Homemade Yogurt and Granola
Skip the packaging waste and the gourmet price tag with DIY yogurt and granola
October 18, 2020
Ingredients
Yogurt
- 8 cups whole milk
- 2 Tbsp plain yogurt
Granola
- 4 cups rolled oats
- 1 1/2 cups pecans (or walnuts)
- 1/2 tsp fine grained salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup honey (or maple syrup)
- 1/2 cup coconut oil (or olive oil)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup dry coconut flakes
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips
Preparation
Plain Yogurt
Add milk to Instant Pot. Click the "Yogurt" function until the display reads "Boil". Wait for the Instant Pot to finish the boiling cycle. If using a thermometer, make sure the milk has reached at least 180 °F.
Remove the inner pot from the Instant Pot. Allow the milk to cool down at room temperature, lid off, to 110 - 115 °F. Optionally, accelerate the cooling by submerging the inner pot in an ice bath.
Skin off any "skin" that has developed on to top of the milk. Whisk in the yogurt until completely dissolved in the milk. Return inner pot to the Instant Pot.
Hit the yogurt button twice until a timer display for 8 hours appears. Cover to let the bacteria propagate for the duration.
Mix yogurt thoroughly to ensure consistency. Optionally, strain the yogurt overnight in the refrigerator using cheesecloth in a strainer set above a large bowl for thicker yogurt. Transfer to containers and store in the fridge or freezer until ready to use.
Granola
Preheat oven to 350 °F.
Mix oats, nuts, salt, and cinnamon together in a large mixing bowl.
Melt honey and coconut oil together in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Pour the melted honey and coconut oil over the dry ingredients. Add vanilla extract and stir to combine all ingredients completely.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the granola mixture evenly over the parchment paper, using the back of a wooden spoon to evenly flatten. Bake for 20 - 24 minutes, turning over the granola halfway through baking and again patting down with a wooden spoon. Let cool for 45 minutes, the granola will harden.
Break the granola into the desired size and store in airtight containers at room temperature. Optionally, add in coconut flakes and chocolate chips for extra sweetness.
Making your own granola and yogurt is super easy and frugal. The proportions of this recipe makes quite a bit of yogurt at a fraction of the price you'd purchase it for in the grocery store. Buy your favourite granola fix-ins in bulk and you'll have weeks worth of granola at a fraction of the cost of that stuff from the hipster bakery.
Granola adapted from Cookie and Kate and yogurt adapted from A Mind "Full" Mom. Check in on both for more pro tips!