Crock Pot or Slow Cooker Yogurt

Slow cooker yogurt is an easy, healthy and inexpensive way to make homemade yogurt without a yogurt maker. Prepare it in five minutes, go to bed, and wake up to a freshly made breakfast!

I have a few more yogurt recipes that you will enjoy.  4 Ingredient Healthy Strawberry Frozen Yogurt (5 minute recipe!), Homemade Fruit on the Bottom Yogurt Cups and 5 Easy Healthy Yogurt Bowl Ideas are all winners.

How to Make Slow Cooker Yogurt

Yogurt can be expensive and often times it has a long list of artificial colors, flavors, and who knows what else. So here is a super easy recipe to make your own slow cooker yogurt. It is plain yogurt, but you can add honey, jams, fresh fruit, and just about anything else you like. I also use it in place of sour cream in most recipes. This is a great way to to get organic yogurt on the cheap. You can buy a carton of organic milk and turn it into yogurt for about half the price of organic yogurt.

The recipe is so easy that it practically makes itself. You just have to commit a little time to the process! You essentially just use your slow cooker to scald the milk and then the heavy warm crock radiates heat all night long to help culture your new batch of yogurt. The hands-on time is about 5 minutes, though the waiting time is about 15 hours. I like to start this in the afternoon so that it's ready to sit for its long 8-12 hour warm resting period overnight. We then wake up to fresh yogurt and I'll serve it with fresh fruit and some homemade granola.

I really recommend straining this yogurt through 3-4 layers of cheese cloth for a few hours too. This helps it to thicken up to a more "Greek yogurt" consistency which my kids prefer (and it's easier to eat). I explained more of how I do that in the tips and tricks section. Before you know it, you'll know how to make homemade yogurt with your eyes closed.

Tips and Tricks for making Slow Cooker Yogurt

• I'd highly recommend getting a little instant-read thermometer to make homemade yogurt - it's all about the temperature! I use this $10 thermometer all the time.
• The goal is to scald the milk which takes place around 180 degrees. So you could check it with a thermometer the first time to see if the "warm" setting is warm enough or if maybe an hour and 45 minutes would work on low. Once you figure it out, I don’t think you would have to use the thermometer every time.
• After the milk is scalded, the waiting time is meant to bring the milk down to around 115-110 degrees so that it’s still warm but won’t kill your yogurt culture!
• You don't have to buy commercial plain yogurt every time. Just save ½ cup of your own yogurt for the starter for the next batch.
• I really recommend straining this yogurt through 3-4 layers of cheese cloth for a few hours, too. This helps it to thicken up to a more "Greek yogurt" consistency which my kids prefer (and it's easier to eat). I simply set a large colander in a bowl, line it with cheese cloth, and then pour my yogurt in from the slow cooker. I cover it with a clean dish towel and let it sit for a few hours until it's the consistency that I like. Do note that the yogurt will also thicken some when refrigerated. Play around with it until you figure out how thick or how thin you prefer your yogurt and make notes. That's the perk of cooking from scratch - you get a product that is truly customized to your preferences.

How long does homemade yogurt last?

Homemade yogurt is generally good for eating for up to 2 weeks when properly stored in the refrigerator.

Do I have to buy store bought yogurt every time in order to make homemade yogurt?

You don't have to buy commercial plain yogurt every time. Just save ½ cup of your own yogurt for the starter for the next batch.

How can I make homemade yogurt thicker:

There's a few ways to make your yogurt thicker!

1. Use whole milk instead of 2% or skim. The higher milk fat lends to a thicker yogurt.
2. Stick it in the fridge. Your yogurt with thicken up some as it gets cold.
3. Strain your yogurt. By removing some of the whey, you are left with a thicker Greek style yogurt.
4. I strain my yogurt 2 ways, one is by straining the yogurt through 3-4 layers of cheese cloth for a few hours, too. Simply set a large colander in a bowl, line it with cheese cloth, and then pour yogurt in from the slow cooker. Cover it with a clean dish towel and let it sit for a few hours until it's the consistency that you like. Do note that the yogurt will also thicken some when refrigerated. Play around with it until you figure out how thick or how thin you prefer your yogurt and make notes. That's the perk of cooking from scratch - you get a product that is truly customized to your preferences.
5. The second way I strain my yogurt is new to me, but I'm loving it. I just got a stainless steel yogurt strainer (you can find it on Etsy for $25) and it's awesome. I just stick the tube in my yogurt after the incubation time and let it rest about 2 hours. Then the middle fills with the whey and you ladle it out. I normally do this a in three spots down the middle of the slow cooker (over the course of the morning or so) before placing it in the fridge and it works so great. The tube I just rinse off or you can stick it in the dishwasher. It's a cool thing that if you make yogurt a lot, it's great to have (it works in the 6 and 8 quart Instant Pots too!).

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Yogurt recipes that are worth a try:

• Soft and Puffy Greek Yogurt Sugar Cookies
• 5 Easy Healthy Yogurt Bowl Ideas
• 4 Ingredient Healthy Strawberry Frozen Yogurt (5 minute recipe!)
• Homemade Fruit on the Bottom Yogurt Cups