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Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

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This frozen yogurt tastes intensely of fresh strawberries, almost like a cross between frozen yogurt and sorbet.

Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

I know one cannot own every conceivable kitchen appliance, but if you can find an excuse to buy an ice cream machine, just go for it. They’re relatively inexpensive and you’ll be forever amazed at how much better your ice cream and frozen yogurt will be. This strawberry frozen yogurt, modestly adapted from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz is proof of that. It bears no resemblance to store-bought frozen yogurt or the imitation ice cream served at most froyo shops. Instead, it tastes intensely of fresh strawberries — think of it as a cross between strawberry frozen yogurt and strawberry sorbet. My daughter, Anna, said it best: “It tastes very strawberry-y.”

What You’ll Need To Make Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

Yogurt ingredients including vodka, strawberries, and lemon.

The beauty of the recipe is that it’s incredibly easy. No cooking and you only need five ingredients to make it: fresh strawberries, Greek yogurt, a lemon, sugar and vodka. I highly recommend using whole milk Greek yogurt, although low-fat will work too (just don’t use nonfat). As for the booze, you won’t taste it — it’s just there to keep the yogurt creamy and smooth in the freezer. You can substitute kirsch or rum, or just leave it out completely.

How To Make Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

Strawberries and sugar in a bowl.

Begin by combining the strawberries, sugar, vodka and lemon juice in a medium bowl.

Bowl of macerated strawberries.

Let the strawberries macerate in the sugar mixture for about an hour, or until the sugar is nice and syrupy.

Strawberries and yogurt in a blender.

Combine the strawberry mixture with the Greek yogurt in a blender and purée until smooth.

Blended yogurt with strawberries.

Strain the mixture through a fine sieve to remove the seeds.

Yogurt and strawberry mixture in a sieve.

This step is optional; I think it’s much better without the seeds but if you don’t mind them, don’t bother.

Sieve with strawberry seeds.

Chill the mixture in the fridge, then freeze in your ice cream machine.

Strawberry mixture pouring into an ice cream machine.

It will look a bit slushy when it’s done.

Strawberry frozen yogurt in an ice cream machine.

Transfer the frozen yogurt to a plastic container and freeze until firm enough to scoop.

strawberry frozen yogurt ready for freezer

After a few hours, the frozen yogurt will get quite firm. You may need to let it sit out a bit to soften before scooping it. Enjoy!

As mentioned above, my starting point for this recipe was David Lebovitz. His version came out icier and more sorbet-like than I wanted, so I upped the amount of yogurt and adjusted the sugar and other ingredients accordingly. He also doesn’t strain the seeds, but I think it’s much better without them. You can check out his version here.

Two stemmed glasses of strawberry frozen yogurt.More Strawberry Recipes You Might Like

Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

This frozen yogurt tastes intensely of fresh strawberries, almost like a cross between frozen yogurt and sorbet.

Servings: 4
Total Time: 3 Hours

Ingredients

  • 1 pound strawberries, hulled and chopped
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vodka
  • 1½ teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1½ cups whole milk Greek yogurt*

Instructions

  1. Combine the strawberries, sugar, vodka and lemon juice in a medium bowl and stir to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for about an hour, stirring every so often, until the mixture is nice and syrupy.
  2. Combine the strawberry mixture and Greek yogurt in a blender and purée until smooth. Place a sieve over a medium bowl and strain the frozen yogurt purée into the bowl to remove the seeds. (The most efficient way is to use a ladle to push the mixture in circular motions through the sieve.) Discard the seeds. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator until very cold (you can speed this up in the freezer if you like).
  3. Freeze the frozen yogurt mixture in ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions. It will look a little slushy when it's done. Transfer the frozen yogurt to a plastic container and place in the freezer until firm enough to scoop, a few hours.
  4. *Note: For the best taste and consistency, I highly recommend using whole milk Greek yogurt. Low-fat will work too but the frozen yogurt won't stay as creamy in the freezer. Do not use nonfat.

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Per serving (4 servings)
  • Calories: 284
  • Fat: 6g
  • Saturated fat: 0g
  • Carbohydrates: 50g
  • Sugar: 47g
  • Fiber: 2g
  • Protein: 9g
  • Sodium: 52mg
  • Cholesterol: 14mg

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

Gluten-Free Adaptable Note

To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.

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Comments

  • This has become our go-to recipe this summer. It’s such a great way to use up strawberries and it tastes fresh, even a week later (which it’s rare to make it that long). I did add vanilla extract on one batch and almond extract on another. Both worked out deliciously but I really do like the simple taste of the base recipe without either. I also subbed mangos for the strawberries and swapped the vodka for rum … so so so good. Lastly, I did skip the ice cream machine just once and poured the batter (?) into popsicle molds. They were ok but did not have the creaminess I wanted so I can definitely attest to using the ice cream machine to ensure the right texture. Thank you for sharing this recipe! What a treat!

    • — Yvonne on August 30, 2023
    • Reply
  • Delicious recipe for my first playtime with an ice cream maker! I used my vitamix to blend the yogurt and strawberries—- the consistency was smooth and no seeds remained needing straining—
    Wonderful recipe as expected!

    • — Patricia Raymond on July 23, 2023
    • Reply
  • Can you substitute vanilla extract for the vodka?

    • — Heather on June 27, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi Heather, you can simply omit the vodka but if you’d like to use some vanilla extract, I’d limit it to 1½ teaspoons. Hope you enjoy!

      • — Jenn on June 28, 2023
      • Reply
  • Hi! Do you have any recommendations for a good icecream maker?

    • — Swathi on June 26, 2023
    • Reply
    • This is the one I have and I’m very happy with it. 🙂

      • — Jenn on June 27, 2023
      • Reply
  • This is better tasting than any premium strawberry ice cream I’ve ever had! It’s worth the extra few minutes to strain out the seeds. If you want to go over the top, add in a chopped up chocolate bar — it’s like you’re eating chocolate covered strawberries!

    • — Kathy on June 23, 2023
    • Reply
  • Hi, if I use frozen strawberries should I let them thaw before combining them with the sugar, vodka and lemon? And any way to substitute simple syrup for the sugar? I have a batch of mint simple syrup I would love to use. Thanks!

    • — Liz on June 16, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi Liz, no need to let the strawberries thaw before combining them with the sugar, etc. And I wouldn’t recommend using the simple syrup in place of the sugar as I’m concerned it would add too much liquid to the mixture. Sorry!

      • — Jenn on June 20, 2023
      • Reply
  • I made this but it was as hard as a rock. I had to cut pieces out of the container with a knife. The Greek yogurt I used, Siggi’s, was 3.6% M.F. The flavour was phenomenal and I’d like to make it again but I’d like to know what went wrong. I have a Breville ice cream maker with a built-in compressor. Any suggestions you can make will be appreciated.

    • — Elsie Mallon on June 12, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi Elsie, Sorry you had a problem with this! Did you let it sit out for a few minutes to let it soften a bit before scooping it?

      • — Jenn on June 12, 2023
      • Reply
  • Please help! I hope you see this Jenn.
    I’ve just opened my new ice cream maker I ordered so I could make this recipe. But I already macerated my strawberries an hour earlier and now see that I should have waited 24 hours to freeze the bowl first. Any suggestions on how to proceed? Your recipes are the best Jenn! I’ve made so many of them and they are always a hit! Thanks for all your tips and insights!

    • — Janet on May 31, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi Janet, So glad you like the recipes! It should be fine to proceed with the recipe after the bowl has frozen for 24 hours. Hope you enjoy your new kitchen toy! 🙂

      • — Jenn on June 1, 2023
      • Reply
  • Hi. Do you need to use an ice cream maker? Can you just blend it a lot and then put it in the freezer? Thanks.

    • — DS on November 25, 2022
    • Reply
    • Unfortunately, this won’t work without an ice cream maker. If you’re open to ice cream, I have several no-churn recipes on the blog that don’t require an ice cream maker.

      • — Jenn on November 25, 2022
      • Reply
  • Wow! This is fantastic! It’s as good as ice cream! Used 5% milkfat greek yogurt. I forgot to add the lemon juice, but I don’t think we missed it. I also ran out of frozen strawberries half-way through, so added some frozen mixed berries to make a pound. Great idea to use a strainer and a ladle to remove the seeds. That really made quick work of it!

    As I was pouring the ‘batter’ into the ice cream maker, I thought that it looked like too much for the 1.5 quart container that I was using (it was at the top of the canister before freezing). As it started to freeze it expanded and after about 7 minutes I was scooping soft frozen yogurt out to create more room. Of course, we didn’t mind sampling the product before it was finished. 🙂 After about 10 minutes the mixture appeared to stop turning, so we took it out and put it into plastic containers to put into the freezer.

    With a little pre-planning (freezing the ice cream container and chilling the yogurt mixture), this was very easy to make and tasted wonderful. I think we’ll play around with some other flavors and mix-ins, too. Just curious about the reason for the lemon juice?

    Thank you so much for developing and sharing your recipes. They are all superb. I just bought your newest cookbook for my son and was delighted to see it spiral bound. Thanks again!

    • — Cindy on November 3, 2022
    • Reply
    • Glad you liked it! The lemon juice is just to add a bit more tartness. 🙂

      • — Jenn on November 8, 2022
      • Reply
  • I am allergic to strawberries. Is there another fruit you can recommend that would work?

    • — Randi on October 13, 2022
    • Reply
    • Hi Randy, I have a recipe for raspberry frozen yogurt in my second cookbook on page 188. If you don’t own the cookbook, let me know; I’d be happy to email you the recipe. 🙂

      • — Jenn on October 14, 2022
      • Reply
  • This sounds wonderful! Many times our local strawberries don’t have much flavor, and I couldn’t find in the comments that anyone had substituted the Greek yogurt with strawberry Greek yogurt for even more flavor. Do you think that would work? I’ll be trying your recipe soon, thank you!

    • — Joanne on August 18, 2022
    • Reply
    • Hi Joanne, instead of using yogurt, I would recommend either freezing your strawberries or using frozen strawberries. I’ve found that for some reason, strawberries that have been frozen are more concentrated in flavor. Hope that helps and that you enjoy the yogurt!

      • — Jenn on August 22, 2022
      • Reply
  • Absolutely delicious! I’ll definitely make this again! I substituted 1/2 c. Monk fruit for 1/2 c. sugar. Will substitute the other 1/4 next time! Tangy and sweet all at the same time., Big hit with the family! Thanks!

    • — Lori on July 17, 2022
    • Reply
  • This was AMAZING!!!!! So easy and so creamy; cannot recommend this highly enough!!

    • — Laurie P on July 3, 2022
    • Reply
  • I have Type 2 diabetes, which means I normally have to pass on ice cream and frozen yogurts. The commercial versions of these are usually bland and very crystalline. Not very satisfying. Your recipe sounds delicious, and I am tempted to make it anyway. I do have a thought before I do. Would it be possible to substitute the sugar with a crystalline non-sugar sweetener, or even Agave Nectar?

    • — Dave Stark on June 9, 2022
    • Reply
    • Hi Dave, I’m sorry — I wish I could help but I’ve never worked with sugar substitutes so I can’t say how it would impact the recipe. I’d love to hear how it turns out if you try it with one!

      • — Jenn on June 10, 2022
      • Reply
      • Dave, my husband is a Type 2 diabetic. I use Splenda’s Allulose for a sugar substitute when making ice cream. It doesn’t have an aftertaste nor is it grainy. Hope this helps.

        • — Peggy L on June 8, 2023
        • Reply
  • In a crunch in time for a dinner party, I used frozen strawberries I had on hand and let them thaw in the fridge for an hour with the sugar + lemon. Since they were already frozen it allowed me to skip the step at the end and only had to put it back in the freezer for less than an hour. I subbed cane sugar for 1/2 cup of monkfruit sugar and used Meyer lemon as I love their fragrance. I’m excited to try this with other fruits!

  • What can I use in lieu of vodka to stabilize?

    • Hi Syd, you can just omit it, or use another alcohol like rum. Hope that helps and that you enjoy!

  • Made this in 5 minutes flat and into the ice-cream maker. (didn’t have time to macerate the strawberries) I used a tbsp of tequila and added a cup of fresh cream. It came out incredible! The texture and flavor were absolutely perfect.

  • Jen:
    I LOVE your recipes. Can you tell me how big your ice cream maker is because I want to purchase one. The yogurt and ice cream I’m making is just for my consumption. So I don’t want something that’s too large. But at the same time, what size can I buy to still make your recipes the way they are. Or am I going to have to scale down the recipe ingredients for a small machine?

    • Hi S, I have a 1-1/2 quart one and that’s what I would recommend. Hope that helps!

  • A healthier alternative to the insanely delicious key lime ice-cream. Right up there with another 5 stars. I really enjoyed making this with my 10 year old daughter as all steps are kid friendly. I am not a big fan of yogurt, but the flavor boost of the real strawberries(and sugar) made this divine. Smooth and rich in berry flavor. I might add a banana next time for variety.

    • — Christine Rabidoux
    • Reply
  • I made this yesterday and just tried it. It is delicious. As many have stated it is very sweet but I love it for a sometime treat. Now that I know how to make it I don’t think I will ever buy again from the store. I am excited to try it with different fruit. I can definitely see me making this when the warm weather rolls in to cool everyone off.

  • Easy to make with a super fresh strawberry taste. I never put the strawberries through a sieve, and the texture is still lovely…perhaps because I use a high-speed blender. When I didn’t have lemon one time, I substituted lime and tequila. Slightly different taste but still fantastic.

  • This frozen yogurt makes me wish strawberries were in season year round! So light and delicious.

  • Hi, Jenn — read what you said about the ice cream maker but can I transfer mixture from the blender directly to the plastic container, then freezer? Just don’t want to purchase ice cream maker if I don’t have to. Thanks!

    • Hi Susan, Unfortunately, it won’t work with this recipe. I’m sorry!

  • Made this one too, delicious and easy, thank you

  • Wow! This is so delicious! I made the recipe exactly as written, and my only regret is that I didn’t make a double batch. We will definitely be making it again!

  • Very good, and very strawberry-y. I thought it was a little on the sweet side and I think I remember making it last year with a 1/2 cup sugar. I have made it both with and without the seeds and I prefer to just leave them in. I also added some chopped frozen strawberries a few minutes before it was done in the ice cream maker and that made it really nice. It does freeze very solid, like all homemade ice cream I have made. Makes excellent popsicles for that reason!

  • Fantastic! I made this yesterday with my garden strawberries and homemade raw milk yogurt in a Donvier hand crank ice cream maker. Just the right amount of sweetness and really creamy. I didn’t get the slushiness you mention. Maybe because of the creamy whole milk yogurt. Now I want to experiment with raspberries or peaches. Has anyone tried?

    • Glad you enjoyed it, Bernadette! I have a raspberry frozen yogurt recipe that I’m holding onto for my next cookbook. I’m happy to email it to you if you’d like to try it. Just email me directly at jennifer@onceuponachef.com, and I’ll send it your way.

  • Can this be made successfully without an ice cream machine?

    • Hi Sue, this recipe really needs an ice cream machine– I’m sorry! If you’re looking for an option that doesn’t require one, you may like this No-Churn Key Lime Pie Ice Cream. Hope you enjoy if you try it!

  • Fun summer dessert–and a great use of the ice cream maker in my pantry. I followed the recipe exactly, and it was fabulous. This recipe makes me want to search out other frozen recipes to try. Thanks for another treat!

    • Great recipe

  • Was disappointed with this recipe. It froze to be very hard and not creamy. More like a sorbet than an ice cream.

    • Sorry to hear that, Raine. Did you make any adjustments to the recipe? Did you use an ice cream machine?

  • Made this for a birthday party and it was a hit! Smooth and full of real strawberry flavour. Easy to make !

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