For The Creamiest Homemade Frozen Yogurt, Sugar Is Key

Frozen yogurt makes for a tasty treat any time of year. It's delicious, comes in any number of flavors, and is readily available at ice cream and frozen yogurt shops. Making this creamy confection at home, however, requires some know-how. You'll need to do more than just put yogurt in your ice cream maker. Even if you like the taste of yogurt on its own, you have to add sugar to halt the creation of ice crystals and make the frozen product creamy.

Many people believe frozen yogurt is healthier than ice cream, and they prefer it for that reason. While the two have a similar cold, creamy quality, they actually have completely different makeups. Ice cream contains ingredients that are naturally creamy, like eggs and, of course, cream. The base of frozen yogurt, on the other hand, is cultured milk. This foundation provides the signature tang that sets froyo apart from ice cream, but that same creamy consistency can't be achieved without the addition of a sweetener, namely sugar.

Even if your local frozen yogurt chain closes down, that doesn't mean you have to go without. Whether you're making your own froyo as a lighter alternative to ice cream or as a fun changeup to your regular yogurt routine, there are a few rules of thumb to keep in mind when sweetening your concoction. The most important thing to remember is that sugar is just as crucial for achieving the perfect texture as it is for creating a pleasing flavor. It stops the water in the yogurt from freezing and turning crunchy. This means frozen yogurt sometimes contains even more sugar than ice cream. When making your own froyo, add at least ¾ cup of sugar for every quart of yogurt. Otherwise, the end result won't be creamy enough.

As your yogurt freezes, it will also lose some of its sweetness. That extra sugar will create a soft texture and help enliven the flavors that mellow out in the cold. Some people even choose to strain their yogurt through cheesecloth before putting it in the ice cream maker. This helps remove some of the water and further improve the consistency of the final product.