Hey everyone! I am super excited to share this recipe with you. I know making your own yogurt sounds complicated, unsafe, or just weird, but you can trust me on this. Once you make your own yogurt you’ll realize how affordable and easy it is!
My initial motivation for making my own yogurt was to save money. When I started to switch over to organic, whole milk yogurt to reduce the amount of sugar in my diet, I realized that it can get kinda pricey. A 32 oz container of organic, plain yogurt can easily run over $4, whereas my recipe makes a GALLON of yogurt in my slow cooker for about the same price.
As I’m sure you already know, most yogurts on the shelf are just glorified desserts full of sugar or artificial sweeteners. Generally, the least processed option when it comes to yogurt is plain, whole milk yogurt.
Now a few extra tips about this recipe. My recipe is not a Greek yogurt. I know there are recipes out there to make a Greek version but those require you to strain your yogurt. In my opinion, that’s too much work and mess. Plus, my husband prefers the texture of this yogurt so it’s a win-win.
When you make this recipe for the first time you will need to purchase a small amount of plain yogurt or yogurt starter to provide the culture (aka the good bacteria). Since I’ve been making this yogurt on a regular basis, I save out 1 cup of yogurt from my homemade batch to use as my starter for the next batch.
Also keep in mind that the longer the yogurt sits, the thicker it will become. I usually will let it sit for over 12 hours. After hour 12, I recommend checking it on a hourly basis until it is the thickness you desire.
Since this yogurt is plain, it provides a clean slate for however you want to flavor it! I like to serve mine with blueberries and hemp seeds. My husband likes to blend it with a banana for a smoothie. You could also use it in place of sour cream on tacos or baked potatoes as well.
Just look at that! Trust me, this recipe is worth the wait!
AuthorMeganDifficultyIntermediatePour entire gallon of milk into slow cooker. Cover and turn to “High” for 3 hours or until the temperature of the milk reaches 180-185 F.
Turn off the slow cooker, remove the lid, and allow to cool to 120 F. This should take ~1 hour and 15 minutes depending on the temperature of your home. Do not allow the milk to cool below 120 degrees or else the culture will not grow.
Once the milk has reached 120 degrees, remove 1 cup of milk to a separate bowl and stir in 1 cup plain yogurt or starter. Pour milk/yogurt mixture back into slow cooker and stir to combine.
Place lid back on the slow cooker and wrap entire appliance in 2-3 bath towels to insulate.
Allow milk to ferment for at least 10-12 hours. The longer the yogurt sits, the thicker the yogurt will be.
After 10-12 hours, stir, and pour yogurt into storage container. Place in refrigerator for at least 4 hours to finish cooling before enjoying. Your yogurt will last in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Ingredients
Directions
Pour entire gallon of milk into slow cooker. Cover and turn to “High” for 3 hours or until the temperature of the milk reaches 180-185 F.
Turn off the slow cooker, remove the lid, and allow to cool to 120 F. This should take ~1 hour and 15 minutes depending on the temperature of your home. Do not allow the milk to cool below 120 degrees or else the culture will not grow.
Once the milk has reached 120 degrees, remove 1 cup of milk to a separate bowl and stir in 1 cup plain yogurt or starter. Pour milk/yogurt mixture back into slow cooker and stir to combine.
Place lid back on the slow cooker and wrap entire appliance in 2-3 bath towels to insulate.
Allow milk to ferment for at least 10-12 hours. The longer the yogurt sits, the thicker the yogurt will be.
After 10-12 hours, stir, and pour yogurt into storage container. Place in refrigerator for at least 4 hours to finish cooling before enjoying. Your yogurt will last in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
Please comment below with any questions or if you’ve ever made your own yogurt at home!
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