How to Make Simple Homemade Yogurt

Learn how to make creamy, tangy homemade yogurt with just two ingredients. A simple recipe for healthier, more affordable yogurt without additives.

Making your own yogurt at home is a rewarding process that not only saves money but also gives you complete control over the ingredients and flavor. With just two ingredients and a little patience, you can create creamy, tangy yogurt that’s perfect for breakfast, snacks, or cooking. Plus, it’s much healthier than most store-bought options since you can avoid added sugars and preservatives.

Jump to Recipe

Why Make Homemade Yogurt?

Homemade yogurt is not only cost-effective but also better for your health and the environment. Here are a few reasons to try it:

  1. Healthier Ingredients: You choose the milk and starter yogurt, ensuring no unnecessary additives.
  2. Customizable: Control the thickness and tanginess of your yogurt based on your preferences.
  3. Frugal and Sustainable: Making yogurt at home reduces waste from plastic containers and saves you money over time.
  4. Gut-Friendly: Fresh yogurt is packed with probiotics, essential for a healthy digestive system.

This post may contain affiliate links. Which means I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you. For my full disclosure click here.

What you’ll need:

  • Digital Thermometer: Helps you monitor the precise temperatures for heating and cooling the milk.
  • Quart-Size Mason Jar: For incubating the yogurt.
  • Stock Pot: To gently heat the milk.
  • Small Cooler: Acts as an incubator to maintain the ideal temperature for fermentation.
  • 4 Cups Whole Milk: Avoid ultra-pasteurized milk as it doesn’t culture well.
  • 2 Tablespoons Plain Yogurt: Be sure it contains live active cultures.
simple homemade yogurt being made in mason jars
I apologize for the grainy picture. I took a screenshot from an old video I made!

How To Make Yogurt

1. Prepare Your Equipment

Ensure your mason jars are clean and sterilized. You can run them through the dishwasher or sterilize them in boiling water.

2. Heat the Milk

Fill the mason jar with whole milk, leaving about 2 inches from the top. Place the jar in a stockpot and add cool water until it reaches about 3/4 of the way up the sides of the jar.

  • Gently bring the water to a boil and allow the milk inside the jar to reach 180°F.
  • This step helps denature the milk proteins, which improves the texture of your yogurt.

3. Cool the Milk

Carefully remove the jar from the stockpot and loosely cover it with a lid. Let the milk cool to 110°F, stirring occasionally to release heat evenly.

  • Tip: If you’re short on time, place the jar in the fridge to speed up cooling, but be sure to check the temperature frequently.

4. Add the Yogurt Starter

Once the milk reaches 110°F, stir in 2 tablespoons of plain yogurt with live active cultures. Be gentle to avoid disrupting the starter cultures. Secure the lid on the jar.

5. Incubate the Yogurt

Place the jar in a small cooler and fill it with the warm water leftover from the stockpot. The water should be around 120°F. Close the cooler lid to maintain warmth. Allow the yogurt to incubate for 8–10 hours.

  • The longer it ferments, the tangier the yogurt will taste.

6. Chill and Enjoy

After incubation, refrigerate the yogurt for at least 24 hours to set and develop flavor. Homemade yogurt keeps for about 2 weeks in the fridge.

  • Don’t forget to save 2 tablespoons from this batch for your next batch!

Why Avoid Ultra-Pasteurized Milk?

Ultra-pasteurized milk is heated to very high temperatures during processing, which can alter the proteins needed for culturing. For the best results, use whole milk that’s either raw (if safe) or lightly pasteurized.

creamy homemade yogurt being stirred in a mason jar

Tips for Perfect Yogurt Every Time

  • Experiment with Flavors: Add honey, vanilla, or fresh fruit to your yogurt after it’s chilled for a delicious twist.
  • Use a Reliable Thermometer: Accurate temperature readings are essential for successful yogurt-making.
  • Avoid Disturbing the Incubation: Keep the cooler closed during fermentation to maintain a consistent temperature.
  • Thicker Yogurt: For thicker yogurt, strain it using cheesecloth after incubation to remove excess whey.

Kitchen Essentials with Azure Standard

Using high-quality ingredients makes a big difference in your homemade yogurt. I recommend sourcing your supplies from Azure Standard, where you can find:

  • Organic Whole Milk: For creamy, rich yogurt.
  • Mason Jars: Perfect for yogurt storage.
  • Thermometers: Essential for precise temperature control.

Click here to shop these essentials and elevate your homemade creations!

A Few Tips

  • Heating the milk to 180 is very important. The heat changes the protein in the milk to create a thicker yogurt. On the other hand, cooling it down to 110 is just as important because if the milk is too warm when the starter yogurt is added it won’t set up properly.
  • Be sure to look at the back of the carton of yogurt you buy at the store. Most brands will say if they contain live, active cultures.
  • If you don’t have a cooler to incubate your yogurt in, you can use the oven. Simply wrap the warm jars in a bath towel and set in the oven overnight. Or you can heat the oven briefly, turn it off, turn your light on, and incubate the jar that way.

Good food doesn’t have to be hard.

Once you get the hang of it, homemade yogurt is really quite simple to make. It is also much more economical to make it at home. I think one of the most common misconceptions about cooking from scratch is that it’s hard. It doesn’t have to be. I shared not very long ago how I made cooking from scratch a priority even though I don’t love to cook. You can read that here if you’d like: How To Cook More Meals From Scratch (Even when you don’t like to cook!)

Homemade Yogurt

Ingredients

  • 4 cups whole milk if you’re using store bought, just be sure it isn’t ultra-pasteurized
  • 2 Tablespoons of plain yogurt with live active cultures

Instructions

  • First of all make sure your jars are nice and clean. You can sterilize them in the dishwasher. Fill the jar with whole milk, leaving about 2 inches from the top. Place the filled jar into the stockpot.
  • Now you will fill the pot with cool water. Stop when the water level is about 3/4 of the way up the sides of the jar.
  • Bring the water to a gentle boil and simmer until the milk inside the jar reaches 180 degrees F.
  • Next, carefully remove the jar of hot milk from the water and loosely cover with a lid. (Don’t toss that hot water. You’ll need it in the next step!) Periodically stir the milk and check the temperature. The milk needs to cool to 110 degrees F. (You can put the milk in the fridge to cool, just be sure to keep checking it frequently!)
  • Once the milk is cooled to 110, add in 2 tablespoons of yogurt. Stir gently. Place lid on the jar.
  • Put the jar in the cooler and fill the cooler with the leftover warm water from the stockpot. (The water should be fairly close to 120. If it’s cooled down too much you can reheat it, but it’s usually not necessary for me.) Close the lid. Allow the yogurt to incubate about 8 to 10 hours. The longer it incubates the tangier it gets.
  • Lastly, refrigerate the yogurt for about 24 hours before you enjoy it. It should keep in the fridge for about 2 weeks. (Be sure to save at least 2 tablespoons for your next batch!)

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