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Healthy Home Economist / Archives / Recipes / Breakfast Recipes / Alkaline Breakfast Recipes / Slow Cooker Yogurt. Easy + Better than ANY Store Brands

Slow Cooker Yogurt. Easy + Better than ANY Store Brands

by Sarah Pope / Affiliate Links โœ”

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Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
  • Making Yogurt in a Slow Cooker
  • What Type of Milk to Use
  • To Heat or Not to Heat
  • 24 Hour Crockpot Yogurt
  • How to Make Slow Cooker Yogurt+−
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Recipe Video
    • Recipe Notes

How to make fresh yogurt in a slow cooker that is more probiotically and therapeutically active for your gut than any store brands.

creamy yogurt in a slow cooker

My somewhat sobering review of the best and worst brands of store yogurtย has apparently resulted in some folks considering a switch to homemade.

If this is your thought process too because not a single yogurt brand is optimal (grassfed, organic, non-homogenized milk, 24-hour, no additives), I would recommend slow cooker yogurt as an ideal solution.

Most of us have this type of appliance already as it makes dinner a snap on busy days. In fact, nearly everyone I know who does a lot of home cooking has one.

Boom!

No need to buy another appliance to clutter up the kitchen countertop!

Making Yogurt in a Slow Cooker

Convenient, easy, and infinitely more nutritious, making yogurt in a slow cooker is also more probiotically active than nearly all brands from the store, organic included.

Yogurt made in a slow cooker is perfect for gut healing diets like GAPS and SCD.

It is also optimal for those on a ketogenic diet because it is much lower in carbs than store brands.

You donโ€™t even need to buy starter culture!

What Type of Milk to Use

If you choose to forgo starter culture to save money, I recommend using dairy milk for making slow cooker yogurt.

Coconut yogurt requires a dairy free starter cultureย for the fermentation to take properly, in my experience.

With that in mind, which type of milk is best?

Of course, unpasteurized grass-fed milk is the most nutritious as it is completely unprocessed with all the nutrients, probiotics and enzymes intact.

However, not everyone can get easily obtain this type of milk. (1)

If that is your situation, I would recommend finding non-homogenized, aka cream top milk that is vat pasteurized and preferably packaged in glass.

Most health food stores can order some for you if they donโ€™t already carry it on the shelf. Natural by Nature is a good organic grass-fed brand to ask for (be sure to specify the cream-top milk), although Iโ€™m sure there are plenty of others!

To Heat or Not to Heat

Yogurt made from raw milk that is heated no higher than 117 ยฐF/47 ยฐC during the fermentation process is the best of the best. This is because all enzymes and probiotics are preserved.

However, the results can be somewhat unpredictable.

This is because the probiotics naturally present in raw milk compete with the yogurt cultures during the fermentation process.

When the fermentation is successful, raw milk yogurt is a bit thinner than pasteurized yogurt. The texture is reminiscent of homemade dairy kefir.

Sometimes, the fermentation fails and you end up with sour milk most useful for cooking or baking.

When I make raw milk yogurt in my slow cooker, it turns out perfectly. However, in your neck of the woods, it might be less dependable.

If you want to ensure that your yogurt is very thick and perfect every time, I would suggest to boil the raw milk for a minute or two and then cool down to 110ย ยฐF/43 ยฐC before you put it in the crockpot and add the cultures. Yes, this will destroy the probiotics.

But, the end result is more consistent with the scoopable texture many people prefer. Little damage to the milk proteins occurs from the slow heating process on the stovetop unlike the violent denaturing that occurs with regular or UHT pasteurization.

So, the decision is up to you. If you are using raw milk, the results are less predictable, although I can say that in my experience, slow cooker raw yogurt turns out amazing!

I hope this discussion makes sense! If you have further questions about it, please let me know in the comments.

With that, here is my recipe for making yogurt in a slow cooker. You can use either a crockpot or a Vita-Clay.

24 Hour Crockpot Yogurt

Crockpot yogurt is a bit more complicated than using other types of slow cookers like the Vita-Clay because some models donโ€™t have a setting that keeps the milk at a constant 100-110 ยฐF(38-43 ยฐC).

Here are the suggested steps for making yogurt in a crockpot.

  1. Pour 2 quarts of milk into the crockpot, put on the lid and turn on low.
  2. After 2.5 hours, turn the crockpot off.
  3. Let the milk cool for 2-3 hours, checking the temperature after 2 hours with a food thermometer.
  4. When the milk is 110 ยฐF/43 ยฐC, whisk in 5 tablespoons of plain, whole milk organic yogurt or a packet of starter powder.
  5. Put the lid back on and wrap the crockpot in a thick bath towel.
  6. Leave for 24 hours.
  7. Spoon out yogurt into glass jars and refrigerate.

While this recipe works, there is some risk based on whether the milk will stay warm enough for 24 hours to ferment properly.

Temperature variations in your kitchen based on season and location leave open the possibility of fermentation failure.

For this reason, I recommend making slow cooker yogurt in a Vita-Clay. This reduces the risk of fermentation failure to virtually zero because the temperature remains constant atย 110 ยฐF/43 ยฐC throughout the fermentation period. No enzymes are destroyed at this temperature, by the way, in case you choose to use unpasteurized milk.

If you must make yogurt in a crockpot, I would suggest doing it only during the warmer months!

slow cooker yogurt
Slow Cooker Yogurt. Easy + Better than ANY Store Brands
4.63 from 8 votes
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How to Make Slow Cooker Yogurt

Method for making yogurt in a slow cooker that is more nutritious, lower in carbs and more probiotically active than any store brands.

Course Breakfast
Cuisine Mediterranean
Keyword 24 hour, crockpot, keto, slow cooker
Prep Time 5 minutes
Fermentation time 1 day
Total Time 1 day 5 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 142 kcal
Author Sarah Pope

Ingredients

  • 1 quart grassfed milk raw or low temp pasteurized/non-homogenized
  • 5 Tbsp plain whole yogurt unstrained (not Greek style)
  • 4 Tbsp 100% fruit jam optional

Instructions

  1. Add milk to Vita-Clay pot and stir in the plain whole milk yogurt.

  2. Put on the lid and turn on the yogurt setting.

  3. Leave for 24 hours. Note: If you are using the larger Vita-Clay models, you will have to reset the timer after 9 hours. The medium-sized andย small slow cooker modelย  (this is the one shown in the photo above), will continuously warm the milk at 110 F/ 43 C for 24 hours without resetting the timer.

  4. When the yogurt is finished, turn off the Vita-Clay and leave on the counter until room temperature. If making fruit yogurt, spoon in the optional jam and blend with a handheld blender. Enjoy some warm โ€ฆ itโ€™s amazing!

  5. Place the pot in the refrigerator and chill for 2 hours or longer.

  6. Transfer the yogurt into a glass mason jar and store in the refrigerator.

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

I recommend using fruit jam that does not contain added sugar.

Be sure to reserve 5 tablespoons of your finished yogurt to start the next batch!

Nutrition Facts
How to Make Slow Cooker Yogurt
Amount Per Serving (1 cup)
Calories 142 Calories from Fat 99
% Daily Value*
Fat 11g17%
Saturated Fat 7g35%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 3g
Cholesterol 35mg12%
Sodium 140mg6%
Potassium 380mg11%
Carbohydrates 4g1%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 8g16%
Vitamin A 300IU6%
Vitamin C 3.3mg4%
Calcium 300mg30%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Category: Alkaline Breakfast Recipes, Fermented Beverages, GAPS Recipes, Immune support
Sarah Pope

Sarah Pope MGA has been a Health and Nutrition Educator since 2002. She is a summa cum laude graduate in Economics from Furman University and holds a Master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

She is the author of three books: Amazon #1 bestseller Get Your Fats Straight, Traditional Remedies for Modern Families, and Living Green in an Artificial World.

Her four eBooks Good Diet…Bad Diet, Real Food Fermentation, Ketonomics, and Ancestrally Inspired Dairy-Free Recipes are available for complimentary download via Healthy Home Plus.

Her mission is dedicated to helping families effectively incorporate the principles of ancestral diets within the modern household. She is a sought after lecturer around the world for conferences, summits, and podcasts.

Sarah was awarded Activist of the Year in 2010 at the International Wise Traditions Conference, subsequently serving on the Board of Directors of the nutrition nonprofit the Weston A. Price Foundation for seven years.

Her work has been covered by numerous independent and major media including USA Today, ABC, and NBC among many others.

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Reader Interactions

Comments (36)

  1. Dawn

    Jun 20, 2020 at 5:17 pm

    I only have a vanilla yogurt I got from a farm could I start with that instead of plain ? Thanks

    Reply
    • Sarah Pope MGA

      Jun 21, 2020 at 9:21 am

      You cannot use a yogurt that is sweetened. It must be plain.

  2. Mandy Allen

    Apr 16, 2020 at 3:09 pm

    I have the 4 qt and 6 qt VitaClay cookers as we are a family of ten. Can the 24 hour raw yogurt recipe be doubled? A quart of yogurt doesnโ€™t go very far around here. And yes, resetting is a pain, especially if you donโ€™t plan properly and have to reset it at odd hours.

    Reply
    • Sarah Pope MGA

      Apr 16, 2020 at 3:14 pm

      I don’t know if this will work. I only make the size batch indicated in this recipe.

  3. Dina

    Mar 15, 2020 at 3:36 pm

    Thanks! Will do.
    I love your site by the way. I appreciate your readable content that has a perfect balance of practicality and science.

    Reply
  4. Dina

    Mar 14, 2020 at 12:41 pm

    Hi Sarah:
    Can you use a yogurt starter for the Vita-Clay personal size 24 hour yogurt recipe? How much starter granules are used?

    Reply
    • Sarah Pope MGA

      Mar 14, 2020 at 1:57 pm

      Yes, you can use yogurt starter. Just follow the directions on the starter package you have. I just use some of my last yogurt batch as starter.

  5. Helen

    Feb 19, 2020 at 1:37 am

    Hi Sarah,
    Natural by Nature changed their packaging from grass-fed milk, now it says “grass based” instead, do you happen to know why or what that means?

    Thanks,
    Helen

    Reply
    • Hรฉlรจne

      Mar 3, 2020 at 2:07 pm

      It means its not 100% grassfed. Its a no-go.
      And grassfed is a marketing term. All cattle is grassfed at some point, you want 100% grassfed. Preferably pastured.

  6. Alexandra Soares

    Feb 4, 2020 at 12:49 am

    What brand of plain, whole milk yogurt do you recommend to use as the starter for the first batch?

    Reply
    • Sarah Pope MGA

      Feb 4, 2020 at 9:42 am

      I like Cascadian Farms or Maple Hill.

  7. Jenn

    Jan 15, 2020 at 10:18 am

    Iโ€™m following your instructions perfectly for the raw milk yogurt but each time it comes out like milk and whey โ˜น๏ธ

    Reply
    • Sarah Pope MGA

      Jan 15, 2020 at 11:20 am

      You are using the small model? Also, what brand of plain, whole milk yogurt are you using as the starter?

  8. Helen

    Dec 7, 2019 at 5:39 pm

    Hi Sarah,
    The Vitaclay recipe doesn’t say to heat milk on stove to 180 degrees & cool down to 115. I see most yogurt recipes have this step. Do you think it’s necessary? Also Vitaclay yogurt setting is at 110 degrees, not 115. What do you think about that? And how long do you think the yogurt can stay fresh in the fridge before going bad using their recipe?
    Their recipe says to run for 9 hours which is the longest it will go on the model I have. Will there be a consistency difference due to that? I realize there would be less lactose in the yogurt.
    Thanks
    Helen

    Reply
    • Sarah Pope MGA

      Dec 8, 2019 at 10:03 am

      I use raw milk to make yogurt in my Vita-Clay and I never heat the milk first to keep the rawness intact (the Vitaclay yogurt setting stays low enough to achieve this as well). I ferment the yogurt for 24 hours in the personal Vitaclay model (I have all sizes of the Vita-Clay slow cookers..the smallest model does yogurt the most conveniently IMO because you don’t have to reset the timer to get to 24 hours). You can make yogurt in the larger model (which I use or bone broths and stews), but you will have to reset the timer multiple times as the max is 9 hours.

  9. Donna

    Sep 29, 2019 at 11:15 am

    I do my yogurt in my instant pot I know Sarah(my food guru) has an issue with that with the metal leaching into the yogurt. And rightly so, but you can do yogurt in what is called POP(pot in pot) method where the yogurt is fermented in jars in the pot The yogurt doesn’t touch the metal this way I use pin jars ,fil them half way with milk add my inoculate and powdered milk (1.5 TBS per pint I use powdered goat milk ) cap the jar, shake, put jar in IP on a rack with 1.5 C water on bottom Fill the jars the rest of the way with milk do not cap put lid on pot and use yogurt function for 25 hours when done cap jars and refrigerate for another 24 hours yum

    Reply
    • Kelly

      Jun 26, 2020 at 4:24 pm

      Be careful with powdered milk or any powdered dairy product, for that matter. The most common processes of making commercial milk powder denatures the proteins and causes significant nutrient loss. Denaturing the proteins leads the cholesterol to oxidize. And oxidized cholesterol is not good if you want to help avoid heart disease. I would check to see how the company makes the milk powder you use.

  10. Cindra

    Jul 28, 2019 at 11:24 am

    5 stars
    Can you substitute the whole milk yogurt with raw kefir?

    Reply
    • Sarah Pope MGA

      Aug 3, 2019 at 1:52 pm

      Raw kefir doesn’t need to be warmed during the fermentation process like yogurt. You can ferment kefir right on the counter at room temperature.

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