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I love yogurt. I grew up packing it in my school lunches, and my favorite was go-gurt (can anyone relate? Do they still make that stuff?) When I became vegan, I enjoyed vegan yogurts, but it was just too expensive.

Fast forward about fifteen years of being vegan. When Ryan was hospitalized for cancer, I stayed with my pastor’s mom to be closer to John’s Hopkins where he was being treated. This lady was an amazing hostess and incredible vegan cook. So during my stay at her house, I encountered homemade cultured vegan yogurt for the first time. I was impressed.

However, I waited several years before I got on the bandwagon myself. Why? Because I didn’t have an instant pot. At one point we tried culturing yogurt in the oven, but it was just too much hassle to me. Finally the day came and I bought my instant pot. No turning back for me! My instant pot makes so many recipes incredibly convenient. To this day, however, my favorite thing to make in my instant pot is this super easy, 5-minute, thick and tasty soy yogurt. I love it so much I generally make a double batch.

Let’s talk about how you can make your own soy yogurt at home using only three simple ingredients: soy milk, probiotic capsules, and tapioca starch.

Why Make Your Own Soy Yogurt?

Soy yogurt is a healthy and delicious alternative to dairy yogurt. It’s high in protein, calcium, and other essential nutrients, and it is also low in fat and calories. Soy yogurt is also a great source of probiotics, which are beneficial bacteria that help to promote digestive health and boost the immune system. While there are many brands of soy yogurt available in stores, making your own at home allows you to control the quality of the ingredients and tailor the recipe to your own preferences. I also calculate it to cost about 50% of purchased yogurt using the products I recommend.

Ingredients You Will Need

The ingredients needed to make soy yogurt in an Instant Pot are simple, but it is important to choose the correct ingredients for great results.

• Soy milk with the only ingredient being soybeans. I’ve found three good sources: WalMart, WestSoy brand; Trader Joe’s in the green container; EdenSoy (can be found on Amazon or health food stores). In my experience, Trader Joe’s is the cheapest. Tip: don’t be tempted to make your own soy milk at home. I’ve tried this. It’s highly labor intensive and yields a terrible texture. After doing more research, other blogs also validate the fact that you cannot use homemade soy milk for instant pot yogurt.
• Probiotic capsules or vegan yogurt starter: I have tried several different probiotic capsules and yogurt starters. I have finally settled on probiotic capsules as they are cheaper and yield a great result. Be advised, most probiotic capsules will not make yogurt since they likely don’t have the correct bacteria culture. I will link the ones below I use from Amazon that have the correct bacteria you need for making yogurt. Vegan yogurt starter also works well but is a bit more expensive.
• Tapioca starch: Tapioca starch helps to thicken the yogurt and give it a smooth, creamy texture. Without tapioca starch, your yogurt will be thin and runny. However, you can still enjoy your yogurt this way especially if you want to eat it with cereal or granola. Alternatively, you can strain it with a yogurt strainer to make it thicker. (See link below). However, my favorite method is to use tapioca starch so that I can have a nice, thick yogurt without the need to drain so much away. You can find tapioca starch in the baking aisle of most grocery stores. I’ll also add a link below.

Instructions

Making soy yogurt in an Instant Pot is a simple process that requires just a few steps.

To make the yogurt, simply pour your soy milk into the instant pot, open and dump in contents of probiotic capsules or yogurt starter, and add in tapioca starch. Stir with a whisk to combine. Close instant pot lid, press the “yogurt” button and increase time to 12 hours. If you get anxious and check it at 10 hours, it most likely will not be set. In my experience, it needs to go the full 12 hours or more.

Instead of pouring your soymilk directly into the instant pot, you can also use 3 pint-sized mason jars (clean, but don’t need to be sterile) in the instant pot and divide your ingredients between the jars. This makes storage and cleanup a breeze. However, if you choose to double the recipe like I do, this won’t give you enough space.

Storage

Store in refrigerator in an airtight container. My personal favorite way to eat my yogurt is to mix it with my favorite canned fruit (often peaches) or organic jam (usually strawberry). I love to eat it with my favorite granola in the morning.

Conclusion

Making soy yogurt in an Instant Pot is an easy and delicious way to enjoy this healthy and money-saving alternative to dairy yogurt. With just three simple ingredients and a little bit of patience, you can make your own soy yogurt at home and customize it to your own preferences. By using soy milk, probiotic capsules, and tapioca starch, you can create a thick and creamy yogurt that is full of beneficial bacteria and essential nutrients. I hope you enjoy this delicious yogurt as much as I do!