The simple guide on how to make healthy homemade Greek yogurt (with just two simple ingredients)!
How to make Greek yogurt video
What is Yogurt?
Well milk is made up of casein and whey. Casein is what curdles and is used to make cheese and yogurt, while whey is the watery substance left when the milk curdles.
So what is Greek yogurt? Greek yogurt is essentially the same as regular yogurt with the addition of one critical step – straining! At the very end, the yogurt is strained to remove the excess watery whey, creating a thicker, more protein-dense product. So while we call this variation of yogurt “Greek yogurt” in the U.S., you may see it called “strained yogurt” in other areas of the world.
Homemade Yogurt Ingredients
Yogurt is a fermentation (just like kefir, kombucha, and kimchi), meaning it’s created by adding some bacteria (yogurt) to a sugar-containing substance (milk) and letting the bacteria eat up the sugar. So to make yogurt at home, you’ll just need 2 ingredients:
- Yogurt: Make sure to use a good quality yogurt that has “live” or “active” cultures.
- Milk: Whole fat milk produces the best texture for homemade yogurt.
The result of fermentation is always acid, gas, or alcohol. Fermentation of milk gives us acid, making for the distinctively tart flavor of yogurt!
How to make Greek Yogurt
Step 1: Heat Milk
Heat milk to 185 degrees F (85 degrees C). This is important for creating a thick, nicely textured yogurt.
Step 2: Cool Milk
Cool milk back down to lukewarm (about 110 degrees F, 43 degrees C), then add 1/2 cup of the warm milk into the yogurt. (Ensuring the milk is cooled down will prevent you from killing the live cultures in the yogurt.) Whisk the yogurt and milk together, then add the rest of the milk and mix well.
Step 3: Let Sit
Place your mixture somewhere warm and let sit for 4 to 8 hours, or until yogurt is thick and tangy. My favorite method for making yogurt is to wrap the jar in a warm, moist towel, then setting it in the oven with the oven light on. The light will provide enough heat to ferment the yogurt!
After sitting in a warm environment for a few hours, your yogurt is ready to eat! If you want to turn this plain yogurt into Greek yogurt, we’ll take it one step further and strain it.
Step 4: Strain
Set a mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth (or strong paper towels) over a large bowl. Pour in yogurt and place in the fridge. Check every few hours until yogurt reaches your desired thickness.
The liquid that is drained out of the yogurt is whey! This is a great protein and works well in smoothies and soups.
Transfer your freshly made Greek yogurt to an airtight container when it has reached your desired thickness level!
Best Sauce…Ever?
Use your freshly made Greek yogurt to make this easy Spinach Artichoke Dip, Healthy French Onion Dip, or Fruit & Yogurt Popsicles!
But my FAVORITE way to use Greek yogurt? In this quick and easy tzatziki sauce! Tzatziki is refreshing and creamy, and the perfect way to use your homemade Greek yogurt.
Ingredients
- 4 cups whole milk 960 mL
- ¼ cup plain store bought yogurt ensure the container says “live” or “active” cultures, 60 g
Instructions
- Heat Milk: Place milk in a medium pot and heat to 185-200°F (85-93°C), stirring frequently to preventing a skin from forming.
- Cool Bath: Transfer the pot with milk to an ice bath (I filled my sink with ice and water), to cool milk to 100-110°F (37-43°C).
- Temper: Pour ½ cup of the warm milk into a separate clean jar or bowl. Mix in plain yogurt, stirring until yogurt is well blended. Add remaining milk and mix well.
- Let Sit: Cover jar or bowl with a lid, wrap in a moist, warm towel to keep in heat, and place in oven. Turn on oven light to keep warm, and let the bacteria do its yogurt making magic for 4 to 8 hours (or overnight).*
- Strain: You can eat the yogurt like this, or strain it to make Greek yogurt. To strain, line a mesh sieve with cheesecloth (or paper towels, coffee filters etc), and pour yogurt in. Place over a large bowl and let strain in the fridge for a few hours (or overnight), until it’s reach a consistency you like.
Tips & Tricks
- *The oven light should be sufficient for keeping the milk warm enough for fermentation. You can also turn the oven on for 1 minute (just enough to warm things up an insy bit) every so often. We’re aiming to keep the milk/yogurt at about 100 degrees F (37 C) throughout the whole process.
- Store in a clean, airtight container.
Nutrition Information
Be sure to try our other fermentation projects, like kimchi, kefir, tepache, sauerkraut, and kombucha!
Greek Yogurt FAQs
Is Greek yogurt healthy? Yes! Greek yogurt is more protein-packed than regular yogurt because we skim out excess moisture.
Can you make Greek yogurt with skim milk? It’s best to use milk with some fat in it to give your homemade yogurt a nice texture. I’d recommend doing a blend of skim and 2% if you are going to try for a low fat homemade yogurt.
How do you make non-dairy Greek yogurt? Making non-dairy yogurt at home is another ball game and requires a different way to introduce live bacteria (in the form of probiotic supplements!) This recipe from Minimalist Baker is great for the non-dairy yogurt seekers.
Is it cheaper to make your own Greek yogurt? Yes! According to Project Meal Plan, homemade Greek yogurt is almost 15 cents cheaper per ounce than store bought.
How did yogurt originate? Yogurt came to be right around the time when humans started drinking animal milk, which was just about the time when we learned to domesticate animals, so 8000 years ago. Back then, milk was stored in (brace yourself) animal stomachs. The natural enzymes and bacteria in the stomach would cause the milk to curdle and ferment, producing yogurt and cheese! Yogurt has made it’s way into most nooks and crannies of the world, but it didn’t become popular in the U.S. until the 1950s and 60s, when health foods began to gain some traction.
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Lori says
Can’t wait to try it! How can I make vanilla and other fruit yogurts?
Sarah Bond says
You would just add those after your yogurt is finished! Start with a small amount of vanilla extract and work up. For fruits, you can puree fresh fruit and stir them in 😀
Cheryl L. March says
I’m so confused on why there’s a recipe to make yogurt out of yogurt.. I mean it’s already yogurt but I can understand if it were merely how to turn yogurt into Greek. I want to know how to add berries for flavor. Also if you’re turning the oven on there’s really no savings but great idea to make Greek yogurt.
Sarah Bond says
You need a tiny bit of yogurt as the starter to make a lot of yogurt (it has all the bacteria in it to get things going!)
Jim_d says
Running my 40W oven light for the max 8 hours of this recipe costs me $0.0472 USD. My cost to make it is roughly $1.25 per 32 oz ($1.00 milk + $0.14 stove electricity + $0.05 oven light). You might be able to find it at that price, I can not. I would be spending at least $6.00 per 32 oz of Greek yogurt from the store unless it’s on sale. Making more things from the same milk helps in it’s own ways as well though. Making yogurt, ricotta, skyr or something else can also be a great way to use up extra milk before it goes bad. After making yogurt, I put away a quarter to half a cup of it to inoculate the next batch.
Chris Thomson says
Hi, in the photo it looks like you are using a normal size Mason jar which I think holds two cups? Do I need to do an eighth cup yogurt per two cups of milk for two jars? Or do you have a four cup jar suggestion? Thanks in advance.
Chris Thomson says
Disregard this question–I have a Mason jar that does hold four cups.
Sarah Bond says
I believe this is the 4 cup (quart-sized) mason jar pictured! The size honestly doesn’t matter much though, just keep ratios the same 😀
Carole says
Just made yoghurt for the first time ever – it’s delicious! My oven has a bread proving setting (couldn’t find how to just have light on!) which meant I didn’t have to wrap in towel – easy peasy 😊
Noah says
How can you make this Non fat Greek yogurt? Thats what we usually buy…
Sarah Bond says
That’s a bit tougher actually, and you may have to supplement with milk powder!
Lauren DeMeo says
I followed the instructions and in the end the consistency is still super thin just like the milk? What went wrong?
Sarah Bond says
It sounds like it may just not have fermented for long enough! Does it taste tangy like yogurt?
Sue Clark chef Clark says
Greek yogurt Is the bacteria already in the milk, or is it added?
Is it suitable for the lactose intolerant ?
Sarah Bond says
It’s added when you add the yogurt in the beginning! It’ll divide and multiply 🙂
Melissa White says
Can you use Greek yogurt to make the yogurt or do you need plain yogurt
Sarah Bond says
You can use either! It just needs to have live bacteria in it 🙂
Mersini says
Hi Sarah,
As a person of Greek origin living in Australia that also lived in Greece for 17 years and ate a lot of Greek yogurt while living there, can I just share one important fact about Greek Yogurt. In Greece, yogurt is never made with cows milk. It is either made with just sheep milk, goat milk or most commonly and also commercially, a combination of sheep and goat milk. This is what gives Greek yogurt the distinct flavour, texture and consistency that has made it so famous, that is, never using cows milk. Interestingly, this exact rule applies to Greek Feta in Greece.
Your Blog Is great!
Diana Martinez says
Great information. I love learning about other cultures and this is shocking, interesting, and appreciated by me. Thanks!
Jeanne says
Can you use Greek yoghurt instead of thick cream in a recipe?
Sarah Bond says
Yep it’s usually pretty interchangeable! It may just give the dish a more tart flavor.