• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About Me
  • Shop
  • Privacy Policy
  • Recipe Index
Flour On My Face
  • Home
  • Crock Pot Recipes
  • Easy Freezer Meals
  • Canning Recipes
  • Alfredo Sauce
  • Instant Pot Recipes
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Recipe Index
  • Shop
  • Alfredo Sauce
  • Canning
  • Crock Pot Recipes
  • Easy Freezer Meals
  • Food Dehydrator Recipes
  • Instant Pot Recipes
×
Home » Breakfast Recipes » Homemade Vanilla Bean Yogurt

Homemade Vanilla Bean Yogurt

Published: Jul 19, 2013 · Modified: Feb 17, 2023 by Arlene Mobley · This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Jump to Recipe

Making homemade vanilla yogurt at home is not as difficult as you might think. Learning how to make yogurt is as easy as simmering a pot of milk, stirring in a yogurt culture and setting it in a yogurt maker on the counter to culture.

Homemade Vanilla Bean Yogurt in a small jar topped with strawberry preserves.

Once you have learned how to make yogurt at home then you can try your hand at adding ingredients to come up with your own yogurt recipes like this easy to make Vanilla Bean Yogurt recipe that I made.

I have been making homemade yogurt for a few years now. I started out making it without a yogurt maker.

There are a number of ways that you can make yogurt at home without a yogurt maker (affiliate link).

When I first started out I read everything I could find on making homemade yogurt and found the best method that worked for me by trial and error.

How is yogurt made?

To make yogurt you only need  2 ingredients. Milk and a yogurt culture.

Most things you read about making yogurt or any cultured dairy food that starts out with milk or cream is that you can not make it with an ultra-pasteurized dairy product. All dairy products that are bought in the grocery store has been ultra-pasteurized.

I have made yogurt and homemade creme fraiche with ultra-pasteurized milk and whipping cream so many times that I can't even count the times.

If you have attempted to make homemade yogurt and it did not cultured or thickened more than likely the problem was that it did not culture under the proper temperature for the correct amount of time.

To make homemade yogurt you warm milk to about 185 degrees and bring it down to 111 F. to 113 F. degrees. You then a yogurt culture that you have bought or you use a container of store-bought yogurt with live cultures.

Most yogurt bought in the store has active live cultures. Some brands have more than others and will result in a thicker homemade yogurt more like Greek yogurt. A trick to get a thicker yogurt is to also add a little powdered milk  to the pot while heating the milk.

homemade yogurt, how to make homemade yogurt, making yogurt, yogurt recipe
Perfect homemade yogurt, every time

How to make homemade yogurt

Everyone has their own method of yogurt making. This is the method I use and have used many many times. (affiliate links below)

Vanilla Yogurt Ingredients

You only need three ingredients to make homemade vanilla yogurt.

Milk, vanilla bean and yogurt starter on a tabletop are the ingredients you need to make yogurt..
  • the milk: 5 cups whole milk (pasteurized milk is fine)
  • package of yogurt starter or ¼ to ½ cup plain unflavored yogurt with live cultures
  • vanilla bean

Since I am using a Yo-Life Yogurt Maker I measured the amount of milk needed to fill the yogurt cups that came with the yogurt maker.

Yo-Life Yogurt maker.

The Yo-Life Yogurt Maker comes with 7 small glass yogurt jars you pour the cultured milk into before placing them in the yogurt maker to incubate.

One of the reasons I bought the Yo-Life yogurt maker over other brands of yogurt makers was because it can be used to make both small jars or large jars of yogurt.

It comes with two sizes of lids. One lid will fits over the small yogurt jars that came with it.

Or you can use the larger lid over taller mason jars to make larger servings of yogurt.

Normally it can take as long as 12 hours to properly set a batch of yogurt. After only 4 hours in the YoLife yogurt maker, I felt my yogurt was thick enough and turned it off.

My yogurt had a light tangy flavor. Sometimes I feel like a tangier yogurt. Since I was testing out this yogurt maker for the first time I decided to stop there and chill the yogurt.

Culturing the milk

Step 1: Measure the whole fat milk into a heavy bottomed pot.

Step 2: Split and scrape the vanilla beans and add it to the pot.

A split vanilla bean and small knife on a wooden cutting board.

Step 3: Heat over medium heat until it reaches 180 F. degrees on an instant read thermometer.

Milk, vanilla bean pod and seeds in a aluminum pot.

Occasionally stir the milk. without scraping the bottom of the pot so it does not scorch.

Step 4: Remove the pot from the hot burner and let it cool down to between 111 F. degrees to 113 degrees.

Cooling cultured milk and vanilla bean to make yogurt.

Step 5: Once the milk has cooled remove the skin that has formed on top of the warm milk and the vanilla bean and discard.

Step 6: In a small bowl mix the yogurt starter with a small amount of the warm milk until it has dissolved.

Pour it into the pot and stir the milk and yogurt gently to incorporate.

Four image collage of mixing warm milk with yogurt starter then pouring it into the pot.

How to make vanilla yogurt with a yogurt maker

Step 7: Carefully pour the cultured milk into the yogurt jars that came with the yogurt maker. As you fill them place them on a towel or paper towels to catch any drips.

Six small jars filled with cultured milk on a wooden board.

Once all the jars are full wipe them down if any milk has dripped down the sides as you were filling them.

6 small jars filled with cultured milk and placed in a yogurt maker.

Step 8: Place all of the jars into the bottom of the yogurt maker base. Cover with the lid and plug the appliance in.

AYo-Life Yogurt Maker with filled jars while the yogurt cultures.

Step 9: How long you incubate the yogurt will depend on the type of yogurt culture starter you used. I used Euro Cuisine RI52 All Natural Yogurt Culture.

A yogurt jar tilted on its side to show how this the cultured yogurt is after incubating in a yogurt maker.

The directions say to incubate for 6 to 8 hours. The longer you culture the yogurt the tarter the flavor will be. I stopped culturing at six hours. The yogurt is thick, rich and creamy with a very light tart flavor.

A serving on yogurt in a jar on a napkin.

Homemade Yogurt with fruit

You can make homemade yogurt with fruit on the bottom. You must cook the fruit before adding it to the jar.

You can make a simple strawberry sauce or blueberry sauce and add a tablespoon or two of the fruit sauce to the bottom of the jar before incubating the yogurt. Or you can use it as a yogurt topping when you eat a serving.

An overhead image of a small jar of vanilla yogurt topped with strawberry sauce.

How to make homemade yogurt without a yogurt maker

There are a few different ways to incubate homemade yogurt without a yogurt maker. I have tried two and been successful.

Oven light yogurt method: When you begin heating the milk turn your oven light on and keep the oven door closed.

  • Follow the 8 steps above to culture the milk.
  • Cover the pot tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
  • Wrap a towel tightly around the pot and place it inside the oven. Drape another towel over the top of the pot to keep as much warmth in as possible.
  • Close the oven door and do not open the door for at least 8 hours. After 8 hours remove the top towel and plastic or aluminum foil and take a peek. Check to see if the yogurt is thick and pulled away from the sides of the pot. If it is still loose and too watery re-wrap and return it to the warm oven and leave it for another 4 hours.
  • Once the yogurt has cultured and is thick transfer it to containers and refrigerate. If there is a lot of whey floating on top you can carefully pour it off. Do not scrape the bottom of the pots as you are scooping it out.

This method of yogurt making has worked many times for me before I bought a yogurt maker. The inconvenience comes when and if you will need to use your oven.

For all methods of homemade yogurt making store in the refrigerator and consume within a week to 10 days.

You can use ¼ to ½ cup of your homemade yogurt to culture the next batch of yogurt you plan to make.

Instant Pot homemade Yogurt: The electric pressure cooker has only been available for a few years. Some models have a yogurt making option. I have not tried this method of yogurt making yet. Here is a very helpful link to an Instant Pot Yogurt recipe you can check out.

Homemade yogurt in Excalibur Dehydrator: You can also make homemade yogurt in an Excalibur dehydrator. to incubate homemade yogurt. There is a temperature setting on the model I own but if your appliance doesn't have it marked you can set it to 110 F, degrees and incubate the yogurt for 9 hours.

Recipe FAQs

How can I make yogurt at home without yogurt starter?

You can make homemade yogurt at home without a yogurt culture by using store bought plain unflavored yogurt with a live and active culture. Look on the container to make sure it says the yogurt containers active and live cultures. Add ¼ to ½ cup of store bought yogurt into the warm milk and culture the yogurt as directed.

How many times can you use homemade yogurt as a starter?

Homemade yogurt can be used multiple times to culture a new batch of homemade yogurt. After 3 or 4 times of culturing yogurt with a homemade yogurt culture it will start to weaken. When you notice a batch that doesn't get as thick as previous batches use a unflavored plain store bought yogurt or buy a yogurt starter for your next batch. Live yogurt starters will last about as twice as long as your homemade yogurt culture.

Recipe Expert Tips

  • The amount of milk you need to make yogurt will depend on the yogurt maker and the yogurt starter you are using.
  • Milk for yogurt: whole fat milk is best for the thickest richest yogurt. You can make low fat yogurt by using a lower fat content milk but it will yield a thinner yogurt.
  • Pasteurized milk: raw milk or pasteurized milk can be used. Do not use ultra pasteurized milk.
  • Yogurt starter or culture: save ¼ of a cup of your homemade yogurt to culture your next batch.
  • Tangier yogurt: The longer you culture homemade yogurt the tangier it will become.
Two jars of homemade vanilla yogurt with a strawberry sauce topping.

More recipes you love

  • How to Make Crème Fraiche
  • Overhead image looking down into a bowl filled with a dragon fruit smoothie bowl.
    Dragon Fruit Smoothie Bowl
  • Tropical Smoothie
  • Fruit salad with crème fraiche in a red bowl.
    Fruit Salad with Creme Fraiche

Email questions or recipe requests to flouronmyface@gmail.com. Follow me on Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.

Homemade Vanilla Bean Yogurt in a small jar topped with strawberry preserves.

Homemade Vanilla Bean Yogurt

Arlene Mobley - Flour On My Face
Homemade Vanilla Bean Yogurt is easy to culture at home. Everyone has their own method of yogurt culturing but using a yogurt maker is the easiest foolproof way to make yogurt. This is the method I use and have used many many times.
5 from 2 votes
Rate this Recipe
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved!
Click here to add your own private recipe notes.
Prevent your screen from going dark
Prep Time 12 minutes mins
Cook Time 1 hour hr 45 minutes mins
Culture 6 hours hrs
Total Time 7 hours hrs 57 minutes mins
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 6 Servings
Calories 123 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Yogurt Maker
  • 1 Instant Read Thermometer

Ingredients  

  • 5 cups whole milk (room temp)
  • 1 package yogurt starter or 1 small container of store bought Yogurt with live cultures (room temp)
  • 1 large vanilla bean (split and seeds scraped)
Follow Flour On My Face on Pinterest

Instructions 

  • Pour the milk into a heavy bottomed sauce pan.
  • Split and scrape the vanilla bean and the beans and vanilla pod to the pot.
  • Heat the milk over a low to medium heat until it reaches 180 degrees. Occasionally stir, without scraping the bottom of the pot so the milk does not scorch.
  • Remove the pot from the heat and slowly let the milk cool down to 111 - 113 F. degrees. Remove and discard the vanilla bean.
  • If using a Yogurt Starter: Pour the envelope of yogurt culture starter into a small bowl. Add about ¼ cup of the warm milk to the bowl and stir until completely dissolved. Add to the pot of milk and gently whisk until mixed in.
  • If using a live cultured Yogurt: In a small bowl mix about ¼ to ½ cup of the cultured yogurt with some of the warm milk to dissolve. Pour it into the pot and stir the milk and yogurt gently into the warm milk until dissolved.

If Using a Yogurt Maker

  • Carefully ladle the cultured milk into the yogurt jars that came with your yogurt maker. As you fill them place them on a towel or paper towels. Once all the jars are full wipe them down to remove any milk that has dripped down the sides of the jars as you were filling them.
  • Place all the jars in the yogurt maker and culture the yogurt following the manufacturer's instructions.

Oven Light Method

  • When you begin heating the milk turn your oven light on and keep the oven door closed. Once the hot milk has cooled down to 110 degrees and you have added the yogurt culture (remove the vanilla bean if using) cover the pot with plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
  • Wrap a towel around the pot and place it inside the oven. Drape another towel over the top of the pot.
  • Close the oven door and do not open the door for at least 8 hours. After 8 hours remove the top towel and plastic or aluminum foil and take a peek.
  • Jiggle the pot to see if the yogurt is thick and pulled away from the sides of the pot. If it is still loose and water re-wrap and return it to the warm oven and leave it for another 4 hours.

Heating Pad Method

  • Again after mixing in the yogurt culture and removing the vanilla bean. Place the pot on top of a heating pad in a warm area of your kitchen. Wrap the pot in the same method used in the previous method. Let the yogurt culture for 8-12 hours. Pour off most of the whey and spoon into containers and store in the refrigerator.
  • For all methods of homemade yogurt making store in the refrigerator and consume within a week to 10 days.

Video

Recipe Expert Tips

  • You can use ½ cup of your homemade yogurt to culture the next batch of homemade yogurt you plan to make.

Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 123kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 7gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 78mgPotassium: 308mgSugar: 10gVitamin A: 329IUCalcium: 252mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Share a picture on Instagram and tag @flouronmyface2

More Breakfast Recipes

  • Serving apple fritter casserole from a baking dish with spoon.
    Apple Fritter Casserole
  • Preview collage of 4 breakfast casseroles.
    Best Breakfast Casseroles
  • A square serving piece of biscuits and gravy casserole with gravy drizzled over the top on a plate.
    Biscuits and Gravy Casserole
  • Kielbasa Breakfast Casserole in a bowl served with toast and juice.
    Kielbasa Breakfast Casserole
  • Share
  • Email
  • Reddit
  • Flipboard
  • Bluesky

About Arlene Mobley

Arlene Mobley author of Flour On My Face-a Food & Lifestyle website helping busy families get dinner on the table by serving easy recipes every week.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Barb

    September 05, 2014 at 6:11 pm

    Have you ever used non sweet almond milk?

    Reply
    • Arlene Mobley

      September 06, 2014 at 11:21 am

      Barb

      No I have never tried making yogurt with any other milk.

      Reply
  2. April @ The 21st Century Housewife

    February 16, 2014 at 9:41 am

    This is a wonderful tutorial for homemade yogurt - you've made it look really do-able! It's not something I've tried myself yet but this post is really encouraging. I love the ida of a vanilla bean flavoured yogurt - it sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing this post with us at the Hearth and Soul hop, Arlene 🙂

    Reply
    • Arlene Mobley

      February 16, 2014 at 4:27 pm

      April

      Thank you!

      Reply
5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Hi, I'm Arlene Mobley the cook & photographer here at Flour On My Face. I have been cooking for my family for over 40 years. I love sharing recipes to help busy families get dinner on the table.

More about me →

social social social social

We Have Been Featured In

Alfredo Sauce Recipes

  • A bowl of alfredo gnocchi soup served with buttered bread.
    Chicken Alfredo Gnocchi Soup
  • Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce served over fettuccine with garlic sticks.
    Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce
  • A bowl filled with creamy chicken tortellini alfredo on a table.
    Chicken Tortellini Alfredo
  • A creamy roasted garlic alfredo served over pasta on a green dinner plate.
    Roasted Garlic Alfredo Sauce
See more Alfredo Sauce Recipes →

Cheesecake Recipes

  • cheesecake graham cracker crust pressed into a baking pan.
    Cheesecake Graham Cracker Crust Recipe
  • A single slice of apple cheesecake garnished with whip cream, caramel sauce and chopped pecans on a dessert plate.
    Apple Cheesecake
  • A slice of choclate cheesecake filling on a white dessert plate.
    Chocolate Cheesecake Filling
  • Sliced White Chocolate Cheesecake filling baked with a ladyfinger crust and garnished with whip cream, chocolate curls and berries.
    White Chocolate Cheesecake Filling
See more Cheesecakes →

Breakfast Recipes

  • Preview image collage of brunch punch, Danish, fruit salad, and sausage casserole.
    Mothers Day Brunch Ideas
  • Serving Amish Breakfast Casserole with buttered toast.
    Amish Breakfast Casserole
  • Homemade blueberry sauce in a vintage glass
    Blueberry Sauce
  • A blue bowl filled with a serving of homemade apple cinnamon raisin oatmeal.
    Instant Oatmeal Packets
See more Breakfast Recipes →

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • Privacy Policy

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Contact

  • Contact

Flour On My Face is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Copyright ©2025 Flour On My Face

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.