Get More Protein on a Budget with Homemade Greek Yogurt
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Greek Yogurt is one of those things I almost can’t go back to buying from the store because it is so much cheaper to make homemade Greek yogurt!
Homemade Greek yogurt has about 16g of protein per 3/4 cup serving, which makes it a great option for budget friendly high protein breakfasts!
If you are looking for more cheap high protein breakfasts, you can read my article here!
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How much cheaper is Homemade Greek Yogurt vs Store Bought?
Even the generic store brought brand of Greek yoguft costs at least $0.31 per ounce, but Homemade Greek yogurt only costs about $0.07 per ounce!
That’s a significant savings!!
Plus you can be confident that you are avoiding any sketchy fillers, preservatives, or sweeteners!
Step-by-Step Instructions
I like to start making Greek yogurt in the evening after dinner. It requires time, but not very much hands on time!
Heat the Milk to 180 degrees
First, pour the milk into a medium sized pot on high heat until it reaches 180 degrees.
I like to prop up a meat thermometer so I can keep an eye on it. I also set a timer for about 20 minutes so I don’t forget about it!
Milk boils over very suddenly and quickly! So I keep a close eye on it towards the end!
This step is important because it denatures the whey proteins in milk, which results in thicker and creamier yogurt!
Cool the Milk to 110 degrees
Next, take the hot milk off the burner and allow it to cool until it reaches 110 degrees.
Stir in Greek yogurt starter
When the milk has cooled to 110 degrees, stir in your Greek yogurt starter! You can research and buy specific strains of bacteria on Amazon—or you can just take a couple heaping spoonfuls of store bought Greek yogurt and whisk them in until fully incorporated!
Place in oven with light on
Place the lid on your pot, and wrap loosely with a kitchen towel before placing the pot with the hot milk in a cool oven with just the light on.
This will keep your milk warm while the Greek yogurt bacteria ferment!
You can leave it in your oven for as little as 6 hours, or as many as 24–so it’s super flexible!
When your Greek yogurt is finished fermenting, remove it from the oven and place a flour sack towel inside a colander.
Strain the yogurt
Right now you have regular yogurt, which is delicious! But if you want that thick and creamy Greek yogurt texture, you have one more step!
Pour the yogurt into the colander/flour sack towel and place it on top of the pot you used to heat the milk in.
The whey will drain through the towel and colander, leaving you delicious and thick Greek Yogurt!
You can let it strain for as little or as long as you like, either on the counter for a little while, or in the fridge if you plan to let it strain for a long time.
I take a spatula and occasionally scrape the sides and bottom of the flour sack towel to speed up the straining process a little bit.
Save starter for your next batch!
Don’t forget to go ahead and save a few tablespoons of your homemade Greek yogurt as a starter for your next batch!
You can reuse your own Greek yogurt as a starter about 5 times before it’s advised to buy some fresh yogurt to use as a starter since the bacteria can weaken over time.
There you have it! Foolproof, delicious and creamy Greek yogurt for high protein breakfasts at a fraction of the cost of store bought yogurt!
How to Serve Homemade Greek Yogurt
Homemade Greek yogurt is so versatile!
You can use it in so many recipes for sauces and salad dressings as a healthy alternative to mayonnaise.
We love to make Greek yogurt parfaits with chopped up seasonal fruit and nuts!
Easy Homemade Greek Yogurt Recipe
Easy Homemade Greek Yogurt
Equipment
- 1 Medium sized pot
- 1 Meat Thermometer
- 1 Colander
- 1 Flour sack towel
Ingredients
- 8 cups Whole Milk yields about 4 cups of yogurt
- 3 Tbsp Greek Yogurt (to use as a starter)
Instructions
- Bring 8 cups of whole milk to 180℉ in a medium sized pot on the stove. Check the temperature of the milk regularly with a meat thermometer as it gets close—it can boil over very suddenly!
- Set the pot to the side and let the milk cool down to 100℉. (For me this takes about 1.5 hours without any stirring).
- Stir in 3 Tbsp of Greek Yogurt as a starter until dissolved.
- Put the lid on your pot and wrap it in a couple of kitchen towels, place it in a turned off oven with the light on for 6-24 hours to ferment.
- Take out of the oven, place a cheese cloth (or flour sack towel) inside a colander. Pour Yogurt into the cloth, place colander/towel combo into a the medium pot to allow the whey to strain out. The straining process is what turns this from regular yogurt to the thicker texture of Greek yogurt. Strain for as little or long as you like! I use a spatula to scrape the sides of the towel occasionally to help it strain a little faster.
- Store in the fridge safely for 1-2 weeks!