Easy Instant Pot Vietnamese Yogurt (Sữa Chua/Da Ua)
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Made with sweetened condensed milk, Vietnamese yogurt is the perfect balance of sweet and tart flavor. It's a childhood favorite that can be enjoyed plain, in an iced drink, or frozen as a popsicle. And now, you can easily make it at home with an Instant Pot.
Easy Instant Pot Vietnamese Yogurt (Sữa Chua/Da Ua)
What is Sữa Chua/Da Ua?
Vietnamese yogurt is called Sữa Chua or Da Ua. The word "sữa" means "milk" and the word "chua" means "sour". So, sữa chua literally means "sour milk". Vietnamese yogurt is also known as Da Ua, which is a transliteration of the French word Yaourt.
Vietnamese yogurt has a silky, smooth, and soft custard texture with a wonderful balance of sweet and tangy flavors.
It is made with sweetened condensed milk, which gives it its signature flavor and Vietnamese flair. This sweetness sets Vietnamese yogurt apart from other yogurts, which tend to be more tart.
Traditionally, Vietnamese yogurt is made in a clay pot and carefully monitored to maintain the correct temperature. However, it can also be easily and more efficiently made in an Instant Pot.
Yogurt to Make Yogurt? Ha!
In this recipe, we will make Vietnamese yogurt using a small amount of existing yogurt as a starter culture.
Yes, it’s funny that to make yogurt, we need yogurt. But think of how we make sourdough bread and kombucha.
Yogurt works the same way by using a bit of the previous batch. It’s the easiest and quickest way to get the bacteria that will turn milk into lactic acid to get yogurt.
If you want to do it entirely from scratch, you can use store-bought dehydrated culture starter which will require activation or you can attempt to naturally grow the bacteria yourself.
Instant Pot
I'm using an Instant Pot in this recipe. If your Instant Pot has a yogurt option, that's great! The yogurt option is programmed to the right temperature and time to eliminate any guesswork.
If you don't have the yogurt option on your Instant Pot, no problem. You can set the Instant Pot to the Sous Vide option, or any other option that allows you to set a temperature and time.
Ideal Temperature to Make Yogurt
The yogurt-making bacteria thrives at 110°F. If it’s too hot, the bacteria dies. If it’s too cold, they don't work fast enough before the milk spoils. My yogurt was perfect after 8 hours at 110°F.
What you will need to make Vietnamese yogurt: plain yogurt, sweetened condensed milk and whole milk
What You Will Need
Vietnamese yogurt is made with just three simple ingredients. You will need:
Whole milk — The fat content in whole milk gives Vietnamese yogurt its rich and creamy texture.
Sweetened condensed milk — Sweetened condensed milk is the sweetener for the yogurt. It may seem like a lot at first, but when the milk turns sour, the sweetness will counterbalance the sourness. Below is my favorite brand. It comes in two forms: canned and squeeze bottle. I prefer the canned version, as it is the right amount for making yogurt. The squeeze bottle, which contains a bit more sweetened condensed milk, is more convenient for making drinks.
My favorite brand of sweetened condensed milk (Sữa Ông Thọ)
A small amount of plain yogurt — This is used as the yogurt starter. It has live active cultures that will turn the milk into yogurt. For the best possible result, use a single-serving yogurt from the refrigerated section. This way, you can ensure the yogurt is fresh with the essential yogurt-making bacteria, alive and active.
Vietnamese yogurt after 8 hours in the Instant Pot
How to Make it
In a medium microwave-safe bowl with a lip (pour spout) preferably, heat the milk in the microwave for about 2 minutes. This warms up the milk to help dissolve the condensed milk evenly in the next step. Do not heat it past 2 minutes in the microwave. Otherwise it might be too hot which will kill the bacteria in the yogurt starter.
Add the sweetened condensed milk, using a scraper to get all of it. Whisk until the condensed milk is completely dissolved in the warm milk.
Add the yogurt starter and stir to combine.
Transfer the mixture to small jars and cover with lids. If you do not have lids, use small pieces of saran wrap or foil to cover the top of the jars. Alternatively, you can do it the traditional Vietnamese way: transfer the yogurt to small 5x3-inch food-safe plastic bags. Twist the top of the bag closed to capture an air bubble then tie it shut with a rubber band.
Add the jars or bags to the Instant Pot. Stack the jars if needed. Carefully fill the Instant Pot with water until it reaches 2/3 up the jars on the bottom layer. Set the Instant Pot to the yogurt setting. If you do not have a yogurt setting, select the Sous Vide cooking method or any other setting that allows you to set the temperature to 110°F. Set the time to 8 hours.
Once the yogurt is finished cooking, carefully remove it from the Instant Pot. Refrigerate for 4 hours or until completely chilled then enjoy.
Perfection. It has completely set into a very smooth custard.
Three ways to enjoy Vietnamese Yogurt
Enjoy the yogurt plain or with fresh fruit. Vietnamese yogurt or any yogurt is delicious on its own, but it is also great with fresh fruit, such as strawberries, blueberries, or mangoes.
Make it into refreshing iced Vietnamese drinks. A refreshing ice/smoothie drink that you can find in Vietnam is called Sữa Chua Đá or a yogurt coffee drink called Cà Phê Sữa Chua. To make the yogurt drink, simply mix together Vietnamese yogurt, ice, your favorite fruit juice, and more sweetened condensed milk. To make the yogurt coffee drink, add coffee or espresso shots instead of fruit juice.
Freeze it into popsicles. If you use the plastic bags to make the yogurt, you can freeze them into popsicles. These frozen yogurt popsicles are a popular snack among school-age children in Vietnam. To enjoy them, simply bite off one of the bottom corners of the bag and squeeze the yogurt through the small opening.
Ingredients you will need to make Sữa Chua Đá
Vietnamese yogurt with guava juice (Sữa Chua Đá)
Tips & Storage
For a more tart yogurt, increase the fermentation time to 8 hours. The longer the yogurt ferments, the more tart it will become.
Store the yogurt in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. If you want to store it for longer, you can freeze it.
FAQS
I read that we need to heat milk to 180°F first before yogurt making. Is this true?
No, you do not need to heat the milk to 180°F before making yogurt if you are using fresh, store-bought, pasteurized milk. Pasteurized milk is sterile to use right away. However, if you are using raw milk from an animal, you will need to heat it to 180°F to kill any harmful bacteria.
In this recipe, we are heating the milk in the microwave only for the purpose of warming it up to help dissolve the thick condensed milk. Other than that reason, you can skip the traditional step of heating the milk to 180°F.
Do you really need an Instant Pot?
No. You can use any other appliance that can hold a temperature of 105-111°F or a low setting, such as an oven, slow cooker, or rice cooker.
Can I use flavored yogurt as a starter?
No, you should not use flavored yogurt as a starter. The flavoring may inhibit the fermentation process, which is what makes the milk sour that, in turn, makes yogurt. It is best to use plain yogurt as a starter to ensure a successful fermentation then add flavoring afterwards.
Easy Instant Pot Vietnamese Yogurt (Sữa Chua/Da Ua)
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a medium microwave-safe bowl with a lip (pour spout) preferably, heat the milk in the microwave for about 2 minutes. This warms up the milk to help dissolve the condensed milk evenly in the next step. Do not heat it past 2 minutes in the microwave. Otherwise it might be too hot which will kill the bacteria in the yogurt starter.
- Add the sweetened condensed milk, using a scraper to get all of it. Whisk until the condensed milk is completely dissolved in the warm milk.
- Add the yogurt starter and stir to combine.
- Transfer the mixture to small jars and cover with lids. If you do not have lids, use small pieces of saran wrap or foil to cover the top of the jars. Alternatively, you can do it the traditional Vietnamese way: transfer the yogurt to small 5x3-inch food-safe plastic bags. Twist the top of the bag closed to capture an air bubble then tie it shut with a rubber band.
- Add the jars or bags to the Instant Pot. Stack the jars if needed. Carefully fill the Instant Pot with water until it reaches 2/3 up the jars on the bottom layer. Set the Instant Pot to the yogurt setting. If you do not have a yogurt setting, select the Sous Vide cooking method or any other setting that allows you to set the temperature to 110°F. Set the time to 8 hours.
- Once the yogurt is finished cooking, carefully remove it from the Instant Pot. Refrigerate for 4 hours or until completely chilled then enjoy.
Notes
If you don't have the yogurt option on your Instant Pot, set to the Sous Vide option, or any other option that allows you to set the temperature at 110°F for 8 hours.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
274Fat
9 gSat. Fat
6 gCarbs
41 gFiber
0 gNet carbs
41 gSugar
41 gProtein
9 gSodium
124 mgCholesterol
35 mgThe values provided should be considered estimates. Factors such as brands purchased, natural variations in fresh ingredients, etc. will change the nutritional information in any recipe. To obtain accurate nutritional information for a recipe, use your preferred nutrition calculator to determine nutritional information with the actual ingredients and quantities used.
