This homemade frozen yogurt is made without an ice cream maker. Simply mix the ingredients, place the mixture in a shallow pan, and freeze.
Although you'll need to stir the mixture a few times while freezing it, this is an easy recipe, and the yogurt comes out creamy and delicious.
In summer, there's nothing quite like a sweet frozen treat. I used to own an ice cream maker, but it took up too much countertop space. So I gave it away, and now I make frozen treats without an ice cream maker.
This frozen yogurt is easy to make and delicious. You can serve it at a soft-serve consistency or freeze it until it can be scooped out.
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Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this homemade dessert. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Greek yogurt: I use plain whole-milk yogurt in this recipe. While regular yogurt is excellent, you should definitely use Greek yogurt in this recipe.
- Sweetener: I like to use honey because it's so delicious. You can use a granulated sweetener if you prefer - sugar or a sugar-free alternative.
- Vanilla extract: Use high-quality pure vanilla for the best results.
Variations
The basic recipe is simple: it contains yogurt, honey, and vanilla extract. You can add fruit—fresh or frozen, pureed or chunky.
I like to completely puree the fruit in the food processor, then add the yogurt, honey, and vanilla.
But you can blend the yogurt and honey first, then add the fruit and process briefly, leaving fruit chunks in your yogurt.
The possibilities are endless, but the flavors I make most often, in addition to this one, are mango frozen yogurt, raspberry frozen yogurt, and chocolate frozen yogurt.
Instructions
Making frozen yogurt without an ice cream maker is easy, although it's a bit time-consuming. The detailed instructions are included in the recipe card below. Here are the basic steps:
Mix. You start by mixing the ingredients together. You can use a food processor or simply place the ingredients in a bowl and use a hand whisk. Keep in mind that you'll need to whisk for about three minutes to get the mixture to be fluffy.
Freeze. Transfer the mixture to a 9-inch square baking dish, spreading it out evenly. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 45 minutes.
Stir. Remove the pan from the freezer. Use a rubber spatula to give the mixture a good stir. You especially want to stir the already-frozen edges into the still-soft center. Flatten back, cover, and continue freezing for 2 more hours, stirring every 30 minutes.
Freeze some more. The yogurt should now have a soft-serve consistency. You can go ahead and enjoy it. At this point, I usually transfer it to a smaller container (this makes scooping easier), cover it, and freeze it for one more hour to achieve a scoopable consistency.
Recipe FAQs
No, you don't. Instead of using an ice cream maker, you can stir the yogurt often during the freezing process to ensure a smooth and creamy consistency.
To achieve the creamy consistency shown in the photo below, you either need an ice cream maker or stir the yogurt often during the freezing process. This helps prevent large ice crystals from forming.
While the frequent stirring may seem like a drag, it's not difficult to do on a day when you're home anyway. And to me, the extra space I have in my kitchen by not owning an ice cream maker is worth it.
No. Unlike commercial brands, this recipe contains no thickeners and is lower in sugar than many brands.
So don't expect the "perfect" texture and intense sweetness you get when you add thickeners, stabilizers, emulsifiers, and lots of sugar.
But this homemade version is wonderful! You can taste the yogurt's tang and the honey's sweetness. It's simple, delicious, and fresh.
Serving Suggestions
This dessert is excellent all on its own. It also pairs well with grilled peaches, apple crisp, baked apple slices, or fried bananas.
Sometimes, I serve it topped with honey-roasted nuts, stewed prunes, blueberry compote, or strawberry compote.
You can also drizzle it with melted dark chocolate or melted peanut butter. And for a special treat, serve it with crumbled chocolate cookies or chocolate chip cookies.
Storing Leftovers
You can freeze the leftovers in a sealed container for up to a month. However, the longer they stay in the freezer, the less creamy and icier they will become.
If the yogurt has been in your freezer for over a day, remove it about 30 minutes before enjoying it.
More Frozen Yogurt Recipes
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Recipe Card
Homemade Frozen Yogurt
Ingredients
- 2 cups Greek yogurt - plain, full fat
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place the yogurt, honey, and vanilla in your food processor’s bowl or in a medium mixing bowl.
- Process the ingredients to incorporate, stopping once to scrape the sides of the bowl, then process for 1 more minute until light and fluffy. If mixing by hand, mix for 2-3 minutes until smooth and fluffy.
- Using a spatula, transfer the mixture to a square 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Cover with cling wrap and freeze for 45 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the freezer. Use a rubber spatula to stir the already-frozen edges into the still-soft center, then spread evenly again.
- Cover again, and place in the freezer for 2 more hours, repeating the process of stirring the yogurt every 30 minutes.
- When the entire mixture is frozen, serve immediately as a soft-serve yogurt (use chilled bowls), or freeze it for 1-2 more hours for a firmer consistency that you can scoop out with an ice cream scoop.
Video
Notes
- To keep this yogurt low-carb, you can use a sugar-free sweetener.
- You can keep this yogurt in a sealed container in the freezer for up to a month. But the longer it stays in the freezer, the less creamy and icier it will become. If it's spent longer than a day in your freezer, remove it from the freezer about 30 minutes before enjoying it.
Nutrition per Serving
Disclaimers
Cup measurements refer to the standard American cup, which is 240 milliliters. Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate, and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read these Terms of Use carefully before using any of my recipes.
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 
KRISTIN
This is a great recipe that I can modify with frozen strawberries or other ingredients. Because I have to watch my glucose levels, I added 1/3 cup monkfruit sweetener, though honey sounds very good.
Vered DeLeeuw
I'm so glad you like this recipe, Kristin! Thanks for the review and for sharing your sweetener tweak.
Virginia England
Very good. Will make it again.
Vered DeLeeuw
I'm so glad you liked this recipe, Virginia! Thank you for the review.
Carolyn Thompson
can I make this chocolate or add fruit
Vered DeLeeuw
Hi Carolyn,
Yes, you can add fruit - check out this recipe for raspberry frozen yogurt. You can use other fruit, fresh or frozen, as long as they are cut into bite-size chunks.
And here's a recipe for chocolate frozen yogurt.
Ron
Hi, I'm a diabetic. Can I use Stevia instead of Honey? Will it work?
Vered DeLeeuw
Hi Ron,
Yes, you can use stevia to equal 1/3 cup of granulated sugar.
Nancy N
Will this work with maple syrup?
Vered DeLeeuw
Hi Nancy,
Yes, it will.