Let me tell you this much for free…I loves me some froyo! Ok fine, I am totally obsessed with it and could eat it every single day and never be sick of it. I know, it’s a disease. But at least it’s somewhat of a healthier alternative to ice-cream. I wouldn’t go as far as calling it a health food, after all it still has sugar in it and it’s not exactly mega low-calorie, but if you practice portion control with it and add healthy toppings it can be a nice treat with some added health benefits. But the best part is, you know exactly what’s in it, unlike when you buy it from a froyo shop! There is this one super tasty frozen yogurt shop in my town where I used to get my fix (like every day for a month when they first opened!), but I never knew what exactly was in it or how many calories I was gulping down while enjoying this heavenly treat. So I finally got an ice-cream maker and took matters into my own hands. I did A LOT of experimenting until I got to this recipe that I am happy with. There are a lot of similar basic recipes floating around the web, but I think the few details I mention in here are key to creating your own totes yummy froyo treat.
I tried different kinds of yogurt, 0% fat, low-fat, full fat, and greek. If you are using greek yogurt you don’t need to drain it, as it is already really thick and creamy. But if are using regular yogurt you should drain it for at least 2 hours (or overnight) to get rid of the extra liquid, which will result in creamier yogurt. To drain the yogurt just place it in a strainer over a cheese cloth or [a good quality] paper towel and set it over a bowl inside of the fridge. When you take it out the yogurt will be thick and creamy (just like greek yogurt) and ready to be used for your froyo. The liquid that drained out is actually called cultured whey. And believe it or not, you can add it to DIY condiments to make them last longer in your fridge! Whaaaaaaat? Ok, I don’t make my own condiments, but for those of you that do you should totally try that out! Click here for deets! When making frozen yogurt you can of course just use greek yogurt and completely omit this step of draining, but through all my experimenting I actually found that I like the combination of regular drained yogurt with greek yogurt the best. I am not sure why, but it just tastes the best to me.
I also found that if you try to use only 0% fat yogurt it will not be nearly as creamy and while freezing it in your ice-cream machine it will annoyingly stick to the walls of the bowl. At least on my machine that’s what it did, and after some research I found that this happens because there is not enough fat in it so it’s freezing too fast and sticking to the edges too much. The best combo I found is 10% fat greek yogurt + low-fat regular yogurt. This will still make it creamy without too many calories. However, I found that full fat yogurt version freezes the best. I normally make a small quantity that we will eat right away so the low-fat version is perfect for my soft serve treat I eat immediately! Keep in mind that calories also vary for different brands of yogurt, so just use this recipe’s nutritional values as a general guideline.
As far as the sweetener for this recipe goes I’ve tried a lot of different things. I find that using white sugar tastes the best, so in order to keep it somewhat healthier I tried to limit the amount that I used. Agave nectar was the second best, followed by maple syrup, and finally honey as well as coconut palm sugar (which both altered the taste too much in my opinion). Frozen yogurt is after all a treat, so practice portion control on this one (if you can!). You can put even less sugar if you want, but the less you add the more tart your froyo will be. I added a little bit of fresh squeezed lemon juice to make it slightly tangy, which I love, but if you don’t you can omit the lemon juice. The vanilla bean however is a must! If you are in a pinch you can certainly make it with vanilla extract instead, but trust be on this…next time you try it with vanilla bean you will taste the totes yummy difference. I used vanilla bean paste to be exact. That stuff is pricey, but amazing.
I like to eat my froyo as soon as it’s done…duh (soft serve style whaaa whaaa). But if you like it to be more firm you may need to put it in the freezer after your ice-cream machine is done with it. If it’s too hard when you get it out of the freezer, just set it out on the counter for 10-20 minutes…while you prepare your toppings! Ahhhhh toppings!!! If you’re a toppings kinda person that is! And I totally am! I love adding toppings because I like chunky froyo, but also because it’s your chance to add some nutritious items and of course FIBER (fiber freak). I love love love adding berries to it, especially raspberries and blackberries. Both of those are ultra super-duper crazy packed with fiber. Did you know that just 1 cup of raspberries is packed with 8g of fiber (and has only 64 calories)!?!?!?!?! So yeah, those bad boy berries are probably my most favorite froyo topping. Other things I like are dark chocolate chips, pomegranate, oven roasted nectarines (drizzled with cinnamon & honey…YUMMM), or rum-coconut bananas (recipe to follow) just to name a few! Toppings or no, this froyo is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth with less calories than ice-cream and the best part is, you know exactly what’s in it because you made it yourself…with love! xoxo
Vanilla Bean Frozen Yogurt
by: Totes Yummy
Makes 4 servings (1/2 cup each)
Ingredients:
- 2 cups plain low-fat yogurt
- 1 cup low-fat greek yogurt (I used Fage Total 10% fat)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
Directions:
1. Place the regular yogurt in a strainer over a cheese cloth or [a good quality] paper towel and set it over a bowl inside of the fridge to drain for at least two hours, or overnight.
2. In a medium bowl whisk the drained yogurt and the greek yogurt until smooth. Add the sugar, lemon juice and vanilla bean paste. Let chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
3. Pour the yogurt mixture into the bowl of an ice-cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s directions.
(Nutrition per serving: 200 cal, 5g fat, 31g carbs, 8g protein)
SUGGESTED SIDE TREAT:
Baked Rum-Coconut Banana
by: Totes Yummy
Serves 1
Ingredients:
- 1 medium banana
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup skim milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp dark rum
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp coconut palm sugar
- 3 tbsp shredded coconut
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 °F (200 °C). Line a small baking pan with foil.
2. Whisk the egg with skim milk, vanilla, rum, and cinnamon in a deep plate. In another plate combine the coconut palm sugar and shredded coconut.
3. Cut the banana lengthwise and dip into the egg mixture, followed by the coconut mixture. Place in prepared pan.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Serve right away with the above Vanilla Bean Frozen Yogurt for a totes yummy treat!
Making healthy choices totes yummy! 