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A jar of homemade yogurt.
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5 from 24 votes

Homemade Yogurt - 2 ingredients

Making yogurt at home requires only two ingredients. And, while store-bought yogurt may be convenient, you can't beat the rich, creamy, and wholesome goodness of homemade yogurt. Use it with granola, parfaits, and other favorite recipes.
Course Breakfast
Cuisine Indian, International
Keyword basic, basic recipe, breakfast, DIY, yogurt, Yogurt parfait
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 2 minutes
6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 7 minutes
Servings 4 cups
Calories 159kcal
Author Veena Azmanov
Cost $5

Equipment

Ingredients

Make 4 cups

    For the yogurt

    • 4 cups Whole milk
    • ¼ cup Plain bioactive yogurt

    Low-fat yogurt

    • 1 cup low-fat milk
    • ½ cup plain bioactive yogurt

    Fruit Yogurt

    • 4 cups homemade yogurt
    • 1 cup Fruit puree

    Homemade Yogurt without yogurt starter

    • 2 cups Whole milk
    • ¼ tsp Citric Acid
    Metric - US customary

    Instructions

    Homemade Yogurt

    • Place milk (and cream) in a saucepan and heat on medium until almost comes to a boil.
    • Turn the heat off and let cool to room temperature (115 F).
      Tip - You do not need a thermometer. The milk should be warm like when feeding a baby or when making bread.
    • Pour the milk in a glass jar or stainless steel bowl - never use aluminum.
      Tip - Never use aluminum for marination or when using yeast as it causes oxidation.
    • Add the yogurt to the milk and combine well with a whisk.
      Tip - I like to take half a cup of milk in a bowl and add the yogurt. Use a whisk to ensure there are no lumps. Then add this to the rest of the milk.
    • Cover the milk jar with a clean kitchen cloth or paper hand towel and store in a warm place untouched for 4 to 6 hours.
      Tip - Do not put the lid on tightly. The yeast in the milk needs to breathe.
    • After 4 to 6 hours,  the yogurt should have set. Place it in the fridge and let chill for a couple of hours.

    Homemade yogurt without yogurt starter

    • Place milk (and cream) in a saucepan and heat on medium until almost comes to a boil.
    • Turn the heat off and let cool to room temperature (115 F).
      Tip - You do not need a thermometer. The milk should be warm like when feeding a baby or when making bread.
    • Pour the milk in a glass jar or stainless steel bowl - never use aluminum.
      Tip - Never use aluminum for marination or when using yeast as it causes oxidation.
    • Add the citric acid to the milk and combine well with a whisk.
      Tip - I like to take half a cup of milk in a bowl and add the citric acid. Use a whisk to ensure there are no lumps. Then add this to the rest of the milk.
    • Cover the milk jar with a clean kitchen cloth or paper hand towel and store in a warm place untouched for 4 to 6 hours.
      Tip - Do not put the lid on tightly. The yeast in the milk needs to breathe.
    • After 4 to 6 hours,  the yogurt should have set. Place it in the fridge and let chill for a couple of hours.

    Notes

    Tips for making homemade yogurt

    • Yogurt formation depends on the weather and climate conditions.
    • In summer yogurt can be ready in as little as 4 hours while it winters it can take as long as 6 to 8 hours at room temperature.
    • Fresh yogurt has a milky taste as it continues to mature it will start to get sour. 
    •  When yogurt is ready, it's best to let it set in the fridge for a couple of hours more to let the bacteria mature. It will also taste less milky and more like yogurt.
      After 3 to 4 hours in the fridge, you will see that the yogurt has a nice creamy and slightly sour texture.
    • The prepared yogurt now has an active live culture and can be used to make more yogurt. So essentially, you now have yogurt to make more yogurt.

    How to flavor homemade yogurt?

    • Honey yogurt - One tablespoon honey per one cup yogurt
    • Honey vanilla - one tbsp honey, 1 tsp vanilla per one cup yogurt
    • Maple Yogurt - One tablespoon maple syrup per one cup yogurt.
    • Date yogurt with Silan - One tablespoon silane or date honey per one cup yogurt
    • Mango yogurt - 2 tbsp mashed mango flesh per cup yogurt - add 1 tsp honey if you want it sweeter.
    • Banana Yogurt - ½ mashed banana flesh per cup yogurt - add 1 tsp honey if you want it sweeter.

    Fruit yogurt with jam is a perfect mid-day snack.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 159kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 112mg | Potassium: 347mg | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 405IU | Calcium: 296mg | Iron: 0.1mg