Easy yogurt in the oven that’s creamy, tart and perfect for breakfast and snacking.

I love this yogurt recipe because no fancy equipment is required, just your oven with the light on. It’s great to whip up before bed and pop in the oven over night to do its magic. By morning, you’ve got creamy, homemade yogurt ready to go.

homemade yogurt in a clear jar with raspberries on it and homemade granola

This is a very simple recipe that uses plain yogurt as a starter with live active cultures. Once you have your starter you can make your next batch of yogurt using the batch you just made.

Its so much cheaper to make, with yogurt prices being so high now that is even more motivation to make it yourself.

This yogurt tastes great with peanut butter granola, white chocolate cranberry granola, and basic homemade granola.

homemade yogurt in a clear bowl topped with raspberries in a syrup made of pure maple syrup

Ingredients for homemade yogurt

Whole Milk- Allows for a creamier and richer texture
Plain yogurt with live cultures- If its not plain the flavored yogurt will interfere with the fermenting process. I personally use Olympic Krema plain 10% yogurt. Its my favorite alternative to homemade yogurt as well.
Make sure to read the ingredients label to make sure it is plain and has no additives, just live cultures.

See recipe card for quantities.

How do you make yogurt?

milk in a stainless steel pot at 200 degrees f

1: Turn on your oven light and place your yogurt in a bowl and set it aside. In a medium pot, on medium to medium high heat, add in the milk. Whisk until milk reaches 200 degrees f.

milk in a pot that has cooled to 150 degrees f

2: Remove the pot from the heat and leave it to cool until it reaches 115 degrees f.

yogurt being poured into the cooled milk mixture

3: Once cooled, add 1/4 cup of the warm milk to the yogurt and whisk. Add another 1/4 cup of warm milk and whisk until smooth.

4: Whisk all the yogurt mixture into the milk and mix well.

lid on a pot of hot milk sitting in the oven with the oven light on to keep it warm

5: Place a lid on the pot and put it in the oven with the oven light on to keep it warm. Leave it in the oven for 6-12 hours. If you’re making it for the first time I would stick to 6 as it becomes more tart and thick the longer it ferments.

yogurt tilted in a pot to show that it is done as the yogurt has pulled from the sides

6: You can tell yogurt is done when you tilt the pot slightly and see the yogurt pull from the sides.

yogurt in two mason jars about to go in the fridge

7: whisk until smooth and place in storage containers. Allow to thicken in the fridge for at least 4-6 hours before serving.

Easy Yogurt in The Oven finished and ready to be served!

8: Once set, put 1/2 a cup of the yogurt away to make your next batch. If you notice flavor is off after a few batches and its not setting as quickly you will need to get another starter from the grocery store. Serve!

Sweetening homemade yogurt

I add a sweetener (pure maple syrup) when serving the yogurt. My favorite way to enjoy it is by placing some yogurt in a small dish, putting frozen raspberries on top, placing it back in the fridge for them to melt into the yogurt and then serving it with pure maple syrup. You can also sweeten it with these options:

Fresh fruit that is diced, mashed or pureed
Jam, here is a homemade strawberry jam recipe using honey as a sweetener and no pectin
Honey

Ways to enjoy your yogurt

With granola on top
In a parfait with granola and fresh berries
Yogurt bark
Baking recipes that call for yogurt like this blueberry breakfast cake or lemon blueberry bread
A base for dips
Homemade salad dressings
Smoothies
Homemade popsicles
As a substitute for sour cream
As a substitute for mayonnaise

Storage

Homemade yogurt will last up to 2 weeks in the fridge in an airtight storage container, though we don’t make it past 4 days before needing to make another batch.

How to use yogurt starter for the next batch

As soon as yogurt is set, remove 1/2 a cup of the yogurt and place it in a separate container. If removed right away after setting the yogurt for 2 hours when initially made, each batch of yogurt should be consistent with the last batch.
Use it within 7-10 days. If I am going to be honest here, I put all the dates my leftovers expire in my calendar so there’s no guessing. So either label it with the date it expires and needs to be used by or do what I do and mark it on the calendar.
Use this starter for your next batch of yogurt, you should be able to keep using it unless bacteria gets in and if it gets a little funky and slimy then you will need a new starter again from the grocery store.

Easy Yogurt in The Oven

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 6

Serving Size 16

Ingredients

8 cups whole milk
1/2 cup plain yogurt with live cultures

Instructions

Turn on your oven light only.
In a bowl, add in your yogurt and set it aside.
In a medium pot on medium high heat, add in the milk. Whisk occasionally while monitoring to make sure milk doesn't stick to the bottom. Whisk more frequently as it gets hotter. Bring milk to 200 degrees f.
Remove pot from the heat and allow it to cool to 115 degrees f.
Slowly add in 1/4 cup of the hot milk to the yogurt while whisking.
Add another 1/4 cup of hot milk to the yogurt slowly while whisking.
Whisk all the yogurt mixture into the rest of the hot milk in the pot. Mix well.
Place a lid on the pot and put it in the oven with the oven light on to keep the yogurt warm.
Leave in oven for 6-12 hours, pending on preference. The longer it stays the more tart and creamy it becomes. I personally like 7 hours.
You will know its done when you tilt the pot slightly and see the yogurt pull from the sides.
Whisk until smooth and add to storage container and set in the fridge for at least 4-6 hours before eating to thicken up and chill.
Once set, remove 1/2 cup of the yogurt for the next batch and place it in a separate container and use within 7-10 days for the next batch of yogurt.
Serve and enjoy!