Slow Cooker Yogurt is an inexpensive way to turn extra milk into homemade yogurt overnight. Try making your own yogurt with this easy recipe!
My Kitchen Pantry Basics collection lets you master staples like Strawberry Jam, Barbecue Sauce, and common spice blends to stock your pantry. Homemade yogurt is another basic staple that you won’t believe is so easy to make! The next time you are at the store, grab a gallon of milk and live culture yogurt and head home to try this easy crock pot recipe out for yourself.
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Sabrina’s Slow Cooker Yogurt
Making your own yogurt has never been simpler than with my Slow Cooker Homemade Yogurt recipe. Along with my step-by-step homemade yogurt recipe, I’ve included some tips to help you become an expert yogurt maker. From troubleshooting runny yogurt to how to use leftover whey, I’ve got you covered so you can make your own yogurt with confidence!
If you want to make your own yogurt, there’s no need for a fancy yogurt maker, thermometer, or ordering specialty bacterium (expensive!) online. All you need is your slow cooker, whole milk, a small portion of plain yogurt, and a good night’s rest to get delicious homemade yogurt. My Crockpot Yogurt is completely hands-free, no measuring the temperature or constant stirring to keep the warm milk from burning.
Ingredients
- 8 Cups Whole Milk: I’m using just regular whole milk as the base of the yogurt. Any brand will do. You can even use real half and half for a thicker yogurt.
- 1/2 cup Plain Yogurt: Use a non-flavored yogurt. Greek yogurt works great for this too!
- Glass Jars and Lids: If you’ve got extra glass jars and their airtight lids, this is the perfect recipe to use them with.
- Optional: Assorted Fruit Puree: While fruit puree is optional, it’s highly recommended for variety, especially if you plan to make a bunch for lunches! Make your own puree by blending fresh fruit in a blender or food processor.
How to Make Slow Cooker Yogurt
Time needed: 18 hours and 15 minutes
- Cook Milk
Pour milk into a large crockpot, cover with the lid, and cook on low for 2 ½ hours.
- Ferment the Milk
Turn off the crock pot and let it sit for 3 hours.
- Add Yogurt Culture and Incubate
After 3 hours, stir in store-bought yogurt. Replace the lid and cover with 2 big bath towels or other heavy towels for insulation. Ensure they’re not linen or tea towels as those are too thin. Let the yogurt mixture rest covered for 8-12 hours, or overnight.
- Jar the Yogurt
If yogurt is too thin for your liking, you can strain it through cheesecloth or a fine-mesh strainer to remove excess whey and thicken it further. If using fruit puree, place 2 tablespoons in the bottom of the jars before filling them with yogurt. Divide yogurt between glass jars and cover with lids.
- Refrigerate Yogurt Then Enjoy
Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving to thicken and chill. Enjoy your homemade creamy yogurt!
- Prep for the Next Batch
To make your next batch of yogurt, reserve ½ cup of yogurt (plain) and use as starter yogurt within 1 week.
Can This Be Made Ahead?
Yes! This recipe, by design, is supposed to be made in advance. It will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for about 2 weeks. Don’t freeze the yogurt itself, only the starter culture. See the Recipe Tips & Tricks section for more info.
Nutritional Facts
How to Use Yogurt
This homemade yogurt is perfect for build your own yogurt parfaits, with an assortment of berries, nuts, and granola, for an easy holiday Breakfast Recipe for a crowd! Instead of regular yogurt, recreate “fruit on the bottom” flavored yogurts by adding some Strawberry Puree at the bottom of the jar. You can also use it to make a creamy Strawberry Smoothie.
You can also use this yogurt like regular or Greek yogurt in savory recipes like Slow Cooker Butter Chicken. It makes a tangy topping for Chicken Shawarma Pitas too!
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Milk Type: This yogurt recipe is made with whole milk but you can also use skim milk or non-fat milk. The less fat in the milk, the thinner your yogurt will be. Do not use ultra-pasteurized milk, it will not thicken properly.
- Active Cultures: Make sure to get store-bought plain yogurt with live active cultures. Yogurt with live active cultures will be labeled, usually on the front and always in the ingredients list.
- Thick Yogurt: Yogurt will thicken as it cools and sets in the refrigerator, but it won’t be thick like Greek style yogurt without straining. See below under the Variations section for how to strain Greek yogurt. You can also add a quarter cup of powdered milk to the cold milk before you begin heating it to make the final product thicker.
- What To Do with Whey: The liquid that separates from yogurt is called whey. Either stir it back into the yogurt or strain it. Use strained whey in protein drinks or instead of broth in savory recipes. It is safe to drink straight too!
- Drinking Yogurt: If your yogurt won’t set, don’t throw it out! Use runny yogurt in smoothies or you can drink it like you would bottled Kefir.
- Maximum Cook Time: Yogurt gets more tangy and sour the longer it sets on warm. The maximum amount of time you want to keep yogurt warm in the crock pot is 24 hours.
- Freezing the Starter: To store starter yogurt culture for your next batch, freeze in an ice cube tray after the yogurt has chilled. Thaw your starter culture overnight in the refrigerator to reactivate the bacteria.
Alternative Cooking Method
Instant Pot Yogurt
- Pour whole milk into Instant Pot. Secure the lid and seal the valve.
- Press the Yogurt function button until “boil” is displayed. Allow boil cycle to complete, about an hour. It will beep when done.
- Once boil is complete, remove lid and use an instant-read thermometer to check temperature. It should be 180 degrees F.
- Cool for 5 minutes and carefully remove inner pot from Instant Pot.
- Bring temperature down to 110-115 degrees, either in an ice bath or on the counter at room temperature.
- Gently stir in yogurt and return inner pot to Instant Pot. Secure lid.
- Set Yogurt function to 8-10 hours. Once cycle is complete, it will read YGOT.
- Strain if you want and then refrigerate yogurt at least 2 hours to set.
How to Store Slow Cooker Yogurt
- Store: Homemade yogurt needs to chill for at least 2 hours before it can be served so that it has time to thicken and set. Once set, you can keep Slow Cooker Homemade Yogurt in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- Freeze: You should not freeze the Slow Cooker Yogurt that you want to eat, but you can freeze the starter culture for your next batch. Freeze in an ice cube tray and then place yogurt cubes in a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 4 months.
Frequent Questions
It will be organic if you use organic yogurt starter and organic milk.
After your first batch of Crockpot Yogurt, you no longer have to use pre-made yogurt. Just reserve a little yogurt without flavoring or mix-ins for the next batch.
Homemade yogurt is a great way to save money, it is healthier with no sugar or artificial flavorings, and tastes just as good if not better than store-bought yogurt too!
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 8 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt , with live cultures and active cultures
- glass jars and lids , sanitized and dry
- Optional: assorted fruit puree
Instructions
- Pour milk into a large crockpot.
- Cover with the lid. Cook on low for 2 ½ hours.
- Turn off crock pot and let it sit for 3 hours.
- After 3 hours, stir in store-bought yogurt.
- Replace the lid and cover with 2 big bath or heavy towels. (Not linen or tea towels)
- Let yogurt mixture rest covered for 8 to 12 hours, or overnight.
- (If using: Place 2 tablespoons fruit puree in bottom of jars before filling with yogurt)
- Divide yogurt between glass jars and cover with lids.
- Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving to thicken and chill.
- To make your next batch of homemade yogurt, reserve ½ cup yogurt (plain) and use as starter yogurt within 1 week.
Notes
Nutrition
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Variations on Slow Cooker Yogurt
- Vegan: Use non-dairy milk and yogurt in this recipe. Full-fat coconut milk works best without having to add powdered cultures or thickeners. Whichever dairy-free milk you use, make sure it does not have preservatives, they kill the natural bacteria. Look for non-dairy yogurt that has live cultures.
- Greek: Make Greek yogurt by straining the yogurt mixture after it’s done cooking. Line a colander with a cheesecloth or coffee filter. Set the colander in a deep bowl to reserve the whey (or drain in a sink). Pour yogurt into a lined colander and allow to drain for 3-4 hours. The finer the weave of the cheesecloth, the thicker your Greek yogurt will be.
- Fruit Puree: To make homemade fruit and yogurt cups, puree fruit with a little bit of honey until smooth. Add fruit puree to your jars or containers before filling them with yogurt. Stir before enjoying! Try fruit like strawberries, blueberries, peaches, or cherries.
- Flavored Yogurt: Use a teaspoon of vanilla bean paste or ½ teaspoon vanilla extract for vanilla yogurt. Mix in a small amount of fruit juice, extracts, honey, maple syrup, etc in individual portions, or use a tablespoon for a quart jar amount. Stir in extracts or flavorings after the yogurt has been refrigerated.
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I would like to try this recipe (my husband loves yogurt every day), but only have a 4 quart slow-cooker. It looks like the recipe was used in a 6 or 7 quarter cooker. Will the recipe work in a smaller cooker? Will the times be the same? Thank you for the help!
Can I leave it for more than 3 hours ?
yes
Add Yogurt Culture and Incubate
After 3 hours, stir in store-bought yogurt. Replace the lid and cover with 2 big bath towels or other heavy towels for insulation. Ensure they’re not linen or tea towels as those are too thin. Let the yogurt mixture rest covered for 8-12 hours, or overnight.