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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
Prep Time 12 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Culture 6 hours
Total Time 7 hours 57 minutes
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)
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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
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