Oui Vanilla French Yogurt Copycat Recipe

March 16, 2018Van
Blog post

Prep time: 1 hour

Cook time: 9 hours

Serves: 7 - 5 oz Jars

Oui Yogurt is the new “French Style” yogurt made by Yoplait—and I must say…they did a fantastic job with this recipe.  In a move to get away from their previous life as a maker of “yogurt” filled with questionable ingredients, Yoplait put a lot of effort into developing an authentic yogurt filled with just the good stuff.  The little jars are so cute I have to admit thats what initially caught my attention, but Oui is absolutely amazing.

Vanilla is my favorite, I love the smooth and creamy consistency, it’s slightly tart with a hint of vanilla—absolutely delicious!  The ingredients were right on the label so I just had to figure out the proportions and the culturing time. After a few tries, I was so excited that I was able to recreate it!

I have kept all the Oui jars I’ve purchased so I could make yogurt in them.  I slowly peeled off the sticker labels then put some rubbing alcohol on a towel and rubbed off the rest of the sticker residue.  I also found the cutest lids for them, they are made of silicone & fit the jars perfectly, they are called Blossom eCaps (Size Small), I bought them on Amazon (link here) — I love how it makes my jars look like a cute mushroom!  Give the recipe a try and be sure to post a picture on Facebook or comment here to let me know what you think.

Oui Vanilla French Style Yogurt Copycat RecipeYou can purchase the Blossom Lids here on Amazon

Oui Vanilla French Style Yogurt Copycat Recipe

Yogurt Recipes

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Print Recipe

Oui Vanilla French Yogurt Copycat Recipe

  • Prep time: 1 hour
  • Cook time: 9 hours
  • Serves: 7 - 5 oz Jars

www.foodisafourletterword.com

Ingredients

  • 4¾ Cups Whole Milk
  • ¾ Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • ⅓ Cup Granulated Sugar
  • 2 Teaspoons Plain or Vanilla Oui Yogurt

Method

  • 1)

    Pour 4¾ Cups Whole Milk & ⅓ Cup Granulated Sugar 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.

  • 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 and ¾ Teaspoon Vanilla Extract 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)

    Ladle the mixture into your jars. Seal the jars with lids or cover each jar with homemade foil lids. Place the jars directly in into the Instant 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 without stirring.

↓ Supplies to make this recipe ↓

 










238 Comments

  • Katie

    March 26, 2018 at 7:44 am

    Thank you for this!! I also have been saving my Oui jars and thanks for the link to the lids. I originally found your other French yogurt recipe by looking for a Oui copycat and I’m so excited to try this! I already bought the half and half so I’m going to try the other yogurt first but I’ll be back to make this one too! I’m sure both will be great!

    1. Van

      March 26, 2018 at 9:01 am

      Katie, you’ll love the French yogurt made with half and half – anyone that’s made says it’s the best yogurt they’ve ever had. The Qui copycat is great too. I hope you enjoy both of them, thanks for giving my recipes a try 😀

      1. Melanie

        January 4, 2024 at 12:28 pm

        Just tasted my refrigerated yogurt, and it was fabulous. I only made 6 jars since that’s what will fit in my crock pot brand “instant pot” — it has a yogurt setting that didn’t make very good yogurt in a big batch but worked perfectly in 12 hours incubating my jars. I tossed a glug of heavy cream I had leftover from Christmas panna cotta into the milk as it was heating 🙂 … And didn’t have any plain yogurt except for Fage, and it worked great. I’m ordering some Tahitian vanilla beans because I think that flavor would make it divine. Thank you so much for this!

        My next hurdle– I love the lemon flavor the most so I want to try lemon curd in the bottom of a jar.

        The real hurdle is not eating it all very quickly. 🙂

    2. Celine

      April 4, 2018 at 6:52 pm

      just wanted to let you know that the oui website sells lids for their oui yogurt. you can buy 4 for $3.99. I save my outijars and just purchased the lids. https://www.ouibyyoplait.com/lids/

      1. Van

        April 5, 2018 at 2:31 pm

        How cool, thanks for letting me know Celine.

        1. Annella

          April 23, 2018 at 1:27 pm

          Is sealing the individual yogurt jars necessary for the this recipe? I’m wondering if I could use either plastic or metal canning lids for small mason jars.

          1. Van

            April 23, 2018 at 1:31 pm

            It’s not necessary, but it helps keep water and condensation out of your yogurt. The plastic lids for small mason jars work great, the metal ones can rust.

        2. Ginger Grant

          December 17, 2020 at 3:02 pm

          I also have Bern saving those little Oui jars. Just a hint in getting off the labels if you run hot water over them while peeling them off all the sticky comes off

      2. Thank You SOOOO Much ! Just bought 5 sets of the blue lids !

        June 27, 2018 at 8:06 am

        Thank You SOOOO Much ! I just bought 5 sets of the blue lids !

        1. Renee Jensen

          October 23, 2019 at 3:04 pm

          Can I add probiotics? If so, at which stage and is there any that you recommend?

    3. Julie Ham

      February 28, 2021 at 3:22 pm

      When I started making yogurt, last year, Yours was one of the first recipes I used. I have made itloads of times since then, it is always very delicious! I did try something last time to add to the taste. I added cream to mine. I add it as I am boiling the milk, in the end, it tastes better than the Oui, and I thought You might like to try it too! About a quarter of the milk is cream!
      I hope You love the new taste. Thank You for sharing!!

      1. Van

        March 1, 2021 at 3:15 pm

        Glad to hear you’ve enjoyed the recipe! I have made yogurt with cream before, it’s divine! I have a recipe for a copycat of La Fermière Yogurt and I use half & half instead of milk, it’s amazing – yours probably tastes very similar with cream added. https://foodisafourletterword.com/recipe/french-style-potted-yogurt-no-boil-recipe-copycat-of-la-fermiere-yogurt/

  • Amanda

    March 29, 2018 at 11:28 am

    Thank you so much! I’m a newbie to yogurt-making, but I LOVE Oui yogurt and this recipe is super exciting to me. I can’t have sugar though…can I just make the recipe as is without the sugar? Should i skip the vanilla too? Also, are the jars a necessity to the texture, or can you make a big batch without jars? I’ll be using an Instant Pot.

    Thank you again!

    1. Van

      March 29, 2018 at 11:33 am

      Hi Amanda, yes you can skip the sugar and the vanilla if you just want to make plain yogurt. The jars do contribute to the great texture of Oui yogurt, but you could make this recipe directly in the pot if you prefer, the yogurt will be thinner from being transferred to other containers. Hope you enjoy it!

  • Norma

    March 30, 2018 at 10:34 pm

    Is it necessary to use whole milk? Could 1% or skim be substituted?

    1. Van

      March 31, 2018 at 12:56 am

      Hi Norma, if you want the yogurt to be very similar to Oui yogurt then you should use whole milk, if you don’t mind it being a thinner texture then it’s totaliy fine to substitute it with skim or 1%

      1. Norma

        March 31, 2018 at 7:19 am

        Thank you!

      2. Andi

        May 23, 2018 at 10:41 am

        I’m pre diabetic so I was wondering, do you think I could use agave syrup instead of sugar?

        1. Van

          May 23, 2018 at 7:13 pm

          Hi Andi, yes you can use agave syrup in this recipe, you can omit any sugar all together if you prefer.

          1. Nancy Williams

            June 14, 2022 at 3:26 pm

            These recipes are amazing!! Thank you for your hard work I wanted to ask if you have or would develop a recipe for the coconut milk oui nondairy yogurt. I would love to be able to make that for my lactose intolerant family members.

      3. Tran

        May 28, 2019 at 4:05 pm

        Hi Van, when we put the jar in the IP, do we need to add water to the pot too?

        1. Van

          June 3, 2019 at 9:01 am

          Hi Tran, if you have to stack the jars you can add 1 cup of water to the pot.

          1. Teresa

            September 6, 2021 at 8:48 am

            So if just a single layer of jars, you don’t add any water to the instant Pot?

          2. Van

            September 6, 2021 at 8:49 am

            That’s correct

  • Erica

    March 31, 2018 at 3:49 pm

    Hi,
    I’m so excited to try your recipe. Now I can put all the Oui jars I’ve saved to good use. I did have a question though, are the lids absolutely necessary? Or can I use something like a press and seal instead?

    Thank you!

    1. Van

      April 1, 2018 at 2:58 pm

      Hi Erica, press and seal lids would be fine, or you could also make lids from foil as well. I hope you enjoy the recipe 😀

  • Jennifer

    April 3, 2018 at 9:36 am

    I can’t wait to try this! I’ve been saving my jars also found lids.

    1. Van

      April 4, 2018 at 8:37 am

      I hope you enjoy it Jennifer!

  • Liz

    April 6, 2018 at 1:23 pm

    Could I stack 14 jars in the pot? Would you just double thing

    1. Van

      April 6, 2018 at 2:43 pm

      Hi Liz, yes you can stack the jars, just double the recipe, but keep the incubation time the same. I hope you enjoy it 😀

      1. Terry

        March 9, 2019 at 9:26 am

        I made the French vanilla yogurt in the oui jars (7) and they came out perfect but when I doubled the recipe ,the top 7 ones never set. Can I cook the top 7 again or add new starter and recook?

        1. Van

          March 13, 2019 at 10:01 pm

          Hi Terry, yes you can just put the top 7 jars back and choose the Yogurt setting for a few more hours. Next time if you have to stack the jars, add 1 Cup of water to the bottom of the pot

  • Sarah

    April 7, 2018 at 5:20 pm

    I don’t have a yogurt setting on my insta pot. What other setting could be used? Or other method of incubating? I just discovered Oui and absolutely love it but it’s busting my budget!

    1. Van

      April 10, 2018 at 8:21 pm

      Hi Sarah, I’m actually testing a workaround for people who have the Lux model, I’ll find out tomorrow if it’s successful & I’ll let you know.

    2. Van

      April 12, 2018 at 9:04 am

      Hi Sarah, my experiment worked, try this method to keep your yogurt warm when you make yogurt, used the Oui Recipe but this technique for incubating:

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

  • Jessica

    April 8, 2018 at 6:50 am

    So excited to try this recipe, but I don’t want to use sugar in it. Could you use the cold start method with the whole milk as long as it’s ultra pasteurized and use liquid stevia in place of sugar?

    1. Van

      April 8, 2018 at 8:42 am

      Hi Jessica, yes you can use ultra pasteurized milk & stevia, I hope you enjoy it 😀

  • Daniela

    April 16, 2018 at 12:52 pm

    Is there any way I could make this in a Crock-Pot? I’ve never made yogurt before and I’d like to give it a try before I invest in a yogurt maker or instant pot. This recipe looks absolutely delicious and my toddler and I are big fans of Oui yogurt but I am not a fan of the price.

    1. Van

      April 16, 2018 at 3:16 pm

      Hi Daniela, do you know if the Crock-Pot as a setting that stays steady at 110-115F? If there is then you can definitely make this recipe using it.

  • Kirsten

    April 17, 2018 at 10:41 am

    Just made this last night! It was my first venture into homemade yogurt, but it turned out great! Even put a little lemon curd in a couple pots to mimic the Oui Lemon flavor! Now to try your recipe with the half and half 🙂

    1. Van

      April 17, 2018 at 2:47 pm

      Awesome Kirsten, isn’t making yogurt at home so satisfying? You’ll love the La Fermière yogurt copycat, it’s divine!

  • Rhonda

    April 20, 2018 at 11:50 am

    Can this be made with a cold start method, and if so, how? I love Oui!!

    1. Van

      April 20, 2018 at 2:12 pm

      Hi Rhonda, yes you can do a cold start method. Use Ultra-Pasteurized milk, you’ll still have a heat a small amount of milk, about 1 cup to dissolve the sugar then mix it back with the rest of the milk then add the vanilla and starter.

      1. Rhonda

        April 21, 2018 at 6:24 am

        Thanks, I’m going to try this morning!!

        1. Annella

          April 23, 2018 at 1:23 pm

          Since I want to skip the sugar all together and plan on using ultra pasteurized milk (and plain oui yogurt as the starter) could I skip heating up the milk entirely? I’m not totally sure how the “cold start” method works for an instant pot so any device would be appreciated! Also wondering if using more than 2 teaspoons of starter yogurt would ensure a better finished product?

          1. Van

            April 23, 2018 at 1:28 pm

            Hi Annella, you don’t have to heat it at all if you’re skiping the sugar. Using more starter doesn’t make a better finished product, you can add more if you want, it helps the yogurt taste tarter.

      2. Rhonda

        May 6, 2018 at 3:59 pm

        Hi! I love this plain, but is there a way I could add fruit on the bottom?

        1. Van

          May 6, 2018 at 4:14 pm

          Hi Rhonda, you could add 1 rounded tablespoon of fruit preserves to the bottom of the jars before you incubate them.

          1. Rhonda

            May 6, 2018 at 7:29 pm

            Lovely!! I will try the next time I make it, today’s batch turned out fabulous!!!

  • Janet

    April 20, 2018 at 12:54 pm

    Hi! So I’m addicted to oui yogurt. But I have a lux and I can see the link to that method, but my milk isn’t ultra pasteurized. Would I still follow this recipe? Thank you so much!

    1. Janet

      April 20, 2018 at 12:56 pm

      I meant to say that the milk I have is ultra-pasteurized. How could I adjust the oui recipe with the lux method? Thank you

    2. Van

      April 20, 2018 at 2:16 pm

      Hi Janet, if you’re using Ultra Pasteurized milk add the milk, sugar and vanilla to a sauce pan and heat to 115F, be sure to use a thermometer to monitor the temp. Whisk in the yogurt starter very well then pour into the jars. Place your trivet into your Lux model, place the jars on the trivet, since you don’t have a Yogurt Button, set it for Keep Warm for 10 hours (don’t cover the Instant Pot with a lid). Let me know how it turns out for you.

      1. Tam

        August 22, 2018 at 12:35 pm

        Hi Van, could I use small mason jars for this process (using ultra pasteurized milk, and the lux IP & directions you provided above etc..)? Also would I have to put a lid on the mason jars when it’s being kept warm in the IP for 10 hrs? Please let me know, I appreciate the help! Can’t wait to try out more of your recipes!

        1. Van

          August 22, 2018 at 1:50 pm

          Hi Tam, yes you can use UP milk for this recipe, Fairlife brand will give you the best results since it makes thicker yogurt. Put the lids on the mason jars if you’re using the Lux method.

  • Bethany

    April 23, 2018 at 2:57 pm

    When you start the 11 hours in the instant pot, do you have the knob in the venting or sealing position? Or does it matter?

    1. Van

      April 23, 2018 at 3:39 pm

      Hi Bethany, it doesn’t matter what position the knob is on because the Instant Pot doesn’t come to pressure when you make yogurt.

    2. Anne

      January 18, 2024 at 9:58 pm

      Do you put the jars directly in the bottom of the instant pot or do they need to be set on top of the rack insert? I’m worried about the jars breaking?

      1. Van

        January 19, 2024 at 12:50 am

        You can put the jars directly on the bottom of the pot, the temp is only around 115F on the yogurt setting

  • Sandrine

    April 25, 2018 at 7:46 pm

    Can this recipe be made directly in the inner pot? I don’t have any oui jars or yogurt jars

    1. Van

      April 25, 2018 at 7:59 pm

      Hi Sandrine, yes you can make this directly in the pot. Hope you enjoy it 😀

  • Daphne

    May 12, 2018 at 7:37 am

    Thank you for the recipe!!! I made it the other day and it was a hit. Mine didn’t turn out very thick. More like regular plain yogurt. Do you have any tips on how to get it thicker? Thank you!

    1. Van

      May 12, 2018 at 8:16 am

      Hi Daphne, are you looking for yogurt that’s more like greek yogurt? You have to strain it to get it that thick. If you just want it slightly thicker here are some ways to do it:

      – Use whole milk, using low fat milk will produce a thin textured yogurt
      – Hold the temperature at 190°F for 20-30 minutes, this will cause more evaporation and make your yogurt much thicker
      – Blend 1/2 Cup dry milk powder into your milk – adding more protein will make your yogurt thicker
      – Use Fairlife brand milk, it’s Ultra-Pasteurized and Ultra-Filtered and has a much higher protein content than regular milk (you can also skip the heating process if you use this milk).

      1. Daphne

        May 14, 2018 at 11:22 am

        Thank you for the tips!

        1. Van

          May 14, 2018 at 4:47 pm

          You’re welcome Daphne!

  • Jennifer

    May 17, 2018 at 11:39 am

    I tried this last night, and it was a success! I tasted this morning before I put it in the fridge and went to work, and I’m anxious to get home and see how well it firms up. I’ll have more fresh blueberries than I know what to do with in a few weeks, so I’ll be making plenty of preserves to go with my new yogurt obsession.

    Honestly, as yogurt as my daughter and I eat, making it at home will save money in the long run. I figured up that between the two of us we eat at least $700 of yogurt a year. 🙂

    1. Van

      May 17, 2018 at 2:34 pm

      Hi Jennifer, thanks for trying out the recipe! It definitely firms up a lot more after sitting the the refrigerator, I think the best texture is after 1 day of refrigeration. It’s a huge money saver making yogurt at home, and I think it tastes so much better as well. Blueberry preserves will be amazing with the yogurt!

  • Bryan

    June 12, 2018 at 1:26 pm

    Is the heating of the milk to 190 degrees necessary? What exact does heating do for the yogurt?

    1. Van

      June 12, 2018 at 3:35 pm

      Hi Bryan, yes it is necessary. It denatures a protein in the milk which allows it to thicken when you add yogurt cultures, with out this step you’d have liquid yogurt – it also helps evaporate the milk which will produce a thicker yogurt.

  • Kim

    June 19, 2018 at 11:10 am

    I love Oui yogurt because it’s not tangy like other yogurts. Will 11 hours make it to tart? Or should I reduce the time in the IP?

    Thanks for your help

    1. Van

      June 19, 2018 at 12:47 pm

      Hi Kim, as long as you use Oui yogurt as your starter it won’t be tart. I actually done 20 hours with Oui and it still wasn’t tart.

      1. Kim

        June 20, 2018 at 8:17 am

        I have one more question. Do you quick release the pressure or let it depressurize naturally? It’s in the instant pot now. Just wondering. Thanks for all your help.

        1. Van

          June 20, 2018 at 8:25 am

          Hi Kim, when you make yogurt the Instant Pot doesn’t get pressurized, so there is no pressure to release. The temperature only goes to a max of 115F.

  • Helen

    June 19, 2018 at 4:49 pm

    Is there a way to make this recipe using 2% milk?

    1. Van

      June 20, 2018 at 8:27 am

      Hi Helen, yes you can make it with 2% milk, but the yogurt texture will be much thinner than the original Oui yogurt.

  • Karen

    June 22, 2018 at 12:00 pm

    Hi!! I just got an instant pot and was inspired to try oui after seeing everyone reusing the jars to make homemade yogurt. Usually yogurt is too tart but I absolutely love the strawberry oui!! Can I use that as a starter instead of vanilla oui or is it better to just add fruit on the bottom of the jars? Thanks in advance for the input!!

    1. Karen

      June 22, 2018 at 12:03 pm

      Oops. I just saw your strawberry oui recipe. Thanks again!!

    2. Van

      June 24, 2018 at 1:33 pm

      Hi Karen, glad you found the Strawberry one 😀 – this Vanilla Recipe is slightly thicker in texture, you should try this one sometime too

  • patti

    June 27, 2018 at 9:03 am

    Good Morning/Afternoon ! Question…
    Do you pasteurize half and half using the same temps as for pasteurizing milk ? I guess I should ask if you can pasteurize half and half ?
    Thank You
    I’m making your recipe today !

    1. Van

      June 27, 2018 at 9:33 am

      Hi Patti, yes you can pasteurize Half and Half using the same temps as you would for milk. Around 180°F-190°F works well and just let it cool to 115°F before adding the yogurt starter. Hope you enjoy it 😀

  • Karen Bryan

    July 2, 2018 at 10:41 am

    Hi! Thanks for sharing this recipe!! I am currently making it and the timer is almost done but I pulled a jar out at 9 hours then at 10 just so I could see how the tartness varies with the time. On the 10 hour one, I noticed a lot of watery fluid accumulated in the jar (oui jar with blue lid sold by Yoplait) and was wondering if this is normal. Should I drain it? Thanks in advance for any input. 🙂

    1. Van

      July 2, 2018 at 10:50 am

      Hi Karen, yes it’s normal. Anytime you incubate in the jars, it’s normal that a little fluid might accumulate in the jars, I usually just pour it out before placing the jars in the refrigerator.

      1. Karen

        July 4, 2018 at 12:24 am

        Thank you!!!

  • Lisa

    July 16, 2018 at 2:58 pm

    I just returned from Quebec where I had the best yogurt ever — Maision Riviera — (not sold in US). I embarked on a mission to find something here similar. Oui is the closest, so I was happy to find your recipe.

    Bought a yogurt maker. Made your recipe yesterday, my first foray into homemade yogurt making and it was SPECTACULAR!

    I only had 4 cups of whole milk so I used far free half and half for the last 3/4 cup. It was perfect.

    Thanks for doing the hard work to find the right formula to duplicate Oui! I have a new favorite yogurt!

    1. Van

      July 16, 2018 at 5:33 pm

      Hi Lisa, I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! It probably tastes even better using half and half! I’ve seen Maision Riviera’s website because I was trying to find something similar to Oui for someone in Canada, their yogurt looks amazing!

  • Randa

    July 24, 2018 at 9:12 am

    I am beyond excited to make this in my new instant pot. My favourite flavour by far is the coconut though and after a search I cannot find any clues as to what is in the sweet gelatinous coconut goop at the bottom. Any ideas? This would make my life complete. Thank you!

    1. Van

      July 24, 2018 at 10:56 am

      Hi Randa, what a coincidence that you’re writing about the coconut one! I love that flavor as well & I just developed a recipe for it, my batch is actually chilling in the fridge right now. My recipe doesn’t include the coconut jelly/gloop though since I don’t really like it, but it looks like they created a jelly with pectin, sugar & coconut pieces. Check back on my blog later today, I’ll try to post the coconut yogurt recipe by tonight

  • Maria

    August 6, 2018 at 5:12 pm

    Can’t wait to try this recipe. I’m addicted to Oui vanilla yogurt. I don’t currently own an instant pot or yogurt maker. Is there a way to make this yogurt without those items? Thank you!

    1. Van

      August 6, 2018 at 10:55 pm

      Hi Maria, to make this yogurt, the milk needs to be held at around 110-115F consistently for 9 hours. So you do need some device that will do this. You could try the oven method, you turn on your oven for 1 minute then turn off the heat, keep the oven light on and place jars into the oven, then turn the oven back on for a minute every few hours – this is a work around & may not give you predictable results.

  • Mandee Wisniewski

    August 11, 2018 at 7:21 pm

    I have seen both of your recipes. I have a instant pot (no yogurt option) or yogurt maker. I do have an air dryer over that I can see as low as 90 degrees on the dehydrator button. Will this work I’d I keep it at a set 110-115?

    1. Mandee Wisniewski

      August 11, 2018 at 7:34 pm

      Sorry I ment air fryer oven, 6qt 7 in 1 cooking features

      1. Van

        August 11, 2018 at 8:43 pm

    2. Van

      August 11, 2018 at 8:41 pm

      Hi Mandee, if you have an air fryer that you can set to 100-115F that would work to keep the yogurt warm enough to culture. If you make directly in
      the pot, the texture thins out each time you transfer it. Let me know how it turns out for you.

  • Malinda Stull

    August 13, 2018 at 6:30 pm

    Hi everyone! I was really excited when I found this recipe. I had to accumulate some jars but now I’m in business. I just tried my first batch and it turned out pretty good. It’s a little bit off and I hope you can help. I got ultra pasteurized, organic whole milk (4 cups) then used 3/4 cup ultra pasteurized, organic half and half. I heated 1 cup milk to 115, added sugar, starter and vanilla and the rest of the liquid. I used the instant pot Yogurt setting. The top part of each jar is perfect but the bottom is softer and quite stringy. Can you help?!

    1. Van

      August 13, 2018 at 10:24 pm

      Hi Malinda, the only thing I can think of is the yogurt wasn’t mixed in well enough. I usually whisk the yogurt starter with a few tablespoons of milk first before adding it to the rest of milk, this ensures a more even distribution of the starter. If you just mix in the starter with a large amount a milk, you usually end up with pieces of yogurt that sink to the bottom of the jars causing a grainy or weird texture.

  • Paula

    August 19, 2018 at 6:31 am

    Hi! I made your recipe this morning. I just can’t wait to try it! My question is have you or anyone used a euro cuisine yogurt maker? I have an old one that I wasn’t too successful with making regular yogurt. Too tangy. Do I follow your instructions with lids on and times same as IP? Thank you so much!!

    1. Van

      August 19, 2018 at 9:32 pm

      Hi Paula, I had one years ago & it worked great – the tangyness is controlled by your starter, the amount of time you’re culturing & how much sugar you add. You can follow the same method for the Euro Cuisine, it does the same thing as the Instant Pot yogurt function – they both keep the temp around 110-115F.

  • Heather S

    August 23, 2018 at 11:28 pm

    I have an Instant Pot Duo Plus. I followed your recipe for the Oui vanilla yogurt first, and it was AMAZING! I used some homemade lavender extract, which made it extra special. I am trying the other French method you have now. This is my first foray into yogurt making, so this is probably a ridiculously stupid question… but I’m nervous about testing it out and wasting so much milk. Step 1 in your recipe seems like the step 1 in the user manual for yogurt. In the directions with the Instant Pot, you press “Yogurt” and change it to “More,” which apparently shows “boil” on the screen. They call their step 1 “Pasteurize the Milk.” Are they actually the same step or not? If they are, could I do their first step, cool the inner pot, and continue with the rest of your recipe? It felt like it took a really long time to get the yogurt to the right temp on the stovetop and I had to be there the whole time. It could be that I just don’t really know what I’m doing though, lol. Or maybe I could do something differently so that it takes less time? Thank you so much for any help!

    1. Van

      August 24, 2018 at 2:59 pm

      Hi Heather, yes you can use the Yogurt “more” function to heat the milk, I would recommend using a thermometer to check, since it doesn’t always hit 180F. You also want to avoid scraping the bottom of the pot, since the solids that get stuck to the bottom will give your yogurt a gritty texture. I usually just turn on low heat on the stovetop and check back in about 30 minutes, so you don’t really have to monitor it.

  • Megan

    September 11, 2018 at 7:03 am

    I am a yogurt newbie and trying my first batch now. If I were to make a second, would I need to buy a new Oui yogurt, or could I use one from the first batch as a starter?

    1. Van

      September 11, 2018 at 5:44 pm

      Hi Megan, you can use yogurt from the batch you made to make your next batch of yogurt. You should be able to do this 3-4 times before having to buy a brand new yogurt starter.

  • Michelle

    September 11, 2018 at 8:04 pm

    I tried your French potted yogurt that uses half and half and now I’m trying this one. My question is, can I use sweetened condensed milk in this recipe instead of sugar? And if so do I need to change the amount of starter yogurt used? I noticed the other recipe called for like 4 TBSP of plain yogurt and this one only calls for 2 tsp of OUI

    1. Van

      September 12, 2018 at 12:21 am

      Hi Michelle, yes you can use sweetened condensed milk & you don’t need to change the amount of starter used for this recipe. The half & half one is a larger recipe & with the higher fat content, it does better with more starter.

  • Vicki

    September 20, 2018 at 1:06 pm

    I am addicted to Oui – it is the BEST. I just ordered my lids and saving my Oui glass containers. THANK YOU for posting. I can’t wait to try it!

  • Milly

    October 8, 2018 at 10:01 am

    Thank you SO MUCH for this recipe! My family eats tons of yogurt and as plastic yogurt containers of any size are no longer recyclable in my area, I was really starting to despair of the environmental impact of our yogurt habit. I bought an instant pot and tried every recipe for greek yogurt, but I could never get it strained to the consistency I wanted– it was always thin and watery or tasted funky or just generally lacked the appeal of store-bought yogurt. I gave up on the instant pot and started buying Oui– at least the containers are recyclable!– but I decided to try this with my leftover Oui jars and I am SO GLAD I did. It is every bit as delicious as Oui, so much easier than the IP Greek yogurt, provides great grab & go capability, etc. Three cheers!

    1. Van

      October 8, 2018 at 5:56 pm

      Thanks for sharing Milly! I’m so glad you’re enjoying homemade yogurt now, I think it’s so much better than store bought and a huge money saver 😀

  • Bob

    October 9, 2018 at 12:07 am

    Thanks for the copycat recipe. I’ve had success with the plain yogurt using regular milk. However the vanilla variety
    has been very mild-flavored even when I use a tablespoon plus a 1/2 tsp of supermarket vanilla extract to fill up
    seven Oui jars. I add the vanilla to the mix just before filling the containers. What brand of vanilla do you use?
    Maybe the flavor secret is in using a more robust brand of extract or a whole bean.

    1. Van

      October 9, 2018 at 12:30 am

      Hi Bob, I use homemade vanilla extract or sometimes I’ll scrape the seeds from a whole vanilla bean. Different brands of extract will give you different results, you could try using vanilla bean paste as well.


  • Vince

    October 15, 2018 at 1:01 pm

    How long will it keep in the fridge? I’m making my first batch right now!

    1. Van

      October 15, 2018 at 1:05 pm

      Hi Vince, homemade yogurt usually lasts 10-14 days refrigerated. Hope you enjoy it!

  • Nadine McGrady

    October 29, 2018 at 9:19 am

    I have been successfully using my Exalibur dehydrator to make my French style yogurt although I did have to set the temp up one notch past the yogurt setting. My tray holds 16 jars perfectly. Thanks for the recipe and the information for the lids.

  • Pamela

    November 3, 2018 at 1:29 pm

    First….. thank you so much for your recipe.
    In an attempt to get healthy, I moved from cupcakes and cookies to banana chips to yogurt! But what an expensive habit when you add in Udi’s granola. And then… my girls and husband got on board and my youngest son too! Imagine, buying Noosa, Yoplait, Oui and granola for 6 people weekly! I couldn’t believe the price. Sorry for the long back story….anyways, I don’t have an Instant Pot, but found several youtube videos on making yogurt in the oven and decided to give this a try. I invested in 12 Ball 8oz jars with plastic lids ($15) and used Horizon Ultra Pasteurized Whole Milk (half gallon, or 7 3/4 cups), 2/3 cups granulated sugar, 1/2 jar of Vanilla Oui, and 1 1/2 tsp of homemade vanilla extract. I followed your heating and cooling instructions to the letter and…
    My first batch turned out amazing!
    My husband was so impressed! I love Oui Vanilla, but because of the texture, I typically mix in a little vanilla regular yoplait. This recipe gave me the consistency I have been trying to create.
    I can’t thank you enough. For $5, (half gallon of milk and 1 Oui yogurt) I made 11 1/2 8oz jars!

  • Ellen

    November 10, 2018 at 9:05 am

    I looked for the update on the Coconut version but didn’t see it. Please tell me how to make that. I make my yogurt in a pot on the stove, as I do not have any machines.

    THANK YOU SO MUCH!

    1. Van

      November 11, 2018 at 3:35 am

      Hi Ellen, here is the Qui Coconut Yogurt recipe Hope you enjoy it!

  • Rachel D

    November 20, 2018 at 6:09 am

    I live Oui salted caramel variety. I don’t have an instant pit or a crockpot with temp setting. Could I use the oven for constant temperature??

    1. Van

      November 20, 2018 at 8:40 am

      Hi Rachel, does you oven stay constant at 110F-115F? Most ovens don’t go that low so it wouldn’t work for keeping the temp constant unless you had a special setting. If you plan on making yogurt at home, it’s worth the investment to buy a yogurt maker. This one is only $20 and comes with jars.

  • Mai

    November 27, 2018 at 4:25 am

    Hi Van,
    Thanks for all the awesome recipes! One question about making yogurt in the Instant Pot: do I need to add any water at all to the pot when using the yogurt function? From your recipe it seems like I don’t, but I just want to double check, as I am a total newbie to Instant Pot (just got mine last Friday).

    1. Van

      November 27, 2018 at 7:55 am

      Hi Mai, you don’t have to add any water to the pot when you make yogurt. Hope you enjoy your new Instant Pot!

  • KES

    November 27, 2018 at 3:47 pm

    Hello!
    I’m new to making yogurt, and am only able to tolerate oui vanilla due to the specific cultures (L. bulgaricus and S. thermophilus). Does your recipe guarantee that only these strains will be in the end result?
    Thank you!

    1. Van

      November 27, 2018 at 3:56 pm

      Hi KES, if you like the cultures in Oui Yogurt, then you should only use Oui yogurt as your starter – when making yogurt, it will only have the strains that your starter has. Good luck!

  • Peter D’Aprix

    December 6, 2018 at 2:50 pm

    I am so glad to have stumbled over this recipe. I bought the “Cuisine Automatic Yogurt Maker” for two reasons. I am not keen on the watery yogurt so often sold in store that is stuffed with all sorts of things unnecessary to yogurt, I am not keen either on the Greek yogurt although it is better than the mush, and I love it when I go to France and buy the “nature” firm, French style yogurt that I loved in Paris when I was a student there in the mid 60’s. I myself obviously am no longer in that youthful age of 60. And as a result, I have blood sugar problems. In a population where over 50% are overweight and have sugar issues, I am surprised that a food industry, that is flooding us with gluten free products while few of us actually have problems with gluten, but are ignoring half the population that do have blood sugar problems even if they are not actually diabetes or pre-diabetes yet. If not managed, they will become so.

    So nostalgia for this yogurt in the little glass jars plus having to sweeten it with a granular sugar substitute has driven me to this desperate measure so I can make my own yogurt and have it just the way I want it. My first effort was dismal with a weak, watery mess where I used Greek yogurt and only “baked” it for 6 hours. (Not the fault of the Greek yogurt). The next time I used OUI (before I read your recipe) since I was skimming the top bit off the flavored ones to avoid the sugar below. I have not found in our local stores a “nature” version of OUI. I set the maker on 9 hours which actually in my case “bakes” it for 8 hours. Go figure. And it has worked just great. I followed the recipe on the “Cuisine” recipe guide.

    But I use Zyletol with a few drops of Stevia and add it to the mature pot of yogurt along with whatever I think would taste good from nuts to berries to sugar free strawberry jam. Sometimes just the crunchy Zyletol. Zyletol is sweeter than sugar and does not react in the body like sugar creating blood sugar spikes, or so my research tells me. Nor does it leave that vaguely chemical taste that all the other sugar substitutes tend to leave.

    So I am delighted to find your recipe that I will follow next time. And it is good to discover my aimless direction toward OUI to be on track quite by chance. Thank you for this and the tips on the OUI jar tops from Amazon. As I break the jars that come with the yogurt maker, I will just use the jars left over from my wife’s OUI gluttony.

    1. Chelsea

      January 2, 2019 at 1:37 pm

      Hi there, I know it’s been a while since you posted this, but your difficulty in having a watery result may stem from using zyletol as one of your sweetening agents. Zyletol is actually antibiotic (which is the reason they use it in sugar free gum, as it protects your teeth from the bacteria that cause cavities!), and could easily be killing off the bacteria in your culture. It’s a great option in a lot of situations, but maybe not as much in this one where you need the bacteria to make the yogurt 🙂

      Also, as an aside just in case you have pets, make sure they don’t eat anything you make with zyletol in it, as it is highly toxic to them!

  • Rachel

    January 22, 2019 at 8:12 am

    If I want to use half pint jars instead of our jars, would I need to change the incubation time for having more in each jar?
    Any reason I couldn’t use a different flavor for starter since it’s usually not strongly flavored? I have a lemon one left in my fridge and don’t want to have to drive in this blizzard…

    1. Van

      January 27, 2019 at 6:46 pm

      Hi Rachel, half pint jars are fine, you don’t have to change the time. Lemon starter is ok, but there might be a slight lemon flavor with the yogurt that you make

      1. Rachel

        January 29, 2019 at 4:45 pm

        Van,
        It turned out great! Waiting for the full 6 chill hours to try another one. The first was wonderful flavor and ok texture. The top was good, but lower down it was less firm. Is that likely to be from not enough time on heat or not enough time in the fridge before I dug in?
        Also, I was curious if I can make a lactose free version for my intolerant friend. Any experience with that?
        Thanks again!

        1. Van

          January 29, 2019 at 8:21 pm

          Hi Rachel, it does firm up after being in the fridge for a day – heating it longer also creates a firmer texture because you’re reducing the amount of water. You can use lactose free milk to make yogurt for your friend. Glad you liked the recipe 🙂

  • Taylor Vazquez

    January 25, 2019 at 12:45 pm

    Wondering if the whole milk need to be unpasteurized or pasteurized. I don’t want to buy the wrong milk! Haha

    1. Van

      January 27, 2019 at 6:48 pm

      Hi Taylor, you could use either. If you use pasteurized milk, follow the method on the recipe – if you use ultra-pasteurized you can skip the heating step

  • Marilyn

    February 8, 2019 at 9:01 pm

    I’m really excited to try your yogurt recipe. Do you put water in the bottom of the Instant Pot and are the jars on the trivet?
    Thanks so much for your help.

    1. Van

      February 8, 2019 at 9:34 pm

      Hi Marilyn, you don’t need to add water or use a trivet. Enjoy!

  • Megan

    February 15, 2019 at 12:24 am

    Thank you so much for posting this recipe. My first attempt I used a yogurt maker my mom gave me that was probably almost 40 years old (which was either dead or fried). My second attempt I bought an Instant Pot which I have wanted for over a year ☺️ and was much more successful, but when I tried it it was a little stringy and not as thick as Oui. I used the scald option inside the IP and tried to skim off any top layer but couldn’t really see anything. Is there a special method you have found best for skimming? I think using the saucepan as you indicate might lead to thicker yogurt so I will do that for attempt 3!! Tasted wonderful thank you again!

    1. Van

      February 15, 2019 at 4:30 am

      Hi Megan, it could be possible that the film mixed back into your milk. I usually use a fine mesh strainer to scoop it out. You can also pour the milk through a fine mesh strainer to ensure that there are no milk solids floating around (this is what causes bad texture in yogurt).

      Check out my other French style yogurt as well, it’s a no boil method & even more delicious than Oui!

      http://foodisafourletterword.com/recipe/french-style-potted-yogurt-no-boil-recipe-copycat-of-la-fermiere-yogurt/

  • Linda

    February 18, 2019 at 9:48 pm

    Hello. I’m planning to make this and it’s going to be my first time ever making yogurt. Question once we put the jars in the inner pot and press yogurt button we don’t need to add water to the pot?

    1. Van

      February 18, 2019 at 9:55 pm

      Hi Linda, no you don’t need to add water to the pot. Hope you enjoy the yogurt!

  • Gail

    March 16, 2019 at 4:59 pm

    Oh I am so disappointed today. Been waiting a week to make this yogurt. Saved my jars ordered some lids but not the colored like yours, but 2 3/8 size. Received today. But fit very loosely. Grr. I see where I can orderlids right thur oui. So will have to order those. I will probably just use foil for now. Thanks for listening.

  • Deborah

    March 21, 2019 at 1:19 pm

    Please, please, please ~ how did you get the labels off the Oui jars? I soaked for days and couldn’t get them to begin to peel off. Finally threw them away 🙁

    1. Van

      March 26, 2019 at 2:51 pm

      Hi Deborah, you can peel off the labels, then I used rubbing alcohol to help get the sticky residue off. Some people just leave the labels on as well and still use them for yogurt

  • Karen Miranda

    March 26, 2019 at 7:05 pm

    I just made this recipe and it is AWESOME. I used a gallon of whole milk and used the same ingredients.
    So glad I came across this website and recipe. I will be back for the Strawberry yogurt recipe.
    Thank you!!!!

    1. Van

      March 26, 2019 at 8:34 pm

      You’re welcome Karen, I’m so glad you loved it!

  • Brittany

    March 30, 2019 at 1:51 pm

    Ive never used my instant pot on the yogert setting. When i place the jars in 1) can i stack them? And 2) do i need to add water to the bottom of the instant pot pot?

    1. Van

      April 1, 2019 at 5:27 am

      Hi Brittany, yes you can stack the jars and you don’t have to add water

  • Deborah

    April 11, 2019 at 3:06 pm

    Hi Van – thank you for this recipe. I make it for my husband as he really dislikes “Greek style” due to it’s powerful “tang” or sour taste. My question is, why does it turn runny when something is stirred in. He likes to add in a tablespoon of either lemon/lime curd, or sugar free preserves. It is nice and thick in the jar, but once he begins to stir it turns almost to a “heavy cream” consistency. It still tastes good, just thin…

    1. Van

      April 26, 2019 at 5:12 pm

      Hi Deborah, when you stir the yogurt it breaks up the protein binding that happens during the culturing process. Try using Fairlife as your milk, since it’s higher in protein, the yogurt will be thicker so when you stir it, it won’t turn liquid. Check out this recipe as well, it also yields a thicker yogurt

      http://foodisafourletterword.com/recipe/french-style-potted-yogurt-no-boil-recipe-copycat-of-la-fermiere-yogurt/

  • Judy Schnurbusch

    April 13, 2019 at 2:20 pm

    I love your vanilla ouii recipe. Wondering if you have one for the salted caramel?
    Thanks!
    Judy

    1. Van

      April 26, 2019 at 5:09 pm

      Hi Judy, not yet, but you can try adding salted caramel to the bottom of the jar and use this same vanilla recipe. Trader Joe’s makes an excellent salted caramel sauce.

  • Jeff

    April 30, 2019 at 10:16 am

    thank you for the recipe, i tried it the last week. it taste delicious, homemade yogurt. But the only thing I am having problem is the firmness of the yogurt is not as “firm” as the Oui. Any advise? cook the milk a bit longer? Or am I not stirring in the starter long enough?

    1. Van

      April 30, 2019 at 10:18 am

      Hi Jeff, if you want the yogurt firmer, cook it longer so it reduces more, or switch to using a high protein milk like Fairlife or High Protein Horizon organic milk.

  • Ann

    June 6, 2019 at 6:45 am

    I’ve made your recipe several times and I love it! The last two batches have turned out a bit grainy, still edible but not quite as nice and smooth as the first few batches. Any ideas about what might be causing the graininess? Thanks!

    1. Van

      June 6, 2019 at 8:44 am

      Hi Ann, are you using a new yogurt starter? You can also try straining the mixture through fine mesh sieve before pouring it into the jars. Let me know how your next batch turns out.

  • Toni

    July 8, 2019 at 1:07 pm

    Hi Van. Love your yogurt recipes! If I am using Fairlife Milk, do I still have to heat the milk? I noticed in your some of your other yogurt recipes, when using ultra filtered milk, there was no heating required. I am not sure if that applies to the French style yogurt. Thanks!

    1. Van

      July 8, 2019 at 3:56 pm

      Hi Toni, thanks for trying out my recipes! If you use Fairlife then you don’t have to heat the milk. Enjoy!

  • Kristie Selden

    August 16, 2019 at 6:54 am

    I am so shocked and wonderfully surprised!!! I am late on the Instant Pot thingy band wagon. Just got a week or so go mainly because I have been wanting a yogurt maker. I recently started eating the Yoplait Oui french yogurt and I absolutely love it. I also have been saving those cute little jars wondering what in the world to do with them. I now know how to refill them. This recipe is right on. I ate half a jar this morning just tasting it when I cut the pot off, it was still warm but delicious. I need to figure out the Instant Pot program though. When I hit the Yogurt button if I leave it on High it says the 24:00 which I assume is 24 hours. If I put it on Medium it says 73:30 could that actually be 73 and a half hours? I left it there and just turned it off this morning when I knew it was 10 hours after start.
    Kristie

    1. Van

      September 2, 2019 at 3:35 am

      Hi Kristie, when you choose medium for yogurt, you should be able to adjust the time. The time you’re seeing could also be a “delay” so the IP won’t turn on until 73 hours?

  • Lex

    August 20, 2019 at 11:03 pm

    I’ve been addicted to Oui yogurts ever since I tried one, and so my life has just be overrun by those cute little jars I refuse to throw away. I looked up copycat recipes hoping I could make my own since Oui runs a little more expensive than regular yogurt and because at some point I’m going to run out of small jar real estate. lol

    Long story short, I made this recipe over the past couple days. It took some trial and error. The recipe itself was easy enough to follow, but i don’t have a yogurt maker or instapot with yogurt features. After looking around, I gave it a go using my dehydrator, but it’s an older model and it was too hot for my little yogurt babies. The internet (*captain america voice* so helpful) informed me that I didn’t have to throw my would-be yogurt away, so I warmed the milk mixture back up to ~110 and recultured it. I managed to get a batch incubated using my oven/oven light.

    After a night and day in the fridge, I gave one a taste. It was perfect even with my little trip ups along the way. I think it might have been even creamier than the storebought version. I didn’t want to purchase anything until I was sure I could get the recipe down, but now I’m looking forward to getting some proper lids and playing with some flavors.

    Thank you for figuring out the ratios and sharing them. 🙂 My grocery budget and I are in your debt.

  • Stal

    September 1, 2019 at 12:26 pm

    I just got a euro cuisine yogurt maker and all the instructions say to not use the plastic lids the glass jars came with. Does anybody know if I can use the plastic lids that came with the jar for this recipe? Thank you!

    1. Van

      September 2, 2019 at 3:33 am

      Hi Stal, you don’t have to use the lids with the Euro Cuisine. Hope you enjoy!

  • Mo

    September 1, 2019 at 8:22 pm

    Are there alternative instructions using a yogurt maker? I don’t have an instant pot. I tried reading through all the comments but there are a ton! Sorry if this is a duplicate question!

    1. Van

      September 2, 2019 at 3:31 am

      Hi Mo, it’s pretty much the same steps using a yogurt maker, you just set the time on the yogurt maker instead. Which model do you have?

      1. Mo

        September 3, 2019 at 2:38 pm

        I am going to purchase the yogurt maker you recommended under the materials section. So with that maker, on step 4, I would simply turn on the yogurt maker to “normal” for 9 hours? Thanks so much!

        1. Van

          September 4, 2019 at 4:52 pm

          Hi Mo, yes just set your yogurt maker for 9 hours. 😀

  • Cristina M.

    September 9, 2019 at 10:36 am

    I think I’ll be trying this today! I have a question about jar sizes, though… If I use both 5oz and 4oz OUI jars in the same batch, will it make a difference in the end result? I know nothing about yogurt making haha thanks in advance!

    1. Van

      September 12, 2019 at 9:23 pm

      Hi Cristina, it doesn’t matter what size jars you use – it will be the same 😀

      1. Lizzie

        September 16, 2019 at 11:11 pm

        Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, Van! I’ve really enjoyed my homemade yogurt these last few months, and I can’t thank you enough for that. I’ve altered the recipe slightly to make the process quicker and the yogurt thicker, and I’m hoping other people can benefit from my trial and error.

        I started off using Oui yogurts as starter, but the stores near me have stopped consistently carrying both the plain and vanilla flavors. Because of that, I tried using an heirloom yogurt starter with the same strains of bacteria instead. So far, the yogurt starter I purchased from https://bacillusbulgaricus.com/ has been the most reliable. The first batch made from the freeze dried starter took nearly 10 hours, but subsequent batches have taken about 8. Since the starter is an heirloom variety, I can keep using some yogurt from the old batch to start my new batch indefinitely as long as I keep the starter alive.

        Because of limited fridge space, I’ve reduced the amount of milk to 4 cups so that half a gallon can make exactly 2 batches. I don’t even notice the difference most of the time because the fruit I use takes up quite a bit of room.

        Lastly, to get the smooth, thicker consistency of Oui yogurts, I heat whole milk to 115 degrees and mix in 1/4 cup of powdered milk instead of using Fairlife milk to avoid having to intake lactase that I don’t need. I use ultra-pasteurized milk, so 115 is high enough to make sure the powdered milk gets mixed in well.

        I also like adding fruit/honey to the bottom of the jars. When I do that, I pour the plain, yogurt milk mixture (without sugar or flavoring) into one jar and label it as the starter for my next batch. Then I flavor the remaining mixture and add fruit to my heart’s content.

        I hope this info helps people in their yogurt making endeavors! Cheers!

  • Lara

    September 22, 2019 at 5:54 am

    Hi. I just posted last night. I had wondered if it was normal for there to be so much lose whey. After leaving in the fridge for 6 hours, the yogurt has settled and it looks perfect. Thank you for sharing this awesome recipe!

  • Nicole

    September 26, 2019 at 7:15 am

    Hi. I was hoping to copy The Oui Honey flavored yogurt, do you have a recipe for that? If not how could I modify this one to do so?

    1. Van

      September 28, 2019 at 2:46 pm

      Hi Nicole, you can replace the sugar with honey – just make sure it’s not raw honey. Hope you enjoy!

    2. Melissa Morton

      July 7, 2020 at 3:37 pm

      Nicole I had the same question because the honey is my absolute favorite! Did you ever make it and what was the adjustments if you did? TIA.

      Melissa

  • Kelly

    October 2, 2019 at 9:35 am

    Can I use raw honey or maple syrup in place of cane sugar?

    1. Van

      October 6, 2019 at 5:13 pm

      Hi Kelly, that would work too. Enjoy!

  • Patsy

    November 22, 2019 at 11:22 am

    Iv been making Greek yogurt which we enjoy.Every once in awhile I make French style but Iv never bought the Oui or any French style as my starter. Is it going to be quite different when I use Greek yogurt as my starter?

    1. Van

      November 23, 2019 at 3:47 am

      I think you’ll be fine using Greek yogurt as your starter. Different brands will create different results – the yogurt you make will have similar flavor / tartness level of your starter yogurt.

  • Leslie Todd

    December 27, 2019 at 12:45 am

    I can not buy oui yogurt where I live so can I use a different plain yogurt as the starter?

    1. Van

      January 11, 2020 at 7:32 am

      Hi Leslie, yes any plain yogurt with live cultures can be used as the starter.

  • Pauline

    March 28, 2020 at 11:05 pm

    Hi Van,
    I had a question, if I use ultra pasteurized fair life milk, do I still have to boil the milk and sugar before adding the oui mixture and vanilla extract to the milk? I have tried this recipe and love it but I just don’t want to wit for the milk to boil. Thanks!

    1. Van

      March 29, 2020 at 6:06 am

      Hi Pauline, if you use Fairlife, you don’t have to boil the milk. Just heat a small amount of milk with the sugar just to dissolve it. Enjoy!

      1. Pauline

        March 29, 2020 at 9:43 pm

        Thanks Van! So just to confirm the recipe measurements remain the same? I can’t wait to make it again. My SIL loves your recipe too! Thank you for sharing. 🙂

        1. Van

          March 30, 2020 at 7:53 am

          Hi Pauline, the measurements would still be the same. Enjoy!

  • Tiffany

    March 29, 2020 at 8:22 am

    Can I do this in an oven instead?

    1. Van

      March 30, 2020 at 7:54 am

      Hi Tiffany, do you have a bread proofing option (100-115F) on your oven? If you do then this would work in the oven.

  • Lucia

    April 16, 2020 at 2:25 pm

    I bought the duo instapot and the silicone lids and am very excited to make yogurt. Just need to know if water goes into the pot and how much? Also the tags on the lids state not to use in the pressure cooker. Are they ok to use in there because it’s on the yogurt setting? Thanks!

    1. Van

      April 28, 2020 at 11:29 am

      Hi Lucia, 1 Cup of water goes into the pot. The lids can go into the pot because the yogurt setting doesn’t pressurize. Enjoy!

  • Shirley

    June 14, 2020 at 6:47 am

    Using the cuisine yogurt maker, the first time I made yogurt it was perfect, exactly like Oui. Now it seems to have a lot of whey. Any ideas why?

    1. Van

      June 16, 2020 at 6:55 am

      Whey forming at the top of the jars is normal after they sit for a while, just pour it out and enjoy!

  • Emma

    June 26, 2020 at 3:40 pm

    If I make a batch using plain Oui, can I continue to use the copycat as a starter for the next batch, or do I need to continue to buy new Oui for each batch? I usually reuse homemade yogurt as a starter in past recipes, but wasnt sure if there was something special with Oui to keep the same texture and taste. I use organic whole milk as I don’t like how Fair ultra tastes.

    1. Van

      June 27, 2020 at 6:28 am

      Hi Emma, yes you can use your homemade yogurt as starter for the next batch. You can do it a few times before having to use a new starter, commercial yogurts don’t last indefinitely as starters like and heirloom culture would.

  • New to yogurt guy

    August 24, 2020 at 9:13 am

    Hey, I just gotta say you have been amazing at answering all of these questions. I’m really excited to try this tonight.

    So two questions from me:

    1. You use oui itself as the starter in this recipe. Do you have another culture source you would recommend?

    2. You mentioned that the homemade yogurt should last 10 -14 days refrigerated. Are there any additions i could add to this recipe that could extend the shelf life?

    Thank you for this recipe!

    1. Van

      August 24, 2020 at 9:36 am

      Hello! You can use Oui as the starter if you’re trying to get it close to the original, but you can use any plain yogurt with active cultures as your starter. There’s nothing that I know of that you can add to extend the shelf life, it’s best to make just enough so you can consume within 2 weeks. Good luck 🙂

  • Brittany K

    October 4, 2020 at 2:18 pm

    I’m super excited to try this, my favorite flavor is the honey. Have you tried to replicate that one, and if so any tips, good or bad. Thank you.

    1. Van

      October 4, 2020 at 2:53 pm

      Hi Brittany, you could replace the sugar in this recipe with a ¼ Cup of Honey – let me know how it turns out for you.

      1. Brittany

        October 26, 2020 at 1:56 pm

        OH MY GOD!!! I used the honey in place of the sugar. I did one extra table of spoon for good measure, and held at the 190 for 30 min. But it was 100% dead ringer. I used local milk and local honey… and is officially a staple in my fridge.

        1. Van

          October 26, 2020 at 4:54 pm

          Oh that’s awesome!!! It’s is so cool being able to make it yourself?? I’m sure it taste even better than Oui 🙂

  • Lisa

    October 6, 2020 at 7:16 am

    My attempt at the La Fermiere yogurt was bust, but this came out as a big success! Considering this recipe calls for heating all the liquid, where as La Fermiere did not, I’m going to guess that was where it went wrong for me (despite my half and half carton claiming it was ultra pasteurized).

    I made a couple of tweaks – I used half and half again instead of milk, and since we’re trying to keep our carbohydrates low, I used Allulose, a low-carb sweetener. It tastes almost exactly like the vanilla Oui (in fact, even better). But most importantly, it has that thick, silky mouthfeel I was gunning for. This will definitely be a keeper recipe for sure!

  • Carol

    November 12, 2020 at 5:29 pm

    I make this vanilla yogurt all the time. It’s absolutely a favorite! Recently I did a batch of pumpkin spice. I put 1/4 cup pumpkin purée and 1/8 t pumpkin pie spice. So good! I’m anxious to try the honey as previously mentioned and also this strawberry recipe. For the vanilla I don’t add water to the bottom of the Instapot but this recipe calls to do it. Is there a particular reason? Also, do you mean directly in the water or on a rack?

    1. Van

      November 12, 2020 at 8:30 pm

      Hi Carol, so cool that you created a Pumpkin Spice version – it sounds delicious! If all the jars fit in a single layer at the bottom of the pot, you don’t really need to add water. Water is needed if you stack the jars and you don’t need a trivet.

  • Beth

    November 18, 2020 at 9:56 am

    I just made this the other day for the 1st time. It was delicious!!!
    Can I mix glass jars and the terra cotta jars from La Fermiere? Also just to recap, if I double the recipe and stack the jars I need to add 1 cup of water to the bottom but the timing stays the same? Oh and about how long will one batch stay fresh in the refrigerator? Thanks!

    1. Van

      November 20, 2020 at 11:52 am

      Hi Beth, yes you can mix glass and terra cotta jars. You only need to add water to the pot if you stack two layers of jars, and homemade yogurt typically stays good for 10-14 days. So glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂

      1. Beth

        December 10, 2020 at 3:27 pm

        Hi Van,
        I have a few questions regarding lids.
        1) The lids you recommend, can they be used ON the OUI jars while I’m making the yogurt in the Instant Pot?
        2) The lids you can buy from OUI, can they be used while making yogurt?
        Thanks for answering my other questions.

        1. Van

          December 10, 2020 at 4:38 pm

          Hi Beth, yes you can use them on the Oui jars while your making the yogurt in the Instant Pot, the ones you can buy from Qui can be used as well, the Instant Pot is only warmed to about 115F and the lids don’t touch the yogurt.

  • Christy W

    February 3, 2021 at 7:27 am

    Can’t wait to try the recipe, how soon should these be consumed? Rough estimate on expiration date?

    Thanks so much!

    1. Van

      February 3, 2021 at 8:25 am

      Hi Christy, homemade yogurt is usually good for 10-14 days in the fridge. Hope you enjoy!

  • Lynette

    February 26, 2021 at 9:25 am

    Hi there, I recently found your recipe and I love it. Thank you so much!! I have made it twice now and it has turned out wonderfully. I made a single batch the first time and a double batch the second time. My Instant Pot holds 14 Oui jars. I have found that I end up with quite a bit left over. I am wondering how I could adjust the recipe to more exactly make 7 or 14 jars. I hate to waste the wonderful stuff! I have measured, and each jar holds approximately 2/3 cup. Multiply that by seven jars and it comes to 4 2/3 cup. Could I just reduce the amount of milk to 4 1/4 or 4 1/3? Or would that ruin the recipe? Thanks!

    1. Van

      February 26, 2021 at 6:51 pm

      Hi Lynette, yes you can reduce the amount of milk, you might want to reduce the sugar a little as well.

  • Anika Reeder

    April 16, 2021 at 9:16 am

    Hi, Thank you for this recipe! My daughter is a picky eater but loves vanilla Oui and can go through those little pots so quickly. I made this last night and can’t wait to try it in a few hours. I stirred the milk the whole time and just got to wondering if that’s necessary since it’s not written in the instructions. I don’t want to create more work than needed.

    1. Van

      April 16, 2021 at 10:55 am

      Hi Anika, you don’t need to stir the entire time. Just be sure to remove any film that builds up on the milk to avoid a grainy texture.

  • Rachel

    April 17, 2021 at 6:09 am

    I have saver all my Oui jars and didn’t know what to do with them… now I do! BTW, if you blow dry the labels on jars until the glue melts, a lot of them have stickers that will peel right off without leaving any residue.

    1. Van

      April 17, 2021 at 7:39 am

      Thanks for the great tip with the labels!

  • Lauren Elliott

    July 29, 2021 at 11:11 am

    Thanks for this delicious recipe! I have made it many times over the last year. I double the recipe and make 16 jars at a time for my family of four. I love sharing jars with my friends and coworkers. People rave about the yogurt and request that I make it often. I personally like the consistency better after doubling the amount of starter yogurt and increasing the vanilla, too.
    I’ve also made it with homemade lemon curd on the bottom—delicious!!

  • Lilly

    July 29, 2021 at 11:53 am

    Hi! I love your Oui copycat recipe !! It’s exactly what I’ve been looking for. I don’t really know much about yogurt but I was wondering if I would replace the vanilla extract with maple syrup to change the flavor? Or would I have to change the amounts/do something else differently ?

    1. Van

      July 30, 2021 at 5:42 pm

      Hi Lilly, if you want it maple flavored, replace the granulated sugar with maple syrup instead and you can omit the vanilla.

  • Susan

    August 2, 2021 at 8:57 am

    Yum! I’ve tried yogurt one time before and it was a flop, but I was finally successful with this recipe. I used to limit my Oui yogurt purchases because they’re so expensive, but it was always my favorite… now I can have all I want! I like very mild yogurt and only cultured mine for 8 hours, until it was set but not very tart. Can I still use my homemade yogurt as the starter for the next batch, or should I get a new container of Oui every time? Thank you!

    1. Van

      August 6, 2021 at 5:25 pm

      Hi Susan, it’s awesome to hear the recipe work out well for you. You can save your homemade yogurt to make the next batch, you can do this about 3 times before having to use a new starters again. Commercial yogurt cultures don’t work forever like the heirloom cultures.

  • Regina

    October 11, 2021 at 7:20 pm

    On your other French yogurt recipes you say 2Tbs starter but with the Oui ones, it’s just 2tsp. What is the reason for that? I made this last week and it took well over 9 hrs to set- more like 15! Even then it wasn’t as thick as Oui’s. So I’m wondering if I should use more starter. Thoughts?

    1. Van

      October 12, 2021 at 7:16 am

      Hi Regina, this recipe makes a small quantity so you only need 2 Teaspoons. Depending on the recipe, more yogurt is used to create a tarter flavor, not because it actually needs that much starter yogurt to culture. Did you only do one layer of jars? Did you follow the instructions exactly as stated, especially with holding the temperature at 190°F for 10 minutes, this reduces the milk which creates a thicker texture, if you skip this step the texture will not turn out like Oui’s

  • Lori

    October 31, 2021 at 7:14 am

    I have been making this the past few weeks. A couple of things I have found to get the consistency I like. I do 4 cups of ultrapasturized milk, 3/4 cup ultra pasteurized 1/2 & 1/2, 1/3 cup powdered milk, 1 can sweetened condensed milk ( this way I don’t have to heat it) 1 1/2 TBSP starter yogurt, 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract. I use the whisk on my immersion blender. Let the foam settle. Put in a pitcher and pour into the jars. I weigh it to about 5.5 oz. Cover put in instant pot with yogurt setting. I get 9 – 10 jars. So I add water and stack. This has worked well for me.

  • Beth

    November 3, 2021 at 8:27 am

    Hi Van,

    If I’m replacing the sugar with Maple syrup, when do I add it? When you would the sugar or when I would add the vanilla? Thanks so much!

    1. Van

      November 3, 2021 at 8:29 am

      Hi Beth, just follow the exact same instructions on the recipe, and put in the maple when it lists to put sugar in.

  • eric

    December 5, 2021 at 9:08 pm

    what is normal temperature? 106? 108?

    1. Van

      December 5, 2021 at 9:10 pm

      It’s around 115F

  • Katy

    January 6, 2022 at 12:23 am

    I also love Oui yogurt. I believe it’s yoplait’s custard style but just repackaged with a makeover. The custard style was my very favorite but I haven’t seen it in stores for about 10 years, so I’m thrilled that it’s back!! Is there any way to make this recipe keto diet friendly? Thank you in advance.

    1. Van

      January 6, 2022 at 8:27 am

      Hi Katy, to make it keto, replace milk with heavy cream and replace sugar with Lakanto monkfruit sweetener. I would also incubate for 12 hours instead of 9.

  • Allison

    February 2, 2022 at 9:23 am

    My sister and I are excited to try this, but I really like the dairy free version of the Oui yogurt. Are you able to use a non-dairy milk instead, like almond, oat, coconut, etc. instead of the whole milk?

    1. Van

      February 2, 2022 at 10:28 am

      Hello, sorry this recipe won’t work with non-dairy milk, if you use almond, oat or coconut milk, it will stay liquid. You can check out my Dairy-Free Coconut Yogurt Recipe, it used agar agar or gelatin as the thickener

  • LauraK

    February 25, 2022 at 8:16 am

    I bought the blossom lids but now can’t fit 7 jars on the bottom with the lids on. I can barely fit 6 actually. Is there something I am missing?

    1. Van

      February 25, 2022 at 9:02 am

      Hi Laura, you can stack the jars on top of each other. Just add 1 Cup of water to the pot.

  • Mary

    March 1, 2022 at 11:53 am

    I just wanted you to know I tried this recipe and it is so very good. Thank you!!
    Mary

    1. Van

      March 1, 2022 at 7:26 pm

      Glad to hear that Mary!

  • Robert

    September 12, 2022 at 12:00 pm

    I love this recipe! I’ve been adding a cup of heavy cream into the recipe to get it thicker. I’m also using whole fairlife as the milk. I’m not cooking/warming anything – just adding the ingredients together and pouring into the jars. It’s almost perfect, but the problems that I seem to be having are a) a hard film forms on top of each jar while cooking/cooling – any way to avoid that happening? Second issue is that I seem to be getting water/liquid at the almost bottom of the jars. Would warming up/cooking the milk help with either of those issues? Thanks!!

  • Michelle

    January 21, 2023 at 9:58 pm

    Hi there – I was going to make this tonight, and did all the stovetop/cooling steps, into the pot, pressed the yogurt button and the only option on my instant pot seems that it goes through the 3-step process. I’ve never made yogurt before, but I assume this is different from what you refer to as the “normal” yogurt setting. I cannot seem to set mine to that. I have the Duo Crisp w/ Ultimate Lid. Any suggestions? Thank you!

    1. Van

      January 22, 2023 at 1:40 am

      Hi! I believe your model has a sous vide option where you can set the time & temp. You can set it for 113°F which will be equivalent to the normal yogurt setting

  • Dave

    February 20, 2023 at 9:39 am

    I loved making this in my crockpot express IP yesterday. I made a half batch and used metric equivalents which yielded 4 perfect Oui jars (two had a tablespoon of peach preserves in the bottom). I also increased the cream quantity which gave these a thick creamy body and a noticeable cream top – similar to Brown Cow yogurts.

    Half batch:

    350 ml whole milk
    100 ml half and half
    100 ml heavy cream

    36.5g sugar

    1/2 tsp vanilla
    1 tsp vanilla yog
    Added 1T preserves to the bottom of the cups

    Makes 4 little jars

  • Viki

    March 5, 2023 at 5:45 pm

    First: You are a yogurt rockstar goddess and your name is forever blessed in my house. This is the. Best. Yogurt. Ever. You should win awards.

    Second; I had more mix than would fit into my IP tonight. It’s in the refrigerator now. Can I process it tomorrow when batch 1 is done? Please say yes…

    Third: You are the very definition of awesome. That is all.

    1. Van

      March 5, 2023 at 7:03 pm

      Glad to hear that Viki!! Yogurt making is like magic!! and yes, you can just incubate the rest the next day

  • Tiffany Wilson

    July 8, 2023 at 2:24 pm

    Hey there! I’m so glad I stumbled across your recipe! I saw in previous comments that you could substitute the sugar for some honey, but how much would you need to use? I love the vanilla Oui, but I love the honey one even more! I want to make one that tastes similar if possible. This may be a silly question, but when I place the jars in the instant pot do I use the pot that came with it or do I just set it right on the plate at the bottom? Thank you so much for sharing your awesome recipes!

    1. Van

      August 29, 2023 at 9:18 am

      You can try using 1/4 cup honey instead of the sugar. you always use the pot that came with the IP for any recipe, then stack the jars inside the pot

  • Paul

    July 19, 2023 at 8:36 pm

    First of all thanks for the recipe! I love it. My first batch did come out a little looser than the original Oui. I was wondering can I add in some protein powder to help with the thickening process? Thanks!

    1. Van

      August 29, 2023 at 9:12 am

      Hi Paul, you can add milk powder or simply simmer the mil a little longer. Another easy option is using a high protein milk, the first one that comes to mind is Fairlife

  • Cynthia Mitchell

    November 17, 2023 at 12:17 pm

    I made this recipe but I did not have a yogurt maker. I put them in the oven, cover them with a towel and left the light on. I also preheated the oven to 100°. I left them in there until morning which was much longer than 6 hours. It was thickened but not thick like the Oui yogurt. Because I did not have a yogurt maker should I have left them longer in the oven? What did I do that would prevent it from thickening? I used whole milk and a whole jar of Oui yogurt.

    1. Van

      November 17, 2023 at 12:58 pm

      I’m guessing it didn’t thicken because the temp was not hot enough. To make yogurt, it needs to be at a consistent temp of around 115F & an oven light isn’t going to be hot enough to do that

      1. Cynthia Mitchell

        November 20, 2023 at 2:05 am

        Oh, okay… Thank you. I had read that others have made yogurt in the oven this way. Maybe this particular kind needs the yogurt maker. Anyway, it did thicken enough to hold it’s shape but not thick like Oui Yogurt. It still had that yummy taste. I definitely want to make this with a yogurt maker next time so I’m going to shop for one. Thanks so much!

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