Instant Pot Yakult Probiotic Drink Recipe (Yogurt Drink)

May 30, 2020Van

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 20 hours

Serves: 12.5 Cups or 37 - 80ml Servings

This is a copycat recipe for the popular probiotic drink Yakult. It’s a delicious yogurt drink that has a refreshing citrus flavor and contains the exclusive strain Lactobacillus casei Shirota which is beneficial for your digestive system (learn more about the company here). Make your own for a few dollars using the Instant Pot with a Yogurt button (keeps it at a steady temp of ≈ 110°F) – I did the math and it comes out to be about $4.50 for 37 80ml servings. If you’re familiar with yogurt making, then you know that you need a starter culture to make more yogurt, that’s why Yakult is an ingredient in the recipe, it’s the only way to get their exclusive culture strain Lactobacillus casei Shirota. Yakult uses their own proprietary flavoring of citrus and vanillin to get that unique taste, I’ve replaced it with orange juice, lemon juice and vanilla extract to get the flavor pretty similar to the original.

Instant Pot Yakult Probiotic Drink Recipe (Yogurt Drink)

Be sure to click on the accessories list below to get the most out of your Instant Pot.

Instant Pot Yakult Probiotic Drink Recipe (Yogurt Drink)

May 30, 2020 Van

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 20 hours

Serves: 12.5 Cups or 37 - 80ml Servings

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Ingredients

½ Gallon Fat Free Milk
2 80ml Bottles of Yakult
3 Cups Filtered or Distilled Water
1½ Cups Granulated Sugar
½ Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
½ Cup Orange Juice, with no pulp
4 Teaspoons Lemon Juice, strained so there’s no pulp

Method

1)
Pour 1 Cup of Water and 1½ Cups Granulated Sugar into the Instant Pot. Choose Saute, and stir until the sugar is dissolved (don’t let the water boil). Press Cancel to turn off Sauté mode and add 2 Cups of Water and wait until the water has cooled to luke warm – if the water is too hot, this can cause the milk to curdle. Add ½ Gallon Fat Free Milk and lastly add 2 80ml Bottles of Yakult and stir well. Seal the Instant Pot lid.
2)
Choose the Yogurt setting and make sure it’s on Medium / Normal and set for 20 Hours (you can culture up to 24 hours to make a tangier version). After about 10 hours, open the lid & whisk the mixture, then close the lid again. Stirring every once in a while when it’s culturing prevents it from curdling.
3)
When it’s done, add ½ Teaspoon Vanilla Extract, ½ Cup Orange Juice, 4 Teaspoons Lemon Juice and stir very well with a whisk or blend until it looks smooth and homogenous. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. It’s normal for the drink to separate in the fridge since we can’t homogenize the mixture like they do at the factory, so shake or stir before drinking and enjoy within 10-14 days.

**You can save ⅔ Cups from this batch to culture you next batch, just make it within 7 days. You can do this 1-2 times before needing to use a fresh starter from the bottles again.