You only need two ingredients to turn soy milk into Instant Pot yogurt. It could not be easier. Join me, as I spill all of my yogurt-making tricks!
When I got my Instant Pot last year, one thing I was sure I'd never use was the yogurt function. We have so many good vegan yogurts on store shelves, why bother making my own? Oh how wrong I was!
Y'all, I make soy yogurt on a weekly basis now. It is SO much cheaper than store-bought, and my homemade soy yogurt is free of additives. But my favorite thing about it is that it's unsweetened.
Why make Instant Pot soy yogurt?
Store-bought soy yogurts - even most marked "plain" - are all so sweet. I can't handle it. And I like sweet food!
But when you're cooking with yogurt, maybe you're trying to make something savory or maybe you just want to mix in some strawberry jam without turning your breakfast bowl from a little bit sweet to tooth-meltingly sugary.
When you make your own soy yogurt from scratch, it can be truly unsweetened, so you have a lot more control over the sweetness when you're cooking with it.
About this recipe
My recipe is based on my adventures with the soy yogurt recipe in Vegan Under Pressure by Jill Nussinow. At first, I was hesitant to post my recipe, since in some ways it's so much like the one in the book.
But after answering tons of questions from friends, family, and readers about how to make yogurt in the Instant Pot, I felt like it might be worthwhile to share what I'd learned.
There are dozens of amazing pressure cooker recipes in Vegan Under Pressure, and I encourage you to grab a copy. I refer to it several times a week for full recipes and for her bean, grain, and veggie cooking times, which are way more accurate than the booklet that came with my Instant Pot.
The recipe below is what I landed on after a lot of tinkering with cooking times and some technique changes that make it less messy.
I've also included two variations:
- a variation from my friend Erin at Kitchen Gadget Vegan. She does a soy-coconut mix that her family loves.
- instructions for how to make this with probiotic capsules instead of store-bought yogurt
Choose the right soy milk
The key to making soy yogurt in the Instant Pot is exactly what Nussinow says in her book: you have got to use soy milk that's only soybeans and water (sweetener and salt are okay). No gums. No gels. No thickeners. Trust me.
I didn't believe this at first, and I tried using the gum-thickener-gel-ful soy milk from our fridge, and the yogurt it produced was sticky a nightmare floating in a jar of water.
I don't throw food away lightly, and I threw this out after just a couple of bites. There was no way to stir the floaty part and watery part together. It was a total lost cause.
There are two common brands that fit the bill: Eden Foods and Westsoy. I have some ethical issues with Eden Foods, so I go for Westsoy Organic, and it works like a charm. If you can't find it in the store, you can order online.
The great thing about Westsoy is that it doesn't need to be refrigerated, because of how it's packaged.
Trader Joe's also stocks thickener-free soy milk. It comes in shelf-stable boxes and is very affordable.
The starter
A yogurt starter is just what you use to get probiotics into your soy milk. For this recipe, you have two options:
- a small amount of vegan yogurt
- probiotic capsules.
If you're using vegan yogurt, I recommend choosing plain or vanilla. Sometimes, fruity flavors can come through in your finished batch, even though you're only using a couple of tablespoons as your starter.
Prefer probiotic capsules? Easy peasy. Just make sure that you use vegetarian or vegan gelcaps.
You want the kind of probiotic capsules that you can open up and pour powder out of. Solid pills that would need to be crushed up won't work well in this recipe.
I've had great success using Jarro-Dophilus EPS capsules in this recipe. I made the yogurt in the new photos using these capsules, and my seven-year-old loves it!
When you stir the probiotic powder in, it's not going to fully dissolve, and that's okay! See the photo below -- lots of powder floating on top of my jars before they went into the pot. The yogurt turns out just fine.
The cost
One 32 ounce box of soy milk makes two pints of soy yogurt in the Instant Pot. The Westsoy that I linked to shakes out to about $4 per box. That's $2 per pint of homemade, additive free, organic, unsweetened soy yogurt. See? Worth it!
Cooking time
I've seen cooking times for Instant Pot yogurt that vary anywhere from 8 hours to 24. That's a big range, and it took me a lot of batches to hone in on the ideal time.
Fourteen hours seems to be the magic time for making Instant Pot yogurt. You can go as low as 10 hours, but for that perfectly-tangy soy yogurt that's thick enough to eat with a spoon, 14 is ideal.
If you're using probiotic capsules, I'd say 14 to 16 hours is a good range, depending on how tangy you like it.
Timing is everything!
There's nothing instant about making Instant Pot yogurt.
Making that 14 hour cooking time work for you is all about planning. Don't make the mistake I did a few times, starting your batch of yogurt in the morning.
If you do that, your Instant Pot will be tied up all day. It won't be there for you when you want to make rice and steam broccoli for your supper.
Instead, start your yogurt in the evening, so it will be ready for the morning. If you normally get up and have breakfast at 7am, start that yogurt at 5pm. Fourteen hours later, it's ready for breakfast, like magic!
There's nothing like starting the day with a bowl of fresh yogurt that you made yourself. And since most of the cooking happens while you're asleep, it makes the 14 hours seem a little bit more instant.
Thickening homemade soy yogurt
Homemade soy yogurt with no added thickeners is not going to be as thick as the soy yogurts that you're used to eating. That's just science. You have three options:
- Add a thickener. I do not like working with thickeners, so if that's what you want to do, I'd suggest looking at the Vegan Under Pressure recipe. Jill has directions there, if you want to go that route.
- Strain it. You can strain the yogurt through a few layers of cheesecloth to get rid of some excess whey and make a thicker yogurt. This takes longer, and you end up with a little more than half of what you started with, so I don't do it. But you can!
- Embrace it. This yogurt isn't Greek yogurt, but it is freaking delicious. You can eat it with a spoon or treat it like a thick yogurt drink.
My favorite way to eat it is with strawberry jam mixed in. Darrol Henry prefers his with maple syrup. It's also great in any recipe that calls for yogurt or as a replacement for sour cream.
📖 Recipe
How to Make Soy Yogurt in the Instant Pot
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 32 ounce box soy milk Choose a brand that’s ONLY soybeans and water – see above.
- 2 tablespoons plain vegan yogurt of your choice Don’t worry – the small amount of gums in this won’t mess with the final yogurt’s texture! (see note for probiotic capsules option)
Instructions
- Divide the soy milk between two wide mouth pint jars. Add a tablespoon of yogurt into each jar, stirring well.
- Carefully place the jars into the bottom of your Instant Pot (not on the rack – for some reason, it won’t make yogurt if you do that). Lock the lid, make sure the vent is sealed, and press the Yogurt button. Set it for 14 hours.
- In the morning, you’ll have yogurt! Stir before serving, since it does tend to separate. Your soy yogurt will keep for about 5 days in the fridge.
Jessica
Hi Becky,
I made this recipe several times using probiotic capsules and it turned out great. But the last 4 times I have tried to make it my yogurt curdled and separated into curds and whey. I had to throw it all out. I'm not sure I have it in me to try again - but I really miss my homemade yogurt. I used the same probiotics, same brand of soy milk and programmed my instant pot for the same amount of time as previous batches. Any idea what the issue could be?
Becky Striepe
That is so weird, and I'm sorry you're having issues! I have had this happen when my milk contained thickeners and/or gums. The curds were awful and sticky, too. What kind of soy milk are you using?
Jessica
I have used the Trader Joe’s organic soy beverage that has only soybeans and water and the Westsoy organic that is the same. I’m not sure what else to try or what to change to be able to make it again. I miss my homemade soy yogurt!
Barb
Question- have you tried making this in the larger Insta pot pot for a bolt recipe? Also, have you tried doubling it to make a larger batch?
Barb
I’m curious if you have tried that what your success has been like. Thank you in advance!!
Becky Striepe
You can definitely double! I only have the one Instant Pot, so I haven't tested in a different size, but it should work fine. The yogurt function works by keeping the inside of the pot at the perfect temp for fermenting yogurt, so size shouldn't matter too much in this case.
Anonymous
Used activia plant based vanilla yogurt and unsweetened soy milk (natura brand in Canada) and it worked!! It’s the most authentic tasting vegan yogurt I tasted. I didn’t realize how I missed the tangy flavour. All the vegan yogurts I’ve tried are so overly sweetened and thickened with gums. This recipe is a keeper!
Marge
I'll make this using soy milk from powder and the capsules you mention.
http://www.vitacost.com/now-foods-organic-soy-milk-powder
Ingredient: Organic (Non-Dairy) Soy Milk Powder (Non-GMO)
It must be made in glass, right? I think I'd find it easier to use a large glass container in IP and separate later into smaller glass jars. I'll report back after I do this and your latkes!
Becky Striepe
That should work, but let me know how it shakes out! You don't have to make it in the glass, but I prefer using the jars so I don't have to clean the pot after. You can make it directly in the pot, though, if you prefer!
Valet
I made this using WestSoy and Silk vanilla soy for the starter. It was amazing!! I need the most nutritionally dense food choices so I strained it overnight in a nut bag in the fridge (messy to scoop into a container later but worth it. I’m getting better at it, though). WestSoy is $5.18/64oz at Walmart, which yielded 16oz of super thick Greek yogurt for the 24 hr strain (I assume it would yield a little more is the straining time was reduced). I really liked the taste and consistency of the unstrained as well as the strained, but I needed the super thick. Considering the price of Fage or Forager non dairy yogurt, it’s definitely worth it to me to make this every week. I eat it plain or with fruit added, but my daughter likes it sweetened with maple syrup and cinnamon. My grandson needs it added to his bottle to thicken the breast milk because he has swallowing issues. I love that I can make this for him! Thank you so much!!
Becky Striepe
Thank you so much for sharing your experience, Valerie. I'm delighted that this yogurt is working well and useful in so many ways!
Valerie
Correction on yesterday’s post — the 24 hr strain produced 31.5 0z, not 16. I previously listed only the first 32oz of soy milk, not the entire 64oz pkg.
Tamara Hanel
I made this last night with the least expensive probiotic capsules from Costco and the Trader Joes Organic Soy Beverage. It came out perfect. It smells great and is at least as thick is the So-Delicious brand that I normally buy. Thank you.
Cindy Osborn
So you add the culture at the beginning? Does the Boil function not kill the bacteria?
Becky Striepe
You don't boil it.
Cindy Osborn
Sorry, I bought my Instant Pot specifically to make non-dairy yogurt, so I don't know much about it. So the readout says boil using the yogurt button, but it doesn't really boil?
Becky Striepe
Oh interesting! My pot doesn't boil with the yogurt function. I wonder if the newer ones do? I've had this one for a few years. Both it and the one before did not boil using the yogurt function. If you're just putting it in there and pressing Yogurt, it seems like it shouldn't boil, because, like you say, it would kill the bacteria. Some people boil the soymilk in the pot before making yogurt using the saute function, but I don't worry about doing that.
Eileen
I read in another yogurt recipe calling for whole cow's milk that you have to boil it and then put it in an ice bath. The boiling is to kill any bad bacteria that would grow during the yogurt-making process.
My IP has a sous vide setting instead of a yogurt setting, so that's what I plan to use.
Becky Striepe
Oh yeah, you can do that sterilization process, if you like. I just skip it for ease. I am not sure a sous vide setting will work. The yogurt function is very specific. It holds the inner pot at the ideal temperature for fermentation. Not sure what temp sous vide would keep things at.
j
Mine said boil too and I lost a batch- killed the starter ?
I reset the instant pot to factory settings (plug in and it will show “off” - then hold “adjust” button for three seconds until it beeps. Then when you hit yogurt it no longer shows high pressure and boil! Now when I hit yogurt button it’s shows med pressure and factory set for 8 hours. I’m reading soy takes 14 hours so I’ll up the time if needed. Fingers crossed ?!
Becky Striepe
Oh yeah, definitely don't boil the starter. It will definitely die. If you want to boil, just boil the soy milk, then let it cool before adding the starter. Let me know how round two goes!
Edith
Hi :)
Wondering if your noew batch without the boil worked. I was going cray trying to figure out why it said boiled and stopped. Seems like I have the same IP as yours. Looking forward to see if this is going to work.
Laura
Do you have to use jars or can you make the yogurt straight in the Instant Pot?
Becky Striepe
You can make it straight in the pot, but it's much messier that way.
Eileen
If you can't use a metal spoon to mix things, why would you be able to make it straight in the metal pot?
Becky Striepe
I'm not sure, but sometimes the spoon can give a metallic taste, but the pot doesn't.
Leslie
To thicken, I run my yogurt through a reusable coffee filter (with a paper filter as a liner). Yes, it yields a lot less yogurt. But, dang, it's good. And I drink the yogurt water, which is also yum!
Becky Striepe
Ooh what a great idea to save the liquid! I bet it would add a nice tang to a smoothie, too.
Gerry
Hoorayyyy!!!! 2nd time's the charm. My first time I used vegan starter from Cultures for Health, I think I got a bad batch because it didnt work.
This time I halved the recipe so I didn't lose and entire quart of soy milk and used a probiotic capsule. It worked great! I will decrease the time next time as I'd like it to be more mild. Thanks for this easy recipe!
Becky Striepe
Oh, I am delighted to hear that it worked out on the second go! It's such a bummer when a bad starter ruins the whole batch. If you like it more mild, you might try backing off on the time. How long did you go this time around?
Gerry
I did 14 hours. It was a little yeast smelling coming out. I wonder if the probiotics I have were too strong? I think they're about 15 mill (or more), do you think one capsupe might work for a whole quart (instead of one capsule for a pint)?
I'm thinking to try 12 hours tonight.
Becky Striepe
Yeah, try backing off to 10-12 hours and see how it goes! I'm not sure about reducing the number of capsules. You can try it, but it might not work out.
Gerry
Hi Again!
I did 11 hours and it worked well. Thank you again for this great recipe.
I recently found a recipe for homemade nut milk. Apparently homemade nut milk tends to separate, do you know if that would still work with this recipe?
Thanks
COLLEEN BURRIS
Can you use oat milk? and can you make without putting it in jars?
Becky Striepe
I haven't tested this with oat milk, so I'm not sure if it will work or not. You can do it in the pot instead of jars. I just like doing it in jars because there's less cleanup that way.
Thomas
During the pandemic I had trouble getting the Westsoy unsweetened and bought a carton of unsweetened oatmilk (no gums). While I did everything as I usually do, can't say I was very pleased. It was just slightly thicker than when I poured the milk in the jar and wasn't particularly flavorful. Will admit, maybe my starter wasn't right, but again, it wasn't any different from the many successful soymilk yogurts I've made. So now that I can find Westsoy again, I'll stick with it.
Thanks for the great, helpful recipe! One other note, I've found soymilk yogurt a bit flat tasting (especially compared to what I used to be able to eat). I did try a squirt of lemon juice and that really helps it taste more like what I expect. Not a lot, maybe 1/4t juice in a bit less than 1/2c yogurt.
Becky Striepe
Thank you for all of the helpful info, Thomas! Different milks definitely yield different textures/thicknesses/etc, so it's always helpful to hear when ppl branch out and try new things with this recipe.
Scott
So...Ive ruined many a batch of vegan yogurt and had minimal success with others, always on the thin side. I’ve been setting the Instapot at 8 hrs and opening the release valve, based on prior readings and trial and error but based on your info this may be the problem. I was always under the impression that sealing it would lock in the moisture that you didn’t want. Can you elaborate here? Many thanks!
Becky Striepe
It shouldn't matter whether you seal or not -- I never even check. Eight hours might not be enough time. Maybe bump it up to 10 or 12 and see if you get the results you want? Your starter could also be the problem. Have you used different ones? Recently, a reader had a full yogurt fail, and it turned out that her probiotic capsules were bad. Fresh capsules did the trick in the next batch with no other changes.
Leigh
Hi, really looking forward to trying this but undecided about the starter to use. I found a powder on Amazon. Do you know what the equivalent measurement would be to two capsules? The capsules seem rather expensive. And does a store-bought vegan yogurt really have the "oomph" to culture a batch of homemade yogurt? Thanks for your advice!
Becky Striepe
These are great questions! For powdered starter, I'd follow the package directions for the amount of powder to liquid. Most store-bought vegan yogurts do have enough probiotics to ferment. That's the primary method that I use!
Marissa Sinai
Hi! What type of yogurt do you combine with the milk so that it’s cultured?
Thanks!!
Becky Striepe
I've used lots of different ones! It can really be any type of plant based yogurt, as long as it includes live, active cultures.
Anne
I made soy yogurt yesterday in the Instant Pot. It was confusing since your method differs from my regular method (heating the milk), but after 15 hours it still wasn’t even slightly thick so I added 3 hours to the time. Finally success! Perfect soy yogurt!
One question - can I use a different yogurt starter (say cashew) to add to the soy milk? Will it work?
Becky Striepe
I'm glad it set up! Getting the timing right is definitely a bit of a guessing game, depending on so many factors. You can use any yogurt starter you like! I have had flavors come through in final batches before, though, so just bear that in mind. I once used peach yogurt as the starter, and the final result tasted of peaches.
Shelby
Can the soy yogurt this recipe makes be used as a starter for future batches?
Becky Striepe
I have heard some readers say yes and other say no. I'd recommend using a fresh starter, so you'll have consistent results.
Gabriela
Can I use 3 TBSP of my first batch as starter for next batches (I used Westsoy and Silk Soy Yogurt. Thank you!
Becky Striepe
You can try it, and it will work if there are enough probiotics in it. It can be hit and miss, though.
Amy
Success! I just got an Instant Pot and thought I’d try to make soy yogurt after years of failures with various recipes, starters, milks, and gadgets. I was skeptical that this would work, but it did and the yogurt is delicious! I used Trader Joe’s unsweetened plain soy milk and Forager cashew yogurt for starter. Thank you SO much!!! I’m glad I found your site. I am a little intimidated by the Instant Pot and haven’t used it for anything else yet, but this was a great start.
Becky Striepe
I'm so glad to hear you had yogurt success! And I feel you on the IP being intimidating at first. The more you use it, though, the more comfortable you'll get. Happy cooking!
Gerry
I made the soy yogurt last night with 64oz Westsoy organic soy milk and 4 T silk vanilla soy yogurt. Used the Instant Pot set for 14 hours. It turned out great! I have used the IP for dairy yogurt for years but the soy method is soooo much easier. I am a convert now and will continue on with changing to plant based eating! I love your air fryer recipes too.
Becky Striepe
Gerry, this comment makes my day! I'm so glad this recipe can support your journey to plant based eating!
Gerry Stairet
Becky, I have now made your soy yogurt recipe 5 times with the 64 oz Westsoy and it is perfect each time. Due to weather issues, Walmart was out of Westsoy so I found Pacific Ultra Soy milk, in aseptic package, at Safeway. I bought 2 32 ounce containers and used 4 T Silk Vanilla soy yogurt and this turned out amazing. Very close to firmness found in commercial dairy yogurt. There are some additives, a bit of cane sugar but I was desperate! 2 days later it still isn’t watery nor lumpy. I think it is important to whisk the store bought yogurt starter in about a cup of soy milk, add it back to the pot with the rest of the soy milk and whisk again to get it mixed well. Cover and let it go for the 14 hours.
Becky Striepe
That is great to hear, Gerry! I'm so glad there are other milks that work, because Westsoy is hard to find sometimes. That's a good tip about whisking the starter separately, too. Thank you!
Spazvan
Hi Becky,
do you need to put water in the instapot? and if yes, how much?
I am worried my jars may burst if they go in directly.
Hoping to try this very soon.
Thank you,
Spazvan
Becky Striepe
Hi Spazvan! No water needed. I totally get it -- I was nervous, too, the first time I tried this. The pot doesn't come to pressure to make the yogurt. It just keeps the internal temperature at the ideal temp for fermentation, which isn't very hot.
Barbara L
Thanks for a great recipe easy recipe along with related details, and, not least, thanks for the heads-up about Eden.
Becky Striepe
You are very welcome! I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news. :(
Christy
Can you make this from homemade soy milk? It's much cheaper to get than store bought. Thanks.
Becky Striepe
I haven't tried this with homemade, so I'm not sure. If you give it a try, definitely report back!
Jesenia
I just tried using this exact method with homemade cashew milk and plain cashew yogurt starter, and it was not a success. Super runny. Please let me know if you have better luck
Becky Striepe
Darn, I was worried that it might not work with homemade nut milks. Thank you for sharing your experience!
Karen
Will putting the starter in with the milk at the beginning of the instant pot cycle kill the bacteria?
Becky Striepe
It won't. The yogurt setting brings the pot to the ideal temperature to foster that good bacteria.
Bob
Thanks so much for the helpful advise and what products to use. We'll try westsoy soon and we've always used edensoy and it also worked great.
Sombra
Thanks you so much for this recipe! Instant Pot soy yogurt is my new favorite thing. I can fit eight 8oz jars in my large instant pot so I have individual jars of yogurt all week. It tastes great!!
Becky Striepe
Wow! 8 jars is awesome. What size pot do you have, Sombra?
Sombra
I have a large pot...maybe the largest? It has a yogurt button on it. Question: how many Probiotic capsules should I be using? I've been using one per jar/cup, but as I read more it seems like that might be overkill/wasteful
Becky Striepe
I've had the most success using 2 capsules per jar. My jars are .5 liter, so they each hold half of the 32-ounce box of soy milk. The size of your pot shouldn't matter, as long as the jars fit inside.