Homemade Baby Yogurt

If you've ever bought baby or toddler yogurt you know if can be expensive. At our local store, it ends up being about $1 a serving for the organic baby yogurt. Not only that, but it is loaded with sugar (besides the sugar found naturally in fruit). Our little one is a big fan of yogurt, and I think it can be a healthy part of her meals, but I prefer to make it at home with no added sugar and much, much cheaper. In order to make baby yogurt you will need a yogurt maker. Also, you will need 10-12 hours from start to finish. Only about 20 minutes of this is actual hands-on time though.

Homemade Baby Yogurt

It takes anywhere from 10-12 hours to make yogurt from start to finish, but only about 20 minutes of it is active time.

Ingredients

4 cups of organic, hormone-free whole milk 1/2 cup whole milk yogurt Fruit stir-ins: natural applesauce, blueberries*, bananas*, or peaches*

Directions:

1. Make the yogurt. This post from 101 Cookbooks is great on explaining how. It is the one I follow all the time. I do leave out the powdered milk though because whole milk and straining the yogurt later makes it plenty thick. When you are ready to put the yogurt in maker, allow it to cook for at least 8 hours. 2. Once yogurt is finished, strain it by lining a strainer with paper towels or a cheesecloth and placing the yogurt in the strainer. I usually let it strain for about an hour or so in the refrigerator. This will make the yogurt thicker and easier and less messy to feed your baby. 3. Once yogurt is strained, stir in your favorite fruit. Serve and enjoy! Make sure you talk to your pediatrician prior to feeding your baby yogurt to make sure they are ready for it. *Cut or mash all fruit into pieces that are smaller than a pea. Supervise your baby at all times while feeding him or her. Never leave a child unattended while they are eating. Baby Snob's favorite is banana and blueberry. I prefer to use frozen blueberries because they cut and mash more easily. If you would like the yogurt to be thicker, you can always stir in some rice cereal. Here is the breakdown on costs: 4 cups of milk: $1.50 1/2 cup yogurt: $0.38 Bananas: $0.57 Total: $2.45 for 6 servings of banana baby yogurt

Does your baby like yogurt? Have you ever tried making it at home before?