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Rice Cooker Yogurt - The Easiest Recipe You’ll Find!

Ah, yogurt - the delicious, healthy food that we all love! From salad dressing to dessert - yogurt is everywhere. There are many ways to make yogurt at home, but I have always wondered if it’s possible to do that with a rice cooker - until I tried it and realized that it is!

So how do you prepare rice cooker yogurt?

Today I am going to share an easy recipe to make yogurt in a rice cooker. You’ll also find a list of tips to help you make your rice cooker yogurt perfect!

Is It A Good Idea To Use A Rice Cooker To Make Yoghurt?

Before we look at the recipe, it’s essential to understand if it is even a good idea to make yogurt in a rice cooker. You have to remember two things:

So, is it a bad idea to use a rice cooker to make yogurt? Not really! You see, the first thing you have to understand about making yogurt is that it needs to be incubated in a warm environment to boost the fermentation process.

What I like to do is use the rice cooker as an incubator only, without turning on the heat. This prevents excess heat from killing the bacteria needed to make it.

What Type of Rice Cooker is Ideal for Making Yoghurt?

Since you won’t exactly be needing the rice cooker for heating purposes when you make yogurt in it, there is no particular specification that you need to follow. However, if you can find a rice cooker with a “Keep Warm” option that goes down to 108-112 F.

However, there’s one other thing that you will need to make yogurt in your humble rice cooker - a ceramic or glass bowl that can fit into your rice cooker. This is the vessel in which you will make the yogurt.

Steps for Making Rice Cooker Yoghurt

Now let’s get to the perfect recipe for making rice cooker yogurt without breaking a sweat!

Step 1: Gather the Ingredients and Equipment.

The ingredients you need to make yogurt in the rice cooker include -

The list of equipment you need includes -

Now that the ingredients and the equipment are ready, it’s time to get cooking!

Step 2: Prepare the Milk.

Start by heating the milk to 181 F. It will take around 2-3 hours to bring the milk up to this temperature using a rice cooker. Use the thermometer to check the temperature of the milk frequently. Unless you only want to use the rice cooker for the entire process, you can heat the milk on the stove or in the microwave.

Now, it’s time to cook the milk down to 110 F before pitching the yogurt. It should take around 3-4 hours to do that. But if you put the milk in an ice bath, the process of bringing the temperature down will become much faster. Check the temperature using a thermometer to see

Step 3: It’s Time to Innoculate.

If you have ever made yogurt before, you know that the easiest way to do it at home is by using yogurt as a “starter”. To start the process of inoculation, you have to add yogurt to milk. But don’t just add the yogurt into the colling milk all at once!

First, take a cup of the warm milk. Then, add the yogurt into this cup of milk, whisking the two ingredients together while you do it. Next, add this mixture to the rest of the milk.

Step 4: Start Incubating.

To incubate the milk and yogurt mixture, put it in a glass/ceramic bowl, which you should put into the rice cooker. Then, place this bowl containing the inoculated milk into the rice cover and cover it with a thick towel.

Step 5: Let it Set.

Let the mixture sit in the warm environment of the insulated rice cooker for 8 hours or more. After that, your yogurt will set. To stop the process of fermentation and get just the right sharpness, place the bowl in the fridge for another 8 hours.

Set 6: Dig Right In!

Your delicious yogurt is ready! You can enjoy it just like that or with fruits and honey!

Frequently Asked Questions

** What kind of milk should be used for making yogurt in the rice cooker?

If you use full-fat milk, the yogurt you make will have a thick consistency compared with non-fat milk. UHT whole milk is the best for firm yogurt. But if you want to use semi-skimmed milk, you can add 2-5 tbsp of skimmed milk powder for each liter of milk for thicker yogurt.

What is the process of making non-dairy yogurt?

Making non-dairy yogurt is not that different from making dairy yogurt. The first thing you should remember is to make sure that the milk has as few additives as possible. Instead of yogurt as a starter, you have to use probiotic starters, usually available in the form of capsules.

Is yogurt the only starter for yogurt?

While yogurt is a tried and tested starter in homemade recipes, you can use probiotic powder, vegetable starter culture, or citric acid, as well. The process of using them is just about the same as using yogurt as a starter.

Why is there skin on top of my homemade yogurt?

If you are using pasteurized whole milk to make yogurt, it can leave a layer or skin on top. To get rid of this skin, bring the milk to a boil and allow it to cool down to a hand-hot temperature. Then strain the milk using a sieve before you follow the rest of the steps for making yogurt.

Can I make yogurt in an instant pot?

Making yogurt in an instant pot is quite easy. Using just a few buttons, you can get delicious yogurt in a crockpot. Some of them even come with a yogurt button! To learn more about how to make crockpot yogurt, watch this video.

Final Words

Making yogurt in the rice cooker is a fairly easy job. You will be using the rice cooker mainly for the purpose of incubation. The final result will turn out to be silky and creamy, depending on the type of milk you use.

Here’s something to think about: many people have advised me to put cream in the milk while making yogurt. I have never tried it, but I’ve tasted the yogurt that my friends make using cream, and it’s delicious! How about going the extra mile and experimenting with the recipe a little?