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It’s so easy to make silky smooth Slow Cooker Yogurt at home with just two ingredients and prep time of only 5 minutes! This simple recipe saves money, reduces waste, and delivers fresh yogurt without any additives or preservatives.

white slow cooker yogurt in a black slow cooker or crock pot with hand holding spoon dipped in yogurt.


 

🥛Just 5 minutes of prep, and then slow cooker does the rest while you sleep. Such an easy way to get another option for homemade breakfast or snacks into your meal rotation!

Table of Contents

My 2 Best Tips For Making Slow Cooker Yogurt

  1. Temperature Matters: The first time you make this recipe, use a thermometer to verify your slow cooker’s heating pattern. The ideal temperature for yogurt cultures is 110-115°F (43-46°C). Too hot and you’ll kill the cultures; too cool and they won’t activate properly.
  2. Quality Starters Make Quality Yogurt: Choose a high-quality plain yogurt with live active cultures for your beginning starter. Brands like Mountain High, Fage, or Chobani work well. Then you can start saving your own starter from each of your homemade batches. After a few batches, you may notice your yogurt becoming less thick—this is the time to introduce a fresh commercial starter.
Melissa in her kitchen smiling in front of the starting ingredients for the chicken the quinoa salad and skillet chicken on the wood block in front of her

🩷 Melissa

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.

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.

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.

white slow cooker yogurt in a black slow cooker or crock pot with hand holding spoon dipped in yogurt.
4.90 from 66 votes

Slow Cooker Yogurt

By: Melissa Griffiths
Slow cooker yogurt is an easy, healthy and inexpensive way to make homemade yogurt without a yogurt maker. Prepare in five minutes, go to bed, and wake up to a freshly made breakfast!
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 8 hours
Total: 8 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 8 cups
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Ingredients 

  • 1/2 gallon (8 cups) whole milk (you'll get a thinner product with a lower fat content milk)
  • 1/2 cup commercial plain yogurt that says “Live and Active Cultures” on the tub, I have great success with Mountain High yogurt for my culture.

Instructions 

  • In a large crock pot, add the milk. Add the lid. Turn it on low for around 2 ½ hours.
  • After that time has passed, unplug the crock pot and let it sit for 3 hours. I always set a timer for these or I don’t remember.
  • After the 3 hours has passed, stir in the ½ cup of yogurt. Replace the lid of the crock pot and cover with two big towels or a blanket. Let rest for 8 to 12 hours (overnight works well). In the morning you'll have yogurt!
    white slow cooker yogurt in a black slow cooker or crock pot with hand holding spoon dipped in yogurt.
  • Place it in a half-gallon mason jar and refrigerate for a few hours before serving. It will thicken up in the fridge. Keep a ½ cup of this yogurt for your next batch and say goodbye to buying yogurt!
  • You can also let the yogurt strain in cheese cloth in the fridge for a few hours and you'll get a thicker Greek yogurt.
    A bowl lined with white cheesecloth holds thick, white slow cooker yogurt being strained on a light surface.

Video

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Notes

Temperature Tips:
  • I highly recommend getting a little instant-read thermometer to make homemade yogurt since it’s all about the temperature.
  • The goal is to scald the milk which takes place around 180°F. 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 110-115°F so it’s still warm but won’t kill your yogurt culture.
 
Save Your Own Starter: 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 To Get Thicker Yogurt (Greek Yogurt): 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).
Simply set a large colander in a bowl, line it with cheese cloth, and then pour my 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 want.
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.
How to Store Homemade Yogurt: Keep the yogurt in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. It will continue to thicken as it chills. Homemade yogurt can be frozen for up to 2 months, but the texture may become grainy when thawed so use the frozen yogurt for smoothies or baking instead.
Serving Suggestions:

Nutrition

Serving: 1 of 8 cups, Calories: 151kcal, Carbohydrates: 12g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 30mg, Sodium: 97mg, Potassium: 379mg, Sugar: 12g, Vitamin A: 398IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 310mg, Iron: 0.01mg
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Recipe FAQs

How long does homemade yogurt last?

Homemade yogurt typically stays fresh in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks when stored in an airtight container. The flavor may become more tart over time as the cultures continue to slowly develop.

Why didn’t my yogurt thicken properly?

Several factors can affect thickness: using ultra-pasteurized milk, milk with lower fat content, culture that wasn’t active enough, or temperature issues during incubation. For thicker yogurt, try using whole milk, ensuring proper temperatures are maintained, or strain the finished yogurt through cheesecloth.

How do I make Greek yogurt from this recipe?

After your yogurt is made, simply line a fine-mesh strainer with cheesecloth, place it over a bowl, and pour in your finished yogurt. Allow it to drain in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours for a thicker Greek-style yogurt. The longer it strains, the thicker it becomes.

More Healthy Snack Recipes to Consider

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341 Comments

  1. Kathleen says:

    Will letting the yogurt sit out for over 12 hours (ie 15 hrs) become harmful to eat? Or will if just become thicker and tangier?

    Reply
    1. Melissa Griffiths says:

      It’s cultured, so it will just get tangier.