Easy Instant Pot Greek Yogurt Recipe

Greek Yogurt Recipe

This is a very easy recipe for making Greek yogurt in the 6 quart Instant Pot with the Yogurt Setting. It uses 3 main ingredients and just add toppings of your choice or enjoy it plain. It yields approximately 6 1/2 cups.

Instant Pot Yogurt

Instant Pot 6 Quart Model

    This recipe is only for the Instant Pot with the Yogurt Setting.

Ingredients

  • Fairlife 1/2 Gallon (52 ounce) Whole Milk
  • 1 16 ounce Natural Bliss in Sweet Cream or Vanilla Flavor
  • 2 Tablespoons Fage 2 % Yogurt (must be freshly opened for the cultures) You can use other Greek Plain Yogurt as well. We have used Chobani with success.

Other Options

We like Natural Bliss the best but you can choose ONE of the following instead,
  1. 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk (you can use the whole can or half of it)
  2. 1-2 cups heavy cream or half & half milk

Steps

  • Be sure your pot is clean and dry
  • Add the entire 1/2 gallon of Fairlife Milk to the pot.
  • Whisk in 1 16 ounce container of Natural Bliss or your selected option.
  • Whisk in 2 Tablespoons of Fage Yogurt (Must be a freshly opened container)
  • Remove the inner seal of the Instant Pot ring as it is not needed and may have odors from cooking other food.
  • Lock the lid onto the Instant Pot and press YOGURT. The Instant Pot will beep and count up to 8 hours. This was the perfect time for our taste. If you leave it longer it will become more tart. If you do it for 7 hours or less it will become a liquid like consistency like a drinkable yogurt.
  • After 8 hours the Instant Pot will beep, remove lid, take out the pot carefully and cover with Saran Wrap or Glass Lid and place undisturbed in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours. Do NOT stir before cooling in the refrigerator.
  • Instant Pot Yogurt after Chilling
    Instant Pot Yogurt after Chilling
    Instant Pot Yogurt after Chilling
  • After cooling, stir gently and add a teaspoon of Vanilla if you wish. It will stay fresh about 2-3 weeks in the fridge. This recipe makes approximately 6 1/2 cups. If this quantity is too large, try making a few freezer pops. See our picture below.
  • If you would like a thicker consistency, you can strain the yogurt with a fine mesh strainer. If you find it is too thick after straining, simply add back a little of the whey until it is how you like it.
  • .

Sweetener Options

We tried it plain as well as adding a few sweeteners to change the flavor including Hershey's Caramel Syrup and Jello Powder. Here are some suggestions for toppings. Some of the suggestions are similar to the pre-made combos you can buy at the grocery store.
  • Vanilla Extract
  • Jell-O Powder (we tried the no sugar Jell-O powder but some people prefer natural sweeteners
  • Fresh Fruit (raspberries, strawberries and blueberries are favorites.
  • Dried Fruit like blueberries from Trader Joes taste delicious!
  • Granola Pieces (Aldi has a large bag of really good crushed granola pieces)
  • Crushed Grahams or Oreos
  • Crushed Candies like Butterfinger, Snickers or Heath
  • Small Candies like Mini M&M's or chocolate chips
  • Hershey's Caramel, Chocolate or Strawberry Syrup.
  • Maple Syrup
  • Honey
  • Chopped Nuts (be aware of food allergies)
  • Dash of brown sugar
  • Condensed Milk for extra sweetening
  • Monk Fruit sugar is a good option for those who don't want to add regular sugar
We used Hershey's Caramel Syrup to make some Greek yogurt pops. We filled the popsicle mold and froze them. If the pops don't release right away, run some warm water on the bottom.
Instant Pot Yogurt Pops
This makes an easy lunch snack...add a few blackberries, sliced strawberries or blueberries. For a sweet topping use granola crumbles, mini M&M's, crushed Oreos or graham crackers. See above for additional ideas to change it up.
Homemade Greek Yogurt with Fruit and Granola

Important Notes

  • If you select a different milk it must be ULTRA PASTEURIZED. Fairlife will produce a slightly thicker result because it has more protein that some of the other Ultra Pasteurized Milks.
  • Yogurt must be just opened for best results for the cultures to be the most active.
  • For a thicker consistency reduce the Bliss to one cup.
  • You can also strain the whey out of the yogurt if you want it to be thicker in consistency
  • If you add sweeteners during the Incubation process (the 8 hours in the Instant Pot) it can slow down the culturing process.
  • You may see some grainy textured yogurt on the bottom of the pot after the Incubation process...this is normal. Don't mix that into your yogurt for best results. Discard the grainy yogurt on the bottom.

Want It Thicker?

Strain your yogurt using cheesecloth or a coffee filter in a colander over a bowl up to 12 hours or until you get the consistency desired. A much easier method if you do this on a regular basis is to get a European Yogurt Strainer.
straining yogurt to make it thicker
straining yogurt to make it thicker