Y’all, I’m going to be real here for a minute. Dairy-free crap is PRICEY. I spend about $25 a week in “milk” alone, not including the “cheese,” “yogurt,” “bread,” and everything else that can’t have dairy (which often means I end up buying the single most expensive version of a given item). My kids LOVE yogurt, but buying it dairy-free costs me about $5.50 for a large tub of it. That makes for some expensive breakfasts of yogurt and granola, let me tell you, but I hate telling them no just because the foods that are safe for them are more expensive than their dairy-filled counterparts. I’ve been trying to find a way to make dairy-free yogurt at home and have experimented probably half a dozen times (to the loss of lots of dairy-free milk) and FINALLY have a recipe that is both kid-and-mama-approved– a Instant Pot dairy-free yogurt recipe with Ripple milk!
For those who don’t know all the milk alternatives, Ripple is a pea protein-based milk, that’s higher in protein and lower in sugar than any of the nut milks on the market. Plus, it comes in a pretty bottle. It’s a little more expensive than the other nut milks, but Target, Central Market, Trader Joes, Whole Foods, or Sprouts often have it on sale. For us, the nutrient benefits outweigh the slight uptick in cost, especially since our kids have milk with every meal and I now use it to make Instant Pot dairy-free yogurt.
Why the Instant Pot to make their yogurt? Well, for starters, it’s a set-it-and-forget-it option. I make the mixture in a small pan, pour it into mason jars, and let it sit in the Instant Pot for the night. When I wake up in the morning, we have dairy-free yogurt! It’s seriously the easiest thing in the world to make, as long as you have a good recipe for it, and it saves you a ton at the store. I wish I could explain how life-changing this Instant Pot dairy-free yogurt recipe with Ripple milk has been for our family. I know that sounds ridiculous, but it really has made my morning routine go SO much better because I’m not worried about having to buy another expensive thing of yogurt and my boys get exactly what they want for breakfast.
Thanks to the agar powder, Ripple milk, and probiotic capsules (making sure they include at least one fermenting bacteria like acidophilus, thermophilus, or bulgaricus– these are the ones I use), you’ll have vegan yogurt in no time! If you prefer, you can substitute this vegan yogurt starter for the probiotic capsules. It’s amazing with a little spoonful of my Instant Pot lemon blueberry jam, a swirl of honey, fruit, or granola. The best part is, by using unsweetened Ripple milk, it comes out as plain dairy-free yogurt that you can sub for sour cream or Greek yogurt in any recipe!
Ingredients
- 1/2 c water
- 4 t agar powder
- 1 T honey (sub maple syrup if you want it vegan)
- 3 c room-temperature unsweetened Ripple milk
- 2 probiotic capsules-- must contain at least one fermenting bacteria
- If you prefer, you can substitute one packet of this vegan yogurt starter for the probiotics.
Instructions
- In a small pan on the stove, heat up the water, agar powder, and honey until the agar powder is dissolved.
- Slowly stream the 3 cups of room-temperature Ripple milk into the hot liquid over low to medium heat until it reaches about 110* (on the hot side of warm, but still able to stick your finger in it).
- Into the milk mixture, sprinkle two probiotic capsules (just pull them apart and sprinkle over it).
- Pour into a few pint-size mason jars.
- Set the mason jars in your Instant Pot, hit "yogurt" and set it to 12 hours.
- Put the lid on (sealed or not doesn't matter since it's not coming to pressure) and walk away!
- 12 hours later, take the jars out of your Instant Pot and stick them in your fridge WITHOUT stirring. This will let it thicken up into yummy yogurt!
- Once thick, use with any toppings you wish (our personal favorite is adding a swirl of Instant Pot Lemon Blueberry Jam).
Sharing with my vegan peoples now!
Woohoo!
Is making unsweetened Greek style yogurt possible with this recipe? How would I adapt?
So, just to clarify, no water s needed in the bottom of the instant pot? Just put the jars in the dry inner pot?
Yep, it’s not steaming or coming to pressure. It’s just incubating it so the bacteria can work!
How long can you keep the yogurt in the fridge?
I’d say probably a week? Maybe longer. It never lasts more than a couple of days at my house! Lol
Hi, can I use other dairy free milk with this recipe? It is difficult for me to get Ripple. Thanks!
Hi Caitlyn, I just realized that you already answered this on Facebook. Sorry, I thought it was someone else…
No problem at all! 🙂
I’m not sure, since I haven’t tried, but I suspect so!
Im trying this tonight with gelatin instead of agar. I hope it comes out ok. Not a fan of seaweed.
I haven’t tried it! The idea was to keep it vegan, which gelatin is not, but I bet it’ll work, too. You can’t taste the agar if it helps at all! 🙂
Did you ever try it with the gelatin instead of agar? I don’t want to have to order agar if I don’t have to, but really want to try this.
Did this work with gelatin?
I just use the agar in the recipe to keep it vegan, but if you’re cool with that (I am), I don’t see why it wouldn’t work!
Question: do I put the lid on the mason jars while in the Instant Pot? Or when I take them out?
Either way will work!
Do I stir in the probiotics, or just sprinkle on top? Thanks!
instead of incubating it in jars, can you just leave it in the instant pot liner as you would regular yogurt and then spoon it out into a container the following morning? Any straining needed to get it to the thickness of greek yogurt. I am wondering if VSL#3 probiotic capsules would work?
Honestly, I’m not sure about leaving it in the liner. I don’t know if the metal would make it taste weird, but it might be worth a shot! Some days, I need to strain and others, I don’t. It probably has to do with how patient I am and how many times I open the lid.
Can I use non-dairy yogurt starter instead of the agar? I saw that you could replace the probiotic with non dairy yogurt starter but what about the agar?
The agar is what thickens it up, since the non-dairy milks are missing some of the key ingredients that make yogurt thick. I don’t THINK that would work, but it might be worth a shot!
Can u sub guar or xanthum gums for the agar? I have both and hate to buy another lol
I haven’t tried it, but maybe! Let me know how it goes!