Making vegan yogurt in an Instant Pot takes the guesswork out of a process that tends to depend on things beyond your control, like the weather. And it couldn't be easier. Here's my foolproof, two-ingredient recipe for a cultured vegan Instant Pot yogurt that's creamy, thick like Greek yogurt, tangy, probiotic and delicious.
I know so many of you, like me, love making your own vegan yogurt at home. A few years back I posted a probiotic cashew yogurt recipe that's easy, delicious, and beats the heck out of paying a small fortune to buy a tub of vegan yogurt at the supermarket. So many of you have made it since, loved it, and continue to make it.
But one thing that often emerges in comments is concerns about the varying times it takes for the yogurt to set. Even in the cozy atmosphere of an oven with the light turned on, it is not easy to predict when the yogurt will be ready. Because that time really depends to a great degree on factors outside your control: how cold or warm it is outside, which affects how cold or warm it is even inside your temperature-controlled home.
That's why, today, I want to share with you a recipe that takes all of that guesswork out of making vegan yogurt: my Instant Pot Vegan Yogurt.
This is such an easy recipe that you'll probably never go back to making yogurt the old-fashioned way again. All you need to do is blitz up the cashews with water, warm the cashew cream for a minute in the microwave until it's lukewarm, and then put it in the Instant Pot and forget about it.
I love this Instant Pot vegan yogurt and I've pretty much switched to making my yogurt this way now. It turns out thicker, for one, and it is perfectly tangy and creamy. If you try it, I wanna know, so be sure to leave a comment below.
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Why you'll love this Vegan Instant Pot Yogurt
- It's creamy. It's smooth and delicious with a fluffy, delightful texture.
- It's tangy, and you can control how tangy you make it.
- It's thick, with the consistency of Greek yogurt. Perfect for snacking or for adding to recipes.
- It's delicious. It tastes exactly as yogurt should, even better!
- It's probiotic. This yogurt has live probiotic cultures so a serving of it each day will keep your tummy happy.
- It's foolproof. There's no guesswork based on the weather and the temperature. The IP does all that for you.
- It needs just two ingredients. In addition to the cashews you will just need probiotic capsules or a couple of tablespoons of any other yogurt with live, active bacterial cultures.
Ingredients
- Raw cashews. Always make yogurt with raw, not roasted, cashews for good results. You can use cashew pieces, which are more economical than whole cashews, it makes no difference in this recipe as they are blended into a cream.
- Filtered water. You don't need to buy bottled water, although that is fine too, but water put through whatever filter you have at home would work. The purer the water is, and freer of chemicals, the easier it is for the microorganisms in the yogurt to flourish.
- Probiotic capsules: I use PB8 vegetarian capsules, which you can easily buy online. Make sure you open the capsule and stir in only the powder. Alternatively, you can use an existing yogurt with live bacterial cultures, if you have one at hand. You just need two tablespoons.
How to make vegan yogurt in the Instant Pot
There's barely a recipe here, but the instructions are important to follow along carefully, so please do so for the best results.
You will begin the process by soaking 2 cups of raw cashews or cashew pieces with 2 cups of filtered water for at least 30 minutes. I don't care how high-powered your blender is, soaking the cashews makes a really smooth yogurt, so do it. Do not drain the water.
Next put all of it in the blender and blitz into a really smooth, silky cream. Remove the cream to an oven-safe bowl that will fit inside the Instant Pot liner. I use a glass Pyrex bowl.
Warm the yogurt in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir, then warm for 30 more seconds. The yogurt will be slightly lukewarm, which will create a nice, cozy atmosphere for the bacteria to start growing.
Stir in the powder from two probiotic capsules (open each capsule and use the powder inside only). I always use the PB8 vegetarian brand, which I buy online. It works great.
You can also use a yogurt as your starter. Any vegan or non-vegan yogurt will do, but it has to have active live cultures so make sure you read the info on the container. A homemade probiotic yogurt is great too. Stir in the yogurt starter into the cashew cream instead of the probiotic capsule powder.
Once the powder or starter has been stirred into the yogurt, place it inside the steel liner of the Instant Pot. Click the lid on, and press the "yogurt" function. Set the time to 12 hours for a tangier yogurt, or 10 hours for a less tangy version. I usually do 12 hours.
The IP will begin to count up rather than count down, the way it usually does: in other words, it will begin counting the time from 0 seconds on and work its way up to 12 hours (or 10 hours if that's what you set it for).
When the IP indicates the yogurt is ready, open the lid and voila, amazing vegan yogurt. If you don't want the yogurt to get more tangy, refrigerate immediately.
FAQs
Yes, absolutely. Just use two tablespoons of the yogurt as a starter to begin your next batch. No need to use probiotic capsules each time.
Yes, you can use full-fat coconut milk to make this yogurt. You can also use soy milk but the yogurt will need a thickener in that case. You can stir a teaspoon of thickener like agar agar into the milk before you heat it.
That said, I much prefer the cashew yogurt, which tastes closest to the real thing and has the perfect for baking cakes and other desserts.
The yogurt should be refrigerated immediately after you remove it from the IP, especially if it's as tangy as you want it. If you leave it out at room temperature the yogurt will continue to ferment and get tangier.
On the flip side, if your yogurt isn't still as tangy as you want it to be (although it should be quite tangy after 12 hours in the IP), leave it on the counter for a couple more hours and taste to make sure it tastes as you want it to before you refrigerate.
You can freeze the yogurt or a small batch of the yogurt to use as your next starter.
Recipes with vegan yogurt
This yogurt, with fresh berries or other fruit and a drizzle of maple syrup, is divine as a snack or dessert. Here are some more ideas for how you can use it.
- Vegan Mango Lassi
- Vegan Lemon Yogurt Bundt Cake
- Vegan Harissa Meatballs with Cilantro Yogurt Sauce
- Vegan Cucumber Yogurt Rice
Vegan Instant Pot Yogurt
Equipment
- Instant Pot
- Oven-safe bowl that will fit inside IP liner
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw cashews
- 2 cups filtered water
- 2 probiotic capsules or 2 tbsp yogurt with live, active cultures (I used PB8 vegetarian capsules)
Instructions
- Soak the cashews with the water for at least 30 minutes.
- Blend into a very smooth paste. Remove to an oven-safe bowl.
- Place the bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds, stir, then return and heat for 30 seconds more.
- Open the probiotic capsules and stir the powder into the cashew cream. If using yogurt starter instead, stir that in.
- Place the bowl inside the liner or inner pot of the Instant Pot.
- Put the Instant Pot lid on and press the "yogurt" button. Set the timer to 12 hours for a tangy yogurt, or 10 hours for a less tangy one.
- Once the IP beeps and the indicator shows that the yogurt is ready, remove the yogurt from the liner. Refrigerate immediately to stop the yogurt from fermenting further.
Vaishali, this turned out perfectly creamy and tasty! Thank you very much!
So happy you made it, Julia!
Is there no need to put water into the instant pot bottom?
Hi, no need for water in the IP liner.
I will definitely give this cashew version a try. I have been making soy yoghurt for well over a year now - no thickeners needed provided one uses a soy milk made from beans and not isolate and with a high enough % of beans to water. I use a brand called Vitasoy Protein Plus Soy milk (19% beans). I use a regular yoghurt maker and leave for 24 hours, changing the water once to keep it warm. I only needed to use the probiotic capsules once! The bottle stays unused in my fridge. Two to three tablespoons of yoghurt is sufficient starter to fill the jar to one litre. It just got better and better and now is beautifully tangy.
Thanks, Rodnie, those are awesome tips!
What is the approximate serving size?
I prefer to make yogurt in Mason jars. Have done this many times in the Instant Pot. Do you see any problems with that approach here?
About a third of a cup. And I think making this in mason jars is a great idea.
Hello: This looks like a useful recipe. We do not have an instant pot; however we do have a yogurt maker. Could this yogurt be made by pouring the mixture into the cups in the yogurt maker. If so, could you give me a hint on the volume of the mixture is so we know whether to make a whole recipe or just a half or ???
Hi Ruchama, this makes about four cups in volume before it is placed in the IP. It thickens and loses some of that moisture during the fermentation process. I think it would definitely work in a yogurt maker, the ingredients are very similar to my non-IP vegan yogurt recipe and some readers have tried that in a yogurt maker and succeeded.
hello, would love to try this but i have a sensitivity to cashews and almonds. Can i use Macadamia nuts instead?
Hi Jamila, I think macadamia nuts should work just fine here.
I've been making this using flax milk, which has 8 grams protein/serving vs. soy milk's 9 grams. It works well most of the time, but oddly not always, even with the exact same starting ingredients. I'll give it a try with cashews instead.
Awesome, let me know if you try! That's interesting that it doesn't always work out the same. This recipe has been working for me the handful of times I've tried it now. Do you use probiotic pills or a starter yogurt? I'm wondering if the starter yogurt, which might have different concentrations of the cultures at different times, could be making the difference, if that's what you're using.
Do you set vent for seal, or leave it open?
It doesn't matter either way. I have left the vent on whenever I've made this, but leaving it open won't make a difference.