Can You Use Any Old Yogurt To Make Frozen Yogurt At Home?

Frozen yogurt is certainly not ruined ice cream — it's a deeply satisfying dessert in its own right; frozen yogurt is different to ice cream, gelato, sorbet, and many other frozen desserts. If you want to get in on the action, making frozen yogurt at home is a lot easier than you might think: Although full-fat yogurts are better suited to making a creamy fro-yo, you can make frozen yogurt with almost any kind of yogurt you have lying around.

If you want the best, creamiest results, though, you'll want to use yogurt that has a decent amount of fat. As Neil Hershman, CEO of the popular frozen yogurt chain 16 Handles told The Takeout in an interview, "At 16 Handles, we use high quality, locally sourced, non-GMO dairy with about 2 or 3% milk fat in order to get the best mix of lower fat but creamy and natural frozen yogurt." 

The tricky thing about frozen yogurt is that, due to the high water content of yogurt compared to cream, the former has a tendency to ice over rather than transform into a decadent creamy dessert. As fat inhibits expansion of these ice crystals, using yogurt with a higher fat content helps the freezing yogurt to develop a smooth, decadent texture.

If you're looking for other ways to make your homemade frozen yogurt creamy, you have some options. According to Neil Hershman, "In order to get the creaminess right for frozen yogurt, you have to find the right balance of dairy and sugar. Another large factor in the equation is the freezing equipment. At 16 Handles, we are very particular in ensuring our custom setting for freezing cycles and air mixtures are met in order to ensure consistent creaminess."

While you may not have access to industrial freezing equipment, you should always try to churn your frozen yogurt. This process introduces air to the frozen yogurt, making it feel creamier. You should also make sure to use the right amount of sugar. A general rule of thumb is to use 1 cup of sugar for around every 32 ounces of yogurt. This balance should give you a smooth, scoopable frozen yogurt. (This large amount of added sugar is one of the reasons why the jury is still out as to whether frozen yogurt is healthier than ice cream.) If this all sounds like too much hassle, don't worry. You can try making these extremely simple frozen yogurt fruit clusters, which only contain four ingredients, instead.