Have you ever wanted to make your own Greek yogurt? I’ve made this recipe countless times, and you can, too. Just follow the easy directions and enjoy thick, creamy homemade Greek yogurt any time you like.
I first published this recipe on March 6, 2011. Hundreds of readers added comments and questions over the years, so now I’ve updated the post with new photos and more information.
Back in 2011 a blog was often like an online diary, but these days most readers want the information presented quickly and concisely. “We don’t want to read your life story!” they say, so I’ve removed my original scintillating intro about tasting FAGE Greek yogurt for the first time at my aunt’s home.
There’s even a “jump to recipe” button at the top of the post now, so you can skip the step by step tutorial if you wish and go straight to the printable recipe card. What a time to be alive!
Shall we make some delicious homemade Greek yogurt?
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Amazing Flavor and Texture: Thick, creamy Greek yogurt compares to regular yogurt like a home-grown tomato compares to a February grocery store tomato; it tastes a kazillion times better!
Economical: If you eat a lot of Greek yogurt like I do (almost every morning), the cost can add up. Making your own yogurt from scratch is easy and saves money!
All Natural: You’ll have total control over the ingredients, so you can avoid the additives in store-bought yogurt and make a very pure product.
Ingredients Notes
You only need two simple ingredients to make 48 ounces of your own fantastic, creamy, thickened yogurt:
1/2 gallon milk – fat content of your choice. I generally use organic whole milk or 2% milk. The higher the fat content in the milk you use, the creamier your yogurt will be.
Note: I prefer to prepare this recipe with organic milk, which is produced without any synthetic chemicals, hormones or antibiotics. (Antibiotics may interfere with the yogurt-making process.)
Make sure you use regular pasteurized milk instead of ultra-pasteurized. Why? Ultra-pasteurized milk is briefly heated at a high temperature that can kill the live cultures in the milk.
2 to 3 tablespoons plain prepared yogurt (make sure it contains live, active cultures)
Note: After making your first batch, you can simply save a couple tablespoons of your homemade yogurt to start the next batch. I love that this process becomes indefinitely sustainable!
Money Saving Tip
If your grocery story has a bargain section in the dairy case, check for organic milk that is nearing its expiration date.
This milk is perfect for yogurt making, and is often sold at a discount.
Cooking Equipment
Here’s what you’ll need to prepare this homemade Greek yogurt recipe:
- Cooking thermometer – either a candy thermometer or an instant-read thermometer work best
- Large mesh strainer
- Mixing bowl that the strainer fits inside, so the yogurt can drain
- Cheesecloth to fit 4 layers when draped over the strainer
Step by Step Directions
To make regular yogurt without a yogurt maker, I’ve always followed the basic recipe in the Joy of Cooking cookbook.
The finished yogurt is then strained through cheesecloth for a few hours to release extra whey and liquids and transform into creamy Greek yogurt. Here’s the process:
STEP ONE: To begin, pour 2 tablespoons of the milk in a small bowl and reserve.
STEP TWO: Pour the rest of the milk into a double boiler or heavy-bottomed pan and turn the heat to medium. If using a double boiler, cover the milk. If the pot is directly on the burner, stir it and watch it very, very carefully so you don’t burn the bottom.
STEP THREE: Heat the milk to 180 degrees F. It helps to clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan so you can carefully watch the temperature as it rises. Or you can check frequently with an instant read thermometer.
STEP FOUR: As soon as the temperature reaches 180 degrees, F, immediately remove the pot from the stove. Pour the milk through a wire mesh strainer into a 3 quart baking dish and leave it uncovered.
Put the dish on a cooling rack at room temperature, and let the milk cool to between 105 and 110 degrees F. Stir it a few times during the cooling process to prevent a “skin” from forming on top of the milk.
In our kitchen, this took about 50 minutes. (Note: remember to leave the dish completely uncovered at this stage, so the good bacteria from the air can start working their magic!)
STEP FIVE: While you’re waiting for the milk to cool, turn on your oven to the “warm” or “proof” setting. If your oven doesn’t have that setting, turn it to 150 degrees F.
STEP SIX: Combine the 2 tablespoons of milk you saved with 2 1/2 tablespoons prepared yogurt in a small bowl and reserve.
PRO TIP: Resist the temptation to add more than 3 tablespoons yogurt. According to the Joy of Cooking, “you may wonder why so little starter is used and think that a little more will give a better result. It won’t. The bacillus, if crowded, gives a sour, watery product.”
STEP SEVEN: Once the milk has cooled to between 105 and 110 degrees, add the yogurt-milk mixture and stir well to combine. (Don’t forget this important step.) Put the lid on the casserole dish and cover it with a dishtowel to help insulate it from temperature fluctuations.
STEP EIGHT: Turn your oven off, but now turn the oven light on. Just the light from the oven should keep the dish warm enough to enable the yogurt-making process.
Put the towel-covered dish in the oven, making sure that the towel isn’t touching the oven lightbulb, and leave the oven light on.
Note: If your oven light doesn’t emit any heat, you can alternately put the towel-covered dish on a heating pad set on “low,” or put it in a cooler with a snug-fitting lid and several sealed jars of hot water to maintain the heat.
Leave the yogurt undisturbed for 7 or 8 hours, or overnight.
STEP NINE: In the morning, carefully take the dish out, unwrap it and remove the lid, and check to see whether the milk has turned to yogurt. After ten hours, this is how our yogurt looked:
If your batch isn’t quite thickened, return it to the oven and check on it again in an hour. Once the yogurt is sufficiently thickened, you can stop at this stage if you want regular yogurt. Just stir the mixture and refrigerate it; you may need to pour off a little of the watery liquid. Don’t forget to turn off the light in your oven!
STEP TEN: For creamy Greek yogurt, refrigerate the yogurt in the covered dish for at least three hours to allow it to completely cool and thicken.
Meanwhile, line a large strainer with four layers of damp cheesecloth and find a bowl that the strainer will fit inside:
STEP ELEVEN: Put the strainer inside the large bowl, and spoon in all the yogurt to start the straining process.
Refrigerate for one hour. Pour out the liquid that has accumulated in the bottom of the bowl. This is the whey—that’s right, the very same delicacy Little Miss Muffet ate while she was sitting on her tuffet.
You can save the whey and use it for cooking or baking (like this yummy Whey Sourdough Bread).
Return the bowl to the refrigerator for one more hour, and strain the liquid again. Our batch drained off about two cups of whey, but you may have more or less and that’s fine.
The yogurt should now look thick and creamy:
STEP TWELVE: It’s ready to serve! Transfer it to a bowl and stir it for a minute or two to smooth the thick yogurt before serving. Or spoon it into a container and refrigerate it, tightly covered, for up to a week. Makes about 6 cups, or 8 6-ounce servings.
Serving Suggestions
You can enjoy the Greek yoghurt as is, or top it with:
Remember to save a couple of tablespoons of your homemade yogurt so you can use it as starter for the next batch!
Other Ways to Use Greek Yogurt
- Use it in place of sour cream in your favorite dip recipe.
- Make Tzatziki Sauce, the sauce/dip that’s popular with gyros and in Mediterranean cuisine.
- Spoon it over a baked potato.
- Blend it into a breakfast smoothie.
- Make yogurt popsicles!
Troubleshooting: If Your Homemade Greek Yogurt Doesn’t Thicken
After many successful batches of homemade yogurt, I recently had a big FAIL. The only thing I’d done differently was to use our smaller, upper oven to incubate the yogurt instead of the lower oven I usually use.
When I pulled the yogurt out the next morning it hadn’t thickened at all; it was simply a big bowl of warm milk. I was so disappointed! At first I suspected the milk, because I’d used the big-name brand of organic milk that is known to be ultra-pasteurized. But when I measured the temperature of the milk, it was 130 degrees – too hot.
I decided to experiment with the failed batch, and let the milk cool back to 110 degrees. Then I added 2 more tablespoons of yogurt mixed with 1 tablespoon of milk. (My thinking was that the too-high temperature had killed the live cultures from the previously-added yogurt.)
I wrapped the bowl in a towel, put it in the lower oven with the oven light on, and let it rest for 8 hours.
When I opened the lid, I was amazed to see that the batch was thick and creamy. In fact, it was one of the thickest batches I’ve ever made. The consistency was slightly sticky, but after I strained the yogurt it was fine.
So if you ever have a batch that fails, you may want to try again and try to find the right spot where you can keep the yogurt at that ideal temperature of about 110 degrees F.
Printable Recipe Card
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Homemade Greek Yogurt
Equipment
- Candy thermometer
- Large mesh strainer
- Large mixing bowl
- Cheesecloth
- 3-quart casserole dish
- cooling rack
- Large dishtowel
Ingredients
- 1/2 gallon whole organic milk
- 2 1/2 tablespoons plain yogurt with active cultures
Instructions
- Pour 2 tablespoons of the milk in a small bowl and reserve.
- Pour the rest of the milk into a double boiler or heavy-bottomed pan and turn the heat to medium. If using a double boiler, cover the milk. If the pot is directly on the burner, stir it and watch it very, very carefully so you don’t burn the bottom.
- Heat the milk to 180 degrees F. It helps to clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan so you can carefully watch the temperature as it rises. Or you can check frequently with an instant read thermometer.
- As soon as the temperature reaches 180 degrees, F, immediately remove the pot from the stove. Pour the milk through a wire mesh strainer into a 3 quart baking dish and leave it uncovered. Let the milk cool to between 105 and 110 degrees F, stirring a few times during the cooling process to prevent a “skin” from forming on top of the milk.
- Turn on your oven to the “warm” or “proof” setting. If your oven doesn’t have that setting, turn it to 150 degrees F.
- Combine the 2 tablespoons of milk you saved with 2 1/2 tablespoons prepared yogurt in a small bowl and reserve.
- Once the milk has cooled to between 105 and 110 degrees, add the yogurt-milk mixture and stir well to combine. Put the lid on the casserole dish and cover it with a dishtowel to help insulate it from temperature fluctuations.
- Turn your oven off, but now turn the oven light on. Just the light from the oven should keep the dish warm enough to enable the yogurt-making process. Put the towel-covered dish in the oven, making sure that the towel isn’t near the oven lightbulb, and leave the oven light on. Leave the yogurt undisturbed for 7 or 8 hours, or overnight.
- After 8 hours or the next morning, carefully take the dish out, unwrap it and remove the lid, and check to see whether the milk has turned to yogurt. If your batch isn’t quite thickened, return it to the oven and check on it again in an hour.
- Once the yogurt is sufficiently thickened, place the dish in the refrigerator for 3 hours. Cut 4 pieces of cheesecloth to fit inside a large wire mesh strainer. Run the cheesecloth under water and squeeze out as much water as you can.
- Line the strainer with the cheesecloth and place it inside a large mixing bowl. Spoon all of the yogurt into the strainer. Refrigerate for 1 hour and pour the liquid that has accumulated into a large measuring cup. Return the bowl to the refrigerator for one more hour, and strain the liquid again.
- Your delicious Greek yogurt is ready to enjoy! Stir it for a minute or two to smooth the mixture before serving. Or spoon it into a container and refrigerate it, tightly covered, for up to a week. Makes about 6 cups, or 8 6-ounce servings.
Notes
Nutrition
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Eliza Cross is the creator of Happy Simple Living, where she shares ideas to help busy people simplify cooking, gardening, holidays, home, and money. She is also the award-winning author of 17 cookbooks, including Small Bites and 101 Things To Do With Bacon.
got busy and left the yogurt warming 4 days. bitter as penicillan.is it safe to use as starter?
I wouldn’t take a chance, especially since it’s bitter. I hope you have better luck with the next batch. :)
xo
Eliza,
Thank you for this recipe! I made my first batch last Saturday and it turned out great. I have another batch cooling now. Since I eat greek yogurt everyday, this is going to be a real money saver.
Thank you sooo much for the recipe and all the wonderful encouragement from everyone’s comments!!! I finally made my first batch–used 2 cups whole organic ultra-p (all I could find), 1 cup organic heavy whipping cream (u-p, again), and three tbls Voskos’ plain yogurt–my oven wasn’t cooperative, so I put a large corning lasagna pan of HOT water on the shelf below–this morning I had yogurt that was the consistency of thick pudding, and tastes like a cross between whipped cream and creme cheese–not at all sour like commercial yogurt!!! I am one happy camper!!!
Your note makes me a happy camper, too! So glad you’re happy with the recipe.
I can’t wait to try this. As soon as I get to the store today to buy a yogurt to start it with. :)
My husband and I both have been successful in making the greek yogurt, and we love it. As a result we would like to start using 1-gal of milk, rather than the 1/2-gal on the recipe. Would you please confirm that the starter would be doubled, I would assume this is correct but wanted to ask to be sure, thank you!
Kady, yes – just double the recipe and it will work fine. I’m so glad you’re enjoying making Greek yogurt!
xo
My URL is e1.ij.net/pce3/introduction.asp
I disagree with leaving the lid off the milk during the hour it is set out to cool. while the milk may cool quicker due to evaporation it is just as easy to introduce bad as well as good bacteria. Once the milk cools below 140F deg. you are at risk of introducing several bacterias that the reason for pasteurizing is to eliminate in the first place.
I’m so glad that you posted how you turned the failed attempt into a success- I am making a batch right now, and it has been a few months since I’ve made any. I accidentally put the starter in as soon as I poured the hot milk into the bowl- so it was still 180. I figured too that the starter got killed, and while I was waiting to let the temp drop I found your comment. So glad I didn’t pour out the milk! I think it will work out just fine!
Thanks for sharing this recipe, Eliza. You’re lucky that you can buy organic milk at such a reasonable price in the States. One litre of organic milk costs me $5.69. I can buy Krema yogourt for cheaper, but I would still like to try making my own! You make it sound easy and painless :)
This is pretty awesome.. thanks
Eliza,
I’m about to make my very first batch of yogurt, and I’m very excited. But I have a question.
Greek yogurt is supposed to have more protein than regular yogurt, but if the difference in the two is subtracting fluid, how does the yogurt gain more protein?
Thanks for your time and website.
Michele
Hi, Michele,
When you strain out the whey to make Greek-style yogurt, the remaining protein in the yogurt gets more concentrated vs. regular yogurt. Hope that helps.
xo
Boil some milk.
Let it cool until you can put your hand in it.
Add 1-2% by weight of last week’s yogurt.
Cover it. Typically this was done outside during the day.
In the evening you will have yogurt.
Thank you so much for this recipe! I am on the last hour of straining, and WOW! It smells so great, I cannot describe it. Of course you know, LOL!! I am so thrilled that it worked exactly as described.
My husband is SO HAPPY about how much money we are saving, it’s tremendous!! Thank you again!!
Edie,
I’m so glad you are happy with the recipe. Good to hear your husband is pleased, too! :-)
xo
I didn’t read all the posts, but I did want to add that you can use a coffee filter as well to reduce the whey content of the yogurt. I learned this several years ago from a greek recipe book that I bought in Greece. Before “Greek” yogurt arrived in stores, I had to reduce regular yogurt using a strainer and a coffee filter to make tsaziki.
Ed – thanks for this tip!
Hi, I am from India and have often wondered what is Greek yogurt. I read your recipe and found it very similar to the way we prepare it in India. In India we seldom buy yogurt from a super market. It’s mostly made at home the same way as you described. The only thing that we don’t do is the straining bit. It also takes a lot less time to set, India being a tropical country. Next time a recipe requires Greek yogurt I now know what to use. Thanks a lot
Ash, thanks for sharing your perspective from India – very interesting! xo
Can the whey be used to make ricotta like whey from cheeses can?
Before Greek yogurt became a buzzword, I always heard this called yogurt cheese.
I would absolutely love to try this recipe! Greek yogurt has become the new mayonaise for most recipes in our household. We spread it on sandwiches and even use it to make dill salad dressing…..
Anyway.. Is there a substitute for using the heating pad? We dont have one and I am not sure how to “pack” our ice cooler with hot jars. I am pretty sure the oven light does not give off heat either.
Any suggestions would be great because I really want to try this…
I was wondering if you have ever tried to make non dairy yogurt. Let’s say with either soy or almond milk and soy yogurt as base.
Thank you
Milena,
I haven’t made these types of yogurt yet, but our friends at Fiasco goat farm shared some specific tips about making soy milk yogurt in this post: https://fiascofarm.com/dairy/yogurt.htm
Good luck!
xoxo
Thank you so much for posting!! Mine turned out wonderful. My 7 year old kept calling it whipped cream (no matter how many times I reminded him it was just yogurt), he will only eat raw vegetables, and has been tiring of ranch dressing, but today he dipped his raw rolled up cabbage into the yogurt we made last night. So now we all have a new favorite veggie dip, it is mild enough to eat without sugar/seasoning. We replaced sour cream with plain yogurt last year and go through an expensive container too quickly. Now we can all eat and enjoy yogurt at a fraction of the cost.
I will use the leftover whey to make ricotta this time, but our chickens and dogs will love it too!
Nicole, I’m so glad the recipe worked for you — and especially happy to hear that your 7-year-old liked it! The vegetable dip idea is brilliant — thanks for sharing. xoxo
My first time to try this recipe. Can I just add any yogurt to the milk.Is it all active.Looking forward to trying the recipe. I have boughten yogurt that I will use. Thx Donna
Hi, Donna – look for the phrase “live cultures” on the yogurt container and you should be fine. xo
After researching many different methods, I decided yours was the simplest to follow and wow, I made the best homemade yogurt ever! The only time my batches didn’t turn out so well was when I deviated from your instructions! I did find that a milk temp of 115-110 works best for me. I also got some organic milk from a local dairy..just pasteurized, not “ultra” pasteurized and my recent batch came out so darn thick I didnt even have to strain it! I just poured off the whey. Amazing! I love this homemade yogurt. It’s not as tart as store bought..makes wonderful dips as well, and as you say, more economical and more healthful. Just pure, wonderful yogurt. I also love mine with honey. Thanks so much for these wonderful instructions!! Gratefully!
Brenda,
I’m so glad the recipe worked for you and turned out thick and delicious. Thanks so much for your note! :-)
xo
Years ago when I made yogurt at home and strained it through cheesecloth, (I used coffee filters)it was simply called “yogurt cheese”. We even used purchased yogurt, probably Dannon. If we wanted it thicker, we strained it. It was still “yogurt cheese” But thanks for the recipe. Looks great!
My yogurt turned out great! I put it into clean mason jars, leaving room at the top for the yogurt to expand. I put the lids on the jars and put them into an insulated lunch bag large enough to accommodate the jars plus a jar of warm water to maintain the temperature. I waited 8 hours. And honestly, the waiting is the hardest part! It turned out really well, and not at all tart. I am really happy with the results! Thanks again for this recipe.
I used Stonyfield Organic Plain Fat-Free yogurt because that’s what I had on hand.
Carol – thanks for sharing your specific directions. I want to try this method next….sounds nice and easy! :-)
this recipe sounds so simple … my only problem is my oven only goes down to 170, is that going to mess up my yogurt ??thank you
Christina B. My oven only goes down to 170 degrees F. I made yogurt by putting the oven on at 170 for about five minutes, shut it off, put a bowl of yogurt in oven covered with plastic wrap and you may wrap with a warm towel. Let it set overnight. This was the first time, in a long time I’ve made yogurt. In the morning, after about 8 hours, I turned on the oven to 170, waited 5 minutes, shut it off, put a pan of hot water in oven and returned the bowl of yogurt beside pan. I then left the house for several hours. I have yogurt!
Don’t know how ) missed this till now but i am SO EXCITED to try this!thank you for posting Eliza!
So glad you like the recipe! xoxo
Wow! This yogurt is so delightful!
I needed my oven for a roast, so I followed someone’s suggestion to use a cooler with several jars of hot water.
I filled up the jars with very hot water (put on the lids of course) , and then placed the yogurt bowl on top of the jars. I was concerned that the yogurt would not stay warm enough, but it turned out perfect.
Thank You!!
Thank you for sharing your experience, Sara, and I’m glad you were happy with the recipe. xoxo
I live in Canada and in winters I put my yogurt on the heating vent for 6-7 hours ,and in summer I put in on the patio if the day is hot, and it works beautifully.
What a great way to take advantage of free heat. Thanks for sharing this, Madhu. xo
I was heating my milk got it up to 170 degrees. Then the milk did something crazy and separated . Looks like curds and whey. What did I do wrong?
Dear Jeanie,
Oh, no! Sorry to hear this happened. My best guess would be that your thermometer is off a bit, because it sounds like the milk got too hot and curdled. You’ve probably seen the term “scald” in recipes that call for heating milk, which means to heat the milk until it’s almost, but not quite, simmering. A slightly lower temperature should do the trick, and I hope you have better results next time.
xoxo
I attempted to make this yogurt last night and followed all the steps to a T. When I checked on it this morning it was still liquid. I thought I messed up but had to get going so I just left it in the oven the rest of the day with the light on. When I check it this afternoon it was like yogurt. My question is: is it safe?? Is it really yogurt?? It had been in the oven for 14 hours…that can’t be safe to consume? What do you think? I don’t want to toss it if it is okay.
Thanks!
I had a similar experience with a batch of yogurt, and it thickened during the second try and was delicious. I told myself that people have been making yogurt for thousands of years in less-than-ideal conditions and it was probably fine. At the same time, I’d always err on the side of caution. If you have any doubts, your intuition is best.