How to Make Frozen Yogurt

IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FROZEN YOGURT AND ICE CREAM?

In contrast to ice cream, frozen yogurt uses milk instead of cream. There is a requirement for ice cream to have a certain amount of fat, which is typically produced by cream or egg yolks. Instead of cream, frozen yogurt uses cultured milk from yogurt instead of fat. 

In terms of flavour and consistency, both of these classic frozen desserts are similar. Whatever you choose, you won't be disappointed. The good news is that you can bypass the preservatives in store-bought frozen yogurt brands by making your own frozen yogurt at home. Put your own spin on this timeless frozen treat by swirling flavour and adding creative toppings.

INGREDIENTS FOR HOMEMADE FROZEN YOGURT

The most common ingredients in homemade frozen yogurt recipes are yogurt, milk, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Additionally, you can add toppings like dark chocolate shavings or crushed peppermint to customise the flavour according to your specific tastes. 

Whether you're having a family gathering or a weeknight treat, fro-yo is the perfect finish. Learning how to make frozen yogurt is an impressive skill to have in your back pocket. You can use a stand mixer, a blender, a food processor or the KitchenAid^® Ice Cream Maker attachment to make your recipe come alive. 

Make sure the flavours of your dessert complement your dinner theme or offer a topping bar for your guests to customise their dessert themselves. Frozen yogurt flavours like Blackberry Frozen Yogurt and Strawberry Frozen Yogurt offer a pop of color, while Cookie Dough Frozen Yogurt and Chocolate Frozen Yogurt appeal to dessert lovers of all ages. It's a great way to learn the main components of frozen yogurt from this easy Peanut Butter Frozen Yogurt recipe. If you prefer, you can adapt it further.

PEANUT BUTTER FROZEN YOGURT

• 2 parts plain full fat yogurt, or 1 part greek yogurt and 1 part full fat yogurt
• ½ part milk, whole milk is suggested for a creamier consistency
• ½ part peanut butter, or other nut butter like cashew or almond butter
• Sweetener of your choice like honey, sugar or stevia
• Vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• Optional: Toppings like chopped nuts, peanut butter chips, hot fudge, banana slices, chocolate chips or crushed candy bits

RECIPE FOR HOMEMADE FROZEN YOGURT

Frozen yogurt is made in the same way as ice cream made with a stand mixer. Using the KitchenAid^® Ice Cream Maker attachment, you can either churn your mixture or freeze it overnight for instant, soft-serve desserts. Toppings and mix-ins can be added at the end.

The KitchenAid brand offers a variety of countertop appliances that can easily enhance your everyday routine and can even replace the need for a dedicated ice cream maker. The KitchenAid^® Ice Cream Maker attachment for stand mixers makes it easy to get the rich and creamy result you're looking for. Below you will find instructions for making frozen yogurt without an ice cream maker.

STEP 1: COMBINE INGREDIENTS

Combine all ingredients, except for toppings, using either a hand mixer, stand mixer, food processor or blender until smooth and creamy.

STEP 2: FREEZE OR CHURN

Freeze your KitchenAid^® Ice Cream Maker attachment 24 hours beforehand. When your ingredients have been mixed together, switch to the Slow setting on your stand mixer. While the dasher is turning, pour your base into the bowl. When it's done churning, you can eat it right away as soft-serve or place in the freezer to firm up to your desired consistency.

You should freeze the base for 8 hours or overnight if you're using a hand mixer, blender, food processor or stand mixer. If you want frozen yogurt that is creamy without an ice cream maker, stir the mixture every 2-3 hours.

STEP 3: OPTIONAL - ADD TOPPINGS

As soon as the frozen yogurt is scoopable, prepare any toppings you plan to use. Here you can be as creative as you like. You can swirl raspberry preserves for a peanut butter and jelly flavour, or add traditional chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, or hot fudge. It can even be topped with banana slices, crushed candy pieces and peanut butter cookie crumbles.

HOW TO MAKE FROZEN YOGURT AT HOME WITH A STAND MIXER

Even without the Ice Cream Maker attachment, you can quickly make frozen yogurt with your KitchenAid^® Stand Mixer. Stir yogurt, milk, peanut butter, vanilla, salt, and sweetener together until smooth. Freeze for at least eight hours.

You can choose from a variety of stand mixer options from the KitchenAid^® brand, whether you want a bowl-lift mixer or a tilt-head mixer. Additionally, many accessories and attachments are available to help you expand your culinary horizons. To learn more, read the stand mixer attachment buying guide.

Make Frozen Yogurt With a Stand Mixer Ice Cream Attachment

You can quickly make frozen yogurt or ice cream using the KitchenAid^® Ice Cream Maker attachment. Prior to use, let the bowl sit in the freezer for 24 hours. When it’s ready, simply attach it to your KitchenAid^® stand mixer and watch while the rotating dasher churns your concoction into a silky smooth, frozen dessert.

With the right equipment, you will not only be able to streamline the cooking, baking, or in this case, freezing process, but you'll also get the results you want.

HOMEMADE FROZEN YOGURT TIPS AND TRICKS

You'll be surprised at how easy it is to make frozen yogurt at home. Listed below are some helpful tips and tricks to help you master the basics and allow your creative instincts to take over when it comes to flavour.

Why Can't You Make Frozen Yogurt From Regular Yogurt?

Despite being creamy and custardy when straight from the refrigerator, regular yogurt can quickly turn icy and hard in the freezer. Due to its high water content, it can easily form ice crystals in the freezer.

If you don't like the consistency of the yogurt, you can drain the water from it overnight in a cheese cloth, then add some cream to level it out. If you want to get the right creamy texture, you can add whole milk, cream, or sugar to the yogurt, but it will still not have the same texture as typical frozen yogurt.

How Should You Freeze Homemade Frozen Yogurt?

Any airtight, freezer-safe container will work for storing homemade frozen yogurt. Various types of containers can be used, such as silicone pint jars, ice cube trays, zip bags, or glass or metal loaf dishes covered with plastic wrap. It can even be frozen in popsicle molds for an enjoyable hand-held treat.

How To Make Frozen Yogurt Creamy

The simple solution to making frozen yogurt creamier is to add sugar. Ice crystals can be prevented by sugar molecules, just like with ice cream. It is likely that frozen yogurt will have a higher sugar content due to the lack of fat and stabilisers, such as the egg yolks and cream in ice cream.

As well as creaminess, full fat yogurt is better than skim or low fat yogurt. If you’re planning on using greek yogurt, which is rich in fat and protein and contains less water, it may need to be cut with full-fat yogurt to avoid freezing into a hard, sour-cream-like texture.