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 for 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 seen 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 no longer have to boil and cool down the milk.
That said, I do want to mention that you need a special type of milk, ultra-filtered, to make this yogurt. And the taste is not 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 its 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 of the method is that it is a “One pot, one shot” technique that 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 Canadian version of this milk is Natrel. These milk 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 milk to make cold ingredients yogurt. However, I have not tried it with any other milk. Also, note that using this cold ingredients method with milk that has not been through the ultra pasteurization process is not recommended.
Other than milk, you will need yogurt with live active cultures to use as a starter. I used Fage yogurt as a 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 tablespoon, 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 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 it with a silicone lid and cool the yogurt in the fridge. You could transfer it to a glass container or mason jar and then cool it.
You can add your favorite topping to the yogurt or have it as is. One of our favorites is to top this yogurt with this Strawberry Jam made in the instant pot.
My taste test result is that the yogurt is very thick and creamy but does not have the tang I look for in 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 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!
Here are some recipes you can make with the yogurt you just made:
No boil / Cold Ingredients Yogurt (Dahi) – Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 52 ounce Fairlife Milk or Natrel, or other Ultra-filtered Milk
- 2 tablespoon 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.
Thank you so much for this recipe. I am lactose intolerant, and buy ultra-pasturized lactose free milk, anyway. This makes it easy for me. Just tried my first batch and it was a success! Thank you, again!
Glad to hear the recipe worked perfectly for you, Carey. Thank you for sharing your review!
I transferred into a different container, to put in fridge. It all lumpy and gross looking now. What shall I do? Is it ready for the garbage now?
Hey Dot – It should still be okay. You can whisk it a little to smoothen. Add your favorite fruits (berries, bananas, applesauce) as topping to enjoy the yogurt. You can try doing pot-in-pot next time, so you don’t have to transfer it after it is ready.
I like yogurt a little sweeter but don’t want all the calories of the sweetened condensed milk. So what should I add?
Hey Jo – Not sure I have great ideas. However I usually don’t add a sweetener. When eating the yogurt, you can top with some fruits such as mashed bananas or berries or applesauce to sweeten it. Hope that helps!
A little bit of vanilla extract & almond extract (if you like almond extract flavor) can boost how sweet it seems without adding any sugar, or with adding less sugar/sweetener than you otherwise would. When I do add sweetener, I personally like honey. High fat content also helps it not need as much sweetener when you add the extracts, so using whole milk may help, if it is specifically sugar you are avoiding, not just calories. I would try the yogurt with just the extracts plus some sweet fruit stirred in, and if you need a little more sweet, add a bit of honey to taste.
Thank you for the great suggestions, Carey. Love the idea of adding vanilla extract. I do always use whole milk to make yogurt, it helps with getting thicker yogurt too.
I made this recipe and I ended up having to strain a bunch of water out thru a kitchen towel…I took the yogurt out at about 7 1/2 hours (I was impatient to see it) if I had let it go longer would the water problem go away, also I used the Fairlife 2 % milk instead of whole…so maybe that was a problem? After straining, the yogurt was perfect! All thick and creamy and I only added vanilla as I don’t like sweet yogurt. I love this recipe I just am hoping to solve the water issue. Thank you!
Hello Janet – Glad the yogurt came out well after straining. I think keeping it for 8-9 hours will set it even better. Some people keep it for up to 10 hours too. If you like very thick yogurt, then you can still consider straining in the future. Thank you for trying the recipe 🙂
Hi, I was wondering if it could be poured into individual glass containers such as mason jars before the curing process and placed in the instant pot?
Hey Colleen – Yes, putting in mason jars should work too.
So, would you just put these mason jars directly in the inner pot, or do you need to place them on the trivet and add water?
Hey Stephanie – You are right, like other pot-in-pot cooking, add 1-2 cups of water to the pot and place the mason jars on a trivet. Here is my traditional pot-in-pot yogurt recipe if that helps.
Hello Meeta,
I need your expert advice about making yogurt with very little natural sugar, I mean regular milk has about 10gms of sugar in 1 cup. Since I’m trying to control my sugar intake because of diabetes 2, I am punjabi also….grew up with yogurt and milk. Need to know if home made almond milk or any other milk will work for yogurt.
Thanks,
Raj.
Hi Raj – I have seen posts on vegan groups where people have made yogurt with almond milk and soy milk. I have never tried myself. This Fairlife milk also has 6% sugar which is less compared to normal milk. Does that help?
How much sweetened condensed milk do you add for sweetener?
Hey Rory – My family usually likes unsweetened yogurt, so I don’t add any sweetener. I would suggest to start with less and then adjust based on your taste. Hope you enjoy it!
Hi ,
For the tangy taste u can keep the yogurt setting for longer time like 10-12 hrs, depending on the climate.
That helps me achieve the perfect tangy taste.
Thanks for the recipe!
Glad to hear that, Shalini. I love the convenience of this method 🙂
Can canned coconut milk be substituted for the Fairlife milk?
Sorry, coconut milk cannot be substituted in this yogurt recipe. I don’t have a recipe to make yogurt with coconut milk. Thanks!
Hi. When you made this recipe and used the instant pot lit, did yo leave the vent open or have it set to seal?
Thanks.
Cameron
Hey Cameron – I put the vent in sealing position when making yogurt in the instant pot. Although I have seen many posts where people say it does not matter either way.