This post may contain affiliate links.
This Frozen Yogurt Recipe turns three pantry ingredients into a cool, creamy, scoopable treat, no ice cream machine required. I came up with it on a sweltering summer afternoon when Maddie and Lizzie begged for froyo and I did not feel like loading everyone into the car. It tastes just like the shop version and comes together as fast as our no churn cookie dough ice cream.
With just yogurt, powdered sugar, and a touch of corn syrup, you get a smooth, tangy sweet frozen yogurt recipe the whole family will want on repeat.
Frozen Yogurt Recipe Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 5 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 4 hours (freezing)
- ⏳ Total Time: 4 hours 5 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 6 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 194kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Cool, creamy, and tangy sweet like a scoop from the froyo shop
- ✋ Difficulty: Very easy, on par with our no churn ice cream
Quick Answer
Whisk together yogurt, powdered sugar, and a spoonful of corn syrup until smooth, then pour the mixture into a zip top freezer bag and press out the air. Lay it flat in the freezer and smush the bag with your hands every hour to break up icy bits. In a few hours you have a creamy, scoopable frozen yogurt recipe, no machine needed.
Jump to:
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- No ice cream machine. Smushing the bag by hand every hour does the same job as churning, breaking up ice crystals for a smooth, creamy texture.
- Powdered sugar dissolves instantly. Unlike granulated sugar, powdered sugar melts right into cold yogurt with no grit, sweetening every bite evenly.
- Corn syrup keeps it scoopable. A single tablespoon lowers the freezing point just enough so the frozen yogurt stays soft and scoopable instead of rock hard.
- Any yogurt works. Vanilla, strawberry, Greek, or plain, whatever you have on hand sets the flavor, so you can mix it up every time.
- Just three ingredients. No eggs, no cooking, no special equipment, this is about as simple as a homemade frozen treat gets.
- Ready in an afternoon. Five minutes of mixing plus a few hours of hands off freezing means dessert is waiting by dinner.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Only three ingredients and five minutes of hands on time stand between you and a creamy homemade frozen treat.
- It is endlessly customizable, just swap the yogurt flavor or stir in fruit. For a fruity topping, drizzle on our homemade strawberry sauce.
- No machine and no cooking, so even the kids can help make it, which is half the fun on a hot day.
Key Ingredients
Three simple ingredients are all it takes to make creamy frozen yogurt at home. Here is what each one does.
- Yogurt: The star of the show. Use any flavor you love, strawberry, vanilla, or Greek, and pick a full fat version for the creamiest scoop.
- Powdered sugar: Sweetens the yogurt and dissolves instantly without any grittiness, so every bite is smooth.
- Corn syrup: Just one tablespoon keeps the frozen yogurt soft and scoopable instead of freezing into a solid block.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
This frozen yogurt recipe is a blank canvas. Here are easy ways to make it your own.
- Mix in fruit: Fold in chopped strawberries, blueberries, or peaches before freezing for bursts of fresh flavor.
- Add crunch: Stir in mini chocolate chips, granola, or crushed cookies once the mixture is partly frozen.
- Go Greek: Use thick Greek yogurt for an extra creamy, protein packed scoop.
- Swirl in sauce: Ribbon in our strawberry sauce or a little jam for a fruit on the bottom vibe.
- Honey sweetened: Swap the powdered sugar for honey or maple syrup, just expect a slightly softer set.
How to Make Frozen Yogurt Recipe
- In a large bowl, add the yogurt, powdered sugar, and corn syrup.
- Whisk everything together until the mixture is completely smooth and the sugar has fully dissolved.
- Pour the mixture into a gallon zip top bag, press out all the air, seal it, and lay it flat in the freezer.
- Every hour, take the bag out and smush it with your hands to break up any icy bits. Repeat until frozen and scoopable, then serve and enjoy.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Smush every hour without skipping. Those regular breaks are what keep the texture smooth instead of icy.
- Press out all the air before sealing the bag so the mixture freezes in a thin, even layer that is easy to break up.
- Use a rolling pin if the bag gets too hard to smush by hand, it crushes stubborn frozen chunks fast.
- Choose a flavor you love. The yogurt flavor is the frozen yogurt flavor, so pick a good one.
- Full fat yogurt scoops best. Low fat works but freezes a little harder and icier.
- Let it sit a few minutes at room temperature if it firms up too much, then it scoops like a dream.
- Serve it the same day for the creamiest texture, since homemade frozen yogurt hardens more the longer it sits.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Scoop this frozen yogurt into bowls or cones and pile on the toppings. Fresh berries, granola, mini chocolate chips, and a drizzle of our homemade strawberry sauce turn it into a build your own froyo bar the kids go wild for.
It is also a fun base for frozen desserts. Layer it into parfaits with our lemon blueberry trifle components, sandwich it between cookies, or blend a scoop into a smoothie like our fruit smoothie bowls.
For a hot day spread, serve it alongside other cool treats like our candied grapes and oatmeal cream pie ice cream bars. Everything stays make ahead and easy.
Frozen Yogurt Recipe FAQs
Any yogurt works, but full fat varieties give the creamiest, smoothest scoop. Greek yogurt makes it extra thick and tangy, while flavored yogurts like strawberry or vanilla set the flavor for you.
Homemade frozen yogurt firms up the longer it sits in the freezer. Let it rest at room temperature for five to ten minutes before scooping, and do not skip the corn syrup, which keeps it soft.
You can, but the corn syrup helps keep it scoopable. Swap in honey or a tablespoon of vodka for a similar soft set, or just expect a firmer, more icy texture without it.
It is best enjoyed the same day for the creamiest texture. Stored in an airtight container, it keeps for up to two weeks, though it will harden, so let it soften before serving.
Not at all. Smushing the bag by hand every hour breaks up the ice crystals just like churning would, giving you a smooth, creamy result with zero special equipment.
Absolutely. Fold chopped strawberries, blueberries, or peaches into the mixture before freezing, or swirl in fruit sauce for ribbons of flavor throughout.
Craving more cool, creamy treats? Whip up our no churn chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream next, it is just as easy and totally irresistible.
Frozen Yogurt Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 Cups yogurt, any flavor will do
- 3/4 Cup + 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 Tablespoon corn syrup
Instructions
- Mix ingredients together with a whisk in a large bowl. Place in a zip lock bag, getting all the air out. Place in freezer.3 Cups yogurt, any flavor will do, 3/4 Cup + 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar, 1 Tablespoon corn syrup
- Every hour, take the bag out and smush the ingredients with your hands, breaking up any icy bits. Keep doing this until the mixture is frozen. If it starts to get too cold or hard to break up the frozen parts, you can use a rolling pin to help.
- When the mixture is frozen, serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Make sure to mix the ingredients thoroughly for a smooth texture.
- Freeze the mixture for at least 4 hours for the perfect consistency.
- Stir the mixture every hour to prevent large ice crystals from forming.
- Let the it sit at room temperature for a few minutes before serving for easy scooping.
- Get creative with mix-ins and toppings to make each batch unique.
- Enjoy your homemade recipe as a cool treat on a hot day or as a dessert at any time!
Nutrition
Love This Recipe?
Follow @ThisSillyGirlsKitchen on Instagram and @danadevolk on Pinterest for more!
Yes, it will still work. 🙂
This sounds delicious, would the recipe work if I did not add sugar?