Frozen Yogurt

Frozen Yogurt (or Ice Cream) Without a Machine

taken from davidlebovitz.com

Making frozen yogurt by hand takes a bit of time, but is worth the time and effort, doesn’t require rock salt or lots of ice.  When you freezing something from liquid to solid, you’re creating hard ice crystals, so you want to break those up so your final results are smooth and creamy. It is best to use Greek-style or drained yogurt. (Or for ice cream, choose a recipe that is custard-based.)

1. Prepare your yogurt (see below) or ice cream mixture, then chill it over an ice bath.

2. Put a deep baking dish, or bowl made of plastic, stainless steel or something durable in the freezer, and pour your mixture into it.

3. After forty-five minutes, open the freezer and check it.  As it starts to freeze near the edges, remove it from the freezer and stir it vigorously with a spatula or whisk. If you have one, you can use a hand-held mixer or stick-blender for best results. Return to freezer.

4. Continue to check the mixture every 30 minutes, stirring vigorously as it’s freezing.

5. Keep checking periodically and stirring while it freezes (by hand or with the electric mixer) until the yogurt or ice cream is frozen. It will likely take 2-3 hours to be ready. This is best eaten soon after it’s made—which shouldn’t be a problem.

Chocolate Frozen Yogurt

(I doubled this recipe)

¾ c sugar

2 t cornstarch

12 oz can fat-free evaporated milk

½ c semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 c yogurt (Greek or drained, plain or vanilla)

1 t vanilla

Stir together cornstarch and sugar in a saucepan.  Stir in evaporated milk and chocolate chips.  Cook over medium heat until chocolate is melted and mixture has thickened slightly.  Stir constantly to prevent burning. Remove from heat and add yogurt and vanilla. 

To make Chocolate Chip Frozen Yogurt
Do not add chocolate chips to mixture before heating.  Instead melt about 5 ounces pure dark or milk chocolate and drizzle over the almost-frozen mixture. Stir, breaking up the ribbons of chocolate as they start to freeze, to create little ‘chips’.

Strawberry Frozen Yogurt


1 pound strawberries, rinsed and hulled
2/3 c sugar
optional: 2 teaspoons vodka or kirsch
1 c plain Greek yogurt
1 t fresh lemon juice
Slice the strawberries into small pieces. Toss in a bowl with the sugar and vodka or kirsch (if using) until the sugar begins to dissolve. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours, stirring every so often.
Transfer the strawberries and their juice to a blender or food processor. Add the yogurt and fresh lemon juice. Pulse the machine until the mixture is smooth. If you wish, press mixture through a mesh strainer to remove any seeds.