Homemade Crockpot Yogurt Recipe

Delicious Homemade Crockpot Yogurt is a great way to enjoy your favorite breakfast without spending a lot of money. You can easily make a huge batch of yogurt with four simple ingredients.

I realize you can run to your local grocery store and pick up yogurt, BUT making your own tastes even better and richer.

I’m super excited to share my version of homemade yogurt with you.

👩‍🍳 Why This Recipe Works

Cheap – You can make this by only spending a few dollars and will end up with four servings.

Delicious – The reason why I enjoy making my own yogurt is that it tastes a lot better than commercially prepared varieties. Try it, and you’ll see.

Customizable – Easily add in all your favorites before serving. Chocolate chips, fruit, or a little maple syrup are all tasty options.

🥛 Ingredients

If you’ve never made this at home before, you’re in for a real treat. We’ve already talked about the fact that it saves you money, but it also tastes fantastic. Let’s talk about the main ingredients you’re going to need to make your own.

Milk: Your choice in milk determines how silky smooth the end product tastes. It will turn out extra creamy if you use full-fat milk.

Sugar: You don’t need a ton of sugar, just a little bit to sweeten it up. Use your favorite sugar substitute or even honey.

Yogurt: To properly make yogurt, you do need to have at least an 8 oz yogurt starter. Any brand or variety of yogurt that you like will work perfectly for this.

Vanilla: A teaspoon of vanilla extract will make this yogurt extra yummy!

💰 Cost Breakdown: 

½ Gallon of Whole Milk: $1.95
Yogurt Starter (a small container of store brand yogurt): $0.59
Sugar: $0.12
Vanilla: $0.06
Total First-time Cost: $2.72 for 48 ounces of yogurt.

Notes:

• The total cost goes down to $2.13 after the first time since I can use the homemade yogurt as the yogurt starter.
• Your cost may be lower. A gallon of milk costs about $4 in my area – so ½ gallon is a little under $2.

🥛 Instructions

Step One: Pour the milk into the slow cooker, turn it on low, add the lid and let it heat for two hours.

Step Two: After the two hours is over, turn turn the crock pot off and unplug it. Leave the lid on and it let cool for two hours. 

Step Three: Pour the yogurt starter in small bowl. Stir in vanilla extract and sweetener of choice. Ladle ½ cup of warm milk into the bowl. Stir gently until combined. 

Step Four: Pour this mixture into the crockpot and combine using a gentle back and forth motion with the spoon or spatula to incorporate it into the milk. Replace the lid. Leave the crockpot turned off and wrap it with a towel to insulate it more. Let it sit for 12 to 18 hours. This will give the bacteria in the starter a chance to work. 

Step Three: Line a colander with coffee filters and place it over large bowl to catch the whey that will drain from the yogurt. Pour yogurt from the slow cooker into the colander, and transfer colander and bowl to the fridge for six hours. The yogurt with thicken as the whey drains. 

Step Four: Remove this from the refrigerator and scoop into small sealable containers and serve!

📌 Expert Tips

• Allow the yogurt to drain for at least 12-18 hours. If you rush it, the consistency just won’t be what you expected.
• Using whole milk gives the yogurt a creamier texture. Plus, it will be thicker and have a higher fat content.
• As the yogurt cools in the fridge, you will notice it begins to thicken. This is what is supposed to happen, so don’t be alarmed.
• Reader tip: Add a pack of unflavored gelatin for a much thicker consistency
• Reader tip: Add ½ cup of dried milk to the starter mix for a thicker yogurt
• If you’d like to, save the whey for other purposes, like adding into homemade smoothie packs!
• Save ½ cup of prepared yogurt to use as the starter in your next batch.
• Use the yogurt to serve as a base for a dressing, dip or a marinade. Leave out the sweeteners and vanilla. This allows you to get double the use out of your batch! However, you will have to sweeten to taste when serving.
• If the yogurt doesn’t thicken enough, allow it to drain longer. The more whey that is removed, the thicker the consistency will be.

Recipe FAQs

Related Recipes

Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also stay in touch with me through social media by following me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook!