Written by Emily, Contributing Writer
I've been making homemade yogurt for just about two years now, and I love the convenience, quality, and savings of making yogurt at home.
Yogurt is one of the most basic traditional foods, and even if you are just getting started with real food, including yogurt in your diet is an easy way to reap so many of the health benefits of cultured dairy. One of the main health benefits of yogurt, besides the protein, calcium, vitamins and minerals, are the probiotics. Probiotics are the good bacteria that inhabit our guts and help to promote better digestion and increase our immune systems.
Yogurt is an easily digestible food, and even people who have trouble with lactose intolerance can often eat yogurt because most of the lactose has been "eaten" by the good bacteria during the culturing process.
Making homemade yogurt really is easy, but it can seem kind of overwhelming because it does have a lot of steps. I'm going to walk you, step by step, through my method of making homemade yogurt, and after you've done it once or twice, you will be able to figure out what that works best for you and be able to provide your family with fresh made yogurt on a regular basis!
How to Make Homemade Yogurt Using a Crock Pot
Step 1: Turn your crock pot on low to let it heat up. It is important to remember to do this step first so you don’t forget, and so the crock pot is the right temperature when you’re ready to add the milk. Also, take your yogurt starter out of the fridge so it can warm up a little before you add it to your milk.
Step 2: Pour your milk into a saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally until it reaches 185 degrees. (I have used a candy thermometer I got for $10). You can choose the amount of yogurt that you want to make at a time - I usually make 6-8 cups of yogurt per week. Be careful not to let the milk burn on the bottom of the pan during this step, and also make sure the milk doesn’t boil over – so stir often and keep an eye on it.
*Tip: I have stopped checking the temperature during this step. It’s just one less thing to have to do. When the milk starts getting bubbly and frothy (or it boils over onto your stovetop) you know it’s done.
*During this step I usually get ready for step three by getting the sink of cold water ready.
Step 3: Once milk reaches 185 degrees (bubbling) remove from burner, cover with a lid, and place the pan in a sink half full of cold water. (This is kind of obvious, but make sure the water doesn’t go over the top of the pan, just part way up the sides.) You can add ice to the water as well, but I’ve found that it doesn’t really cool the milk down any faster.
Step 4: Let the milk cool down, stirring occasionally. Once milk has reached between 90 and 110 degrees (I’ve read different temps here, I usually do about 100 degrees), remove pan from water. This usually takes just about 10 minutes for me, so set your timer, so you don't forget and the milk gets too cold.
*Tip: You can also do this step without a thermometer. After washing my hands, I stick my pinkie into the milk. If it's painfully hot to the touch, I let it cool a bit longer. If it's very warm, but not painfully hot, it is about the right temperature.
* While the milk is cooling, get ready for step 5
Step 5: Measure yogurt starter into a bowl (I use glass) and pour about a cup of the warm milk over it and stir together. Use 2 Tbsp of yogurt starter per 4 cups of milk. Meanwhile pour remaining milk into heated crockpot. Pour milk and yogurt from bowl into the crockpot and stir it all together.
Step 6: Put the lid on, turn off, and unplug the crock pot. Wrap a heavy towel around it. Let sit for 6-10 hours. (I usually do around 8 hours).
Step 7: After the yogurt has finished culturing, place the crock in fridge to cool yogurt. I have found this step to be really important because it helps the yogurt to set better. Since I started doing this my yogurt has been nice and thick and creamy. Don't stir or shake your yogurt, it needs to be disrupted as little as possible in order to set well.
When your yogurt has finished cooling and set, you can ladle it into a glass jar to keep in your fridge. I hope you can tell in the picture that this is finished yogurt, it has set, and is definitely more "solid" than milk. I have found that yogurt will keep for at least 7-10 days, and often it's still good at around 14 days, if there's any left of it by that point.
What is yogurt starter?
It is basically just yogurt. You can use the yogurt you just made as starter for your next batch. I usually set aside 1/2 cup of yogurt for starter into a separate small bowl right away, to keep the starter separate from the jar that we are dipping in to eat from every day, and also so we don't end up eating all the yogurt and I'm left without a starter!
You can also use store bought yogurt, of course, especially if this is your first batch of homemade yogurt or you feel like your homemade yogurt starter is getting weak. Just make sure that your store bought yogurt is plain, unsweetened, with nothing added, and it should save "Live and Active Cultures" on the label.
Stephanie's note: Though I also generally do the same as Emily, starting with plain store bought yogurt and then saving some each time to make my new batch, you can also purchase yogurt starter cultures for some unique types of yogurt or just regular yogurt, from Cultures for Health. Once you've used these to get started, then you can continue to set aside your homemade yogurt for making more.
Our family's favorite way to eat homemade yogurt is with a drizzle of raw honey and fresh or frozen fruit. Yum! It's also great with a sprinkle of nuts, or on top of homemade granola.
You can also use homemade yogurt in lots of different kinds of recipes. Here's a few for you to get started with:
What's your favorite way to enjoy homemade yogurt? Do you have any questions about the process of making yogurt?
All photos by Emily @ Live Renewed
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Just wanted to say what a blessing your blog is to me…thank you for the time and effort you bring!
I tried the yogurt last night, and it came out thick and creamy (I started with raw, whole milk and used Stonyfield Plain Organic/Whole Milk Yogurt as the starter). I left it in the crock pot overnight, so about 12 hours. One thing that surprised me was the flavor…it was really mild; almost no flavor at all! Not that it’s a bad thing, since we tend to flavor it before serving, anyway, but I’m wondering if this is normal or if it got cold too fast.
Any thoughts? Thanks! : )
I have been trying to find out how do make vanilla flavored yogurt for a long time. I know I have asked this question on other sites, but I’ve never gotten a good answer. My kids will ONLY eat vanilla yogurt. I know that vanilla with alcohol in it will kill the good bacteria. I have found alcohol free extract, but I have no idea at what point or how much to use it. I don’t want to waste anymore ingredients trying. Do you have any tips?
Thanks
Linda
I sweeten mine with maple syrup and find it tastes a lot like vanilla yogurt.
Question? How do I know if my homemade yogurt has enough of its good bacteria? thanks, Olga
Woohoo! I made it overnight and it turned out perfectly. After adding the starter, I poured it into pint jars which I set in the slow cooker (mine is not really a crock pot) and wrapped in towels. I left it about 12 hours than put the jars in the fridge. Lovely!
Bobbiann´s last [type] ..The backyard homestead guide to raising farm animals
i tried your recipe, feeling very skeptical as i’m not much of a cook. my yogurt came out perfect! it is delicious. i used organic, nonfat milk and organic starter. i also strained it overnight, creating a thick, smooth Greek style product. it is so much better than what i’ve been paying four times as much for at the market. thanks for the recipe and the photos.
Thanks for posting this recipe! I made it yesterday and it was a success!
Yay! A yogurt method that doesn’t scare me. ;-) I’ll be trying this very soon.
One way to use yogurt is to salt and pepper chicken breasts, then coat them with yogurt and bake at 350 until cooked through. It keeps the chicken so juicy! Add fresh rosemary and lemon juice if you feel like it.
Dellaina´s last [type] ..Oh amen And amen again
I was so excited last week because I followed this recipe and finally turned out a normal yogurt! I thought I had finally found a way to make it turn out. (I’ve tried various other recipes in the “oven” and crock pot in the past and never had solid yogurt. It always turns out runny and stringy.) The kids ate the good stuff all up, and I tried it again this week and was so sad to find runny, stringy yogurt again. Could anyone give me an idea what I might be doing wrong? The only variables that I had from the first batch to the second batch was that I used a store bought yogurt for starter the first time, and my own starter from the last batch for the second one. I also made 5 cups the first time and 6 cups the second, but I adjusted the amount of starter appropriately.
I’m making a 3rd batch today…crossing my fingers. :)
I am new to your blog. I just wanted to say that I am really enjoying it. I am trying to become “frugally green” as well. I love yogurt and I am definately going to try this recipe. Thank you for taking the time to teach these helpful and money saving ideas. Sincerely, Teresa D.
@Teresa, Welcome, Teresa! I’m so glad to have you here! :) You might be happy to know that in May, we’re going to focus specifically on frugality.
@Taressa,
Yup! http://blog.tfrecipes.com/2011/02/03/coconut-milk-yogurt-2/
Trying to figure out if I am missing something but what amount of yogurt do you use for your starter if you are going the store bought way. I have tried and failed other methods too many times and would really like to see this work- even if it is just for bragging rights! :)
@Mary Kathryn, She said 2 Tbsp per 4 cups of milk, but I used 2 Tbsp and 3 1/2 cups milk and got great results.
Bobbiann´s last [type] ..The backyard homestead guide to raising farm animals
Thanks for the inspiration to finally try making this. I followed the steps but my yogurt turned out really runny – Any clues on why that is? I will try again but would like to avoid it being so runny if I can. It also looks a little grainy – no clue why that is. Tastes fine though. I have been straining it to thicken it, but just one more step which I would like to avoid in the long haul. Love your blog!
I’m intrigued by the whole idea of sourdough. It seems like it would be a good way to keep bread on the table. I’m a little intimidated by the idea, but I know a good book would inspire me! :-)
I’m a happy subscriber. :-)
I’m definitely going to try this, thank you for the detailed steps!
What kind of milk is best to use? I buy Stonyfield whole milk yogurt, but I’ve been wanting to make my own yogurt. I just don’t know what type of milk to buy. Any suggestions?
An old Assyrian woman taught me how to make homemade yogurt many years ago. I’ve tried several methods since, and my favorite (for convenience sake and creaminess) is the one I share here: http://likeabubblingbrook.com/2011/03/how-to-make-creamy-homemade-yogurt/
Like you, I also use a quality, store bought yogurt to start my batch.
I have some recipes on my site, but we like to add the yogurt into our smoothies, some dips (beet dip!), or just with a simple bowl of fruit. Yum!
I make homemade yogurt in the crockpot from start to finish. I’m going to add you Step #7 though – to see if it makes it thicker. It definitely makes sense that it would and the semi-runny factor is one thing I don’t like about it. Thanks for sharing!
Michelle´s last [type] ..Playing Catch Up Starting NOW!
I sweeten my homemade yogurt with frozen fruit juice concentrate and then make frozen yogurt pops. When I use frozen orange juice, I add a little vanilla extract.
Does anyone know about making yogurt with almond, coconut or hemp milk? We are allergic to dairy and really miss yogurt!!
Does anyone know about doing this with almond, coconut or hemp milk? We are allergic to dairy and really miss yogurt!!
I believe you can do it with any of those milks but you have to buy new starter more often ’cause the yogurt gets weaker faster. You would have to buy an actual starter or find a real yogurt made from those milks too. I would google it. I know I’ve read in quite a few places that is can be done I just don’t remember which blogs sorry.
@katherine, check the cultures for health website I do believe that I saw some ways to make non dairy yogurts and such there.
I use a cooler to culture the yogurt. I put the heated, cooled milk with the starter into jars into the cooler with a heated rice bag (or water bottle.) If I let is culture a short time, I don’t have to do anything but if I let it go 24 hours then I have to re-heat the bag. Then all I have to do it put the jars into the fridge to cool it. It’s always fun and educational to read how other people make their yogurt.
I don’t like the texture of regular yogurt so I typically buy the whipped kind. Is there a method for making homemade whipped yogurt?
I’ve been wanting to try this for a long while now!
Can Greek Yogurt be used as a starter?
And does it matter what kind of milk is used (skim, 2%, whole)? I’d prefer to have non-fat yogurt for myself but wouldn’t want to compromise integrity.
@Brittany, I always recommend whole milk, but you can make yogurt with any type of milk, really.
And yes, you can use unflavored greek yogurt as a starter.
@Stephanie @ Keeper of the Home,
However, if you use Greek Yogurt as a starter, don’t expect to get thicker yogurt. It will turn out the same. To get a Greek-style yogurt, you must strain out some of the whey.
@Erin C, That’s a good point. Sometimes I just use regular yogurt, not Greek, and I’m sure that it does make a difference. Point noted! :)
I just started making homemade yogurt and I am wondering how everyone waits so long for the milk to heat. I usually set the heat on the stove at a 3-4 (med/low) and it can take up to 45 minutes. I can’t keep stirring constantly to avoid the layer of milk forming (not quite burnt) on the bottom of the pan. Is this supposed to happen (it’s really hard to clean!)?
I do crockpot yogurt but my method is a bit simpler. 8 cups milk in crock pot on warm for 2.5 hrs, turn off for 3 hrs, mix in 4 TBS yogurt, wrap with big bath towel and leave for 5-10 hrs, put crock in fridge overnight. Then there is only one dish to clean :) and no almost burnt milk because you had to go take care of your kids and couldn’t stir constantly :) My yogurt turns out really thick but gets thinner when I stir jam or honey into it to sweeten. Even store yogurt does that though.
@Lori,
I have just started making yogurt and still experimenting, but I’ve found that I can heat the milk in a bowl over a pan of boiling water – usually I do this while I am cooking brown rice anyway, as there is plenty of time to get everything ready while it cooks, and then I can have it all ready and resting before we sit down to dinner.
I must try the slowcooker method, I’ve only managed a very runny yogurt so far, but it was great once I’d strained it.
I use the simplest version of Katie at Kitchen Stewardship’s method for making yogurt. I love having no extra dirty dishes, and no pouring milk except once into the jars. She gives very detailed directions here http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2009/04/13/monday-mission-homemade-yogurt-the-easy-way/ I have all the steps timed now, so just set my timer to remind me of each step. I use a combination of Fage Greek yogurt and Stonyfield Farms yogurt for the starter to get the maximum number of good bacteria. Adding the Greek yogurt has made my yogurt much thicker and milder even with a long incubation of 12-16 hours. Even the daughter who doesn’t like yogurt much will eat it now.
@Katherine, Thanks for this link! I think this might be the method for me!
When I was in college I had a mild case of lactose intolerance. I used yogurt like Lactaid (ate it before I had dairy), and after 6 months or a year, I didn’t even need to do that anymore. Now I can eat dairy just fine, unless I haven’t had yogurt for a long time and have had a lot of dairy. Yogurt is amazing. And thanks for the clear pictures of how to do this in a crockpot!
I used to do the crock pot yogurt too, but now I do it in my dehydrator! So easy. I have an excalabur 9 tray. I do 4 two quart jars and one 1 quart jar all at once. so easy. i heat it up to 110 degrees and add culture put in jars and forget about it for 12-24 hours. Very thick yummy raw yogurt!
so, can you use skim milk, and how much milk do you use?
This is awesome. I have been making homemade yogurt for a while now but I’ve never seen this way of making it. In fact, I’m due to make some this weekend – and I think I found my way of making it.
Sandra
Sandra´s last [type] ..Gingerbread Muffins
Can you use a milk alternative such as coconut or almond milk for this recipe?
You can also use a heating pad to make yogurt–if you don’t have a big enough family to need a whole crock pot of yogurt. Just follow the same basic steps, but instead of pouring the yogurt into a crock pot, pour it into a quart-sized jar (I use 3 1/2 cups milk to 2 Tbs. of yogurt starter), put a lid on the jar and wrap the jar in a towel. Place on a heating pad (set on med-high, depending on your heating pad) and leave for 8-12 hours. I find it works best if I put a glass or something on two sides of the heating pad to make it kind of wrap around the edges of the jar.
Another thing: every few months, I make an entire batch of yogurt to use as “starter”. I then freeze it in ice-cube trays (ice-cubes are generally 2 Tbs. sized), and then pop them out and put in small plastic baggies. I usually put 3 yogurt cubes per baggie, and then store all the baggies in a larger ziploc bag. It is easy to pop out a yogurt cube whenever you need one; just remember to let it thaw for 2-3 hours on the countertop before you are ready to use it (or you can thaw it overnight in the fridge). One more note: if you are using yogurt as a starter, it tends to weaken after many batches. So I occasionally buy a fresh container of yogurt at the health food store (about once every 5 years), and freeze that entire batch into yogurt cubes (you will get approx 30 cubes per 32 oz. container of yogurt). I then label my cubes so that I know how many “generations” it is from the original–Original, 2nd, 3rd, etc.. I find that much past the 3rd generation out, and I can start to notice a difference in my yogurt quality. But if you do the math, 30 batches of yogurt from the first generation, and then up to 30 batches from each of those cubes for the second generation … depending on how often you make yogurt, you can go a LONG time before needing to buy anymore fresh yogurt. (As I mentioned, for me, making yogurt 1-2x per week, it was about 5 years.)
this had been on my to-do list entirely too long! if i didn’t have a chicken in my crock pot i’d do it right now:)
i actually bought a heating pad because i read a recipe that use it, but you’re selling me on the crock pot…
suzannah {so much shouting, so much laughter}´s last [type] ..ShoutLaughLove- wed me in the spring
@suzannah {so much shouting, so much laughter}, Another option is to do it in the oven, using the oven light (but not actually turning the oven heat on). You can read about how I do it in this older post of mine:
http://www.keeperofthehome.org/2007/11/making-homemade-yogurt.html
(Sorry, the images are gone because it was written on my first blog, before it was all moved over to the new site)
I’ve just started using the crockpot method myself the last few months because in our new house, the oven light is broken. It definitely works well. The only reason I preferred the oven method is because I just poured it straight into jars, and then put the jars right into the fridge (no need for transferring to jars after it’s made or cleaning out a crockpot).
@suzannah {so much shouting, so much laughter},
Suzannah,
You can still get good use out of your heating pad if you make your own bread! I use my heating pad on low as a “warm place” while my dough is rising.
Lately I’ve been enjoying my yogurt with a bit of maple syrup… yum!
I’ve been making our own raw milk yogurt for a while using the Cultures for Health Viili starter and it’s wonderful. I’m amazed at how strong the mother culture has remained. If only I could make raw milk Greek yogurt without heating the milk to 180 degrees! I posted on organizing cultures and supplies today on my blog if it would help anyone. I found that culturing is easy, but remembering to feed the mother culture was a challenge!
The Black Bean Hummus recipe looks wonderful; I look forward to giving it a try.
I used to do the crockpot thing, then I discovered viili yogurt from Cultures for Health, which cultures at room temperature. Nothing could be simpler! You can even make pain-free raw milk yogurt! I actually wrote a couple of posts about it on my blog: http://hippie-status.blogspot.com/2011/01/viili-fy-your-yogurt-part-1.html
I used to do the crockpot thing, then I discovered viili yogurt from Cultures for Health, which cultures at room temperature. Nothing could be simpler! You can even make pain-free raw milk yogurt!
Do you use raw milk? If not, do you know if there is anything different that you have to do?
Thank you for posting this super easy method! I am empowered and excited to make my own batch!!
Have you ever made yogurt from raw milk and kept it raw (not heating it above 117)? That is what I have been experimenting with lately. I find the only way to get a nice thick yogurt is to drain it in a cloth for a few hours… which is a bit time consuming. Wondering if there are any times out there for raw yogurt.
@Katie,
I’ve had luck lately with raw yogurt incubated right in the jar at 100F in an Excalibur dehydrator. You could also keep it at about 100 in a cooler next to a pot of boiling hot water. (more info here: http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2009/04/13/monday-mission-homemade-yogurt-the-easy-way/)
Good luck! :) Katie
@Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship, I’m glad to know that your dehydrator worked well for you. I used to use the oven light method, and in our new home the oven light is broken. I’ve been trying the crockpot method with success, but I do miss being able to make it straight in the jars. I think I’ll give my dehydrator a try.
@Stephanie @ Keeper of the Home,
i found the best way to get thick creamy raw milk yogurt is to MAKE IT RIGHT AWAY! i mean, within a day of getting it from the farm…the longer you wait, the less consistent results i have found! i use a method similar to above, and this is the only thing i have found to help make good raw milk yogurt. hope this helps.
Wait, so what is the crockpot for? I don’t see a step where you turn it on, so is it just a container to hold the yogurt? Would a stockpot or large mixing bowl do as well?
@Hannah, She turned it on at the very beginning to let it heat up. :)
@Hannah,
Step 1 says to turn it on to get warm before starting.
Thank you for the detailed instructions. I was making crock pot yogurt but not getting consistent results. Now I make it with powdered milk and am finding it a bit thin. I’m going to try it your way and watch the temps on my milk better. Thank you for the great post :)
PS ~ We love to eat our yogurt with honey, or swirled with apple butter :)
Sarah @ Mum In Bloom´s last [type] ..Perfect Pancakes
I had always sweetened my yogurt, added vanilla, etc. after letting it sit the 8ish hours and before putting it in the fridge. Sometimes I end up with really runny yogurt, so maybe this is my problem. However, I often have a good bit of whey on top and your photo doesn’t appear to have any, so do you drain yours off or mix it in?
How much milk are you using?
Anita Chamblee´s last [type] ..What Are You Doing With All That Milk
@Anita Chamblee, I usually make 6-8 cups of milk into yogurt at a time. In these pictures I think it was 6 cups of milk.
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