Homemade Vanilla Greek Yogurt Recipe

Name: Homemade Vanilla Greek Yogurt Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 615 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 8 cups whole milk; 2 tbsp plain yogurt with live active cultures (as starter); 1 tbsp vanilla extract; 3 tbsp honey

A glass jar of thick, strained vanilla Greek yogurt with a honey drizzle on top and a spoon resting beside it. — Photo by Amnah Mohammad on Pexels

Heating the milk to 180°F denatures the whey proteins so the finished yogurt sets thicker from the start, and straining the cultured yogurt through cheesecloth pulls out extra whey for that dense, spoon-standing Greek texture, all before the vanilla and honey are folded in.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 15 min
Total: 615 min
Servings: 8

Ingredients

Servings8

8 cups whole milk
2 tbsp plain yogurt with live active cultures (as starter)
1 tbsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp honey

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 181
Protein: 8g
Carbs: 19g
Fat: 8g

Based on the recipe as written, one serving. Recalculates if you swap an ingredient above. An estimate only, exact values depend on the specific ingredients used.

Need different units or a different yield? Try our Conversion Calculator →

Instructions

1Pour the milk into a heavy-bottomed pot and heat over medium, stirring occasionally, until it reaches 180°F (82°C) on an instant-read thermometer.
2Remove the pot from heat and let the milk cool to 110-115°F (43-46°C), about 30-45 minutes; speed this up by setting the pot in a sink of ice water and stirring.
3Ladle about 1/4 cup of the warm milk into a small bowl and whisk in the yogurt starter until smooth, then whisk this mixture back into the pot of milk.
4Pour the mixture into clean jars, cover loosely, and hold at 110°F (43°C) for 6-8 hours, either in a turned-off oven with just the light on or in a yogurt maker, until set and tangy.
5Refrigerate the set yogurt for at least 2 hours to firm up fully before straining.
6Line a fine-mesh strainer with cheesecloth, set it over a bowl, and pour in the yogurt. Strain in the refrigerator for 1-3 hours, until it reaches Greek-yogurt thickness, discarding or reserving the whey that collects below.
7Stir the vanilla extract and honey into the strained yogurt until fully smooth and evenly sweetened.
8Transfer to an airtight container and chill before serving.

Tips & variations

Whole milk gives the creamiest, most stable set; low-fat or skim milk will culture fine but strain out thinner and less rich.
Save the strained whey instead of discarding it, it works well in smoothies, bread dough, or soups in place of some of the water or milk.
Use plain yogurt straight from an unopened container as the starter rather than a previously homemade batch after several generations, cultures weaken with repeated reuse.
For a less tangy yogurt, shorten the incubation to 6 hours; for a more sour, tangier batch, let it go the full 8.

Storage & reheating

Store the finished yogurt in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Some whey may separate on top over time; just stir it back in before serving. This yogurt isn't meant to be reheated.

Tips from the Tulo kitchen

An instant-read or candy thermometer takes the guesswork out of both the 180°F scald and the 110-115°F culturing temperature; eyeballing it is the most common reason a batch doesn't set.
If the milk is still too hot when the starter goes in, the live cultures die and the yogurt won't set at all, so always let it cool back down before whisking in the starter.

FAQ

Can I use store-bought yogurt as the starter?

Yes, as long as the label lists live active cultures. Choose a plain, unsweetened yogurt so the starter doesn't introduce added sugar or flavoring into the batch.

Why did my yogurt turn out thin or runny?

The two most common causes are milk that wasn't heated to a full 180°F before culturing, or an incubation time that was cut short. Straining also matters: unstrained yogurt will always be thinner than Greek-style.

Do I have to strain it to make it Greek yogurt?

Yes, straining out whey through cheesecloth is what separates Greek yogurt from regular yogurt. Skipping that step gives a good but noticeably looser, more pourable yogurt.

Can I make this without a yogurt maker?

Yes. An oven with just the pilot light or the oven light on holds a steady enough temperature for the 6-8 hour incubation; a cooler with a jar of warm water alongside the yogurt jars also works.