Lime Frozen Yogurt

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If you love frozen yogurt and do not have an ice cream maker yet, this recipe for homemade lime frozen yogurt alone should warrant you to get one – today!

This was my first attempt at homemade frozen yogurt to resolve the abundance of yogurt found in my fridge last week (I mostly make cream and egg based ice creams like my homemade Lucuma Ice Cream). The result was a refreshing and tangy dessert with the perfect balance of citrus.

Why make your own frozen yogurt?

Have you read the ingredients of what goes into most frozen yogurts from local shops or supermarkets?

Most are made with non-fat or skim milk. So gums and other processed ingredients are added to make up for the loss of flavor and texture whole milk provides – in addition to loss of nutrition.  A variety of processed sugars and/or corn syrups are added to maintain a tasty product. And unless you are buying organic you are probably ingesting GMO ingredients and low-quality milk. (Learn more about the dangerous health effects of GMO foods in this post, and what some of these ingredients really are in my Krispy Kreme ingredient analysis post).

All you need for homemade frozen yogurt is the best quality organic whole milk yogurt (preferably from grass-fed cows) and a bit of natural sweetener. And then you add your desired flavors like lime juice, vanilla extract, organic fresh fruits, etc.

Ingredients of Popular Frozen Yogurt Brands

Compare the simplicity of a homemade product to the ingredients of frozen yogurts you buy. Below I list a variety of brands from frozen yogurt shops to supermarket brands including organic ones.

Pinkberry Original Frozen Yogurt

Nonfat milk, sugar, cultured pasteurized nonfat milk with live and active cultures, contains less than 2%: cultured nonfat milk powder, fructose, dextrose, natural flavors, citric acid, guar gum, maltodextrin, mono-and diglycerides, starch.

YogurtLand Vanilla Frozen Yogurt

Cultured Skim Milk, Sugar, Corn Syrup Solids, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Whey, Maltodextrin, Contains 1% or Less of the Following: Microcrystalline Cellulose, Mono & Diglycerides (Vegetable based), Guar Gum, Carrageenan, Cellulose Gum, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Caramel Color, Annatto Color.
Contains Active Live Cultures: Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus Bulgaricus, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium ssp, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus casei

TCBY Soft Serve Frozen Yogurt Golden Vanilla

Whole Milk, Skim Milk, Condensed Skim Milk, Sugar, Corn Syrup, Polydextrose, Contains 2% or less of: Vanilla Extract, Natural Flavors, Natural Cream Flavor, Annatto, Vitamins A & D, Stabilizer and Emulsifier (Propylene Glycol Monoesters, Mono & Diglycerides, Guar Gum, Cellulose Gum, Carrageenan), Disodium Phosphate, Whey, Calcium Carbonate).Milk cultured with the following live active cultures: B. lactis, L. acidophilus, L. bulgaricus, L. lactis, L. casei, S. thermophilus, L. rhamnosus.

Haagen Daaz – Vanilla Lowfat Frozen Yogurt

Skim Milk (Lactose Reduced), Corn Syrup, Sugar, Cream, Egg Yolks, Natural Vanilla, Active Yogurt Cultures.

Edy’s Slow Churned Rich and Creamy Vanilla Yogurt

Skim milk, sugar, cream, cultured skim milk, corn syrup, maltodextrin, whey, mono and diglycerides, milk minerals concentrate, guar gum, locust bean gum, natural flavors, annatto color, carrageenan

Stonyfield Gotta Have Vanilla Frozen Yogurt

Cultured pasteurized organic nonfat milk, naturally milled organic sugar, organic rice syrup, whey protein concentrate, organic vanilla flavor, organic carob bean gum, organic guar gum, organic vanilla bean specks, annatto extract (for color).  Contains: S. Thermophilus, L. Bulgaricus, L. Acidophilus, Bifidus, And L. Casei Live Active Cultures.

Julie’s Organic Vanilla Bean Yogurt

Cultured pasteurized organic nonfat milk, organic dehydrated cane juice, organic cream, organic tapioca syrup, fructan (natural dietary fiber), organic vanilla extract, carob bean gum, guar gum, annatto (for color), organic vanilla bean specks. Contains active cultures.

The Best Frozen Yogurt is the One You Make at Home

If you’re going to buy frozen yogurt at least get organic. But it’s best to make your own at home. It’s so easy and results in a more nutritious product. At home you control the quality of ingredients and the amount of sugars. Use the best quality yogurt for a tasty dessert with lots of nutrition.

Resources:

I have both the Cuisinart 2-Quart  Frozen Yogurt, Sorbet, and Ice Cream Maker and the KitchenAid Ice Cream Maker Attachment and like using both.

For recipes I like David Lebovit’z books, Ready for Dessert: My Best Recipes and The Perfect Scoop: Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, and Sweet Accompaniments. I never have issues replacing natural sweeteners or other ingredients in these recipes, sometimes it just takes a bit of trial and error – though I use them most for inspiration to come up with my own recipes.

This post is linked to The Nourishing Gourmet | Pennywise Platter Thursday and The Food Renegade | Fight Back Friday.