Crock Pot or Slow Cooker Yogurt
on Sep 17, 2017, Updated Oct 21, 2024
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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!
Yogurt can be expensive and often times it has a long list of artificial colors, flavors, and who knows what else. 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.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Just 5 minutes of prep, and the slow cooker does the rest while you sleep.
- Homemade yogurt has live cultures, is fresh, preservative-free, and full of probiotics.
- Making your own yogurt is far cheaper than buying store-bought varieties.
- Customizable by adjusting thickness by straining for Greek yogurt, and flavor it however you like.
Recipe Ingredients
- Whole milk – You’ll get a thinner product with a lower fat content milk)
- Commercial plain yogurt – Must say “Live and Active Cultures” on the tub, I have great success with Mountain High yogurt for my culture
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities
How to Make Crock Pot or Slow Cooker Yogurt
Step #1. Pour milk into the slow cooker, cover, and heat on low for about 2 ½ hours.
Step #2. Unplug the slow cooker and let the milk sit for 3 hours to cool slightly.
Step #3. Stir in ½ cup of yogurt, cover with lid and towels, and let it rest for 8-12 hours.
Step #4. In the morning, transfer the yogurt to a jar and refrigerate or strain for thicker Greek yogurt.
Recipe FAQs
Homemade yogurt is generally good for eating for up to 2 weeks when properly stored in the refrigerator.
You don’t have to buy commercial plain yogurt every time. Just save 1/2 cup of your own yogurt for the starter for the next batch.
Use whole milk instead of 2% or skim. The higher milk fat lends to a thicker yogurt.
Stick it in the fridge. Your yogurt with thicken up some as it gets cold.
Strain your yogurt. By removing some of the whey, you are left with a thicker Greek style yogurt. Strain 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.
Expert Tips
- 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 1/2 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). 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 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.
How to Serve and Store Homemade Yogurt
Fresh fruit and granola make a wholesome breakfast, you can try my 5 Easy Healthy Yogurt Bowl Ideas, Homemade Fruit on the Bottom Yogurt Cups, or 4 Ingredient Healthy Strawberry Frozen Yogurt (5 minute recipe!). It also goes great in smoothies like my Key Lime Pie Smoothie, Strawberry Kiwi Smoothie, or Avocado Smoothie. You can bake with it in my Soft and Puffy Greek Yogurt Sugar Cookies!
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.
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Slow Cooker Yogurt
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 1/2 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 1/2 cup of yogurt. Replace the lid of the crock pot and cover with 2 big towels or a blanket. Let rest for 8 to 12 hours (overnight works well). In the morning you’ll have yogurt!
- Place it in a 1/2 gallon mason jar and refrigerate for a few hours before serving. It will thicken up in the fridge. Keep a 1/2 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!
Video
Notes
- *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 menat to bring the milk down to around 115-110 degrees so that it’s still warm but won’t kill your yogurt culture!
I have yet to try this, but can you add sugar or fruit flavoring to this to not have the plain yogurt taste?
Only add fruit or sugar AFTER you’ve made the yogurt. This is what your manufacturer does.
Why my yogurt doesn’t form, it’s still liquid after I follow every steps??
Your milk might have been too hot when you put in the yogurt and killed the bacteria or your yogurt didn’t have live bacteria to start with, those are the most common issues.
I’m doing this right now with 1/2 raw milk from the farm I recently moved to. We are in Lockdown in Washington State during the Pandemic, but you would hardly know it living way out here. There is no TP on the shelves in the stores, indicating something unusual is happening in the world. I n had to go to town and get the plain yogart and some other things for making cheese. When I moved here in October, I took the time to stock-up on supplies and things at the store, so I had everything I needed before the panic set in. I also purchased my first pressure canner so I could do some canning. I feel so blessed that I prepared and had everything “ready” just in case. So, I am starting my yogart today. Thank you and Happy Easter!
my yogurt turned out PERFECT! thank you for these clear and easy instructions! easier too than some other instructions on line to put the whole crock in an ice bath. we now have soooo much yogurt, and especially great to have in these times. thank you!
Your link to the $10 thermometer took me to a thermometer costing $28.36.
Things are definitely in flux right now. Feel free to shop around or wait until things sort themselves out a little more. Mid-pandemic prices have been changing a lot.
I have this going in my crockpot right now, so excited to see if it turns out ok. One question, will the blanket/towels keep it warm enough overnight? I read that it has to stay around 110 degree for all those hours?
It’s kept it warm enough for lots of people. I use a really heavy quilt.
Mellissa, thank you so much for this informative post. I made this last night with whole milk and followed your directions. My crockpot is a Chefman and I used the low setting. I can’t believe how good this tastes! I am a plain yogurt connoisseur and my favorite is Greek Gods Traditional Plain Yogurt. It costs $5 for 32 oz when I can find it.
This recipe tastes even better and even made with organic milk it is $$ saving. Mine turned out thick and creamy on my very first try and I don’t need to strain it. My husband is going to love it with some powdered peanut butter stirred in.
Wonderful! I am thrilled to know i can do this myself. 🙂
Yay! Thank you for coming back to let me know. And the peanut butter powder is a fabulous idea!
I made this last night and have it straining in the fridge now. It has a very mild tangy taste. It is good but I am used to having it more tangy.Will the flavor strengthen as it gets thicker? Do you let it ferment to taste or is it done when it ‘gels’ for lack of a better term? I used Oikos as my starter and whole milk. Thank you.
Great question! It generally gets tangier the long it sits! So if it’s still on the counter, let it sit there another 6 or so hours, and next time, you can leave it in the slow cooker for 18-24 hours before removing it and it’ll be tangier! The longer the live and active cultures are in there and working, the tangier it gets. They essentially stop working in the fridge.
Hello and thank you for your recipe. I have heated up my milk on the stovetop and it scorches unless constantly stirred, I have tried using double boiler, but it doesn’t get up to temp and have used microwave. without scorching, but I want to limit microwaving my food. Does the milk scorch on the bottom of the crock pot or does it need to be stirred? I guess I could use an instant pot to heat the milk to 180, but I don’t want to buy another appliance. Thank you so much for your helpful info. 🙂
I made this recipe and it turned out great, but yes, the milk at the bottom of the slow cooker was “toasted.” I’m going to try it again tomorrow, but with intermittent stirring during the heating up time. I’f anybody has any other suggestions I’d love to hear them.
Can plant based milks be used? Thank you.
I have not tried with with anything other than cow’s milk, so I don’t know. Does anyone have any suggestions for Morgane?
I am researching a different way to make plant based milk. One of my next attempts will be in the crock pot. Reply back if you are interested in how to make easy, unstrained oat milk yogurt. I am on cloud 9. I thought yogurt was only going to be an expensive treat for me now and then. It’s simple, cheap, and I was always told it couldn’t be done. My GI symptoms are gone now.
oops. I meant “a different way to make plant based yogurt”….
Yes, please let us know how to make oat milk yoghurt! I don’t have a problem with dairy myself, but I have a vegan daughter and son in law, and a husband with colon cancer. Love to have your method in my culinary arsenal.
I am very interested in plant-based yogurt recipe. I’ve made the recipe above once successfully and am in the middle of my second attempt. But my husband and children are vegan mostly so I would love to try this with oat or coconut or any other kind of milk (not almond — my kids say it is bad for the planet), and if it means making the milk rather than buying it, I am even more interested. Thank you!
In my experience they won’t coagulate the same way dairy milk does. They don’t have the same protein structure which is essential for making yogurt. Do some online research and you’ll find dairy alternative methods, but do NOT try this exact process. You’ll also need different starter yogurt.