DIY: Homemade Greek Yogurt
I’ve had an on-again, off-again relationship with yogurt for the past ten years or so. I eat it in spurts, and began eating it after college when I worked in an office as breakfast or an afternoon snack. It wasn’t until much later when I began learning more about sugar, aspartame and added ingredients, that I realized that my fruit-flavored yogurt wasn’t really all that good for me at all. I’ve tried plain yogurt a couple of times in the recent past, but I really didn’t care much for the taste at all. I started adding honey, but really didn’t want to add extra sweetener, as I felt it defeated the purpose of eating plain yogurt. This summer, my taste buds did a 360. I tried the plain yogurt again with fresh fruit, and voila! Somehow, I liked it and didn’t feel the need for any additional sweetener. Naturally, my next step was to make it at home.
This was my first successful homemade dairy product, and I was beyond thrilled! I’ve tried mozzarella more than a couple of times now, and have yet to achieve great results. The yogurt really could not have been easier to make. Simply heat up milk in a saucepan, let it cool down, whisk in a little bit of plain yogurt as a starter, then let it incubate and work its magic. For true Greek-style yogurt, the yogurt is strained of the whey so that it’s even thicker and creamier.
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I thought this yogurt was absolutely fantastic. Thick, creamy, tangy and the perfect flavor. You could even stir in 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract for additional flavor, if you’d like. While a few recipes that I found called for dry milk powder as an optional ingredient, I chose to leave it out. I wanted more of a pure, clean product, and was very happy with these results.
This summer, I’ve been pairing my plain yogurt with either mango or nectarine, and a handful of pistachios. I love having it for breakfast, as it keeps me full for a pretty long time. What’s your favorite way to enjoy yogurt?
One year ago: Peach Strudel and Malted Milk Chocolate Chip, Peanut & Pretzel Oatmeal Cookies
Two years ago: Honey Fig Scones and Bread and Butter Pickles
Three years ago: Lemon Bars and Artichoke Spinach Dip
Four years ago: Potato-Bacon Torte and Blueberry-Buttermilk Scones
Five years ago: Croissants
Six years ago: Ranch Pretzels
DIY: Homemade Greek Yogurt
Ingredients
- 4 cups (944 ml) low-fat milk, not ultra-pasteurized
- ¼ cup (50 g) plain 2% Greek yogurt
Instructions
- 1. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a large glass bowl; set aside. Heat the milk over medium-low heat (do not stir while heating), until the milk reaches 185 degrees F. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to 160 degrees F. Strain the milk through the prepared strainer and let cool, gently stirring occasionally, until the milk registers 110 to 112 degrees F.
- 2. In a small bowl, gently stir about ½ cup of the warm milk into the yogurt until smooth. Stir the yogurt mixture back into the milk. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and poke several holes in the plastic. Place the bowl in the oven and turn on the oven light, creating a warm environment of 100 to 110 degrees F. Let the yogurt sit undisturbed until thickened and set, 5 to 7 hours. Transfer the bowl to the refrigerator until completely chilled, at least 3 hours.
- 3. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a 4-cup or 8-cup measuring cup and line with a double layer of coffee filters or cheesecloth. Transfer the yogurt to the prepared strainer, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until about 2 cups of liquid have drained into the measuring cup, about anywhere from 4 to 8 hours (I left mine for a long time and it plateaued at about 1.5 cups).
- Transfer the strained yogurt to an airtight container or jar, discarding the strained liquid. The yogurt can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
I’m on my third generation! I have never enjoyed plain yogurt as much as this my own.I get such a kick out of the fact that the microbes I eat today have been growing their little cultures throughout my (short, but intended long) history of nurturing them.
My personal trick, since it is summer, is to set my culture bowl inside a soup kettle and sit it outside. It’s nice and warm inside that kettle.
I’ve heard about Greek yogurt a lot but I have never tried :D It isn’t sold in my town. Thank you for sharing the recipe! Gonna try it.
Did you realize you whip skim milk until it is very thick and like whipped cream? But it doesn’t keep the foaminess very long. But Greek yoghurt, fat free, is just skim milk. You can use 1 part Greek yoghurt and 1 part skim and beat with a rotary mixer u til it makes peaks. Add a bit of vanilla and sweetener fold in. Wow. It stays whipped for a long time. Maybe 2 or 3 hours depending on how thick it got beaten.
This is my favorite way to add a little protein to my toast and jelly. It’s festive and delicious. Just remember don’t add fat or flour. It will kill the bubbles. It’s just whipped topping.
I found this recipe and had to try it. We eat yogurt every day, and I really hate see the long list of ingredients in most store bought yogurts. This was such an easy recipe to follow and the results were phenomenal (even my picky husband likes it). I don’t think I will be buying yogurt ever again :)
I have been making my own yogurt this way for years. The yield is approximately 2-1. It really depends on how thick you like your yogurt. I usually strain it for quite a while because I like it thick. Next time, I think I will try the suggestion about simmering the milk for a longer period of time to hopefully not produce so much whey. I used to use the whey in bread but since I must limit my carb intake, I no longer make bread so I think I will try using the whey for soapmaking.
Um……this is a great recipe, but, I was looking for how to make Greek Yogurt, with out Greek yogurt. So, ya. Good job tho.
Lindsay, The yogurt is needed as a “starter”. I’ve never seen a recipe for homemade yogurt that doesn’t require a small amount of prepared yogurt. Going forward you can use the yogurt that you’ve made as the “starter” for future batches, but you won’t be able to make an initial batch without it. That’s just the way it is with yogurt.
To* So sorry! I just noticed the ‘yield’ line at the top of the recipe.
I can’t wait to try this! Love greek yogurt but HATE the price tag. Not to mention I had jaw surgery not ro long ago; soft food diet anyone? I was just curious, about how much yogurt does this make? I didn’t see anyone ask this or it in any of the directions. Sorry if I some how missed it!
so….u need greek yogurt to make homemade greek yogurt??????????????
Yes, you need a starter to get it going.
Hiya, just noticed a problem in Caro’s comment; she typed the oven temp at 100C but the correct temp is 100F. Hopefully she realizes that… :)
I really want to try it but I have a question befor.
Do I have to keep it 100 °C all the time or just bring the oven to 100
°C, then power off and let the mix sit there for the time?
Thank you:)
Hi Caro, You should maintain a very warm environment around 100 degrees. If you can turn your oven off and keep the door shut and it will maintain the temperature, then that is okay. I know folks will do that and leave the oven light on for some ambient heat.
Just my 2 cents having tried the recipe — it comes out delicious but the straining process is not really practical. It takes so, so much milk to make just a little bit of greek yogurt, as most of the milk’s volume becomes whey that filters out, and a lot of the yogurt gets inseparably stuck to the cheesecloth or filter. With a gallon of milk, I ended up with 1 very small bowl of greek yogurt.
I have been making my own Greek yogurt in 2 gallon batches, recently. And have had good success. It has been easy and economic to make and use
Would this yogurt be as high in protein as what you would buy in the store and does it contain live bacterial culture or do you have to add that in?
Hi Diane, It would have the same amount of protein. It does have live bacterial culture, thanks to the “starter” of the regular yogurt and incubating the yogurt.
Can I use 0% fat Greek yogurt in place of the 2% fat Greek yogurt as called for in the ingredients?
Hi Diane, I think you could do that without a problem.
Can you use coconut milk to make this? I will have to try. I eat Greek Yogurt everyday for breakfast with mixed berries and coconut chia granola. Since I have a yogurt maker I need to make my own! Thank you for the recipe and inspiration!
Hi Karen, That’s a good question, and I’m not sure. Please let me know how it turns out if you give it a try!
Nice!
I can’t stand plain yogurt as it is. But I love adding yogurt to my smoothies, as well as dipping fruits in yogurt. My finding this recipe on your blog is somehow serendipitous – I was of the mind to learn how to make yogurt from scratch. So, thanks.