Homemade Frozen Yogurt Recipe
Whisking sugar and a small amount of corn syrup into the yogurt before chilling keeps the finished texture soft and scoopable instead of icy, since both ingredients lower the mixture's freezing point and interfere with large ice crystal formation.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 6 hr 40 min
- Servings
- 8
Ingredients
- 4 cups plain whole milk yogurt
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp light corn syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 165
- Protein
- 4g
- Carbs
- 29g
- Fat
- 4g
Based on the recipe as written, one serving. Recalculates if you swap an ingredient above. An estimate only, exact values depend on the specific ingredients used.
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Instructions
- 1In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sugar, and corn syrup until the sugar is mostly dissolved, about 2 minutes.
- 2Whisk in the vanilla extract, salt, and lemon juice until fully combined.
- 3Cover and refrigerate the mixture for at least 2 hours, or until it reads 40°F (4°C) or colder on a thermometer.
- 4Pour the chilled mixture into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions, about 20-25 minutes, until it reaches soft-serve consistency.
- 5Transfer the frozen yogurt to an airtight container, press a piece of plastic wrap directly against the surface, and freeze for at least 4 hours before scooping.
Tips & variations
- Straining the yogurt through a cheesecloth-lined sieve for an hour before using it removes extra whey and produces a thicker, less icy frozen yogurt.
- Add fruit purees, mini chocolate chips, or crushed cookies during the last 5 minutes of churning so mix-ins stay distributed rather than sinking.
- Swapping the corn syrup for an equal amount of honey works, though honey adds a more noticeable flavor of its own.
- Full-fat or whole milk yogurt freezes noticeably softer than nonfat yogurt, since the fat content also interferes with ice crystal growth.
Storage & reheating
Store finished frozen yogurt in an airtight, freezer-safe container with plastic wrap pressed against the surface for up to 2 weeks at peak texture, or up to 2 months before it turns noticeably icy. Plain, unwhipped yogurt can also be frozen on its own for up to 2 months, but it separates as it thaws and turns watery and grainy, so thawed plain yogurt is better stirred into smoothies, baked goods, or cooked sauces than eaten by the spoonful.
Tips from the Tulo kitchen
- Let a pint of homemade frozen yogurt sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before scooping; it firms up harder than store-bought since it has no industrial stabilizers.
- Freezing yogurt in individual ice cube trays first, then transferring the cubes to a freezer bag, makes it easy to pull just enough for a single smoothie without thawing the whole container.
FAQ
Can you freeze yogurt?
Yes. Both plain yogurt and this sweetened, churned version freeze well, but plain yogurt frozen and thawed as-is separates into a grainy, watery texture, so it's best reserved for smoothies or cooking rather than eating straight from a spoon.
Does freezing yogurt kill the probiotics?
Freezing stresses the live bacterial cultures and reduces their numbers, but it doesn't kill them all outright; some active cultures typically survive the freeze-thaw cycle, just in lower amounts than fresh yogurt.
Why does homemade frozen yogurt turn out icy instead of creamy?
Icy texture usually comes from using nonfat yogurt with no added sugar or corn syrup, both of which lower the freezing point and slow ice crystal growth; using whole milk yogurt and the sugar/corn syrup combo in this recipe fixes it.
Can you refreeze frozen yogurt once it has melted?
It's not recommended. Melting and refreezing lets large ice crystals form, which turns the texture grainy, and if it sat out at room temperature for more than 2 hours it's safer to discard than refreeze.