Homemade Crockpot Yogurt

Homemade crockpot yogurt is creamy, thick, and delicious. Store-bought yogurt is added to heated milk and allowed to culture. Then just add in your favorite flavoring or eat it plain!

I may have ruined my family. They don’t really care for store-bought yogurt anymore. So you might want to stop now and not make this yogurt. In all seriousness, it really can be THAT good!

I’m not complaining though. When my kids eat this homemade crockpot yogurt, I know that they are getting a healthy and filling breakfast or snack that isn’t full of junk. While we flavor our yogurt with strawberries, you can flavor it in any way you desire!

Tips for Making Homemade Crockpot Yogurt

  • Use a yogurt that lists the cultures as part of the ingredient list. My favorite brand to use is Chobani Plain Yogurt
  • You can use raw milk, organic milk, or generic store-bought milk for this recipe. I have noticed that raw milk tends to produce a thick, hard film during the heating process that can be removed before adding in the yogurt. Also note, if you use raw milk, the milk will no longer be raw.
  • When heating the milk, make sure it gets to at least 180*F. It is okay if it goes over. I have had the temperature go over 200*F.
  • The milk will cool faster if you tilt the lid and remove the crockpot from the heating element. Just watch to make sure it doesn’t go below 110*F.

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Tools you may need

Crockpot
Thermometer
Wooden Spoon
Small Bowl
3 Bath Towels
Medium/Large Cooler
Large Bowl
Cotton Lint Free Towel
Colander

Ingredients

Milk
2 TBSP Yogurt with Live and Active Cultures (I use Chobani Yogurt)

How to Make Homemade Crockpot Yogurt

Pour milk directly into the crockpot. Put the lid on.

Set the crockpot to high.

Let the milk heat up to at least 180*F.

Thermometer placed in crockpot of warm milk showing temperature of 180*F

Start checking after about 2 hours or so. I should take about 2-3 hours for the milk to get to temperature.

Once the milk has been heated, turn off the crockpot.

Let the milk cool down to 110*F-120*F.

Crockpot on counter with lid off with a hot pad and thermometer to the left of it

Start checking the temperature after about 2 hours.

Once the milk has cooled, add the yogurt to a small bowl.

Remove about 1 cup of the hot milk from the crockpot to the small bowl with the yogurt and stir until combined.

Slowly pour the milk and yogurt combination back into the crockpot while slowly stirring to incorporate throughout the rest of the milk.

Place a bath towel in the bottom of the cooler.

Place the crockpot with the milk and yogurt mixture on top of the towel in the cooler.

Wrap the crockpot with the two remaining towels and shut the lid of the cooler.

Woman's arm placing towels over a crockpot in a cooler

Let the yogurt culture for 12 – 24 hours.

Congratulations! You now have yogurt!

While it is ready to eat now, there is an additional step you can take to make it thicker.

Place a large colander inside a large bowl. You want there to be space between the bottom of the colander and the bottom of the bowl for the whey to drain away from the yogurt.

Place a clean cotton towel inside the colander.

Using a spoon, scoop the yogurt out of the crockpot and into the towel lined colander.

Thin yogurt sitting in a cotton towel lined colander inside a bowl

Place a lid, towel, or covering over the yogurt to keep out any flies if necessary.

Allow the whey to drain for at least a couple of hours before flavoring.

For really thick yogurt, allow it to drain overnight in the refrigerator.

Flavor the yogurt or eat plain!

Thick yogurt in a green bowl and clinging to a metal spoon

Strawberry flavoring

You will need:
12oz whole, frozen strawberries
1/2 cup sugar
Medium saucepan
Potato Masher
Spoon

Place the strawberries in a medium saucepan with the sugar over medium heat.

As the strawberries thaw, mash them up and stir in the sugar.

Once mashed up to your liking, turn off the heat and allow to cool.

Once cooled, mix the mashed strawberries into the yogurt.

Thick, homemade yogurt flavored with strawberries in a green bowl

Variations

  • Substitute the same amount of honey for the sugar. Just make sure you do not give it to a child under 1 year old.
  • Swap out the strawberries for a different fruit or fruit combination
Yield: 3 qts

Homemade Crockpot Yogurt

strawberry yogurt on a white plate topped with granola child's hand encircling one side of the plate child's other hand holding a spoon scooping yogurt

Homemade crockpot yogurt is creamy, thick, and delicious. Store-bought yogurt is added to heated milk and allowed to culture. Then just add in your favorite flavoring or eat it plain!

Cook Time 6 hours
Additional Time 1 day
Total Time 1 day 6 hours

Ingredients

  • Milk
  • 2 TBSP Yogurt with Live and Active Cultures
  • You May Also Need:
  • Crockpot
  • Thermometer
  • Wooden Spoon
  • Small Bowl
  • 3 Bath Towels
  • Medium/Large Cooler
  • Large Bowl
  • Cotton Lint Free Towel
  • Colander

Instructions

    Pour milk directly into the crockpot. Put the lid on.

Set the crockpot to high.

Let the milk heat up to at least 180*F.

Start checking after about 2 hours or so. I should take about 2-3 hours for the milk to get to temperature.

Once the milk has been heated, turn off the crockpot.

Let the milk cool down to 110*F-120*F.

Start checking the temperature after about 2 hours.

Once the milk has cooled, add the yogurt to a small bowl.

Remove about 1 cup of the hot milk from the crockpot to the small bowl with the yogurt and stir until combined.

Slowly pour the milk and yogurt combination back into the crockpot while slowly stirring to incorporate throughout the rest of the milk.

Place a bath towel in the bottom of the cooler.

Place the crockpot with the milk and yogurt mixture on top of the towel in the cooler.

Wrap the crockpot with the two remaining towels and shut the lid of the cooler.

Let the yogurt culture for 12 – 24 hours.

Congratulations! You now have yogurt!

While it is ready to eat now, there is an additional step you can take to make it thicker.

Place a large colander inside a large bowl. You want there to be space between the bottom of the colander and the bottom of the bowl for the whey to drain away from the yogurt.

Place a clean cotton towel inside the colander.

Using a spoon, scoop the yogurt out of the crockpot and into the towel lined colander.

Place a lid, towel, or covering over the yogurt to keep out any flies if necessary.

Allow the whey to drain for at least a couple of hours before flavoring.

For really thick yogurt, allow it to drain overnight in the refrigerator.

Flavor the yogurt or eat plain!

Notes

Strawberry flavoring

You will need: 12oz whole, frozen strawberries, 1/2 cup sugar, Medium saucepan, Potato Masher, Spoon

Place the strawberries in a medium saucepan with the sugar over medium heat.

As the strawberries thaw, mash them up and stir in the sugar.

Once mashed up to your liking, turn off the heat and allow to cool.

Once cooled, mix the mashed strawberries into the yogurt.

Variations

  • Substitute the same amount of honey for the sugar. Just make sure you do not give it to a child under 1 year old.
  • Swap out the strawberries for a different fruit or fruit combination

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