How to Make Yogurt in a Pressure Cooker

Yogurt is a healthy and delicious food that comes in countless different varieties. But have you ever considered making your own yogurt at home? Homemade yogurt has numerous benefits.

It tastes better than storebought, you can control exactly what goes into it, and it can also end up being less expensive than buying it.

Yogurt can be made at home using several different methods, and here we’ll discuss how to make yogurt in a pressure cooker.

Yogurt made in a pressure cooker is extremely creamy and smooth-tasting compared to its store-bought counterpart.

The great thing about making pressure cooker yogurt at home is you can adjust it to suit your taste.

Add in some honey if you like it sweeter, or top it with some fresh fruit or granola for a tasty breakfast or dessert. You can even make thicker Greek yogurt.

Why make yogurt at home?

If yogurt is so readily available, why bother making it at home? Here are a few reasons to consider making your own yogurt:

• Extremely easy to make
• Can be cheaper than store-bought
• Tastes better than store-bought yogurt
• It can also be turned into cream cheese
• No need to add sugar, gum, gelatin, or other additives
• Sweeten it as much or as little as you like
  
• Makes a fun cooking project

How to make yogurt in different kinds of pressure cookers

Using a pressure cooker with a yogurt setting

This recipe is for pressure cookers equipped with a setting specifically to make yogurt, such as the popular Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker.

Instructions:

1. Sanitize the pressure cooker, specifically the inner pot. This can be done by pouring boiling water into it, letting it sit for a bit and then pouring it out. You don’t want any leftover flavors or bits of food from a previous recipe.
2. Heat the milk. Add a ½ gallon of milk to the pressure cooker’s inner pot and put the lid on. Press the yogurt function button. When it beeps, take off the lid and test the milk to ensure it is 180°. Leaving the inner pot inside for 5 minutes can help make the yogurt thicken better.
3. Now cool the milk down between 105-115 degrees. This takes about 1 hour if left to sit on the counter. If you want to do it faster, you can put the inner pot in an ice water bowl.
4. Take the skin off the milk, so you have the creamiest yogurt.
5. Whisk in a plain unsweetened yogurt starter into the milk.
6. Incubate the yogurt. Put the inner pot into the pressure cooker and put the lid on. Press the yogurt button and set it for 8 hours.
7. It’s ready! Put into containers and refrigerate until needed.

Making pressure cooker yogurt with appliances that do not have a yogurt button

Instructions:

1. Pour milk into the inner pot of the pressure cooker and turn on the sear or sauté feature.
2. Heat milk until it is at 180°F. Don’t let the milk burn.
3. Stop the heat and cool until 108°.
4. Stir in starter yogurt with a whisk.
5. Put back in the pot and put the lid on the pressure cooker.
6. Wrap in towels and let incubate for 8-10 hours.

Making Greek yogurt

Follow the steps as with homemade yogurt, and then when it is ready, use a large strainer lined with cheesecloth over a big bowl.

Let the yogurt drain overnight and then discard the cheesecloth and put the thick yogurt into containers for storage.

Best pressure cookers for making yogurt

Below we’ve listed some of the best pressure cookers known for making perfect yogurt at home.

Instant Pot Duo Plus 9-In-1 Electric Pressure Cooker

The Instant Pot Duo Plus 9-in-1 pressure cooker has a function-specific for making yogurt. It has an easy seal lid for pressure cooking and a progress indicator.

Stainless steel makes it easy to clean, and the removable parts are dishwasher safe. It has great safety features including a safety lock lid for safe pressure cooking.

You can do small or larger batches as needed. The inner pot is cookware grade with a three-ply bottom that is durable and dishwasher safe.

Yedi 9-In-1 Total Package Instant Programmable Pressure Cooker

The Yedi 9-in-1 Total Package Instant Programmable Pressure Cooker has 15 programs that are pre-set, including one for making yogurt.

It also comes with lots of accessories, including a glass lid, egg racks, steaming rack, ladle, rice paddle, basket, and inner pot.

This instant pressure cooker comes with a great recipe booklet and cheat sheets to help you get your food exactly right.

Zavor Lux Multi-Cooker, 8 Quart Electric Pressure Cooker

The Zavor LUX Multi-Cooker, 8 Quart Electric Pressure Cooker has made a great pressure cooker with a built-in yogurt setting feature that lets you make delicious homemade yogurt with an easy 2-step process.

It has a stainless steel cooking pot that is dishwasher safe and comes with a digital recipe book with more than 120 recipes. Add in a 1-year warranty, and you have a great pressure cooker for yogurt making.

Ready to make your own homemade yogurt?

Now that you know how to make yogurt in a pressure cooker, you no longer need to put it on your grocery list.

Doing it in your pressure cooker makes it easy and cost-efficient, and it’s a fun cooking project too. And of course, an electric pressure cooker is hardly a one-trick pony.

Besides yogurt, you can also use a pressure cooker to make rice quickly and to cook tough cuts of meat to perfection.

For more information on electric pressure cookers, check out our picks for the best electric pressure cookers.