Use your ice cream maker to make homemade Frozen Yogurt with just five simple ingredients.
This recipe uses full-fat Greek yogurt sweetened with real honey, flavored with vanilla, and smoothed with a splash of heavy cream for extra creaminess. It’s straightforward, natural, and delicious.
The result is a frozen yogurt that’s free from eggs, nuts, gluten, and artificial additives.
Frozen yogurt is a classic frozen treat that gained popularity with the rise of fro-yo shops. Those shops are great for their endless topping options, and you can easily recreate that flexible, fun experience at home — with or without a topping bar.
Frozen yogurt is essentially frozen dessert made from yogurt rather than the heavy cream and eggs used in many ice creams. The outcome is slightly tangy and perfectly sweetened with honey, pairing wonderfully with fresh fruit, raspberry compote, warm pie, or hot fudge.
Why You’ll Love This Frozen Yogurt
Healthier-ish option – One serving of this homemade frozen yogurt is about 290 calories, roughly 100 calories less than a typical vanilla bean ice cream. Using full-fat Greek yogurt reduces reliance on heavy cream and egg yolks while still delivering rich flavor.
A perfect base for additions – This basic vanilla frozen yogurt acts as a blank canvas for flavorings, mix-ins, and toppings. Use it for sundaes, milkshakes, or to swirl in sauces and purees.
Quick and easy – No cooking is required and the recipe uses only five ingredients. This is essentially a Philadelphia-style frozen dessert made in an ice cream maker rather than a cooked custard base.
Ingredients Needed
Full-Fat Greek Yogurt – Use plain Greek yogurt. This recipe adds its own flavoring, so plain is best.
Heavy Cream – A small amount helps create a creamier texture and improves the churned consistency.
Honey – A liquid sweetener like honey complements the tang of the yogurt and helps keep the frozen yogurt smooth.
Vanilla Extract – Enhances and balances the flavors.
Salt – A tiny pinch balances the sweetness and rounds out the flavor.
How to Make Frozen Yogurt from Scratch
Prepare the ice cream maker bowl at least 24 hours in advance so it freezes solid.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, heavy cream, honey, vanilla extract, and salt until smooth.
- Cover and refrigerate the base for at least 2 hours, or until it is very cold.
- Pour the chilled mixture into your ice cream maker.
- Churn according to the manufacturer’s directions. Churning time varies by machine; expect roughly 20–30 minutes. The frozen yogurt should reach the texture of soft-serve.
- Serve immediately for a soft-serve consistency, or transfer to a covered loaf pan and freeze 2–3 hours for a firmer, scoopable texture.
- Before serving from the freezer, let the frozen yogurt sit at room temperature about 10 minutes to soften for easier scooping.
These steps correspond to the photos above. See the recipe card below for exact measurements and a concise ingredient list.
How to Store
Store homemade frozen yogurt in an airtight container in the freezer for up to one month. Press a piece of parchment or wax paper directly on the surface before sealing to minimize ice crystal formation.
Tips for Making
Use quality ingredients – Better yogurt and pure vanilla give noticeably better results.
Chill thoroughly – Make sure the base is very cold before churning; this helps it thicken properly.
Keep some fat – Full-fat or 2% Greek yogurt yields a creamier frozen yogurt. Low-fat or nonfat varieties tend to produce icier textures.
Mind mix-in size – If adding solid mix-ins, chop them small (no larger than a blueberry) and add them in the last minutes of churning.
Don’t skip the sweetener – Honey not only flavors the yogurt but also helps reduce crystallization and improves scoopability.
Why Honey?
Liquid sweeteners like honey keep frozen desserts softer and reduce the formation of large ice crystals, especially helpful when using lower-fat bases. Honey’s rich flavor pairs naturally with tangy Greek yogurt. If you prefer, you can substitute light corn syrup, agave nectar, or maple syrup.
Can I Just Freeze Yogurt?
Freezing plain yogurt will technically produce frozen yogurt, but it will be hard and icy rather than creamy. This recipe improves texture and flavor by adding honey and vanilla and by churning the mixture to incorporate air.
Other Flavor Ideas
Customize the base to make endless frozen yogurt flavors. A few simple ideas:
- Berry Frozen Yogurt: Puree 1 cup fresh or frozen berries, strain if desired, and stir into the base. Add a tablespoon more honey if needed.
- Chocolate: Whisk in up to 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder for a rich chocolate frozen yogurt.
- Swirls: After churning, layer fruit puree, caramel, peanut butter, or hot fudge into the yogurt and swirl gently for ribbons of flavor.
Add-Ins and Mix-Ins
This vanilla frozen yogurt welcomes many mix-ins. Add them during the final minutes of churning so they incorporate without breaking down.
- Chopped chocolate bars, mini chips, or candy pieces.
- Sprinkles or rainbow jimmies.
- Diced berries, banana pieces, or other fruit.
- Cookie crumbs, brownie bits, or small chunks of cookie dough.
Quick Recipe Card
Easy Homemade Frozen Yogurt
6 Servings
35 minutes
5 hours
5 hours 35 minutes
Simple, natural, and delicious frozen yogurt made in your ice cream maker with only five ingredients.
Ingredients
- 3 cups full-fat Greek yogurt, plain
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Freeze the ice cream bowl at least 24 hours. In a large bowl, combine Greek yogurt, heavy cream, honey, vanilla, and salt.
- Refrigerate the mixture for at least 2 hours until very cold.
- Pour into the ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions until thick and soft-serve in texture (about 20–30 minutes).
- Serve immediately or transfer to a covered loaf pan and freeze 2–3 hours for a firmer texture.
- Allow frozen yogurt to sit 10 minutes at room temperature before scooping.
Notes
- Full-fat Greek yogurt yields the creamiest result. 2% works, but nonfat will be icier.
- Liquid sweeteners like honey help prevent large ice crystals and improve texture; substitute light corn syrup, agave, or maple syrup if desired.
- Ensure the base is very cold before churning; otherwise it may not thicken properly.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6
Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 290
Total Fat: 15g
Saturated Fat: 9g
Trans Fat: 0g
Unsaturated Fat: 6g
Cholesterol: 45mg
Sodium: 90mg
Carbohydrates: 29g
Fiber: 0g
Sugar: 29g
Protein: 11g
If you try this frozen yogurt, leave a comment below to share how it turned out or what mix-ins you used.
Did you make this Homemade Frozen Yogurt Recipe? Leave a comment below to let us know what you thought and any additions you tried.