the simplest slow-cooker overnight yogurt

Learning to make yogurt in the slow cooker has changed my life.

Ok, that might be an overstatement. But not by much. Yogurt was a huge source of our packaging waste. I tried making it a few times on the stove but it was so tedious and it boiled over and I was defeated. Then I learned on one of my FB groups that you can just use the slow cooker. WHAAAAA amazing.

So without further ado, here it is:

The Simplest Slow-Cooker Overnight Yogurt

one/ Pour 1/2 a gallon, give or take, into your slow cooker.

two/ Cook on LOW for 2.5 hours.

three/ Turn off heat (do NOT “Keep Warm”) and let it sit for 3 hours.

four/ Stir in 1/2 cup of “starter” yogurt. The first time you make yogurt, use store bought plain yogurt with lots of active culture listed on or under the ingredients. The next time, you can use some of your previous batch to make the next batch.

five/ Wrap or drape the slow cooker in a blanket and let sit approximately 12 hours. Alternatively, you can put the slow cooker pot in the oven with the light on. You just want the yogurt to stay slightly warm all night so the cultures can do their magic.

six/ The yogurt will be “done” when it is slightly firm on top. At that point you can place a fine mesh colander in a bowl, and pour the yogurt in. This will create a thick “Greek-style” yogurt. I store the thick yogurt and the whey (liquid part) separately. I add some whey back in to smooth out the texture. I also use whey for baking (it’s great in waffles!).