Easy Slow Cooker Greek Yogurt
Homemade slow cooker greek yogurt is easy to make, delicous and also budget-friendly! This recipe takes minimal hands on time and shares how to use your crockpot.
Equipment
- crock pot
- colander
- spoon or whisk
- large bowl
- cheesecloth or tea towel
- Instant read thermometer
Ingredients
- ½ gallon milk whole
- ½ cup greek yogurt plain, whole milk, room temperature
Instructions
- In a 2.5 quart slow cooker or larger, pour a half gallon of milk (organic, raw milk is my preferred). Turn your slow cooker on high. After approximately 2-3 hours the milk temperature should be at 180° F.
- Turn the crock pot off and let cool until the milk temperature reaches 110° F, which takes about 2 hours.
- Once the milk has reached the desired temperature, add the half cup of room temperature greek yogurt to the slow cooker. Gently stir or wisk the yogurt in until well combined.
- Put the lid back on the slow cooker and wrap it in a bath towel. Let the crock pot sit, wrapped, over night or about 12 hours.
- The next morning or after the 12 hours, strain the whey off the yogurt. Dump or scoop the yogurt into a tea towel or cheesecloth lined strainer that is over a large bowl or pot. Strain the yogurt in the frig for several hours until you get the desired consistency. 4 hours seems to be ideal for me.
- Spoon out the yogurt that is in the tea towel or cheesecloth into a storage container.
- Store the yogurt in a well sealed container such as a mason jar or glass storage container. The yogurt will last 7-10 days refrigerated (unless eaten before!).
Notes
I like to use organic raw milk, however you can use store bought milk.
Even though this recipe is pretty hands off, it is still a good idea to be home for the warming and cooling stages. Letting the temperature get too high or too low for these steps can make the yogurt not turn out properly.
Save the whey for smoothies and baking!
If making a double batch with a full gallon, the timing of each step should still be the same. Make sure to add 1 cup yogurt to a full gallon.