If you have a sweet tooth, then ditching ice creams could be a daunting task for you. But a frozen yogurt can be a great rescue when you are on a mission to cut calories. Each half cup of yogurt offers 100 calories, which is almost 2/3 of the calories present in regular ice cream. The nutritional facts of both differ, and you must know before getting hold of either of them from a grocery store.
Before we dive deep, let’s quickly check out the best-frozen yogurt machines that make the process of making frozen yogurt at home a breeze:
Best Machine | Amazon Rating | Best Feature | Why Buy? | Why Avoid? |
Cuisinart ICE-20P1 Automatic 1.5-Quart | 4.6/5 star | Best Overall | Double insulated freezer bowl with new patent pending mixing paddles | Few customers mention it as a noisy appliance |
QCUQ Frozen Yogurt Maker | 4.0/5 star | Best Budget | Higher processing time for a better creamy texture. | The size of the paddle is too small |
Cuisinart ICE-40P1 | 4.4/5 star | Best Multipurpose | Easy log transparent lid for adding the ingredients easily | Price is on the higher side |
Cuisinart ICE-21RP1 | 4.7/5 star | Best Value For Money | Heavy duty motor with a sleek design | Few Customers complaints about huge noise |
Ice Cream Vs Frozen Yogurt
Ice creams are primarily made from sugar, milk, and egg yolks, while frozen yogurt contains corn syrups, gelatin, yogurt culture, emulsifiers, and flavorings besides milk and milk fats. As the name suggests, ice creams are high on creams. So, 1-cup of regular ice cream will end you consuming 14-grams of fat unless you are looking for a non-fat, low fat, or reduced-fat ice cream.
While 1-cup of low-fat yogurt has fat content varying between zero to 4 grams of fat, while yogurt contains probiotics, but as the bacteria does not survive with the process of freezing, it does not aid the digestion of your body. Although the sugar content could be the same in both, the cream can make a huge difference with the calorie intake. While one cup of yogurt can serve you up to 214 calories, you can end up with a 264 calorie intake with 1-cup of ice cream.
By now, we know that frozen yogurt could be a healthy alternative, you must be wondering, How is frozen yogurt made? But before we proceed with this, let us explore what frozen yogurt is.
What is frozen yogurt?
A dairy dessert that is made up of yogurt and replaces the cream and milk in ice cream is referred to as frozen yogurt. Yogurt is the prime ingredient to make frozen yogurt. You can also use Frostline Fat-Free Frozen Yogurt Mix to speed up the process. Add full-fat yogurt to an ice-cream machine and give it to churn, and after 20 minutes, delicious frozen yogurt is ready to tickle your taste buds. (Find the best yogurt makers here)
To make the base mass, sugar and skim milk are used. Cultured milk and buttermilk are added to get the yogurt culture. To enhance its texture and taste, powdered milk, corn syrup, and other stabilizers are added. Solidifying a regular yogurt in a freezer will result in a hard brick, which is not palatable. These ingredients help to turn it creamy.
Or, you may escape the hassle of making frozen yogurt at home, and buy it conveniently from the list below:
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How to make frozen yogurt at home?
Making frozen yogurt is child’s play if you know the basics. Yogurt is a gel in which the liquid milk is suspended with the help of a loose matrix of polymers called coagulated milk proteins to turn it into a stable state. These coagulated milk proteins are also responsible for adding creaminess to the yogurt. Adding the right amount of sugar enhances the creamy texture of yogurt, which could be equivalent to ice cream.
Frozen yogurts are not as creamy as ice cream, and they shouldn’t be. You can go by using a master ratio of 4:1 where 4 cups of liquids should be mixed with 1 cup of sugar to get the desired results. ½ cup serving of frozen yogurt made from this ratio will get you 160 calories and just 4 grams of fat.
It is recommended to use a full-fat yogurt instead of skim or low fat to get a creamier texture. You will derive a balanced and brighter taste if you use whole milk for yogurt instead of skimmed milk, which leads to a tart yogurt (not appropriate for a dessert).
In a nutshell, you need full-fat plain yogurt, sugar, and a pinch of salt in an ice-cream machine to turn it into an irresistible frozen yogurt. The yogurt’s lactic acid has a natural berries flavor, which enhances by adding sugar.
Can you freeze Greek Yogurt to make frozen yogurt?
As we know, Greek yogurt is high in proteins and fat and lesser whey than plain yogurt, it helps you to get the creamy texture. Greek yogurt indeed does a great job as it is highly creamy, so you may feel like chewing on sour cream.
Ginger, citrus juice, or dry white wine are some of the considerable flavors which go well with the Greek yogurt. These flavors give a new dimension to the yogurt flavors by adding some fruity notes and tartness.
The best Frozen Yogurt Recipe
- Take three ¾ cups of full-fat plain yogurt.
- Add 1 cup of sugar and ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt to it.
- Now whisk all the three ingredients until the sugar dissolves into the yogurt.
- Now refrigerate this mixture till it reaches -45 degrees Fahrenheit
- Churn it and refrigerate again for 4-5 hours after transferring to the airtight container.
- Your frozen yogurt is ready to serve.
It is the easiest recipe that you could ever find to make frozen yogurt.
Tips for healthier frozen yogurt
You cannot resist yourself completely from gorging on this delectable delight. But you can adopt a few tips and tricks which will help you to keep a check on your calorie intake. Here is how:
- Add only one sweet treat at a time to restrict the calorie intake by way of toppings.
- Restrict your intake with ½ cup of frozen yogurt as it keeps you within the healthy calorie range.
- Add fresh fruits to your cup, which will add the sweetness and tanginess to your dessert without shooting up your calorie intake.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you make frozen yogurt from regular yogurt?
Yes, you can make a delicious frozen yogurt by using regular yogurt. Add a scoop of ice cream and sugar; you will get a softer yogurt. Freezing a regular yogurt and end up solidifying as hard as a brick. So add sorbet and ice cream to make it a fantastic frozen yogurt.
Can you Freeze Yogurt?
Putting yogurt into the freezer changes its texture completely. It will not be the one which you want to eat. The yogurt separates like sour cream. Hence, frozen yogurt has a different recipe and avoids putting simple yogurt into the freezer.
How To Find Frozen Yogurt Near Me?
Simply go to your internet browser and type the keyword ‘Frozen Yogurt Near Me‘. There will be the list of shops that are selling Frozen yogurt delights.
Enjoy!