How To Make Homemade Vanilla Yogurt

Want to learn how to make vanilla yogurt with me today? Then keep reading, my dear friend!

As of today, I stopped counting the times I've made this recipe: I've tried making it with a yogurt maker and without, I've tried using whole milk and semi-skimmed, UHT and fresh milk, greek yogurt and regular yogurt...basically every combination possible!

So, by now, I know a few things, included how to flavor homemade yogurt.

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Let's learn how to make vanilla yogurt together

First, let me say: I'm not claiming I'm a "yogurt expert" (or whatever it's called), but I've learned from experience, from my mistakes, and now I can finally share with you some tips.

As I mentioned before, I've tried developing my yogurt recipe with all sorts of ingredients and combinations: whole milk and regular yogurt, whole milk with greek yogurt; semi-skimmed with regular yogurt; UHT and greek yogurt and so on.

Oh, also with or without yogurt maker.

I started making my own yogurt about 3 years ago, when I decided it was time to start eating healthy. Before that, I used to eat store-bought ones, but they're usually packed with sugars and I'm more a I'll-sweeten-it-by-myself kinda girl.

In simple terms, if I have to eat something sweet, I prefer to add sweeteners like ripe fruit, honey, maple/date/agave syrup and not buying the "already sweetened" stuff.

Consequently, when my boyfriend noticed I was constantly making homemade yogurt every week, he gifted me a yogurt maker (very similar to this one).

Best practices for making your own yogurt

Making yogurt at home can be tricky sometimes. In fact, I failed several times before finding the perfect ratio and brands of ingredients that worked.

So, my advice for you is: the first time, try to make a small amount of yogurt, like 250 gr. In case of failure, you "only" wasted that (I know, throwing away food is heartbreaking).

Recipe ingredients

When making homemade vanilla yogurt, you have to use these ingredients and keep in mind these few things:

Milk

In so many posts out there, I've read people advising against the usage of UHT, a.k.a ultra-pasteurized milk. Honestly, I've never had problems with it.

On the other hand, unluckily, I had some problems using fresh local milk (that people always suggest). I've tried 3 times and every time it basically turned into curd (what a waste of good milk! sigh).

So, try with your favorite milk and let me know if UHT works for you as well!

Yogurt

I have no preference here: I've tried both plain yogurt and greek, and didn't notice any particular difference.

The most important thing is to use a yogurt with a lively active cultures: it has to be at least 15 to 20 days before the expiry date. The "younger" the yogurt, the better.

Then, when you'll re-make this recipe, use a jar of the final product as a yogurt starter.

Vanilla

After all, you're here to learn how to make vanilla yogurt, right?
I've tried using both vanilla extract and vanilla bean. Using the latter gives definitely more flavor, in my opinion. Alternatively you could try vanilla bean paste (which I love!).

Tips and tricks to make the best yogurt

Container

Try to use a container that holds the heat (like ceramic) and, if you use the oven with only the light (obviously don't turn the oven's heat on!), wrap it in a cotton cloth/blanket.

This will give the active cultures a hand to convert milk to yogurt during fermentation.

Even though I've never tried, I know that a lot of people use an instant pot to make their yogurt. This helps holding a constant warm temperature.

Temperature

If you use fresh milk, boil it first so you kill any bad bacteria (they would "compete" with the good ones).

Follow the directions in the recipe below: first bring it to 180° F (82° C), then add the yogurt starter only when it cools down to 115° F (46° C).

Resting time

Resting time really depends on different factors, like temperature or how alive the bacteria (active cultures) are. Sometimes the yogurt will be ready in 4 to 6 hours, some other days in 8 or 12.

Manually check the thickness every once in a while (like every couple of hours) and turn off the yogurt maker (or oven's light) when it's nice and creamy.

For a thick yogurt

Use whole milk and plain yogurt. A higher amount of fats will help with the overall creaminess. Some people also use cream or sour cream (I've never tried).

How to store

I store my homemade yogurt into the fridge for about ⅘ days. For this reason I usually only make half a liter of yogurt (because I'm the only eating it here).

To preserve it, I use the container of my yogurt maker, but you can use small glass jars as well.

Yogurt toppings? What should you choose?

When it comes to yogurt toppings on vanilla flavored yogurt, you have a lot of choice:

• fresh fruit
• caramelized/baked fruit
• dried fruit
• nuts
• chocolate
• muesli/granola
• seeds
• honey/maple syrup
• cookies (it was my favorite topping when I was a kid!)

Choose one of the above or have fun combining them. I am 100% confident you'll love this vanilla yogurt recipe!:)

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My recommendation:

My yogurt maker is similar to this one below (mine is by brand Ariete).
It's cheap and easy to use. Highly suggested if you want to start making your own homemade yogurt!

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Do you have other questions?

It's not easy to answer all the questions you may have, so PLEASE leave a comment below and I'm glad to reply! Thank you.

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If you make this recipe, please be sure to give it a rating and leave a comment! It would make me so happy!  🙂

Remember: if you try one of my recipes, tag me on Instagram or DM me the photos! 

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Don’t forget to pin and share this easy and delicious recipe!

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© Healthy Little Cravings – Roberta Dall’Alba.
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