Simple Crock Pot Greek Yogurt

The recipe prices will vary based on fluctuating grocery costs. Please use what is posted as a guide.

This Crock-Pot Greek Yogurt recipe is easy to make, so creamy, and very economical. The batch costs $3.63 to make 24 servings. That’s just 15¢ per half-cup serving!

Greek yogurt seems to be all the rage these days. At first, I thought it was a fad. But once I began looking into it, I realized just how many health benefits Greek yogurt offers. It is an excellent source of calcium and probiotics, just to name a couple. 

I had some friends tell me about making Greek yogurt at home, and really, it seemed a little complicated, so I stayed away. However, my friends kept insisting that it was such an easy process.

So I decided to give it a go. And guess what?! I guess you know what I am going to say since this blog post is called Crock Pot Greek Yogurt. 🙂 It was awesome!

Making this recipe in a slow cooker is such an easy recipe. It also tastes great, is way healthier than store-bought, and costs way less! Do you know how much it costs per oz of Greek Yogurt in the grocery store? It’s around $0.12. You guys, our homemade yogurt costs $0.04! 

It sounds too good to be true, but I promise it isn’t. It is the best Greek yogurt!

Crock Pot Greek Yogurt Recipe Questions Answered:

Can I use Greek yogurt to make homemade yogurt?

Yes! As long as the yogurt has live cultures, you can use it to make your homemade yogurt. After your first batch, you can use your homemade yogurt as the starter for the next batch. I have found that I only like to use my homemade yogurt as the starter for 2-3 batches.

Each time the batch seems to get a little tangier. On the 4th batch, I start over with a fresh activator from the store. You may like it a little more tangy tasting, though, so you may find you can go longer before needing to start fresh again. 

How do you make Greek yogurt taste better?

I love the taste of plain Greek Yogurt with some granola on it. However, some people find they need to sweeten it up a little bit. You can do this by adding some fresh fruit, a little bit of jam, maple syrup, or honey. Flavor extracts are a great addition as well.

What happens if you use too much yogurt starter?

The active cultures in the starter yogurt are what helps the milk set up into yogurt when it is warmed. If too much is used, the environment for the yogurt to form becomes too acidic, which blocks the process of the yogurt setting up. Double-check your measurement before you add the Greek yogurt into the warm milk.

How to get the kids involved with this recipe:

• Ages 2-3: Let them help pour the gallon of milk in the Crock-Pot.
• Ages 4-5: Let them help pour the gallon of milk in the Crock-Pot. They can also help whisk the yogurt when needed. 
• Ages 6-8: Have them pour the milk in and mix in the activator. Teach them how to turn on the Crock-Pot. 
• Ages 9-11: Supervise them while they prepare the entire recipe. Remember to have them read it twice before beginning the recipe. 
• Ages 12+: Let them prepare the entire recipe, unsupervised, while you do the happy dance in the corner!

Discover why we love getting the kids involved in the kitchen and more tips in our How to Get Kids Involved In Cooking article.

The flavor and Recipe Variations:

• Vanilla Greek Yogurt: stir in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract into the strained yogurt. 
• Top with strawberries, bananas, blueberries, raspberries, or other fruit

More Healthy Recipes:

• • BBQ Chicken Salad
  • Chana Masala
  • Grab and Go Yogurt Parfait Boxes
  • Greek Mason Jar Salads
  • Green Smoothie
  • Homemade Granola
  • Italian Zucchini Boats
  • Mango Banana Smoothie
  • Mexican Chicken Rice Bowls
  • Oven-Baked Salmon
  • Skillet Tilapia
  • Zucchini Taco Boats

How long is this good for:

• Serve: As with most recipes with dairy products in them, you shouldn’t leave this yogurt out for longer than 2 hours. 
• Store: Keep the yogurt in an airtight container in the refrigerator (I like to use glass) for up to 2 weeks. 
• Freeze: As with most cooked dairy products, this yogurt will not freeze well. 

How much will this Crock Pot Greek Yogurt cost:

RECIPE COST: $3.63

PRICE PER SERVING: $0.15

To find out more about how we price our recipes, check out Budget Recipes Explained.

NOTE: The cost of the yogurt will go down once you use a cup of your yogurt to start the batch with active cultures. 

• 1-gallon whole milk – $2.47
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt – $1.16

Cook’s Tools:

• crock-pot
• instant-read thermometer
• Cheesecloth
• large fine-mesh strainer or large colander

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Crock-Pot Greek Yogurt

Recipe Cost 3.63

Serving Cost 0.15

Course Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine Greek

This Crock-Pot Greek Yogurt recipe is easy to make, so creamy, and very economical. The batch costs $3.63 to make 24 servings. That's just 15¢ per serving!

Servings: 24 people

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 3 hours hrs

Total Time 18 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Equipment

• Crock-Pot
• instant-read thermometer
• Cheesecloth
• Large fine-mesh strainer or larger colander

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• 1 gallon milk whole milk
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt at room temperature (this will be the starter culture)

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Pour the milk into the Crock-Pot insert, cover, and heat over HIGH heat for 2 ½ – 3 hours, or until the milk registers 180 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer.
• Turn off the slow cooker, cover, and let the milk sit until it has cooled to 110 degrees F. This will take about 2-3 hours.
• Add the room-temperature Greek yogurt to the milk and gently whisk it into the milk.
• Unplug the slow cooker and wrap it with a bath towel. Let the mixture sit for 10-12 hours (when you open the lid you’ll see that the milk be a little chunky and it will have separated some from the whey).
• Place a large fine-mesh strainer or colander over a large bowl. Line the strainer or colander with cheesecloth.
• Pour the milk mixture into the strainer or colander. Let the mixture strain for 2-4 hours. The longer you let it strain, the thicker the yogurt will be. I like to strain mine for 2 hours and I end up with 12 cups of yogurt and just over 4 cups of whey.
• Transfer the yogurt to an air-tight container and keep it in the refrigerator. The yogurt will keep for 1 ½ – 2 weeks.
• When you’re running low on yogurt, use 1 cup of this batch as your starter culture to make your next batch.

Notes

The longer you let it the yogurt strain, the thicker the yogurt will be. This will also vary the yield of this recipe. I usually let my yogurt strain for about 2 hours and I get about 12 cups of yogurt. 

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 101kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 71mg | Potassium: 220mg | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 256IU | Calcium: 187mg | Iron: 1mg

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