Oui French Style Strawberry Yogurt Recipe

April 26, 2018Van
Blog post

Prep time: 1 hour

Cook time: 9 hours

Serves: 7 Oui Jars

Oui Yogurt is the “French Style” yogurt made by Yoplait – the yogurt is set directly in little glass pots creating a velvety creamy texture. I created a copycat of their Vanilla flavor last month (recipe here) – it was a huge hit, several people have requested the fruit bottom version. Hopefully you’ve been saving all your Qui jars, because you can reuse them to make yogurt in them.

I prepped the jars by peeling off the sticker labels then put some rubbing alcohol on a towel and rubbed off the rest of the sticker residue. I found the cutest silicone lids that fit the jars perfectly, they are called Blossom eCaps (Size Small), I bought them on Amazon (link here) and they come in different colors. You can also get plain plastic lids on the Oui website now (link here). If you try the recipe, be sure to post a picture on Facebook or comment here to let me know how it turned out.

Oui French Style Strawberry Yogurt Recipe

You can purchase the Blossom Lids here on Amazon

Oui French Style Strawberry Yogurt Recipe

Yogurt Recipes

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Print Recipe

Oui French Style Strawberry Yogurt Recipe

  • Prep time: 1 hour
  • Cook time: 9 hours
  • Serves: 7 Oui Jars

Copycat of Oui Yogurt

www.foodisafourletterword.com

Ingredients

  • 4½ Cups Whole Milk
  • 1 Jar of Strawberry Preserves, or fruit preserve of your choice
  • 2 Teaspoons Plain or Vanilla Oui Yogurt

Method

  • 1)

    Pour 4½ Cups Whole Milk into a saucepan, heat on low until it hits 190°F and hold it around that temperature for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the milk cool to 110°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 stringy texture.

    *You can can skip this heating step if you’re using Ultra Pasteurized milk like Fairlife.

  • 2)

    Place 2 Teaspoons Oui Yogurt into a bowl and add 2 Tablespoons of the cooled milk – mix very well with a whisk, making sure there are no yogurt lumps – this ensures that you’ll end up with smooth yogurt. Pour the yogurt starter into the saucepan with the milk and stir well.  Avoid scraping the bottom of the pan, there’s usually milk solids stuck to the bottom that can give your yogurt a gritty texture.

  • 3)

    Place 1 rounded Tablespoon of Strawberry Preserves into 7 Oui jars, use a spoon to even out the preserves at the bottom of the jar. Ladle the mixture into your jars. Seal the jars with lids or cover each jar with homemade foil lids. Pour 1 Cup of water into the pot and place the jars directly into the pot.

  • 4)

    Press the Yogurt button and make sure it’s on the “Normal” setting, set the Instant Pot for 9 hours. After it’s done, give it a taste—if you prefer it more tart, you can incubate the yogurt for a few more hours.

    (This recipe can also be made in any Yogurt Maker)

  • 5)

    Refrigerate the jars for at least 6 hours before serving. Enjoy!

↓ Supplies to make this recipe ↓








 




60 Comments

  • Christina

    May 7, 2018 at 4:53 am

    My instant pot is the LUX model. It does not have a “yogurt” button. How do I go about making this in my instant pot?
    Thank you

    1. Van

      May 7, 2018 at 7:48 am

      Hi Christina, just follow this original recipe, but use the technique from this recipe for the lux model

      http://foodisafourletterword.com/recipe/instant-pot-lux-yogurt-recipe-without-yogurt-button/

      1. Gail

        March 2, 2019 at 4:06 pm

        When you say place jars directly in instant are you placing them on the rack..?

        1. Van

          March 2, 2019 at 7:41 pm

          Hi Gail, you don’t need to use the trivet/rack. Just stack them directly in the pot. Hope you enjoy it!

  • Mamawa

    June 6, 2018 at 11:30 am

    Hi Van!

    I made this recipe, and I noticed that the yogurt that had the fruit in it was looser, that the jars that did not. I’m using a Gourmia Yogurt Machine and set it for 8 hours. Should I try setting it longer? Would that make a difference?

    1. Van

      June 6, 2018 at 2:44 pm

      Hi Mamawa, I’ve had the same results as well, I think the acid in the fruit preserves affects the culturing – setting it longer won’t make a difference. There are a couple things you can try to get it thicker, blend the milk with 1/2 cup of dry milk powder or try using Fairlife brand milk – having a higher protein content will result in thicker yogurt.

  • Maureen

    July 14, 2018 at 1:29 pm

    Does it have to be in the InstaPot the entire 11 hours. The first time I made this, it came out perfect at 11 hours. I just stopped it today at 9 hours, because we have to leave the house and won’t be back for hours and I didn’t want it too tart. I’ve seen several other threads where folks only did 8 hours, so I thought I would chance it. I won’t know until tomorrow when it is fully chilled whether or not the experiment worked. Fingers crossed!

    1. Van

      July 14, 2018 at 3:37 pm

      Hi Maureen, it doesn’t have to incubate for the full 11 hours. It begins to set well before that time, I just found that the flavor was best at 11 hours, so 8 hours would work too.

  • Sara

    August 23, 2018 at 3:37 am

    So bummed. Tried this last night and they didn’t set up. I followed instructuins to aT.

    1. Van

      August 23, 2018 at 1:02 pm

      Sorry to hear that Sara, did you use a thermometer to monitor the temp? What did you use as the starter? After incubating, was it still just liquid?

      1. sara

        August 28, 2018 at 5:53 pm

        I used Ultra Pasteurized milk so I skipped the heating step. I used Oui Vanilla as my starter, and after 9.5 hrs in my instant pot it was still liquid. I am going to try again tomorrow! Anyone by chance able to duplicate the lemon fruit on the bottom from Yoplait Oui yet??

    2. Tori

      January 28, 2019 at 7:43 pm

      Hello!
      Do you have a no boil recipe for the Oui copycat? Just ordered a yogurt maker. I’m excited. Thank you.

      1. Van

        February 9, 2019 at 6:35 pm

        Hi Tori, if you use ultra-pasteurized milk you can skip the boiling process.

  • Vera Pustovalov

    August 28, 2018 at 9:47 am

    Can you make this in a crockpot instead?

    1. Van

      September 5, 2018 at 9:00 am

      Hi Vera, I don’t have a crockpot so I have never tried. I looked up a few recipes and it looks like it’s a workaround to get it to work since the crockpot doesn’t have the proper temp setting for yogurt (110-115F). It would be better to buy a yogurt maker instead.


      1. Crystal

        November 23, 2019 at 8:28 pm

        I know this post is a bit older but I’ve had success using my crockpot on the warm setting with the lid off. I put the yogurt in the jars with lids.. fill my crockpot about 1/3 full of water, have it come to tempature while I’m making the yogurt. I use a laser thermometer to check the temp. Then pop the jars in overnight and in the morning. Sets beautifully. I also use some powdered milk as that’s how I origionally made the yogurt.. I think I’m going to try this with lemon curd. Yum

  • Marion

    September 28, 2018 at 6:52 am

    This recipe is amazing. I made yogurt last night. It took me forever to get my milk to 190 degrees but it worked. I think I should have just left it alone. I kept stirring it and removing film, so it only made like 4 jars instead of 7. The texture is perfect tho. I used granulated swerve instead of sugar. It still taste great. Maybe too sweet. I may let my next batch sit for 11 hours instead of 9. Thank you for this recipe!!!!

  • Debra

    November 25, 2018 at 12:45 pm

    I don’t worry about adding fruit at the bottom, I just make vanilla yogurt and put whatever I want on the top after it is cold. It works out very well and everyone can have whatever low sugar fruit they want on theirs.

    I like to use low sugar jams, marmalades, fresh crushed fruits and lemon curd for the fruit toppings.

    1. Radha

      August 24, 2021 at 8:15 pm

      Thank you so much for this tip, my yogurt set perfectly and I was able to enjoy fruity thick yogurt!

  • Patricia

    December 29, 2018 at 1:18 pm

    I have neither a yogurt machine or the pot. Can I use a gas over that has the pilot light going all the time. It makes great regular yogurt.

    1. Van

      December 30, 2018 at 2:04 am

      Hi Patricia, if you’ve had success using your oven to make yogurt, this recipe or any other yogurt recipe (as long as it’s not a cold start recipe) should work fine using the oven method.

  • Jennifer

    January 20, 2019 at 2:03 pm

    Do you have to add water to the instant pot before you put the jars and start the yogurt setting? Lots of other recipes say to add two cups of water and use the trivet.

    1. Van

      January 20, 2019 at 9:39 pm

      Hi Jennifer, no you don’t have to add water or use a trivet.

      1. Rachel

        March 2, 2019 at 8:44 pm

        Could you use lemon curd instead of the strawberry preserves? If so would you add a sweetener? The lemon oui is my favorite, so I was hoping to replicate it. Thanks in advance.

        1. Van

          March 3, 2019 at 8:51 am

          Hi Rachel, I haven’t tried lemon curd on the bottom of the jar, I’m not sure if the acid would affect the culturing process or not – you could defiantly add lemon curd after you make the yogurt. Good luck!

  • Becky

    February 6, 2019 at 2:48 pm

    Thank you so much for this post. I’ve never made yogurt before, but followed your directions exactly and couldn’t believe how well this turned out. Although it tasted very good the next day, I have found the taste to be mellowing some each day. After three days the plain yogurt alone without any of the jam on the bottom is incredibly smooth and creamy – and I’m not usually a fan of plain, unsweetened yogurt. Thanks again!

  • Aleesha

    February 9, 2019 at 9:51 am

    Thank you for this recipe! My question is if you can make a bulk batch where you place it directly into the Instant Pot vs. putting them in jars first? Thank you!

    1. Van

      February 9, 2019 at 6:34 pm

      You’re welcome Aleesha! Yes, you could make it directly in the pot – the texture will be thinner though, since it thins out each time you disturb/stir/scoop it.

  • Val

    March 4, 2019 at 12:39 pm

    Have you tried the lemon Oui yet?

    Do you think this recipe would work with lemon curd as a base instead of the strawberry preserves?

    1. Van

      March 13, 2019 at 10:02 pm

      Hi Val, I would add the lemon curd to the jars after you have incubated the yogurt.

  • Emily Webster

    April 1, 2019 at 12:34 pm

    If using Fairlife or other ultrapasteurized milk, you mentioned that heating the milk could be skipped. So just start with cold milk from the fridge?

    1. Van

      April 26, 2019 at 5:13 pm

      Hi Emily, that’s correct – if you’re using Fairlife or UP milk, just use the milk cold from the fridge.

  • Kelly

    May 14, 2019 at 3:48 am

    I’m very new to this. I got an instant pot for Mother’s Day. Can I use jelly jars and the lids that comb with them. And then can I stack the jars on top of one another

    Thank you for any help.

    Kelly

    1. Van

      May 14, 2019 at 8:59 am

      Hi Kelly, yes you can use jelly jars and the lids. If you stack jars on top of each other, add a cup of water to the pot. Good luck and enjoy your new Instant Pot!

  • Simmy

    November 19, 2019 at 3:32 pm

    Hi!
    I’m going to make plain and fruit yogurt. I’m doing a double batch so that will be 14 oui jars. I’m going to stack them. Do I increase the time or just follow the recipe?

    Do I put the jars directly in pot with nothing in the pot without a rack?

    Also, you mention home made aluminium foil tops. How do I make them? Are they just foil on the top? Thanks.

    1. Van

      November 20, 2019 at 8:26 pm

      Hi Simmy, keep the same incubation time even if you make more jars. You don’t need to use a rack, but add 1 Cup of water to the pot and stack the cups on top of each other. You just put pieces of foil on top of the jars and seal the jars with it. Enjoy!

  • Tom

    January 24, 2020 at 9:04 am

    Could you do this in mason jars? if so would you use regular rings and seals or just wrap in tinfoil?

    1. Van

      January 25, 2020 at 3:54 am

      Hi Tom, regular mason jars work perfectly. I’d recommend getting plastic lids for them if you want to use them for yogurt – after a few times the metal ones start to rust.

  • Kathleen

    February 27, 2020 at 7:50 am

    Wow – I followed your recipe and instructions and my yogurt came out perfect. I love it! This is my first time with an InstantPot – I always had trouble with runny yogurt before. I ended up with extra liquid so I stacked a half-pint wide-mouth mason jar with a plastic lid on top of my Oui glasses without water- it worked perfectly. I did not read about adding water prior to making it. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe with me!

    1. Van

      February 28, 2020 at 12:42 pm

      You’re welcome Kathleen! I’m so glad the recipe worked out so well, I think homemade yogurt is the best!

      1. Lani

        April 16, 2020 at 11:32 am

        Thank you for this recipe. I tried this last night and everything set up nicely by morning. I just ate some and it was a bit clumpy—tiny clumps. Any idea why it wasn’t smooth? I’m okay with it. I used Fairlife milk and an Instant Pot. I was just wondering if I didn’t mix the starter enough perhaps? Thanks again!

        1. Van

          April 16, 2020 at 12:46 pm

          Hi Lani, yes it’s possible that you didn’t mix in the yogurt well enough – that causes lumpy yogurt. Next time you can try straining it before pour it into the jars – this usually guarantees smooth yogurt.

  • Gary

    June 10, 2020 at 3:54 pm

    Thank you for this recipe for the Strawberry or other fruit yogurt. I have a dozen of the Oui jars and could not toss them or just use them for arts and crafts projects. I am going to try this with peach and strawberry preserves. I will seal them with foil the first time.

  • Lauren

    June 18, 2020 at 5:34 am

    Hi, I have tried this multiple times and every time my yogurt sets but it is almost tough. There is a lot of whey produced with a little bit of tough yogurt sitting on top of the preserves. The last time I made it I tried half with fruit preserves and half without. The half without set up perfectly and tasted great. The half with the preserves got tough. What am I doing wrong?

    1. Van

      June 18, 2020 at 6:46 am

      Hi Lauren, I’m not quite sure what’s happening to cause the “tough” yogurt. Have you tried different brands of preserves? There might be an ingredient in the preserves you’re using that’s changing the texture.

  • Carla

    November 6, 2020 at 11:16 am

    Hi! I have made this recipe several times and it is amazing! My question is this: can I use some of the yogurt I made as a starter to mix with the milk or do I need to buy a oui yogurt for the starter? Thank you!

    1. Van

      November 6, 2020 at 2:59 pm

      Hi Carla, yes you can use the yogurt you made as the starter for the next batch. You can do this about 3-4 times before the cultural becomes ineffective and you’ll have to buy a new starter from the store.

    2. Amanda

      July 27, 2021 at 8:38 pm

      You can also freeze your starter in a baggie and just thaw before using. You can get plain whole milk Greek yogurt and portion it into baggies 🙂

  • Tricia

    June 22, 2021 at 6:27 am

    Would you happen to have a copycat recipe for the Oui Key lime? That is my fav. TIA.

    1. Van

      June 22, 2021 at 6:53 am

      Hi Trcia, I haven’t made a copycat of the key lime yet, I’ll work on that flavor next 🙂

  • Krista massey

    August 21, 2021 at 1:28 pm

    Do you have to start with Oui yogurt to make it taste like Oui yogurt or will plain regular yogurt work as well?

    1. Van

      August 22, 2021 at 5:15 pm

      Hi Krista, you can use another brand of plain yogurt – as long as it has active cultures, it will work

  • Shae

    May 29, 2022 at 2:41 pm

    This looks so good and sounds easy. If I wanted to try to make the blended raspberry version of oui yogurt, should I mix in puree? Maybe flavored powder? Mix in puree once fermented and try to reset in fridge? Any suggestions before I give it a go? I have texture issues so jam in the bottom is a no go unfortunately. Thanks in advance!

    1. Van

      May 30, 2022 at 9:28 am

      Hi Shae, try blending raspberry preserves/jam into the milk before incubating, let me know how it turns out

  • Gina

    April 11, 2023 at 7:14 am

    Mine has water on top. Should I pour it off? Is their a way to avoid the water on top?

    1. Van

      April 16, 2023 at 7:36 pm

      Hi Gina, yes you can pour it off. If your Instant Pot is big enough to have all the jars on 1 layer, you don’t need to add water to the pot and that keeps the tops from gathering water

  • Carol Morgan

    September 10, 2023 at 4:35 pm

    Can you say take the 2 teaspoons of yogurt and the vanilla and put it into a sauce pan but how long do you cook it on the sauce in the sauce pan?

    1. Van

      September 20, 2023 at 3:00 pm

      Hi, you don’t cook the yogurt. The milk should be cooled when you add the yogurt

  • Nysheika

    February 8, 2024 at 10:50 am

    Hi! I’m so excited to get started on this recipe but I have one question. If I want to make a smaller or larger batch do I decrease/increase the amount of the starter added or is 2tsp just the standard amount regardless of desired yield?

    1. Van

      February 8, 2024 at 8:48 pm

      Hi, I would just stick with the same amount of starter even if you’re making a smaller batch

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