Recipe: How to Make Homemade Yogurt for Maximum Probiotics

This recipe shows you how to make easy homemade yogurt with more probiotic benefits than store-bought yogurt.

One of the riches sources of active cultures is homemade yogurt. Making yogurt is simple, and it’s a fun and easy way to reduce inflammation by adding a large number of probiotic organisms to your diet.

Read more about why probiotics promote healthy skin and can help manage Rosacea and acne flares here. Receive the recipe card for Easy Homemade Yogurt by entering your email below.

 

 

Most store-bought yogurts are only partially fermented and still contain a lot of lactose, the sugar in milk. Homemade yogurt is fermented for at least 24 hours to increase the amount of live probiotic organisms you consume.

While you only need a simple glass jar and an oven for the yogurt to sit in, it is easier to maintain a warm temperature with an inexpensive yogurt maker.

Easy Homemade Yogurt

Ingredients

1/2 gallon whole milk
1/2 cup store bought plain whole milk yogurt with live active cultures (the more strains the better)

Equipment

3 qt saucepan
Instant-read thermometer
Small bowl
Whisk

Instructions

1. Heat the milk in a saucepan until it reaches 180 to 200 degrees, or until bubbles form around the edges. Stir the milk occasionally while heating.

2. Let the milk cool to 110 to 120 degrees. If you’re in a hurry, you can fill your sink with ice water and let the pot of milk cool in the ice bath, stirring the milk frequently so it cools evenly.

3. Transfer 1/2 cup of warm milk to a small bowl and whisk in the store bought yogurt “starter” until smooth.

4. Pour into the warm milk and mix with your whisk. Cover the pot with a large lid. Alternately, you can pour this mixture into several small mason jars to create individual servings.

5. To keep the mixture warm, move your pot or mason jars to a warm spot in your kitchen, such as your oven, with the oven light turned on, or the top of your refrigerator. Alternately, you can wrap it in a large towel and setting it on a heating pad.

6. Let the yogurt sit for 12 to 24 hours, until the yogurt is thick and tangy. (I usually let it sit for the full 24 hours for maximum fermentation/probiotic production.)

7. Transfer the yogurt to the refrigerator to chill. It will continue to thicken as it chills. I usually chill it for at least 4 hours before eating.

Top your homemade yogurt with nutrient-dense toppings, like fresh fruit, granola, or nuts. I enjoy the taste of eating it by itself, and if I’m in the mood for something sweet, I mix in a bit of vanilla and stevia to the yogurt for a low glycemic index sweet and creamy treat.

Once you start making your own yogurt, you can set aside some of each batch as a “starter” culture for your next batch. Just save 1/2 cup to use for this purpose.

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Making homemade yogurt is an easy first step toward better gut and skin health! Let me know how your first batch goes! Leave a comment and share what your favorite healthy toppings are as well!