A comprehensive guide to making Instant Pot vegan yogurt at home—so easy! Here I'll show you two different ways of making it: mild (with thickeners, similar to Kite Hill) and tangy (long fermentation & no additives, perfect to make Greek yogurt). Soy or almond milk will both work great.
You can watch the following video for step-by-step instructions and delicious ideas on how to use up the whole thing—think labneh, ayran, tzatziki, and a mint yogurt sauce:
Yogurt has a very special place in Turkish cuisine, so much so that the very noun "yogurt" is derived from the Turkish word "yoğurt". The caron symbol on the letter G is pretty much the only difference there. Growing up in that culture, it is no wonder that I have and still do consume copious amounts of yogurt—albeit the plant-based versions.
In this guide we'll go over how to make vegan yogurt using an Instant Pot with the following variations:
- mild
- sharp/slightly tart
- Greek (strained)
- labneh
- & 5+ ideas to use it all up!
What You'll Need to Make Yogurt with an Instant Pot
You will need the following for all variations:
- measuring cup
- whisk
- spoon
- thermometer
- optional: mason jars that can fit in the Instant Pot
- soy or almond milk (with no thickeners—I love Westsoy or homemade almond milk)
- vegan yogurt (or ready starter culture/probiotic capsules)
& to make the mild & thick Instant Pot vegan yogurt:
- xanthan gum
- locust bean gum
- agar powder (agar agar)
Lastly, to make vegan Greek yogurt or labneh:
- cheesecloth (or cotton dishcloth)
- optional: fine mesh strainer
How to Sterilize Utensils to Make Instant Pot Vegan Yogurt
Make sure to sterilize the utensils prior to making yogurt. Otherwise, in addition to the good bacteria cultures, some unsavory fungi spores lurking on your whisk may also be delighted to have found the perfect conditions to proliferate.
To make yogurt in the Instant Pot, I simply put in all the utensils I will be using (including the silicone gasket) into it, then add and boil water in it for at least five minutes. This way, the pot itself as well as the seal are also sterilized. For the lid, I simply wash it with hot and soapy water.
Volatile flavor compounds make it possible for your yogurt to taste like last night's vegetable curry.
To prevent any possible taste transfer, use a dedicated silicone gasket reserved only for making yogurt in your Instant Pot.
Many people are more relaxed when it comes to sterilizing to make yogurt, but one spoiled experience was enough for me to be okay with setting aside 10 minutes and make sure that 2 cartons of soy milk and 10+ hours don't go to waste.
Best Milk to Make Vegan Yogurt
My personal favorite is soy. I love that I'm getting the nutritional benefits of a legume in a high protein & delicious package. The texture is also the closest I've found to dairy yogurt.
However, for those who avoid soy or are allergic, there are many other options. Homemade almond milk works perfectly—in fact, you can make yogurt that tastes very similar to Kite Hill with it. Cashew milk also works well (similar to Forager).
In two Turkish vegan restaurants I've been to, they were using rice milk to make yogurt in-house and it tasted amazing. It is also the cheapest and possibly the most allergy-friendly option.
Make sure to get plant-milk that is free of any thickeners. Westsoy or Trader Joe's soy milk and homemade almond milk are my go-to.
I've made the mistake of using almond milk that had xanthan gum and other thickeners in it already to make yogurt once, and the result was a disaster. Inedible goo. Again, you may want to take advantage of my mistake and try not to repeat it.
Best Starter to Make Plant-Based Yogurt
There are a few different options:
- store-bought vegan yogurt
- probiotic capsules
- vegan yogurt starter culture packets (e.g. Cultures for Health)
I'd recommend using the culture from whichever store-bought vegan yogurt the flavor of which you like the best. For me, that is Kite Hill. Don't worry, the minimal amount of thickeners do not affect the result as the milk thickeners do.
If you choose this method, just make sure that the package is fresh and newly-opened. I usually use the small one-use packages to make sure. In my experience, using flavored yogurt as starter hasn't really affected the taste of the final product. Likewise, using starter coconut yogurt to make soy yogurt is also fine.
Moving forward, you can simply save half a cup of the yogurt you make to use as starter culture for next time. This would only work if you are planning to make another batch within 5-7 days, however.
How to Make Instant Pot Vegan Yogurt without Additives
- Start by sterilizing all your cooking utensils. Then add the plant milk to your Instant Pot and push the "Yogurt" button until you see the word "Boil". Follow the temperature.
- When the milk reaches 185°F, start whisking to keep it there for a few minutes to denature the proteins.
- After the denaturing process, spoon out any film that may have formed on the surface and wait for the milk to come back to 110°F. If you are in a hurry, take out the inner pot and put it into an ice bath.
- Once you read 110°F, put some of the plant milk into a sterilized cup, and mix in the starter yogurt. Pour the new mixture into the pot, and whisk.
- Close the lid, and set the timer to anywhere from 14-24 hours. It really depends on how tangy and sharp you prefer it. It will keep for 5-7 days in the refrigerator.
*Denaturing is an important step for the proteins to form a more stable gel. If a thicker texture is not important for you, simply skip the denaturing process and put the starter yogurt into the milk, then set the time in the "Yogurt" program. In this case, you can also use individual wide-mouth mason jars put directly into the Instant Pot for minimal clean-up!
How to Make Thick Vegan Yogurt
Have you noticed how you can't really find many, if any, store-bought plant-based yogurts without any additives? That's because it is incredibly difficult and not very cost-effective to make vegan yogurt without using thickeners.
If you like the taste and the texture of Kite Hill or Forager yogurts the best, then this variety is for you. There is only one additional step:
- Along with the milk, thoroughly mix in the locust bean gum, xanthan gum, and agar powder.
- When the milk reaches 185°F, instead of keeping it there for a few minutes, immediately remove the inner pot and bring it back down to 110°F.
- Once you read 110°F, put some of the plant milk into a sterilized cup, and mix in the starter yogurt. Pour the new mixture into the pot, and whisk.
- Close the lid, and set the timer to 7 hours. It will keep for 5-7 days in the refrigerator.
*Vegan yogurt made with thickeners does not strain well. I wouldn't recommend using this variety to make labneh or any other strained yogurt recipes.
How to Make Vegan Greek Yogurt
Use two layers of cheesecloth and a mesh colander to strain—you can also use a linen napkin or pretty much any large enough piece of cotton fabric.
Leave this in the fridge to separate the whey for about 24 hours. And there you have it! Delicious Greek yogurt.
Many swear by using special Greek yogurt strainers like this one. I personally don't own one yet, but if the ongoing waste or cost of cheesecloth bothers you or if you are simply looking for more convenience, then this is a wonderful solution.
By the way—do you know why strained yogurt is called "Greek", although it is heavily consumed by many other cultures as well? It turns out that the Greek label came to the U.S. as part of the dairy yogurt giant Fage's marketing efforts… which certainly worked. So much so, that even the founder of the famous brand Chobani, who is Turkish himself, called his product Greek yogurt. In the end, labels don’t really matter—all it really is is strained yogurt.
How to Make Vegan Labneh
Simple—just extend the straining process of making Greek yogurt. Instead of straining for 24 hours, leave it there for 48 hours.
You can serve this delicious labneh with some extra virgin olive oil, zaatar spice blend, and olives-- with toast or pita on the side. It is so so good.
How to Use Up Yogurt
Until the age of 18, I had not seen people eating sweetened yogurt regularly, so when I moved to the US, it was shocking to see all the store shelves filled with flavored and sweetened yogurt. I think many people may be missing out on the delicious savory ways of consuming it. So to change that, I'll show you a few of my favorite ways to enjoy our delicious homemade yogurt. My favorite ways include:
- labneh
- tzatziki (regular or beet tzatziki)
- ayran (Turkish yogurt drink)
- carrot yogurt dip
- haydari (minty yogurt dip)
- with granola/pancakes and/or fruit & jam
- on Indian dal
- in a sumac & Greek yogurt pasta salad
Don’t forget to let me know in the comments if you make this recipe!
You can also save it for later on Pinterest, and keep in touch with me on YouTube, Instagram, or by sending an email.
Print📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Vegan Yogurt (Regular/Greek & Soy/Almond)
- Total Time: 24 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 2.5 cups (or less) 1x
Description
A comprehensive guide to making Instant Pot vegan yogurt at home—so easy! Two different ways: mild and sharp—with soy or almond milk.
Ingredients
Simple, Sharp Yogurt:
- 2 ½ cup plant milk*
- 2 tbsp non-dairy yogurt or starter culture
Mild Yogurt with Thickeners (similar to Kite Hill), add:
- ½ tsp locust bean gum
- ¼ tsp xanthan gum
- ⅛ tsp agar powder
optional: ½ teaspoon vanilla extract and/or 2 tablespoon maple syrup (date syrup works as well)
Instructions
Simple & Sharp Yogurt:
- Start by sterilizing all your cooking utensils. Then add the plant milk to your Instant Pot and push the "Yogurt" button until you see the word "Boil". Follow the temperature.
- When the milk reaches 185°F, start whisking to keep it there for a few minutes to denature the proteins.
- After the denaturing process, spoon out any film that may have formed on the surface and wait for the milk to come back to 110°F. If you are in a hurry, take out the inner pot and put it into an ice bath.
- Once you read 110°F, put some of the plant milk into a sterilized cup, and mix in the starter yogurt. Pour the new mixture into the pot, and whisk.
- Close the lid, and set the timer to anywhere from 14-24 hours. It really depends on how tangy and sharp you prefer it. It will keep for 5-7 days in the refrigerator.
Mild Yogurt with Thickeners:
- Start by sterilizing all your cooking utensils. Then add the plant milk and thoroughly mix in the locust bean gum, xanthan gum, and agar powder into the Instant Pot. Once mixed, push the "Yogurt" button until you see the word "Boil". Follow the temperature closely.
- When the milk reaches 185°F, instead of keeping it there for a few minutes, immediately remove the inner pot and bring it back down to 110°F.
- Once you read 110°F, put some of the plant milk into a sterilized cup, and mix in the starter yogurt. Pour the new mixture into the pot, and whisk.
- Close the lid, and set the timer to 7 hours. It will keep for 5-7 days in the refrigerator.
To Make Greek Yogurt or Labneh:
- Use two layers of cheesecloth and a mesh colander to strain—you can also use a linen napkin or pretty much any large enough piece of cotton fabric.
- Leave this in the fridge to separate the whey for about 24 hours. And there you have it! Delicious Greek yogurt.
- To make labneh, simply leave the Greek yogurt in the refrigerator for longer, at least for 48 hours.
Notes
- For plant milk, unflavored, unsweetened Westsoy or homemade almond milk works great. Make sure it doesn't come with thickeners.
- If using starter culture—e.g. Cultures for Health—follow package directions.
- Do not use the yogurt made with thickeners to make Greek yogurt or labneh. It doesn't strain well.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 24 hours
- Category: Breakfast, Snack, Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Greek, Turkish, Middle Eastern, Balkan
Lindsey Van Wyk
Any ideas for replacements for the Locust Bean Gum?
Gonul
Hi Lindsey, I've tried preparing the mild version without locust bean gum and substituted it with more xanthan once— the result was not as smooth. It will still be thick but with an inferior texture.
I'd recommend giving the other version of the yogurt a try. No gums are necessary for that one, and you can still thicken it (Greek yogurt) by straining for ~24 hours in the fridge. Hope this helps!
Julia
When you make yogurt without a thickener, is your instant pot set to up to 24 hours on low or normal?
Thank!
Gönül
It's on "Yogurt". My model (duo nova 7-in-1) has two modes (boil and incubate) in this setting. So the 14-24 hours is in "incubate". I found this article that might help: https://www.insider.com/guides/kitchen/instant-pot-yogurt
Hope this helps!
Best,
christa
i used Silk organic unsweetened soy milk because it was the best i could find. although it has Gellan Gum in it the texture came out really nice. yay! thanks for the excellent recipe.
Gönül
I'm so glad it worked out well with the gellan gum in Silk! Thanks for your helpful tip 🙂