top. Should I stir this layer or just leave it?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Jessica, yes that’s perfectly normal. I usually just discard it at the end.
mimi says
Help!
I put the milk in my crock pot and when it was time to turn it off I realized it was on ‘warm’ and not ‘low!
Please share your thoughts: is it safe to proceed by placing it in crock for additional 2 hrs low, and so on? Wondering if it is safe to save this or just wave the white flag and start with fresh ingredients tomorrow.
thanks!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Mimi, if it were me I’d go ahead and put it on low for another 2 hours. I’m not sure if that will do the trick but it’s worth a try!
stann says
I have a jar of unopened yogurt that says sell by 12/16/2016. It is Dec 31. How long does yogurt last past the sell-by date and keep healthy bugs? Being football weekend can I allow it to strain beyond 6 hrs.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Stann, yes, that yogurt should be perfectly fine. I’ve used yogurt that was 6 weeks past expiration on more than one occasion. As long as it’s unopened, doesn’t have any mold and smells fine it probably is. Yes, it will still have good bugs in it :) And yes, strain it however long it needs to reach the desired consistency. You can also strain it in the fridge which is what I’ll often do if I want it really thick or if I’m making a soft cheese with it and need to strain it overnight or even up to 24 hours.
stann says
Kimberly the yogurt turned out great. I let it drain longer than 6 hours…About 10 hrs. It is thicker than my earlier batches. I also removed the internal bowl of the crockpot, wrapped it in a towel, warmed up the oven, placed the milk in the oven and left the oven light on. The temperature of the yogurt was 99F when I transferred to be drained. Thanks for your insight
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Stann, thanks so much for the update!
Jen says
Getting ready to make your yogurt recipe this evening and I am so excited! From what I’ve gathered reading the questions and comments here it can be useful to leave the crockpot on warm overnight while the yogurt sits for the 10-12 hours. Is this correct? Or do you recommend just shutting it down and letting it cool (with the towel on)?
Thank you!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Jen, I’ve always turned the slow cooker off and the results were great. A few weeks ago I had a failed batch and tried turning the slow cooker back on warm for a few hours and it turned out perfectly after all. I would say it depends on how warm your home is. We turn our heat down at night and since it’s winter it gets pretty cool, so I’m going to try leaving it on warm all night for my next batch. Let us know how it goes!
Slavena says
Hey, I have a question about the left over whey. I read online that it is similar to buying whey powder for protein. Some people dehydrate the whey from the yogurt and then turn it into powder instead of storing gallons of liquid whey in their freezer. My question is that I imagine the homemade whey from the yogurt would be safe for kids to consume (unlike the whey powders that are full of junk/chemicals). Thinking of how we can use up the liquid whey as a family, but just wanting to make sure.
Also any idea which other nutrients the whey contains? Thanks :)
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Slavena, that’s super interesting about drying the liquid whey, that’s something I’ve never attempted. But for sure, I would agree that it’s much better than the store-bought stuff with undesirable fillers. Another way I’ve used the leftover liquid whey is in the place of milk for our smoothies.
Amber says
This did not work for me, which is disheartening because I’ve used your recipe for the past month on the stove top. Perhaps that method is more forgiving, I haven’t had issues with the milk scorching and I was able to ballpark the temperatures. Or maybe my stainless steel pot holds heat longer than the Crock-Pot….i don’t know. I’m frustrated.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Amber, I’m sorry to hear it was a failure this time. I just had a failed batch last month and rather than waste it I thought I’d experiment and turn the slow cooker back on the “warm” setting for a few more hours and see what happens. It worked. It thickened perfectly. Bacteria is a moody thing and though I’ve rarely had a failed batch it has happened to me as well. So if it ever happens to me again I’ll know what to do – just turn it back on “warm” and give it a little more time.
Denise says
I LOVE this yogurt! Thanks again Kimberly. I decided to order some huge paper coffee filters from a restaurant supply store. They are so much easier than the cheesecloth. Now I make your yogurt even more often. The size of the filters are huge since they are meant for a 10 gallon coffee urn. So easy. I need only one per batch. Also I make 1/2 the recipe now so heating and cooling times take less time. IMHO, it needs no flavouring or sweetening. It’s yummy as is.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks so much, Denise, and thanks also for the tip about the large coffee filters!
Larry Mickey says
Here’s a question. I just read that you can use whey as the starter on your next batch of yogurt. Have you ever tried this?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Larry, I haven’t tried it but yes, that should work because the same cultures will also be in the whey.
Laura says
Thank you for this easy recipe. We normally drink raw milk. Have you ever used raw milk for this and what would the differences be? I have read that raw milk will make a thinner yogurt and may be a bit “off” in taste due to high bacterial count. Do you have experience with this? Thanks! :)
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Laura, we drink raw milk too (we get it at a small local dairy down the road). It’s challenging making it with raw milk, not because of the flavor but because you end up with different competing strains of good bacteria which, as you noted, results in more of a yogurt soup. I’ve been meaning experiment with it more in an attempt to “crack the code” for great raw milk yogurt but just haven’t gotten around to it yet. When I do – and if I’m successful – I’ll either update this post or publish a separate one.
Rebecca says
Thank you for replying. I have tried many different methods for making nondairy yogurt over the past few years and have failed every time. I was hoping this would be the magic method. I will keep searching.
Larry Mickey says
Just made my first batch abd it turned out perfect.My kitchen gets cool this time of year,60+ degrees at night.Instead of wrapping the slow cooker in towels I removed the bowl and placed it in a Hot and Cold bag like you get at Sam’s or Wallyworld. It turned out perfect but upon reflection the next time I’ll take a hair dryer and warm the inside of the bag first.After placing it in the bag I covered it with a pillow for added precaution.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks for the feedback, Larry! We keep our house cool at night too and this last batch I made I simply left the slow cooker on the “warm” setting and it turned out perfectly. I’m going to try it again next time to see if the results are consistent.
Rebecca Hengen says
Is it possible to modify this to make a vegan yogurt? Will almond or coconut milk work?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Rebecca, making yogurt from alternative milk involves a different process and will also require a thickening agent like unflavored gelatin. If you Google “how to make yogurt with almond milk/coconut milk” you’ll find a lot of options.
Laura says
Hi! I know I am a little late to the party on this, but I just tried this recipe. Everything went well..,so far. I have the yogurt straining right now, but it looks a bit lumpy, like a thin cottage cheese. Is this normal or did I do something wrong? Also my whey is cloudy not clear like it is in your photos. It tastes fine, but the texture seems a bit off. Just wondering if this is normal or if I missed an important step. Thanks the recipe! I have been excited all day to see how it turns out!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Laura, there’s no deadline to this party, it’s ongoing! :) The whey will become clear as the sediment settles to the bottom. Once the yogurt is done straining, give it a vigorous stirring and the lumps should break up.
Amy says
Hi there, great article I plan to try the slow cooker method.
Draining the whey will take out a significant amount of protein. Do you know how much protein remains in the finished product? Also, how many calories are in a serving assuming it is one cup?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Amy! 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. The best you can do is guess.
sheryl` says
I have made this recipe many times and have only had 2 mishaps.
1. Start this about 4 pm (2 hrs to get to 180, and 2 hrs to lower to 110)
2. cover with the towel all night and by 6 am you have a beautiful crock pot that can strain all day in the frig during work hours.
3.use high quality plain unflavored yogurt (Chobani or Fage work well) , when i tried a honey or vanilla flavor it was runny. Add your own flavor or fruit when it is done.Then use your own yogurt as the starter from then on.
4.I make parfaits with my home made granola and fresh picked berries, there’s nothing better!!
5. so cost effective you can share with everyone!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Sheryl, I’m happy to hear it’s been such a success! I agree, there is nothing better – vastly cheaper and better tasting than store-bought!