Do you have your own milk goats (cow, sheep, etc.) and have lots of excess milk? Or perhaps you want to make your own dairy products at home with milk you bought from a local farm? Or maybe you just love yogurt and want to find a cheaper and healthier way to get it! Whatever your situation, here is a step-by-step guide for a delicious homemade goat milk yogurt recipe!

This is a recipe for goat’s milk yogurt, but you could also follow the same steps using a different type of milk.

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How I Started Making this Homemade Goat Milk Yogurt Recipe

Someday, I dream of having either goats or a cow; however, that is not something we currently have the capacity for! My friend who has her own milk goats generously gave us ½ a gallon of fresh goat’s milk to try!

At the time she gave it to me, I was about 5 months pregnant. I personally don’t feel comfortable drinking raw milk while pregnant. I know lots of people do, but it is something that I personally choose not to do.

My friend told me that if I didn’t want to drink it raw, I could turn it into yogurt! The heating required for yogurt-making pasteurizes the milk during the process.

I have been slowly learning more cooking-from-scratch and food-preservation skills, and homemade yogurt seemed like a great next step!

Benefits of Homemade Yogurt

There are a lot of benefits to making your own yogurt at home. For one, you have more control over the ingredients. Store-bought yogurt often has a lot of additives and artificial flavorings, so you can create a healthy product at home using just a few simple ingredients!

You can also make your own yogurt flavors. If you like to keep it simple, add a splash of vanilla and honey. Cook down your favorite fruit as a mix-in. If you like a richer flavor, add in a homemade chocolate syrup. The options are endless!

Finally, making your own yogurt can be a great way to save money! If you start with ½ gallon of milk you’ll yield a little over a quart of yogurt. Most milk is cheaper than yogurt and so you will be able to save money by doing it yourself.

Homemade Goat Milk Yogurt Recipe Steps

Ingredients

½ gallon of whole milk (goat, cow, or sheep milk)
¼ cup of pre-made yogurt or a yogurt culture mix
Vanilla, honey, or cooked fruit (optional)

Tools

DIRECTIONS

Start by pouring the goat’s milk into an Instant Pot. Put the lid on, and press sauté.

Set it for about 5 minutes or until the milk starts to boil. Once it is boiling, remove the lid and take the temperature. Make sure that it is at least 150 degrees F.

You could also do this step on the stove in a separate pot. Watch the milk and check to make sure the temperature is 150 degrees F with a cooking thermometer.

This heating process is essentially pasteurizing the milk if you started with raw milk.

Remove the lid and keep watching the temperature. It will need to cool to about 115 degrees F.

I waited 20-30 minutes and it still wasn’t cool enough, so my friend suggested putting the pot inside another pot of cold water. This helped it cool the rest of the way within 5 minutes.

Once the temperature cools to 115 degrees F, add the yogurt culture into the milk. I used about 1/4 c of pre-made goat milk yogurt from my friend, but you could use another pre-bought plain yogurt or purchase a yogurt starter culture like this.

Whisk the yogurt into the cooled milk before locking the lid back in place.

Press the yogurt button for 8-12 hours, depending on your preference. I started with 8 hours but wanted the yogurt to get a thicker texture, so I added a few extra hours.

My friend who gave me the goat’s milk said the yogurt-making process is pretty forgiving!

After 8-12 hours when the yogurt setting goes off, remove the lid and strain the yogurt. You can use a yogurt strainer like this, or a regular strainer lined with cheesecloth or coffee filters.

Allow the yogurt to strain in the fridge overnight or for several hours. I strained mine too fast and was left with pretty liquidy yogurt! This was perfect for smoothies but not really conducive to eating on its own.

Put the yogurt in a quart-sized mason jar or two with a lid. Keep it in the fridge for about a week!

I added honey and vanilla to taste to our yogurt and used it to make parfaits and smoothies! You could also add a cooked fruit of choice to your yogurt.

Ideas for How to Use this Homemade Goat Milk Yogurt Recipe

Here are a few ideas for how to use your yogurt!

Eat it plain
Add honey and vanilla
Make fruit and granola parfaits
Add it to smoothies
Use it in place of sour cream
Make a vegetable dip
Make freezer pops
Add cooked fruit to it
Add it to baked goods
Make a dressing or marinade

How Long Does this Yogurt Last?

I made the yogurt about a week after receiving the fresh milk, and I tried to use the yogurt up in a week.

This time may differ based off of your climate and other factors, but I’d recommend checking for mold and smelling the yogurt as you near this time frame.

If you can’t eat it all at once, you can freeze it in a freezer-safe container for up to two months.

Troubleshooting Problems with this Homemade Goat Milk Yogurt Recipe

When I first made this yogurt, it turned out delicious but the texture was pretty runny! While runny yogurt is great for smoothies, it’s not exactly easy to eat on its own.

I talked with my friend, and she said I could either try processing it longer (i.e. more than 12 hours) or strain it for longer.

Next time, I’m planning on getting cheesecloth and straining it overnight instead of for just a few minutes!

Beginner Tips for Making Homemade Yogurt

I tried making this yogurt for the first time on a pretty busy day. It wasn’t hard to make the yogurt, but I wasn’t sure how long it would take and wasn’t yet confident in the steps. While learning, I was trying to navigate getting to appointments and events on time.

I’d recommend making yogurt on a day when you don’t have anywhere to be! Once you have a grasp of the steps and time required, you could easily leave during the processing time.

It’s Worth the Effort!

With just a few simple ingredients and tools, you can make your own yogurt at home! You can save money and have yogurt with fresh ingredients and minimal processing in just a few hours.