Crockpot Yogurt *Updated*

I know, you all are probably thinking that I am crazy..."Yogurt in a crockpot" you say? We I have to admit that this is most definitely not an original recipe of mine! Since my son is lactose intolerant, and soy yogurt is rather expensive (and hard to find), I decided to google homemade yogurt and see what I got. When what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a link to http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/ and her recipe for crockpot yogurt! WOOT WOOT (in the words of my 4 year old)!!

I did a bit more reading and decided that this was completely do-able. I have already made a batch of soy yogurt that my son inhaled the first time that he tried it. Today I decided to go for the normal version that we can all eat.

Here are the ingredients (I love how few there are!).

- 1/2 gallon of milk (I used whole, but I am sure that 2% will work, your yogurt will just not be quite as thick)
- 1 small container of plain yogurt- you only need this the first time you make yogurt to act as a starter
- vanilla- if you want vanilla flavored yogurt, otherwise you can do plain
- a large crockpot

Step 1: Pour the milk into the crockpot. Put the lid on and turn it to low. Let the milk cook at low for 2 1/2 hours.

Step 2: After the 2 1/2 hours of cooking, turn the crockpot off and let it set for 3 hours.

Step 3: Once it has cooled for about 3 hours, scoop out about 2 cups of the warm milk.

Step 4: To the removed milk, add your plain yogurt. After you have made a batch of this, you can start using 1/2 cup of your previous batch as the starter each time.

Step 5: Whisk the yogurt and milk together to combine.

Step 6: Add the yogurt/milk mix back into the crockpot with the rest of the milk.

Step 7: Mix it all together and add in 2 tsp of vanilla if you like (I will let you know tomorrow if that is enough since this is the first time I am trying vanilla).

Step 8: Put the lid back on the crockpot and wrap a bath towel tightly around it. I even lifted my crockpot up and put part of the towel under it to make sure it was tight.

Let the crockpot set on your counter for about 8 hours. After 8 hours stir it up and store in plastic containers in the refrigerator for 7-10 days. Make sure to set aside 1/2 cup for your next batch.


**UPDATE** In my opinion, 2 tsp of vanilla is not quite enough. I would probably make it a Tablespoon or just slightly more than that next time. Also remember, that the final product here is plain yogurt, so to sweeten it, you will need to add some sugar to your liking. I stirred in some sugar prior to serving with some frozen blueberries and it was perfect.

We love to mix frozen fruit into our yogurt, especially during the summer since it is so hot! Feel free to add whatever fruits or granola you like, or even use this as a base for a delicious smoothie!

Let me know if you try this and what you think! ENJOY!