Frozen Yogurt

Classic American Frozen Yogurt

A simple homemade frozen yogurt inspired by the soft-serve counters that became a US staple in the late 20th century. It relies on a balanced blend of milk, cream and tangy yogurt for body and that characteristic tartness.

Prep

15 min

Cook

10 min

Total

25 min

Serves

6

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (2 cups + 2 tbsp) plain whole-milk yogurt, use a live-culture brand for authentic tang; Greek yogurt will make a denser, less tangy result
• •250 ml (1 cup) whole milk
• •240 ml (1 cup) heavy cream
• •150 g (¾ cup) granulated sugar
• •5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla extract
• •1 g (¼ tsp) fine sea salt
• •15 g (1 tbsp) lemon juice, optional, brightens the tang

Steps

1. 1 In a medium saucepan off the heat, whisk together the milk, sugar and salt until the sugar is mostly dissolved. Warm gently over low heat, stirring, just until the sugar fully dissolves and the mixture is hot but not simmering — about 5 minutes. Do not boil.
2. 2 Remove from the heat and stir in the heavy cream. Cover and refrigerate the mixture until thoroughly chilled, at least 2 hours and ideally overnight; this slow chill is the traditional US counter-method stand-in for commercial pasteurization holding time.
3. 3 Whisk the chilled milk-cream mixture with the cold yogurt, vanilla and lemon juice (if using) until completely smooth. The base should read about 4.5 °C / 40 °F on an instant-read thermometer before churning.
4. 4 Pour the base into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions, usually 20 to 30 minutes, until it reaches the texture of thick soft-serve.
5. 5 Transfer the churned frozen yogurt to a chilled airtight container, press a piece of parchment directly onto the surface, and freeze until firm, at least 2 hours (it is safely preserved as long as it stays frozen at -18 °C / 0 °F).
6. 6 Scoop and serve. For scoopable texture, let it temper at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. If you prefer the soft-serve style typical of American fro-yo shops, serve it straight from the churn.