Three-Ingredient Frozen Yogurt

Three-Ingredient Frozen Yogurt

Yogurt, maple syrup, and vanilla. This was easy enough that the boys could help from start to finish. The recipe I found originally called for sugar. Maple syrup adds a subtle sweetness and flavour that compliments vanilla so I opted for that instead.

Commercial frozen yogurt may seem smoother and creamier for a variety of reasons. Many add cream. Others have gelatin, guar gum, carrageenan, or agar agar for thickness. The lower the fat content of a frozen dairy dessert, the more tiny ice crystals can form; some low fat brands of ice cream contain ice structuring proteins "borrowed" from fish to prevent the formation of these crystals. I have not encountered these proteins on the labels of frozen yogurt yet but it would not surprise me.

None of those magical additives are in here, so expect something more like a sherbet. I started with a firm yogurt made with whole milk using my favorite culture. The yogurt was given a day in the fridge to "set" before we used it.

For about six cups:

3 cups fresh, plain yogurt
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla

Set up the ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions. This often means placing the bowl into the freezer for a day. (I store ours at the bottom of the deep freezer in a bag; it is clean, frozen and ready to use.)

Gently mix the yogurt, maple syrup and vanilla together. Pour it into the frozen bowl of the ice cream maker.

Run the machine for about half an hour to forty-five minutes, until the yogurt is frozen and whipped. At this point you could serve it like soft-serve ice cream. Alternatively, transfer it into a pyrex bowl and freeze it for a few hours until it is hard enough to scoop.

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