This Chocolate Frozen Yogurt with Cherries easy to make, rich and creamy, fat free and the ideal refreshing summer dessert.
I'm usually a purist when it comes to chocolate, but cherries and chocolate are my exception.
The deep, intensely sweet flavor of cherries at the peak of their season naturally pairs beautifully with chocolate, and I love it!
Tip: Invest in a cherry pitter. I use mine for olives too!
Can you use any cherry variety?
Yes, you can use your favorite cherry variety to add to chocolate frozen yogurt.
I love using Bing cherries because they hold their shape well in the yogurt while maintaining their juicy interior.
How to Make Homemade Frozen Yogurt Creamy
There are two secrets to making homemade frozen yogurt creamy -- and if it's fat free, like we're making today, taking these steps is even more important.
- Use Greek yogurt. Starting with a richer, creamier yogurt will always be better, and that's what you get with Greek yogurt.
- Drain the yogurt. Yogurt, especially fat free yogurt, has a high liquid content. The more liquid in your frozen yogurt, the icier it will be. We want creamy, so draining out as much of this liquid as we can is super helpful. (Full fat yogurt will give you even creamier results, but it should still be drained.)
- Sugar. Of course we don't want too much sugar because obviously it's not the healthiest ingredient out there. That said, sugar does help create a softer texture. So we can't go too light.
- Dissolving the sugar before adding it to the recipe. This is an easy extra step that will ensure that your frozen yogurt doesn't have a granular texture. To do this, heat the sugar with a touch of water. (More detailed instructions are below.)
- Soft serve. Serve the yogurt right out of the machine, or after only an hour or so in the freezer. This will be "soft serve" (creamy). It tends to freeze pretty hard, so if you do freeze it longer than a few hours, let it sit out for a while before serving -- until it's as soft as you want it.
*I'm not against full fat, or low fat frozen yogurt at all -- sometimes I just like lighter, and I wanted to challenge myself to see how creamy I could make it without the fat. And it turned out VERY creamy!
Is frozen yogurt healthy?
- This clearly will depend on the recipe -- whether you make it at home or not.
- Sometimes -- but not always -- fat free can mean added chemicals and/or more sugar. Always ask when you're out because most fro yo shops have a list of the ingredients that you're free to look at.
- I would call my Chocolate Frozen Yogurt recipe healthy-ish. Healthier than a full fat ice cream, but is it like eating a bowl of fruit? Not quite.
- In general, frozen yogurt has fewer calories and less saturated fat than ice cream. (My Fat Free Chocolate Frozen Yogurt recipe has about 229 calories per serving.)
This Chocolate Frozen Yogurt with Cherries is a lovely summer dessert - any time of the day. I hope you enjoy making the recipe and every last bite!
Chocolate Frozen Yogurt with Cherries
Ingredients
- 4 cups fat free plain, Greek yogurt
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder, sifted
- 1½ cups fresh cherries, pitted and halved or quartered if very large
Instructions
- Line a large, mesh strainer with a double layer of paper towels, and place it over a large, deep mixing bowl. Add the yogurt, cover with plastic wrap, and let it strain the refrigerator for at least 6 hours, and ideally overnight. (Straining the liquid from the yogurt will help prevent your frozen yogurt from being too icy.)
- Add the sugar, vanilla and ¼ cup of water to a small saucepan and place it over medium-low heat. Whisk it and and warm it just long enough to dissolve the sugar. Set aside to cool.
- Remove the yogurt from the refrigerator. Discard the drained off liquid, and add the yogurt to a large mixing bowl. Whisk in the cocoa powder, followed by the dissolved sugar. If the sugar is still on the warm side, whisk very quickly. Fold in the cherries, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least a couple of hours.
- Transfer to an ice cream maker, and freeze according to the machine instructions.
- For soft serve, serve immediately. Otherwise, place the frozen yogurt in an airtight container in the freezer overnight.
Notes
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valentina
Thanks, Stephanie! xo
Arthur in the Garden!
So wonderful!
Ash- foodfashionparty
This looks so delicious. I am in love with greek yoghurt and this would be such a guilt free treat.
Deb
Too much butterfat is never a good thing! And I don't think it would be missed in the voluptuous Non-Fat Chocolate and Cherry Frozen Yogurt! What a splendid dessert, all the pleasure but without the pain!
Colette (Coco)
Valentina bella, that looks WICKED delicious.
I'm making some tonight w white cherries and white chocolate chips! xo
David
This frozen yoghurt sounds mind-numbingly good and I will be making it this weekend. Did you use Greek yoghurt or just plan old plain yoghurt? I can see adding bits of candy cane in this at holdiay time, too!
valentina
David, I did use Greek yogurt, which adds a stronger flavor than regular. If you generally prefer Greek yogurt, I'd use it. Otherwise, regular plain is delicious, too. 🙂
David
I forgot to tell you how incredibly creamy and thick this was! Absolutely delicious! xox
valentina
Thanks, Emily!
Leslie Macchiarella
It looks so heavenly! Athough I'm an ice cream maker, I've never had the urge or know-how to make frozen yogurt -- until now. I'm SO going to try this. Thank you!
Liz
What a marvelous frozen treat! It's the most perfect, delicious way to cool off in August!!
valentina
Thank you, Liz. 🙂
David @ Spiced
I love a good FroYo, but I must admit that I've only made frozen yogurt at home a couple of times. This post is totally inspiring me to make another batch...it looks amazing! Pass me the ice cream scoop...or just a spoon. 🙂
valentina
Hope you love it. And yes, a spoon! 😉
Kim Lange
Chocolate and cherry together is so awesome and I'm so ready to dig in and have 2nds or 3rds! Pinning! xo
valentina
Thanks, Kim! 😀 I just it it right out of the freezer container. Ha! 🙂 ~Valentina
Marissa
I'm with you on chocolate, usually a purist (Theo 85% is my favorite!). But I do love chocolate and cherries. Love how easy it is to make this delicious frozen yogurt, Valentina!
valentina
Thanks Marissa. Wow, 85%! Impressive. 🙂
Eha
Am not a dessert eater nor ice cream maker - but admit this recipe will be on kitchen file for when cherries again grace our markets Down Under ! Avoid sugar much more than fat and shall see how much the fructose in well-bought cherries will compensate for perchance a lower addition . . .
valentina
Thank you, Eha. Happy this has made it into your kitchen file. 🙂 Lately, I always hear avoiding sugar, and not so much fat, is the way to go. So good for you. 🙂 ~Valentina
Franciele Gassy
So wonderful!
valentina
Thank you! 😀
Kelly | Foodtasia
Valentina, this frozen yogurt looks so creamy and incredibly delicious! Love the chocolate and cherry combo. For my daughter's birthday, she wanted to go get frozen yogurt because she doesn't remember having it before. I'll definitely have to make this for her!
valentina
I'm loving your daughter's b-day choice. How fun. Mine boys always choose crazy things. 🙂 Thanks for checking out my recipe. ~Valentina
Gerlinde @Sunnycovechef
I have Greek yogurt almost every morning. I was looking for a cherry ice cream recipe and yours looks great .
valentina
Perfect! Thanks, Gerlinde. 🙂
John / Kitchen Riffs
Cherries and chocolate are a dynamite combo! This looks great, and the cherries in our market are still looking pretty good, so your timing is perfect. Thanks!
valentina
Great. The cherries here (LA) are so good right now. Can't get enough. Thanks, John. 🙂 ~Valentina
David Scott Allen
As you may recall, I made this when you first posted it - just wondering and it works well with raspberries, too! Once I added orange zest - that was a winner, too!
valentina
I love that you've tried this. I tweaked it a little and I think it's creamier now. 🙂 I think raspberries would be really good -- they might freeze a bit firmer than the cherries. I like that somehow the cherries are somehow still a bit soft. Let me know if you experiment. Thanks!
Mimi
Oh, it definitely looks creamy! Love the chocolate and cherry combo. One of my favorite pairings. I always drain yogurt and also store-bought ricotta. I think it’s important to do.
valentina
Thanks, Mimi. 🙂 Great idea to drain ricotta, too. I will do that next time I use it. Hope you have a great weekend! ~Valentina