Instant Pot No Boil or Cold Ingredients Yogurt is a quick way to make yogurt using cold milk and cold starter yogurt in the instant pot.
We are a heavy yogurt eating family. My husband loves yogurt with every meal. Yes, Indians have yogurt as a side with curry. We do need something to neutralize the spicy food 🙂 Yogurt is always a healthy and nutritious choice, you can pretty much have it for any meal – breakfast, lunch, snack or dinner. Making yogurt at home is also very cost effective, and you know that you are feeling the right ingredients to your family.
I have shared the traditional recipe for yogurt in the instant pot before. I certainly love the pot-in-pot method to make yogurt so it is set right in the bowl and I can refrigerate it. However the only thing that sometimes stops me from making yogurt in the evening after work is the time it will take for the milk to boil and then cool down to the right temperature. I have been seeing many posts on Facebook Instant Pot group about making yogurt without boiling, so I wanted to try it out. So here is the cold ingredients method where I don’t have to boil and cool down the milk anymore.
That said, I do want to mention that you need a special type of milk, ultra-pasteurized, to make this yogurt. And the taste is not exactly the same as yogurt made from normal whole milk. This may not be an issue if you flavor your yogurt, however if you eat plain yogurt you might want to taste this and check for your preference.
What is Cold Ingredients Yogurt?
The main difference from normal yogurt is that the milk is not boiled and cooled to the right temperature before adding the starter. You skip the boiling step. The cold milk and the starter with live cultures are added to the Instant Pot, and you let the Instant Pot “Yogurt” mode do it’s magic.
Another difference from normal yogurt is that this method gives a thicker greek yogurt like texture, so no straining is required.
The biggest advantage is method is that it is a “One pot, one shot” technique which certainly saves time.
What do you need to make No boil / Cold Ingredients Yogurt?
Fairlife Milk has been the popular choice in the USA for most instapotters. The Canada version for this milk is Natrel. These milks are called ultra filtered and are pasteurized at a higher temperature. There is more natural protein and calcium in this milk and less sugar. Fairlife milk is not organic. But Fairlife milk is lactose free, so this is a great option if you are lactose intolerant.
You can use other ultra pasteurized milks to make cold ingredients yogurt, however I have not tried with any other milk. Also, note that it is not recommended to use this cold ingredients method with milk that has not been through the ultra pasteurization process.
Other than milk, you will need a yogurt with live active cultures to use as a starter. I used Fage yogurt as starter for this recipe, but really any yogurt will work. Just check for live active culture in the ingredients. After you make yogurt the first time, you can save some as a starter for your next batch.
Note: I am not advertising Fairlife or Natrel milk and am not related to the company in any way. This milk has been the choice for making this cold ingredients yogurt.
How to make No boil / cold ingredients yogurt?
Pour the carton of Fairlife milk into the instant pot insert. Add 2 tbsp of yogurt (I have noticed that with 1 tbsp I have not got the right consistency).
Mix the starter well with the milk by using a whisk.
If you like to sweeten the yogurt, you can add the sugar or vanilla or condensed milk. Mix it well.
Set the Yogurt mode on the instant pot. It should read “Normal” and you can set it for anywhere between 8-10 hours. If you prefer, a glass lid can be used when making yogurt as you are not cooking under pressure.
Results of the no-boil yogurt
Open the lid after the set time (8-10 hours). The yogurt should have a thick consistency.
At this time, you can cover with a silicone lid and cool the yogurt in the fridge. You could also transfer it to a glass container or mason jars and then cool it.
You can add your favorite topping to the yogurt or have it as is.
My taste test result is that the yogurt is very thick and creamy, but does not have the tang I look for in the yogurt. I am also used to a little less thick yogurt, as that is how the usual homemade yogurt that I grew up eating is. So for my Indian friends, this is not like the homemade yogurt you have known, it is more like greek yogurt. That said, many people prefer greek yogurt and this is certainly a great option!
I still prefer my simple yogurt over this no boil yogurt, but if I am crunched on time, this is a great option rather than buying it from the store.
I recommend you try both methods and choose the one you prefer. Do share your comments about what you liked and how you flavored your yogurt!
No boil / Cold Ingredients Yogurt (Dahi) - Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 52 ounce Fairlife Milk or Natrel or other Ultra-Pasteurized Milk
- 2 tbsp Fresh Yogurt with live cultures
Instructions
- Add milk and yogurt to Instant pot insert. Whisk together so the yogurt mixes evenly with the milk.
- Place the instant pot lid or a glass lid.
- Push the Yogurt button and use the +/- buttons and set time to 8 hours. Make sure the Yogurt setting says "Normal". If you prefer tart yogurt, you can increase the time.
- When yogurt cycle is completed and the instant pot beeps, cover with a lid and refrigerate or transfer to glass jars or container to refrigerate.
- Enjoy yogurt with your favorite flavor and toppings.
Notes
- Do not use raw or normal milk for this recipe. It does not set well and also it contains bacteria due to which it must first be heated.
- If you prefer, you can add sweetened condensed milk or vanilla when mixing the milk and yogurt starter.
Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.
I made the no boil yogurt since I just got my instant pot for Christmas. We really really liked it and I loved how easy it is to make. Question, at about day 5 it stared to have extremely small clumps in it. It tasted fine, but is that something you have noticed? I am making it again tomorrow. We loved that the consistency was between regular yogurt and Greek. I cooked it for 9 hours. Might go a bit longer next time.
Love your recipes.Made the Palak paneer several times and loved it! We tried the yogurt too and it came out ok. A bit of extra water and the consistency wasn’t as thick but still good.
We are trying fermenting Idli in Instent pot today.
Hey Ari – Glad you have been enjoying the Palak Paneer. It is definitely one of our favorites. Many people strain the yogurt to get greek yogurt consistency, in case you want to give that a try. Our preference is more of the indian style yogurt, which is not very thick. Thank you so much for sharing back your review and hope you enjoy the idli 😊
One more reason I need an instant pot.
Found an even easier recipe for now.
Matsoni/Matzoon a.k.a Caspian Sea yoghurt cultures at room temperature. No heat required.
https://nourishedkitchen.com/easy-homemade-yogurt-matsoni/
Can I use 2% lactancia pur filtre milk instead of 3%? I’m in Canada. Can I use any brand of yogurt as long as the package says live cultures?
Hello Linda – It is hard for me to confirm if another milk will work. The main thing required for the no-boil yogurt is ultra filtered milk which is pasteurized at a higher temperature. Yogurt brand you are correct, any brand with active live cultures would work. Try using a newly opened yogurt, so it is still fresh.
I followed everything step by step n wow my curd was like a cake 😋👌super yummmyyyy also .. thank you so much for such a simple recipe .. am so happy
Yay! So glad that the curd set perfectly, Pushpa. Thank you for sharing back your review 🙂
For more tang incubate longer. For thinner texture whisk (or even use mixer).
Great suggestions, Anne!
Hi! I tried to find a way to contact you privately – Thanks for sharing the Cold Start Yogurt™ method! If you want to share the Cold Start yogurt name, please include a direct link to the Original Cold Start method here, or keep only the words No Boil. Thanks so much!
http://www.friedalovesbread.com/2017/06/easy-cold-start-yogurt-no-boil-method.html
Hi Frieda – Thank you for letting me know. Very much appreciate it. I have removed the cold start name from the post or anywhere on the blog.
Hello, I bought all the ingredients for the no boil yogurt, but my IP-LUX doesn’t have a yogurt button, what do I do?
Thank you!
Sharon
Hey Sharon – Sorry, I have not made yogurt in LUX model. However I did a google search of “make yogurt in lux ip” and some recipes came up. You could check them and try out. Hope you are able to make the yogurt and enjoy it!
Thanks came out perfectly…set for 9 hrs….very thick yogurt best method….(used 52oz fairlife whole milk and chobani plain 2 tbsp to culture ) fyi for others who may want to know in the incubation stage your instant pot will be on creating heat to warm the yogurt during cycle…..
Glad to hear that the yogurt set perfectly! Thank you for sharing back 🙂
I attempted this recipe and came out with very runny yogurt. Followed the directions. Any ideas why?
Hello Amy – Sorry to hear the yogurt did not set perfectly. Just trying to find the issue – Did you use Fairlife yogurt? Did you add any flavoring to it?
I just started my yogurt and realized it will be done at 1 am. Will it be ok in the instant pot until I wake at 6 am or will it spoil? I should have read all the instructions before I started (novice move).
Hey Janet – I think it will be okay, but might become a bit more tangy. If possible try waking up little early and refrigerate as soon as you wake. I hope you enjoy it ????