Peach Frozen Yogurt
This peach frozen yogurt recipe turns ripe summer peaches and thick Greek yogurt into a dessert with a genuinely creamy texture, not the icy, crystallized scoop that comes from recipes that skip straining or chilling the base properly.
Equipment
- Ice cream maker - with a bowl that has been fully frozen for at least 24 hours
- Food processor - or high-powered blender
- Freezer-safe storage container - with a tight-fitting lid
- Glass mixing bowls
- Fine-mesh strainer - for straining yogurt (lined with cheesecloth recommended)
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ripe peaches - 900g, peeled, pitted, and sliced (about 4 large)
- 2 cups plain Greek yogurt - 480g, whole milk or 2% fat
- 1/3 cup raw honey - 113g
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice - 30ml, from about 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract - 5ml
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and prepare a bowl of ice water. Score a small X on the bottom of each peach, then drop them into the boiling water for 30 to 45 seconds. Transfer to the ice water, peel, halve, pit, and slice the flesh into chunks.
- Add the sliced peaches, honey, and lemon juice to the bowl of a food processor or blender. Pulse or blend until completely smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Taste and adjust with extra honey if the peaches are tart.
- Transfer the peach puree to a large glass mixing bowl. Add the Greek yogurt, vanilla extract, and sea salt. Whisk until fully combined and no streaks of yogurt remain.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate the mixture for at least 1 hour, or until it is cold all the way through. A colder base churns faster and produces a smoother final texture.
- Pour the chilled base into the frozen bowl of an ice cream maker. Churn according to manufacturer instructions, usually 20 to 25 minutes, until the mixture looks like soft-serve.
- Enjoy immediately for a soft-serve texture, or transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for 1 to 2 hours for a firmer, scoopable texture before serving.
Notes
- Use peaches at peak ripeness. Underripe peaches taste starchy and need more sweetener to compensate.
- Strain the yogurt if it's thin. Thinner yogurts add more water to the base, which increases the chance of ice crystals forming.
- I've found peaches with a few soft spots trimmed away blend smoother than perfectly firm ones and give a rounder, more concentrated flavor.
- Chill the base fully before churning. Skipping the chill step means the ice cream maker has to work harder and the texture suffers.
- Don't over-churn. Stop as soon as the mixture holds soft peaks; churning past that point can cause the fat in the yogurt to separate.
- Freeze the storage container ahead of time. A pre-chilled container helps the frozen yogurt hold its texture as it transfers from the machine.
- Add mix-ins at the very end of churning, not at the start, so chunks of fruit or granola don't get pulverized.
- Let the container sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before scooping if it has hardened in the freezer.
- Store in an airtight container with a layer of plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface before sealing. Keeps for up to 2 weeks for best texture.
- Avoid refreezing thawed frozen yogurt, since the repeated freeze-thaw cycle encourages larger ice crystals.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 175kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 9gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 65mgPotassium: 250mgFiber: 2gSugar: 30gVitamin A: 8IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 10mgIron: 2mg
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