Instant Pot Lux Yogurt Recipe without Yogurt Button

April 12, 2018Van
Blog post

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 11 hours

Serves: 7

I have an Instant Pot Duo, so why would I create recipe to make yogurt in the Lux model?  I have a ton of yogurt recipes on my blog and whenever I share any of the recipes, the question about making yogurt in a Lux Instant Pot always comes up – so being the ever curious person that I am, I wanted to figure out a way to do it.

The Keep Warm function is on every model and usually keeps food at around 135°F-165°F which is too hot to make yogurt  – the ideal temperature for making yogurt is 110°F-115°F, but yogurt will still culture at temps as low as 100°F.   So I placed the trivet in the pot, pressed the Keep Warm button and placed a jar that had water that I heated up to 115°F onto the trivet – I left the lid off of the Instant Pot because I knew that would be too hot.  I checked the temperature every few hours and it stayed steady around 100°F-102°F.  I tried putting a towel over the top of the Instant Pot, but the water reached 125°F which is too hot for yogurt.

After seeing that it could keep a jar of liquid at around 100°F I mixed some yogurt starter with milk and tested this technique.  I press the Keep Warm button and set it for 11 hours – when the time was up I refrigerated it overnight and the next day I had delicious yogurt!  It was thick enough that it doesn’t drip out when the jar it’s placed on it’s side and the yogurt was nice and creamy.  Since this is made with the Instant Pot lid off, the room temperature can effect the temperature of the milk, so if you try this method, keep the Instant Pot away from any cold or drafty areas.  Glass yogurt jars or 4oz Mason jars work great for this technique, if you have a cake pan that fits into the Instant Pot with the trivet you could use that as well. You can also invest in a yogurt maker instead, they are quite cheap and come with glass jars (link to one here).

Tips on making thicker yogurt without straining:
*Use Whole Milk, low fat milk will produce thinner yogurt
*If you’re doing the boil method, hold the temp at 180°F – 190°F for 20 minutes – this helps evaporate the milk which will make thicker yogurt
*Blend dry milk powder into your milk – adding more protein will make your yogurt thicker
*Use sweetened condensed milk as your sweetener, works by adding more protein to your milk
*Use Fairlife brand milk, it’s Ultra-Pasteurized and Ultra-Filtered and has a much higher protein content than regular milk.

Instant Pot Lux Yogurt Recipe, How to Make Yogurt without a Yogurt Button

Instant Pot Lux Yogurt Recipe, How to Make Yogurt without a Yogurt Button

Instant Pot Lux Yogurt Recipe, How to Make Yogurt without a Yogurt Button

Instant Pot Lux Yogurt Recipe, How to Make Yogurt without a Yogurt Button

Yogurt Recipes

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Print Recipe

Instant Pot Lux Yogurt Recipe

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 11 hours
  • Serves: 7

How to make Yogurt in the Instant Pot without a Yogurt Button

www.foodisafourletterword.com

Ingredients for 7 - 4oz Jars

  • 3½ Cups Milk
  • 2 Teaspoons Plain Yogurt with live active cultures
  • 3 Tablespoons Maple, Honey, Agave, or Sweetened Condensed Milk as sweetener, (Optional)

Ingredients for 7 - 7oz Jars

  • 6¼ Cups Milk
  • 4 Teaspoons Plain Yogurt with live active cultures
  • ⅓ Cup Maple, Honey, Agave, or Condensed Milk as sweetener, (Optional)

Method

  • 1)

    Raw or Pasteurized Milk: Pour the milk into a saucepan and heat on low until it hits 180°F.  Turn off the heat and let the milk cool to 115°F. Use a kitchen thermometer to monitor the temperatures. You can place your pan into a cold water bath in the sink to help cool it faster. If a film forms on top of the milk, be sure to remove it or it will give your yogurt a bad texture.

    Ultra Pasteurized Milk:  Pour the milk into a saucepan and heat the milk to 115°F.  Use a kitchen thermometer to check the temperature.

  • 2)

    Add a few tablespoons of sweetener if you prefer (whisk extremely well if you’re using Sweetened Condensed Milk).  Place your yogurt starter into a bowl and add a small amount of the 115°F milk and whisk very well so it’s completely smooth, mix the yogurt with the rest of the milk and stir well.

  • 3)

    Ladle the mixture into your jars and seal the lids on the jar.  Place the trivet into your Instant Pot and press the Keep Warm Button and set it for 11 Hours.  Place the jars on top of the trivet (don’t place any lids on the Instant Pot).

  • 4)

    Once the timer is up, place the jars into the refrigerator for at least 6 hours before serving.  Enjoy!

↓ Supplies to make this recipe ↓











77 Comments

  • Louise

    April 17, 2018 at 1:17 pm

    Hello! Can I leave it in keep warm mode for 8 hours vs 11 hours? Thank you!

    1. Van

      April 17, 2018 at 2:49 pm

      Hi Louise, you can try 8 hours, it is set by that time, but it’s not very tart, you can always taste it and add more time if you prefer.

      1. Louise

        April 17, 2018 at 8:04 pm

        Thank you! The jars go straight into the refrigerator as soon as the time is up? Do I need to cool it on the counter before it goes into the fridge? Sorry got all the questions!

        1. Van

          April 17, 2018 at 8:13 pm

          You’re welcome! They go straight to the refrigerator when the time is up, I’m glad to be able to help out 😀

          1. Louise

            April 17, 2018 at 8:32 pm

            Thank you!!!!

  • Patti

    June 28, 2018 at 2:58 am

    Good Morning ! OMG ! I made your French Style Potted Yogurt yesterday ! (the one using sweetened condensed milk) I have a small Cuisinart Pressure Cooker and only 10 jars fit into it and it wouldn’t hold a high enough temp, even covered with a towel. So I pulled out my Ball Fresh Tech Water Bath Canner and set it to Low. It held between 111F and 115F… I made 13 half pint jars. 5 with 2 Tbl raspberry jam, 5 with 2 Tbl. Apricot jam and 3 plain, processed for 9 hours ! IT”A PERFECT !!! And SOOO GOOD ! No Tang ! I’m Sold ! TU, TU, TU !!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Connie Wallace

    July 8, 2018 at 6:49 am

    Hello,When you say not to place lids on the instant pot are you talking about the large instant pot lid or canning lids?

    1. Van

      July 8, 2018 at 8:42 am

      Hi Connie, I mean the large instant pot lid, it’s fine to place lids on your yogurt jars.

  • Joanne Adkins

    July 31, 2018 at 1:05 am

    Do you have a recipe to make vanilla flavored yogurt? I am going to try making yogurt for the first time. Thank you!!!

    1. Van

      July 31, 2018 at 2:58 pm

      Hi Joanne, you can use this same recipe and add 1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract and a few tablespoons of sugar if you want it sweetened.

  • KERRY RUMPLE

    August 9, 2018 at 4:50 pm

    Do I have to use individual jars?

  • KERRY RUMPLEK

    August 9, 2018 at 4:52 pm

    Do I have to use individual jars?

    1. Van

      August 9, 2018 at 6:24 pm

      Hi Kerry, you could also use a bowl or cake pan that fits into your Instant Pot. Since this method uses the trivet, you can’t make it directly in the pot (the temp is too high).

      1. KERRY RUMPLE

        August 9, 2018 at 6:35 pm

        Thank you!

        1. Van

          August 9, 2018 at 6:39 pm

          You’re welcome! Hope you enjoy the yogurt 😀

  • Gabriel

    August 25, 2018 at 10:20 am

    The jars are not in the water bath, right? Just water under the trivet?

    1. Van

      August 25, 2018 at 1:51 pm

      Hi Gabriel, the jars are not in a water bath with this method, they are just placed on top of the trivet with no water at all in the pot (the pot should be dry)

      1. Gabriel

        August 25, 2018 at 3:48 pm

        Wow! Ok, thanks

  • Ade

    September 21, 2018 at 3:31 pm

    Hi, I can’t drink dairy milk but I can eat yogurt and cheese. Can I substitute with Almond or Soy milk?
    Thank you!

    1. Van

      September 27, 2018 at 8:23 am

      Hi Ade, you can’t substitute Almond or Soy milk in this recipe – they don’t set the same as standard dairy milk. I have never made soy milk yogurt, but I believe it’s the only non-dairy milk that doesn’t need thickeners. Almond milk will just be liquid unless you add thickeners, like gelatin or agar agar. If you can eat cheese, then just use Lactose free milk – you get the best textured yogurt using dairy milk.

  • Delanie Crew

    October 8, 2018 at 10:39 am

    I made it using these directions, but used heavy whipping cream, a packet of yogurt starter, Splenda Zero and vanilla, holy moley it was devine! Thanks for this recipe! I don’t feel bad not getting the DUO now!

  • Bobbi

    November 24, 2018 at 4:00 am

    I am a little confused…use the Mason jars with metal tops in IP? What are the other jars for???

    1. Van

      November 24, 2018 at 5:50 am

      Hi Bobbi, you can use little mason jars for this technique, but it’s better if you use the plastic lids for them. The metal ones start to rust after a few uses for yogurt. What other jars are you referring to?

  • Megan

    November 29, 2018 at 7:26 am

    I’m very new to the instant pot. Can I stack a second layer of 4 oz Mason jars on top of the first layer in the pot and make 14 4oz jars?

    1. Van

      November 29, 2018 at 7:45 am

      Hi Megan, yes you can stack the jars on top of each other. Hope you enjoy it!

  • Deirdre

    November 29, 2018 at 9:04 am

    If I use a bowl or cake pan does it need to be covered/sealed?

    1. Van

      November 29, 2018 at 9:44 am

      Hi Deirdre, cover the bowl or pan with foil. Good luck!

    2. Mari K.

      October 24, 2019 at 10:29 am

      I’m interested in making non-dairy yogurt any tips? I’ve had coconut and almond milk yogurts and they are very delicious and not as tart or thick but healthier.

      1. Van

        November 9, 2019 at 3:46 pm

        Hi Mari, check out my recipe for coconut yogurt here:

        https://foodisafourletterword.com/recipe/coconut-yogurt-recipe-for-the-instant-pot/

  • Noell

    December 19, 2018 at 9:10 am

    Do you place water in the bottom of the instant pot or is it dry?

    1. Van

      December 19, 2018 at 5:31 pm

      Hi Noell, you don’t need to add water to the pot. Good luck!

  • Sarah

    January 3, 2019 at 7:59 pm

    Do you leave the IP open on warm for 11 hours? I thought you’re supposed to keep the jars in enclosed pot? Or is this a different method?

    1. Van

      January 3, 2019 at 9:12 pm

      Hi Sarah, yes you leave it on Keep Warm without the lid – this method is a work around technique for people who don’t have the Yogurt button on their Instant Pot. If you have the Yogurt button on your IP, then you would just make it with the lid on using the Yogurt option.

  • Alissa

    January 7, 2019 at 4:45 pm

    I have the lux and I tried this last night. I pressed the Keep Warm button but there’s no way to set the time for it. It just started counting up and turned itself off some time in the middle of the night. Is there any other way to do this with the Lux?

    1. Van

      January 9, 2019 at 9:19 pm

      Hi Alissa, the Keep Warm function should default to 10 hours. Did the yogurt turn out ok?

      1. Deborah Gabura

        May 28, 2021 at 9:05 am

        Hi Van – I am using this method in my ip lux. I have a large bowl that i have transferred the yogurt/milk into. Placed that in my cleaned dry liner with a trivet. It sits about 3/8 inch above the pot liner and i have placed a lid onto that. Apparently the lux on warm keeps liquids at 145F which is too hot for the yogurt. Using the pot in pot method on a trivet will that still be ok or too hot.

        1. Van

          May 28, 2021 at 9:43 pm

          Hi Deborah, if you don’t close the Instant Pot lid, the yogurt mixture will not reach 145°F – it stays around 100°F

  • Marj

    February 8, 2019 at 3:26 pm

    I need to make sure I understand this before I mess things up!
    1. I do have 4 oz mason jars with metal lids and I don’t have plastic lids so can I use foil instead? I don’t want the rust.

    2. I do have the Yogurt button so I would put lid on IP and then press Yogurt for 11 hours?

    Thanks!!

    1. Van

      February 8, 2019 at 9:32 pm

      Hi Marj, foil lids will work fine. Yes put the IP lid on and set for 11 hours, hope you enjoy!

      1. Marj

        February 8, 2019 at 11:14 pm

        I can’t wait to try, Thanks again!!!

  • Eman

    February 9, 2019 at 1:47 pm

    I saw a technique online that said to incubate for 24 hours to get rid of all the lactose. I know there is lactose free milk but I would like to use whole organic milk and have aparticular brand in mind…so can I let it incubate for 24 hours with this method? No water in the pot right? Just set it ontop of the trivet. If this works you are great!

    1. Van

      February 9, 2019 at 6:39 pm

      Hi Eman, 24 hour incubation does get rid of most of the lactose, I make it often. The Keep Warm setting doesn’t stay on automatically for 24 hours – I believe it shuts off after 10-11 hours, so you’ll need to start up the Keep Warm setting again after it shuts off. Enjoy!

  • Eman

    February 11, 2019 at 1:10 pm

    You are awesome! Thank you so much for making this work for those of us who don’t have the yoghurt function. Thank God I didn’t buy a yoghurt making machine and found this link. Sometimes a blogger has a recipe or technique that you think is going to work, but it doesn’t. This works. May I aslo add that I have tried before to make yoghurt twice with no success. Thank you for hard work, time, and effort in finding a solution for us. Have a wonderful day.

    1. Van

      February 11, 2019 at 3:20 pm

      You’re welcome! Glad it worked out well for you 😀

  • Tammy

    March 19, 2019 at 7:53 pm

    Can you just put all ingredients in the instant pot lux with tin foil over it, instead of in a bowl of some kind?

    1. Van

      March 19, 2019 at 8:04 pm

      Hi Tammy, this method doesn’t work if you put the milk directly in the pot because it’s too hot to make yogurt. Read the post for the details on how my technique works.

      1. MJ

        December 7, 2020 at 7:29 am

        Happy accident…I mis-read your instructions & put my trivet right over the element in the IP & my jars on top LOL! Worked fine…so I’m thinking for my next batch, I could put the trivet in the IP, put the IP liner ON TOP of the trivet, & cook the yogurt directly in it as 1 batch instead of fussing with jars…thoughts? Haven’t tasted yet but thickness/consistency looks good. Thank you for your great instructions!

  • Ruby

    March 24, 2019 at 4:04 am

    This is a big deal for me and based on the reviews, it is a fantastic recipe. I wondered if I choose to use vanilla bean paste with this recipe, when should I add? Wish me luck! Thank you for all your efforts in producing such a fine recipe.

    1. Van

      March 26, 2019 at 2:48 pm

      Hi Ruby, yes you can, just add it to the milk when you add your starter. Enjoy!

  • Vida

    March 25, 2019 at 1:13 pm

    When would I add vanilla bean paste to this recipe, if used? Thank you.

    1. Van

      March 25, 2019 at 3:40 pm

      Hi Vida, add it to the milk when you add your starter. Enjoy!

  • Patty Bauza

    April 9, 2019 at 7:45 am

    Hi there,

    Can I use Fairlife Skimmed Milk for this process?

    1. Van

      April 9, 2019 at 8:04 am

      Hi Patty, yes you cab use skimmed milk – the texture of the yogurt will be thinner though.

  • Nancy Johnson

    April 24, 2019 at 8:08 am

    I have a Lux. I’ve not had success with my 2 attempts. The first time was just milk and the second time it was grainy. Using your method: I’ll use Fairlife FF milk (doing WW), Fage 0% as starter. I’ll stir 1/2 cup powdered milk into milk before heating. When would I add a Premier Protein shake? After heating to 115 on stove, I’ll put in bowl (would love to put into jars, but I want to have Greek Yogurt so thinking I’ll have to strain), add starter to some of milk and stir well, add back to milk. . Keep on Warm setting for 11 hours. Recommendations?

    1. Van

      April 26, 2019 at 5:01 pm

      Hi Nancy, it’s grainy from powdered milk. If you want it smooth, you should only be using milk – don’t any any powder since it never fully dissolves and creates grainy texture.

  • Tracy Pullen

    June 25, 2019 at 12:01 pm

    I don’t want a grainy texture so powdered milk would be out. I don’t want sweetener so cond milk is out. Would evaporated milk help make the texture thicker and add protein? Please.

    1. Van

      June 26, 2019 at 8:51 pm

      Hi Tracy, you can use a high protein milk such as Fairlife or Horizon Organic Protein milk. I think evaporated milk would work as well.

  • Cynthia Sweeney

    July 7, 2019 at 6:25 am

    Can you tell me a cold start version with evaporated milk? Thanks so much

    1. Van

      July 7, 2019 at 10:33 am

      Hi Cynthia, you can’t do a cold start using this method, it will never heat up the milk enough to make yogurt with the Lux – you have to heat the mixture to 115F. You can add evaporated milk along with some ultra-pasteurized milk to thicken it up.

      1. JANET

        February 1, 2020 at 11:31 am

        All the yogurt receipes are plain I like fruit flavor or real fruit in mine how do I do that? I might be trying for the first time. Please rsvp

        1. Van

          February 1, 2020 at 4:39 pm

          Hi Janet, you can add fruit after you make yogurt – you can’t add fresh fruit while you’re making the yogurt. You can also check out this recipe:

          https://foodisafourletterword.com/recipe/oui-french-style-strawberry-yogurt-recipe/

  • santa

    August 28, 2019 at 9:47 am

    hello i have made it twice and loved it. tried to make it twice and I am doing something wrong after 8hrs my yogurt is watery. I use condense milk for sweeter do i place the condense milk when starting or when my temp drops back down to 110.

    1. Van

      September 2, 2019 at 3:37 am

      Hi Santa, add the condensed milk when starting so the temp doesn’t drop.

  • Lorrie

    September 12, 2019 at 4:26 pm

    Have have tried twice and it turns out watery just like milk, what am I doing wrong?

    1. Van

      September 12, 2019 at 9:22 pm

      What brand yogurt starter are you using? Was it brand new? Did you use ultra-pasteurized milk or pasteurized milk and are you using a thermometer to monitor the temperature?

  • Erin

    January 10, 2020 at 11:38 pm

    I have a yogurt maker and it always required straining 1/2 of the product off which was whey. Why isn’t there whey?

    1. Van

      January 11, 2020 at 7:30 am

      Hi Erin, all yogurt has whey, but you only need to strain the yogurt if you want to make Greek yogurt.

  • Sharon

    May 14, 2020 at 3:34 am

    Made last night for first time. 1 bottle Fairlife whole milk, 1 can condensed milk, and 1 heaped tablespoon fage 5%. Cold start on trivet in a covered cake pan. After 6 hrs I checked and it was nice and thick. Cold start worked

  • Haorld

    June 8, 2020 at 6:16 pm

    Van,
    Thank you so much. I followed your directions exactly and it came out splendid. I have a 3 qt Lux Instant Post I was able to fit four 8 oz b
    Ball jars. My husband is lactose intolerant. I used a starter from Green Valley Creamery’s organic lactose free yogurt and Horizon Organic’s lactose free milk. Your research and recipe made us very happy.

  • Janine

    July 2, 2020 at 5:21 am

    I’ve tried this recipe several times and it always tastes amazing! The ones that turn out perfect are just like Oui yogurt, but almost every time I end up with a couple jars that don’t set up properly. They stay a bit watery and loose compared to the others. I don’t really know what I’m doing wrong. I use ultra pasteurized lactose free milk, sterilize my jars before using and follow the directions pretty strictly. I used Oui yogurt as my starter a few times and then used my homemade yogurt (that set up properly) as a starter the rest of the times. I even checked temperature of a couple jars throughout the process the first couple times to make sure they were staying at the right temperature while in my Instant Pot. Any idea where I’m going wrong?

    1. Van

      July 6, 2020 at 9:00 am

      Hi Janine, I’m guessing the jars that don’t set up well are not staying warm enough, with this work around method the temps are inconsistent so the results can also be inconsistent. If you make yogurt often, it’s worth it to invest in a yogurt maker, they are under $30 on amazon (check out the one below)

      1. Janine Austin

        July 9, 2020 at 8:53 pm

        Good to know. Thank you!

  • Jackie McDaniel

    March 12, 2021 at 7:07 am

    I just started making this recipe and doubled it. But I realised my instant pot only whole holds 7 jars can I use the oven with just a light on

    1. Van

      March 13, 2021 at 5:16 am

      Hi, you can save the jars in the fridge & incubate them after in the Instant Pot. If your oven can keep a steady temp of 100F-115F then you can place them into the oven.

  • Richard Tilley

    January 19, 2022 at 5:07 pm

    Better just to use an insulated cooler.
    Nuked the milk to about 120F (50C),
    add some of previous batch,
    shake, and placed in cooler.
    Lovingly tuck it in with some foam or towels before closing lid.
    Leave overnight.
    Longer in cool weather (no room heating).
    Shorter when room is over 85F (in Taiwan)

  • Robin

    March 10, 2024 at 4:43 pm

    I have a lux and I don’t see a keep warm button. Where is it located?

    1. Van

      March 12, 2024 at 9:20 pm

      Usually on the Lux model, the keep warm button is also the same as the cancel button

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