Description

This recipe guides you through making thick, creamy homemade yogurt using an Instant Pot, enhanced with a sophisticated Raspberry Cardamom Rose Swirl for a healthy snack or elegant dessert. The Instant Pot simplifies the fermentation process by automatically maintaining the precise temperature required for a consistent, high-quality result.

Ingredients

Scale

2 liters whole milk
2 tablespoons plain yogurt starter (with live active cultures)
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon alcohol-free rose water
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons cold water

Instructions

Boil the Milk: Pour milk into the Instant Pot inner pot. Select the ‘Yogurt’ function and set it to ‘Boil’. Heat until the milk reaches 180°F (82°C) or higher to denature proteins for a thicker texture.
Cool to Culture Temperature: Remove the inner pot from the base and allow the milk to cool to 105-110°F (40-43°C). Use an instant-read thermometer for accuracy; placing the pot in an ice bath can expedite this step.
Temper and Mix Starter: In a small bowl, whisk the room-temperature starter yogurt with 2-3 tablespoons of the cooled milk until smooth. Once the large volume of milk reaches the target temperature, whisk in the tempered starter mixture until fully combined.
Incubate the Yogurt: Return the inner pot to the Instant Pot base, select ‘Yogurt’, and set the incubation time for 8-12 hours. A longer time increases tartness and thickness; 8-10 hours is often ideal to prevent excessive whey separation.
Chill and Set: After incubation, remove the pot, cover, and refrigerate for a minimum of 4-6 hours (preferably overnight) to allow the yogurt to set and thicken properly. Avoid stirring before chilling.
Make the Swirl Sauce: Combine raspberries, sugar, and water in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat for 5-7 minutes until the fruit breaks down. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding solids.
Thicken the Sauce: Return the strained liquid to the clean saucepan and add the cardamom. Whisk the cornstarch and cold water to form a slurry, then gradually whisk into the simmering liquid. Cook for 1-2 minutes until thick and glossy. Remove from heat, stir in rose water, and let cool completely before chilling.
Serve: Spoon the chilled yogurt into bowls and top with the cold raspberry swirl. Garnish with optional dried rose petals for presentation.

Notes

For best results, use whole milk, as the higher fat content leads to a richer, thicker yogurt. Ensure your starter contains live active cultures and is less than 7 days old if reusing a previous batch. The incubation temperature window (105-110°F) is critical; if too hot, the cultures will die, and if too cold, they will become dormant.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours 30 minutes
Category: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Method: Instant Pot, Fermentation
Cuisine: General

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories: 180 kcal
Sugar: 15 g
Sodium: 100 mg
Fat: 9 g
Saturated Fat: 5 g
Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 18 g
Fiber: 1 g
Protein: 11 g
Cholesterol: 30 mg

Keywords: homemade yogurt, instant pot, raspberry cardamom rose swirl, healthy snack, dessert, meal prep, high protein, fermentation, thick yogurt, easy yogurt