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    Oh My Veggies » Vegetarian Recipes » Dessert Recipes

    How to make homemade natural yoghurt in 3 easy steps

    Published: Feb 4, 2013 · by Nicole · Updated: Aug 22, 2023 · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    How to make homemade natural yoghurt

    Yoghurt or yogurt, however you spell it, it's delicious, and I've become a little obsessed with yoghurt recently and have started making my own homemade natural yoghurt.

    Does making your own homemade natural yoghurt sound complicated? Well, surprisingly, it's really quite simple. So simple in fact you'll be surprised.

    And no, you don't need to run out and buy a yoghurt maker to start making your own. All you need are a few pieces of equipment that you perhaps already own. A thermometer (digital is best, but the old fashioned kind will work too), a saucepan and a thermos. That's it!

    You will also need to buy a tub of yoghurt, as we'll be using the live cultures from that yoghurt to make your very own batch of homemade natural yoghurt. Just make sure it's not a flavoured yoghurt and check the label for the words "live cultures". The live cultures are what you will be using to culture milk to make your own natural yoghurt. After you've made your first batch of yoghurt you can use the previous batch to make a new batch and so on for a never ending supply of delicious homemade natural yoghurt.

    The first time I made my own homemade natural yoghurt I left the yoghurt in the thermos for 12 hours, as I forgot to set a timer, and got distracted. The resulting yoghurt had quite a tart taste. The next few batches I made I left for 6 hours and the yoghurt had a much subtler taste, with a very slight tartness to it.

    Over the last few weeks I've been making batch after batch of homemade natural yoghurt, and well, this method is pretty much foolproof. While the recipe below uses full cream milk, I've also made batches with skim milk too, and they've been just as successful. As you would expect though, the skim milk yoghurt isn't quite as thick and creamy as yoghurt using full cream milk.

    After you've made your own homemade natural yoghurt you can then sweeten it with honey, add vanilla seeds or even add a fruit compote. It's infinitely flexible. And if you prefer a thicker, Greek style yoghurt, simply strain through muslin or a tea towel for a couple of hours or until you reach the thickness you want.

    So, if you love natural yoghurt, give homemade yoghurt a go. It's easy and extremely economical too.

    Have you tried making your own yoghurt or Greek yoghurt? Leave a comment below to tell me how it went or share your tips for your perfect yoghurt.

    How to make homemade natural yoghurt

    Recipe

    Homemade Natural Yoghurt

    Does making your own homemade natural yoghurt sound complicated? Well, surprisingly, it’s really quite simple. So simple in fact you’ll be surprised.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Email Recipe
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Course: Breakfast
    Cuisine: Breakfast
    Keyword: Delicious Everyday, How to make homemade natural yoghurt
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 108kcal
    Author: Oh My Veggies

    Ingredients

    • 1 cups litre of full cream milk 4, whole
    • 50 g of powdered milk 1.5 oz
    • 3 tbs of yoghurt containing live cultures
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Fill the sink with cold water and place a couple of ice packs in the water.
    • Place the milk and milk powder in a saucepan and stir to combine over a medium heat. Place the thermometer into the saucepan and stir occasionally while you bring the milk up to 90 degrees celsius (194 Fahrenheit) and hold at this temperature for 5 minutes.
    • Remove the saucepan from the heat and place in the sink and stir as you bring the temperature down to 46 degrees celsius (115 Fahrenheit). Remove the saucepan from the water and use a whisk in the yoghurt until combined. Pour into a thermos and seal and leave for 6 hours. Decant the yoghurt into jars or sealed containers and refrigerate.

    Notes

    If you notice your yoghurt is a little lumpy as you decant it from the thermos simply whisk for a creamier texture.
    Yoghurt can also be made with skim milk, although the consistency is slightly thinner.
    For a thicker yoghurt strain through muslin for 2 hours.
    For a stronger tasting yoghurt leave for 12 hours before decanting.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 108kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 5gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 79mgPotassium: 270mgSugar: 8gVitamin A: 230IUVitamin C: 1.1mgCalcium: 201mgIron: 0.1mg
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Laura (Tutti Dolci) says

      November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

      Your yoghurt looks so creamy and delicious, and those raspberries are the perfect topping!

      Reply
    2. Rosa says

      November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

      Delicious! Making your own yogurt must be fun.Cheers,Rosa

      Reply
    3. Miss Piggy says

      November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

      I make my own yoghurt too - it's so simple. I like the idea of putting it in to a thermos, I've been using a container wrapped in a blanket.

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

        It's fantastic isn't it 😀 I don't think I'll ever go back to buying yoghurt.

        Reply
    4. Mariette says

      November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

      I make drinking yoghurt for my children! I'll share my recipe:500g powdered milk1,5 liter cold water2 liter boiling water175 ml plain yoghurt containing live cultures2 packets flavoured jelly (jello) powder, any flavour your children likeMix the powdered milk with the cold water in a 5 liter bucket (with a tight fitting lid)Add the boiling water and jogurt and mix well. Seal with the lid.Place the container in a cooler bag (or wrap it in a blanket) and leave overnight.The next day: Mix the jelly powder with 2 cups of boiling water and add to the yoghurt mixture.If you would like it sweeter, add a cup of sugar to the mixture. You can also add fruit compote if you like.Place in the refridgerator until completely cold and the drinking yoghurt is ready to enjoy.The yoghurt will thicken the longer it stands, so you will end up with propper flavoured yoghurt in the end.

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

        Sounds fantastic Mariette. Thanks for sharing 😀

        Reply
    5. Sneh | Cook Republic says

      November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

      Making yoghurt from scratch was one of the first few things my mum taught me in the kitchen when I was about 10. It was magical! I recently got a double-walled, lidded yoghurt bowl from Aldi's .. perfect for setting yoghurt! Yours looks so creamy and luscious 🙂

      Reply
    6. thelittleloaf says

      November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

      I eat a lot of yoghurt but have never made my own - this looks really lovely and something I definitely need to try!

      Reply
    7. Claire @ Claire K Creations says

      November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

      That does sound very easy Jen! My only concern is cleaning the thermos out. Is it easy? It sure looks good and so thick and creamy.

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

        Hi Claire, I clean the thermos with boiling water and it cleans up beautifully. I also use a food thermos, which has a wider top, but you could use a regular thermos too. You can find food thermos in most stores, but I picked mine up at Harris Scarfe for around $30.

        Reply
    8. Lizzy (Good Things) says

      November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

      4 stars
      Interesting Jennifer, I haven't made my own yoghurt before, but you make it look so simple I might just try it! : )

      Reply
    9. Jen @ Savory Simple says

      November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

      I have always wanted to try this!

      Reply
    10. Kathryn says

      November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

      Using a thermos is a great idea - can't wait to try this!

      Reply
    11. The Life of Clare says

      November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

      Thank you so much! I've recently decided that I really want to start making my own foods and yoghurt was one of them! I'm definitely going to give this a try ASAP!

      Reply
    12. Emily says

      November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

      I've always wanted to make my own yogurt...thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
    13. Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen says

      November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

      I do make my own yogurt and can't believe I didn't start sooner it's so easy!

      Reply
    14. Roxana | Roxana's Home Baking says

      November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

      5 stars
      Homemade yogurt is the best. I've tried a couple of recipes, can't wait to try your version, looks so creamy, mmm

      Reply
    15. Cookin Canuck says

      November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

      We positively devour yogurt in my house, but I have never tried my hand at making it. Great tutorial!

      Reply
    16. Kiran @ KiranTarun.com says

      November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

      Love this post! My mom and I have always make our own yogurt without all of those fancy machines. I have a post already in the works to share my recipe! Mmmmm 🙂

      Reply
    17. Rachel Walker says

      November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

      My granny used to make yoghurt. Then for a generation I think everyone got excited about convenience stores - now homemade yoghurt seems to be coming back in fashion again, at least it is here in the UK. Stumbling across this recipe has spurred me into finally giving it a go!

      Reply
    18. Jess says

      November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

      5 stars
      I’ve made this twice this week now and it’s worked both times! I didn’t add the milk powder and it’s still a good consistency. I will never go back to regularly buying yogurt from the store!

      Reply
      • Nicole says

        November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

        I'm so glad to hear that - thanks for letting me know!

        Reply
    19. Sm says

      November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

      I'm very excited to give this a go. How long should it last once made?

      Reply
      • Nicole says

        November 30, -0001 at 12:00 am

        I suggest using it within about a week. It's likely okay for longer than that, but I don't like to take any chances!

        Reply

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    Nicole is a life long vegetarian and the author of the popular vegan cookbook, Weeknight One Pot Vegan Cooking. She loves sharing her recipes and showing the world just how easy and delicious meatless meals can be!
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