Frozen yogurt can seem like a daunting food to make for those who have never done it before. Thankfully, this recipe for frozen yogurt is super easy to follow and comes out thick and tasty. It is very customizable and you can use whatever mixture of frozen fruits that you prefer. It tastes very similar to ice cream without all the guilt, and is great for serving to your family and friends!
Why use Greek yogurt over regular yogurt?
There are a few attributes of Greek yogurt that distinguish it from regular yogurt, one of which is its nutritional value.
If you want to eat a yogurt type that is great at weight loss and muscle growth, you should include Greek yogurt in your diet.
On average, Greek yogurt brands have much more protein and less sugar, while still having a good amount of calcium, vitamin D, and live cultures. It also contains slightly less lactose, sodium, and carbohydrates.
On the contrary, regular yogurt has less calories, more calcium, and is usually cheaper.
While both are healthy snacking options, Greek yogurt is almost always better if you are a health-conscious individual, since it packs less added sugars.
More importantly, Greek yogurt is also much thicker than regular yogurt, which makes it ideal in this recipe. The straining process of Greek yogurt removes the whey from the yogurt, and this results in a high consistency that makes it great to use as a creamy base. Regular yogurt is usually better if you are trying to make a smoothie.
These qualities make Greek yogurt a guilt-free, delicious alternative to regular yogurt when making frozen yogurt.
Ingredients for homemade frozen yogurt
Important: this recipe requires a food processor with blades. If you do not have a food processor, you may use a large spoon to mix the ingredients. However, this can be tiring and your frozen yogurt may not come out as creamy as you would like.
Whole milk Greek yogurt is the best base here since it is rich and thick.
- 1 cup of whole milk Greek yogurt (base)
- 1/4 cup of heavy cream (for consistency)
- 4 cups of your chosen frozen fruit slices (mangoes, strawberries, blueberries, peaches, etc.)(optional)
- 2 cups of sliced bananas (for consistency and volume)
- 2 tsp of vanilla extract (recommended)
- 1/4 cup of sugar
- 1 tbsp of corn syrup (to prevent ice crystals from forming)
Directions
1. Firstly, add every ingredient into the bowl of your food processor (or large bowl that you can mix everything by spoon).
2. Blend well and make sure you have a thick, smooth mixture. Taste the mixture, and if you want it to be sweeter, you may add additional sugar or honey. After that, blend again.
3. Pour the mixture into a large freezer-safe container and cover the top completely with parchment paper. This prevents ice crystals from forming. Then place the container in your freezer. Freeze for 6-8 hours, preferably overnight.
4. Once ready, remove the container, and let the frozen yogurt thaw a bit. Scoop out the creamy frozen yogurt and serve in an ice cream cup. Eat it as is or add in some delicious toppings such as caramel syrup or chocolate sprinkles.
How to store frozen yogurt
Frozen yogurt can be stored in the freezer in a tightly closed container for up to 3 weeks. I highly recommend covering it in parchment paper so that ice crystals cannot form.
The yogurt will taste creamiest only until the first week, so it is best to use up all of it in that time. Any time you take out the yogurt, let it sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes so that it can soften enough for scooping.
