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Writer's pictureMary Hoyt Akiyama Kearns

Delicious Homemade Non-Dairy Yogurt in an Instant Pot

Updated: Jun 11, 2020


I didn’t think I needed another kitchen appliance, but when my husband gave me an Instant Pot™ for Christmas, I got excited about all the things I could make with it that I wouldn't otherwise attempt. When I was a child, my mother received a yogurt-maker for Christmas. And with it, she made the most heavenly yogurt in the world. Besides being delicious, yogurt has myriad health benefits. So, I was very excited to learn how easy it is to make yogurt in the Instant Pot, and especially happy to find that there are many dairy-free recipes out there. I read through about a dozen of them, and combined the best and easiest methods. Here is what I came up with – it makes a smooth, lightly tangy, lightly sweet yogurt. If you don't own an Instant Pot, the Cultures for Health website has many recipes and resources for homemade yogurt making.

Non-Dairy Yogurt Instant Pot Recipe

4 cups full-fat organic coconut milk, organic cashew milk, or any other organic nut milk that does not have any additives in it (my recipe for homemade almond milk makes a great base for this recipe)1/4 cup pure maple syrup1 packet yogurt culture (I used Cultures for Health's vegan yogurt culture) or 3 tablespoons plain non-dairy yogurt with live active cultures

Pour the nut milk and maple syrup in the pot inside the Instant Pot and whisk until well combined. You can either put the lid on or not at this point in the process. Press the "Yogurt" button until you see the word "Boil." This will heat up the milk to prepare it for the culture. [Note: You can repeat this process for thicker yogurt].

Once this process is finished, turn off the Instant Pot and remove the inner pot. Allow the milk to cool for about an hour, checking every 10 minutes or so with a waterproof food thermometer, until it reaches a temperature between 110°F and 115°F.

If you are using packaged yogurt culture, like I did, just whisk the culture into the warm milk until well combined. If you are using unsweetened non-dairy yogurt, place it in a bowl with 1/2 of the warm nut milk, whisk thoroughly, then add it back to the main inner pot of warm milk. Return the inner pot to the Instant Pot, lock the lid, and press the "Yogurt" button. Adjust the time for 12 to 24 hours (the longer it incubates, the tangier and thicker the yogurt).

Once your mixture has incubated for the chosen amount of time, turn off the Instant Pot and allow it to cool for 2 hours without stirring.

Now stir the yogurt, and ladle it into sterilized bottles. It will thicken as it cools. Store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks (it most likely will not last that long since you will want to eat it before then!). Enjoy!

Note: Most of the recipes I found included optional thickeners. I, personally, like the texture and flavor of non-dairy yogurts without these added ingredients. If you want to look into this, though, there are many options out there just a Google away.

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