Frozen Yogurt, Lollies and Quick Frozen Treats
Cooking Skills: Ice Cream 1
Chapter 5 · Frozen Yogurt, Lollies and Quick Frozen Treats
Skill goal
Make four lighter frozen treats without a machine and understand why they freeze harder than ice cream.
Shopping list for this chapter
The basics
Not every frozen treat needs cream and eggs. Frozen yogurt, nice cream, bark and lollies are lighter and quicker, and need no machine. They have less fat, so they freeze harder and are best eaten fresh.
What to know
- Less fat means harder freezing: beat frozen yogurt as it freezes, and stand it for 10 minutes before scooping.
- Use thick yogurt: Greek-style gives creamier results than thin, watery yogurt.
- Sweeten a little more than you think: freezing dulls sweetness.
- Freeze fruit first for nice cream, in a single layer so it doesn't clump.
- Eat them soon: light treats get icy if stored for long.
| Treat | Base | Time | Keeps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frozen yogurt | Greek yogurt, honey | 4 hours | About 1 week |
| Nice cream | Frozen banana | 10 minutes | The same day |
| Yogurt bark | Yogurt on a tray | 2 hours | About 2 weeks |
| Lollies | Juice and yogurt in moulds | Overnight | About 1 month |
Freezer, honey and small children
Freezer storage: keep the freezer at -18°C or colder, store ice cream in a covered, labelled container, and eat it within about a month for the best taste and texture (general guidance). Don't refreeze ice cream that has melted completely, and throw it away if it has been left out for hours.Honey: don't give honey to babies under 12 months. Use sugar or maple syrup instead for them.
Lollies and sticks: frozen lollies can stick to the tongue and lips, and the sticks can be a hazard to very young children. Supervise small children, and let a lolly soften for a minute first.
Small children: hard lumps, frozen fruit pieces and nuts can be a choking risk for very young children, so keep pieces small and sit with them while they eat.
Try it
Level 1 · Start here
Vanilla frozen yogurt
Tangy, light and easy: just yogurt, honey and vanilla, beaten as it freezes. With less fat than ice cream it sets harder, so beat it well and let it stand before scooping.
Ingredients (4 portions)
- 500 g thick Greek-style yogurt
- 3 tbsp runny honey (or sugar or maple syrup)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 shallow freezer-safe tub with a lid
- Whisk the yogurt, honey, vanilla and salt together until smooth. Taste: freezing dulls sweetness, so make it slightly sweeter than you want.
- Pour into the tub, cover and freeze for 1 hour, then beat the frozen edges into the middle with a fork.
- Beat every 30 to 45 minutes, 3 or 4 times in all, until thick and scoopable, about 3 to 4 hours.
- Let it stand for 10 minutes before scooping.
Freezer, honey and allergens
Freezer storage: keep the freezer at -18°C or colder, store ice cream in a covered, labelled container, and eat it within about a month for the best taste and texture (general guidance). Don't refreeze ice cream that has melted completely, and throw it away if it has been left out for hours.Honey: don't give honey to babies under 12 months. Use sugar or maple syrup instead for them.
Yogurt: check the label for added sugar, sweeteners and allergens. Thick Greek-style yogurt gives the creamiest result. Dairy-free yogurts work but freeze harder.
Keeping light treats: frozen yogurt, nice cream and lollies have little fat and freeze hard. Eat nice cream the day it is made, frozen yogurt within about 1 week and lollies within about a month (general guidance). Stand frozen yogurt for 10 minutes before scooping.
Level 1 · Fruit only
Berry nice cream
Frozen banana gives the creamy body and the berries give flavour and colour. Wash fresh berries, dry them and freeze them in a single layer first.
Ingredients (3 portions)
- 3 ripe bananas, sliced and frozen
- 150 g strawberries or raspberries, washed and frozen
- 1 tbsp milk or plant milk, if needed
- 1 tsp lemon juice (optional)
- Freeze the banana slices and the berries separately on a tray for at least 4 hours.
- Blend the banana slices first, scraping down, until creamy. Add the berries and blend again for 1 to 2 minutes until smooth.
- Add a spoonful of milk only if the blender stalls. Taste and add lemon juice if it is flat.
- Eat at once as soft-serve, or freeze for 30 minutes to firm up.
Fruit, blender and keeping
Fruit: wash fresh fruit before use. If you use frozen berries, heat them until boiling and simmer for a minute before using them cold, as is usual UK advice for frozen berries (general guidance: check the pack).Blender safety: don't put your hand or a spoon into the blender while it is running.
Keeping light treats: frozen yogurt, nice cream and lollies have little fat and freeze hard. Eat nice cream the day it is made, frozen yogurt within about 1 week and lollies within about a month (general guidance). Stand frozen yogurt for 10 minutes before scooping.
Level 2 · Tray
Frozen yogurt bark
A thin layer of sweetened yogurt with berries, frozen flat and snapped into pieces. It is the easiest no-machine frozen snack and ideal for a hot day.
Ingredients (5 portions)
- 300 g thick Greek-style yogurt
- 2 tbsp runny honey
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 100 g blueberries or raspberries, washed and dried
- 2 tbsp toasted chopped nuts or seeds (optional)
- 1 baking tray lined with baking parchment
- Mix the yogurt, honey and vanilla. Spread in an even layer about 1 cm thick on the lined tray.
- Scatter over the berries (press them in lightly) and the nuts.
- Freeze for 2 hours, until solid. Snap into pieces and eat straight away, or store in a covered box in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.
Freezer, honey, nuts and small children
Freezer storage: keep the freezer at -18°C or colder, store ice cream in a covered, labelled container, and eat it within about a month for the best taste and texture (general guidance). Don't refreeze ice cream that has melted completely, and throw it away if it has been left out for hours.Honey: don't give honey to babies under 12 months. Use sugar or maple syrup instead for them.
Allergens: ice cream usually contains milk (cream, condensed milk), and often egg, nuts, peanuts, soy (in some chocolate and cookies) and wheat (cookies and cones). Check labels, and never serve a nut-containing ice cream to someone with a nut allergy without telling them. Coconut cream or oat cream can replace dairy cream in some recipes, but the texture changes.
Small children: hard lumps, frozen fruit pieces and nuts can be a choking risk for very young children, so keep pieces small and sit with them while they eat.
Level 3 · Layers
Yogurt and fruit juice lollies
Layers of creamy yogurt and bright juice: chill each layer in the freezer for 30 to 40 minutes before adding the next, or the layers run together.
Ingredients (6 portions)
- 200 ml fruit juice (apple, orange or pineapple)
- 150 g thick yogurt
- 100 g soft fruit (strawberries or mango), puréed
- 1 tbsp honey (optional)
- 6 lolly moulds and sticks (or small paper cups and lolly sticks)
- Mix the yogurt, puréed fruit and honey. Fill the moulds one third full with the yogurt mixture. Freeze for 30 to 40 minutes.
- Pour in the juice to two thirds. Freeze for another 30 to 40 minutes, then push in the sticks.
- Top up with the rest of the yogurt mixture and freeze for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
- To release, dip the mould in warm water for a few seconds and pull gently.
Lollies, honey and small children
Lollies and sticks: frozen lollies can stick to the tongue and lips, and the sticks can be a hazard to very young children. Supervise small children, and let a lolly soften for a minute first.Honey: don't give honey to babies under 12 months. Use sugar or maple syrup instead for them.
Small children: hard lumps, frozen fruit pieces and nuts can be a choking risk for very young children, so keep pieces small and sit with them while they eat.
Freezer storage: keep the freezer at -18°C or colder, store ice cream in a covered, labelled container, and eat it within about a month for the best taste and texture (general guidance). Don't refreeze ice cream that has melted completely, and throw it away if it has been left out for hours.
Experiments
Experiment
Full-fat or low-fat yogurt
Fat makes the difference.
- Make two small tubs of frozen yogurt, one with Greek yogurt and one with low-fat yogurt. Beat each the same way.
Look for: The Greek yogurt is thicker and creamier. The low-fat one is icier and harder. Fat keeps the crystals small, as in chapter 1.
Experiment
Honey or sugar
Sweetener type.
- Make frozen yogurt with honey in one tub and caster sugar in another, using the same weight.
Look for: Honey tastes floral and makes it a little softer. Sugar is cleaner and neutral. Neither is better, but they are different.
Experiment
Fruit chunk size
Fine or big.
- Make yogurt bark with finely chopped berries and with whole ones.
Look for: Whole berries freeze rock hard and are unpleasant to bite. Small pieces are easier and spread their flavour. Cut fruit small for frozen treats.
Experiment
Moulds or a tray
Lolly or bark.
- Freeze the same yogurt and juice in lolly moulds and spread on a tray. Compare the textures.
Look for: The tray freezes in 2 hours into a thin crisp; the moulds take much longer and set as a solid lolly. Thickness controls freezing time.
Tasting notes
| What I tried | Method or amount | What I saw | What I thought | Will I do it again? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frozen yogurt | ||||
| Berry nice cream | ||||
| Yogurt bark | ||||
| Yogurt and juice lollies | ||||
| Full-fat or low-fat | ||||
| Honey or sugar | ||||
| Fruit chunks | ||||
| Moulds or tray |
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Frozen yogurt rock hard | Low-fat yogurt or no beating | Use Greek yogurt; beat while it freezes; stand 10 minutes |
| Icy nice cream | Bananas not ripe, or stored too long | Use ripe fruit; eat the same day |
| Layers mixed in lollies | Layer not frozen first | Freeze each layer for 30 to 40 minutes |
| Lolly stuck in the mould | Not loosened | Dip the mould in warm water for a few seconds |
| Bland taste | Not sweet enough | Add a little more honey or lemon juice before freezing |
| Hard fruit lumps | Pieces too big | Chop berries small, or purée |
Freezer and small children
Freezer storage: keep the freezer at -18°C or colder, store ice cream in a covered, labelled container, and eat it within about a month for the best taste and texture (general guidance). Don't refreeze ice cream that has melted completely, and throw it away if it has been left out for hours.Lollies and sticks: frozen lollies can stick to the tongue and lips, and the sticks can be a hazard to very young children. Supervise small children, and let a lolly soften for a minute first.
Small children: hard lumps, frozen fruit pieces and nuts can be a choking risk for very young children, so keep pieces small and sit with them while they eat.
Checkpoint: can you do this now?
- I can make frozen yogurt without a machine.
- I can blend frozen fruit into nice cream.
- I can layer lollies by freezing each layer first.
- I know why low-fat treats freeze harder.
- I keep fruit pieces small for children.
Next chapter
Cooking Skills: Ice Cream 1, chapter 6 is Flavours, Swirls and Mix-ins: caramel, peanut butter and cookie dough.