Make Lactose Free Yogurt 4 Ways

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Yogurt is a good source of probiotics, and lactose-free yogurt is no exception. Lactose-free yogurt is made without lactose, so it's easy to digest for people with lactose intolerance. This recipe shows you 4 ways to make your own.

white lotus bowl full of lactose free yogurt with granola and sliced strawberries on a wood board

You can easily make lactose free yogurt in an electric yogurt maker, Crock Pot, Instant Pot, or the 'Proof' setting of a conventional oven with my instructions.

You can serve your fresh, homemade lactose free yogurt with homemade granola also! We have a Vanilla Almond Granola & Yogurt recipe that would be perfect with sliced strawberries and a sprinkle of cinnamon!

What is Lactose Free Yogurt?

Lactose free milk is made by adding the lactase enzyme to regular milk, breaking down lactose into simple sugars that are easier to digest. Lactose free milk is an excellent alternative for people with lactose intolerance.

Finding yogurt that is made using lactose free milk is hard. Finding GOOD lactose free yogurt is even harder. There are several non dairy yogurt substitutes, but none really come close to actual cow based, thick yogurts.

My preferred starter is the Bulgarian yogurt starter. The yogurt cultures up thick like a strained Greek Yogurt (without even straining it!), and has a mild taste. Individuals with lactose intolerance can use this thick yogurt in place of sour cream, heavy cream, and half & half in many dips, sauces, and other recipes.

four clear glass jars of lactose free yogurt on a white background with red napkin

Why You Will Love Making Lactose Free Yogurt

There's nothing quite like eating yogurt that you made yourself. You can use lactose-free yogurt in all the same ways as regular yogurt, but it's also a great option for people with lactose intolerance.

If you're looking for a healthy, delicious, and affordable way to enjoy yogurt, making it at home is a great option.

Good option for people with lactose intolerance. Lactose intolerance is a condition in which people have difficulty digesting lactose, the natural sugar found in milk. Lactose-free yogurt contains lactase, an enzyme that breaks down lactose, so it's easier to digest for people with lactose intolerance.
Great source of probiotics. Probiotics are live bacteria that are beneficial for gut health. Yogurt is a good source of probiotics, and lactose-free yogurt is no exception.
Economical. Making your own yogurt is a great way to save money on groceries. Lactose-free yogurt can be expensive in stores, but it's much cheaper to make at home.
It's a fun and rewarding project.

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Ingredients Needed for Yogurt Making

With just a few ingredients you can have lactose free yogurt on hand at a fraction of the store bought cost. It will be so much better in quality also!

This tutorial will show you how to make lactose free yogurt using an Instant Pot, Crock Pot (slow cooker), or the Proof setting on a conventional oven. The process is simple and the results are delicious and a fraction of the cost of store bought.

If you have an electric yogurt maker, than you can simply follow the directions on the appliance for the incubation and culturing times.

Lactose Free milk - (any brand, pasteurized is preferred, but any brand of lactose free milk will work)
Dry yogurt culture starter - (I prefer the Cultures for Health Bulgarian) OR
A small amount of unsweetened, plain live culture yogurt (Fage, Trader Joe's plain Greek Yogurt, etc)

lactose free milk, stainless steel pot, and whisk on a white background

Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

How To Make Lactose Free Yogurt

This is a pretty detailed lactose free yogurt recipe, sharing various methods to culture. Contrary to popular belief, you can make yogurt with lactose free milk.

You will need to plan ahead on the type of starter you will use, and the method of incubating the prepared milk so that it has a steady, warm heat to incubate in. This allows the starter to culture and thicken the milk into yogurt.

There are multiple ways to provide that low steady warmth for the containers of yogurt to set up. We will cover the conventional oven, Instant Pot, and Crockpot (slow cooker), and electric yogurt maker methods.

Choosing a Yogurt Starter

You will need live cultures to make homemade yogurt of any kind. You can use a 3 tablespoons of the unflavored plain (Greek or regular plain yogurt), or if you don't have any, you can use a dehydrated yogurt starter.

Always save 3 tablespoons of your new lactose free yogurt for your next batch, though it's easy to forget (ask me how I know). Starter will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

yogurt starter package and powder in a small clear glass bowl

My favorite starter (when I forget to set some yogurt aside to start the next batch) is the Cultures for Health Bulgarian or Greek yogurt starters.

Bulgarian yogurt is mild tasting, and it's thick as strained Greek yogurt without being strained. There is very little whey with this silky, thick, mild yogurt.

The Greek yogurt is more tart, and will need to be strained to be thick, as the whey will separate in the final product.

Prepare Milk for Culturing

Start with any brand of lactose free milk. If you get the Ultra Pasteurized, you only need to warm it to 110 degrees F. If it is unpasteurized, heat to the typical 160 degrees F and then cool it to 110 degrees F.

milk in a pot with a thermometer whisk for making yogurt.

Measured Lactose Free milk in a pot with a thermometer Whisk.

steel saucepan with milk on an electric stove.

Milk in a pot heating to 110 degrees F for Ultra Pasteurized milk. Unpasteurized milk should heat to 160 degree F.

Prepare the Starter

In a small bowl put either the initial yogurt starter, or a few table spoons of a live cultured, unflavored yogurt. Blend in a little bit of the warm milk. Make sure it is smooth.
Then transfer it back to the pot with the main milk. Stir well and pour into either the individual yogurt jars or large culturing bowl.

Now it's time to decide which method of incubation, or maintaining a low stead warmth you will use to let the yogurt cultures do their magic.

clear glass jar of instant pot lactose free yogurt with spoon

Pour into Containers and Choose Culturing Method

Below are four different incubating methods for culturing your milk and yogurt starter mixture.

Read below to decide what method of culturing your lactose free yogurt will work best for you. There are instructions for using the following methods:

The 'Proof' setting on a conventional oven, or 100 degrees F. Perfect for low temperature baking large trays of individual size yogurt serving jars.
Instant Pot method, more suited to a batch of four to five 6 oz jars, or a large container of yogurt.
Crockpot method, suited for about six to eight 6 oz jars or a large pot of yogurt.
Electric Yogurt maker, which is a self contained plug in appliance that makes six to eight 6 oz jars and then turns off.

tray of milk inoculated with yogurt cultures in a baking pan — Oven Proof Baked Yogurt: Filled jars of milk in a baking tray ready to go into an oven on the 'Proof' setting.

tray of jars of milk ready to be cultured into lactose free yogurt — Oven Proof Baked Yogurt: Cultured and ready to refrigerate.

Conventional Oven 'Proof' Method

If you have a conventional oven with a 'Proof' setting, than you are SO lucky! Simply prepare your containers of milk with the yogurt starter in the evening before heading to bed.

Pop them on a baking sheet in the oven and set it on the 'Proof' setting. Let them sit there over night, about 10 to 12 hours max. Remove from the oven and voila! Perfect lactose free yogurt! Cool for at least 4 hours, and then serve!

The 'proof' setting is about 100 - 110 degrees F, and it is used for letting dough rise. But it is also a built in yogurt incubator!

Setting a conventional oven to the Proof setting for dough raising or yogurt making. — Setting a modern conventional oven to the 'Proof' setting, used to proof dough or make cultured yogurt.

My favorite method of culturing the milk is the 'Proof' setting on the conventional oven and simply setting it up the night before. I can make a very large quantity of perfect, thick yogurt in jars on a cookie sheet all at one time.

PRO TIP: The 'warm' setting on the oven is going to be too hot if it is over 120 degrees F.

Instant Pot method

You will be able to make a full tub of lactose free yogurt in an Instant Pot, or up to 5 individual jars. Use the rack so the jars don't touch the bottom of the Instant Pot.

You will not be using pressure, just heat. Most Instant Pots have a 'Yogurt' program, so all you have to do is close the lid on the rack of jars or full bowl of milk mixture and set the program button.

If your Instant Pot does not have a yogurt program button, you can also use the 'Warm' setting, but leave the lid cracked as it is warmer than the yogurt setting. Let sit for 8 to 12 hours.

Cool for at least 4 hours in the refrigerator, and then serve!

instant pot with five jars of lactose free greek yogurt. — An Instant Pot can culture about five 6 to 8 oz jars of yogurt, or a 2 quart bowl of yogurt.

Crock Pot Method

No Instant Pot or 'Proof' setting on the oven? No problem. You probably have a Crock Pot type of slow cooker though.

Put a rack inside the crockpot. Set the individual covered jars, or a single plastic wrap covered bowl on the rack. Put the slow cooker lid on slightly askew, and put the setting on warm. Let it sit for 8 to 12 hours.

Cool for at least 4 hours, and then serve!

crockpot for using to make lactose free greek yogurt. — A slow cooker or Crockpot can culture about 8 to 10 small jars of yogurt **on the 'Warm' setting**.

Electric Yogurt Makers Method

Electric yogurt makers vary from one manufacturer to an other. The basics are pretty standard though. They typically comprise of a tray that holds 4 to 8 small jars, each about 6 to 8 oz.

You fill each jar with the prepared yogurt cultured milk, cover with a see through lid, and turn the electric yogurt maker on. It runs at a very low (110 degrees F) for up to 12 hours and then turns off.

When it turns off, put the jars in the refrigerator and let the jars of yogurt chill and firm up.

jars in an electric yogurt maker being filled with lactose free greek yogurt culture. — Jars in an electric yogurt maker being filled with milk with live cultures to make lactose free yogurt.

Things To Remember

Make sure you use plain, unsweetened, live culture yogurt if you decide to use yogurt as your starter
The amount of time you incubate your jars or bowl of yogurt will determine the final flavor and firmness. Example: 8 hours of incubation will result in a milder flavored yogurt, while 12 hours will be more tart. 8 hours of incubation is a less firm yogurt, where 12 hours incubation creates a much more solid and thick yogurt.
Always use a rack or some sort of 'lift' from the heating element when using an Instant Pot or Slow Cooker.
Don't add any water to the Instant Pot of Slow Cooker, as you do not want to create any steam or pressure.

Serving Suggestions

Serve this lactose free yogurt as a breakfast food, top with fruit and granola for a healthy dessert, or use as a substitution in recipes calling for sour cream, cream, or half & half in recipes like our CuBiryani Raita or Chicken Tikka Masala.

I have yet to find lactose free cream or half & half anywhere, so this is a real help to those with lactose intolerance. You can add a tablespoon of our Blackberry Preserves also to transform it into a delicious Blackberry Yogurt also.

white lotus bowl full of lactose free yogurt with granola and sliced strawberries.

Variations

Try adding either fruit jam to the bottom of the jars before setting to culture, or add a few pieces of fresh fruit. The fresh fruit will float, but it will not stop the culturing process. Just don't stir in anything with sugar, as that will stop or slow the culturing.

When you make your own yogurt, you are in control of how thick, the ingredients, and even the level of sugar from add in's.

4 clear glass jars with yogurt mixture and cut strawberries ready to be cultured

Equipment

Any of these three tools will allow you to control a warm environment for your cultured inoculated milk to become yogurt. If you already have an Instant Pot with the 'Yogurt' program, than now you get extra use from it!

jar of lactose free strawberry yogurt with fresh strawberries and granola with a spoon and green napkin

Other Recipes Using Yogurt

Top Tips

Buy any brand Lactose Free milk, I've tested this with expensive Lactose Free milk brands, and store generic. No differences at all.
If none of the methods listed here are available to you, simply buy a yogurt maker, as it will make anywhere from 4 to 8 cups of yogurt perfectly also.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is yogurt lactose free?

Not naturally. After removing the lactase enzyme from the milk you can make yogurt that is lactose free though. Problem is, there's not a lot readily on the market, and it's often much more expensive than regular yogurt.

Can I use Low Fat or Fat Free Lactose Free Milk?

Yes, the texture may be less thick, but it will absolutely culture into lactose free yogurt also.

Can I freeze some for starter?

Yes, if you don't need to make new yogurt too frequently, than measure some of your last batch of yogurt into ¼ cup containers and freeze it up to 6 months.

Can I dry some yogurt for future starter?

Yes, you can spread some out on a food dehydrator on the cooler setting. Spread it thin so it dries quickly. Gather up the dry shavings and grind, save in an airtight container for up to 8 weeks.

How much starter yogurt do I need to use?

You will need to start your yogurt with at least 3 tablespoons of live, unflavored, unsweetened yogurt like plain Fage. 3 tablespoons to ¼ cup should be saved with every new batch of yogurt to use for your next batch.

Lactose free vs dairy free

Lactose-free yogurt is still a dairy (cow, goat, and sheep's milk) product. Dairy free yogurt is specially cultured soy, coconut, almond, or other plant based 'milk' product.

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