gaxownMy Go To Memorial Day Treat Seriously
Okay, so Memorial Day weekend always sneaks up on me! One minute it’s spring, the next BAM, it’s practically summer and everyone’s expecting festive food. Last year, total panic mode, I needed a dessert, like, yesterday. I remembered seeing something ages ago about blitzing frozen fruit and yogurt and thought, why not? And honestly, this easy memorial day berry frozen yogurt thing? Total game changer. It’s now my official kickoff to summer dessert, no kidding.
So, Why This Froyo?
Well for starters, it’s ridiculously fast. Like, 5 minutes fast if your blender cooperates (mine sometimes throws a tantrum). My family goes absolutely bonkers for this because it tastes like proper ice cream but, you know, it’s mostly fruit and yogurt so I feel slightly less guilty letting them have seconds. Or thirds. Plus, cleanup is usually just the blender jug, which is a massive win in my book because scrubbing sticky pans is my personal kitchen nightmare. It’s just *easy*. Sometimes the simple things are the best, right?
What You’ll Need (Probably Got Most of It)
- Around 3 cups frozen mixed berries (Honestly, whatever blend you like! Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries… sometimes I just use frozen strawberries if that’s all I have)
- About 1/2 cup plain yogurt (Greek yogurt makes it thicker, which I prefer, but regular works too. My grandma swore by Stonyfield, but any plain stuff is fine!)
- 1 to 3 tablespoons honey or maple syrup (Totally depends on how sweet your berries are and how sweet you like things. Start with less, you can always add more. Sometimes I use agave nectar if I’m feeling fancy.)
- A little squeeze of lemon juice (Maybe half a teaspoon? Optional, but it brightens things up.)
- Tiny splash of vanilla extract (Again, optional, maybe 1/4 teaspoon, but nice!)
Okay, Let’s Make It!
- Right, chuck the frozen berries, yogurt, your chosen sweetener (start low!), and the lemon juice and vanilla if you’re using them, into your blender or food processor. Make sure those berries are properly frozen solid, that’s key.
- Pop the lid on tight. Seriously, check it. Berry explosions are not fun.
- Now, blend! You’ll probably need to start on low and then crank it up. It might look really crumbly or weird at first, don’t panic! That’s normal. It always does.
- Stop the blender and scrape down the sides with a spatula a few times. This is where I usually sneak a taste to check the sweetness. Gotta push those stubborn frozen bits back down towards the blades.
- Keep blending until it looks smooth and creamy like soft serve ice cream. Could take a minute, could take five, depends on your machine. Be patient grasshopper.
- Serve it up immediately! It’s best fresh.
Little Things I’ve Figured Out
Definitely taste test before you serve. Some frozen berry mixes are way sweeter than others. And you really need *frozen* fruit, like rock solid form the freezer. Using fruit that’s slightly thawed just makes it kinda slushy and weird, not creamy. Also, if your blender isn’t super powerful, you might need to add a tiny bit more yogurt or let the fruit sit out for literally 2 minutes (no longer!) just to give it a fighting chance. Actually, on second thought, adding a splash more yogurt is probably better than thawing.
Oh, and sometimes I forget the lemon juice and honestly? It’s still darn good. So don’t stress if you don’t have a lemon lying around.
Playing Around With It
I’ve tried this with just frozen mango chunks too – divine! Adding a few chocolate chips right at the end and pulsing just once or twice is also *chef’s kiss*. One time, I thought I’d be healthy and add spinach. Yeah… don’t do that. The colour was vaguely terrifying and the taste, well, let’s just say it ended up in the compost bin. Lesson learned!
Stuff You Need (Gadget Wise)
You really need a decent blender or a food processor for this easy memorial day berry frozen yogurt. Something that can handle pulverizing frozen fruit without burning out its motor. I have a Ninja now which works great, found some reviews on sites like Consumer Reports before I bought it. My old basic blender did work, it just took ages and lots of stopping and scraping. I reckon you could maybe mash really soft fruit by hand and stir it into yogurt for a vaguely similar effect if you were really stuck, but it wouldn’t be the same creamy texture.
If You Have Leftovers (Ha!)
Okay, *if* by some miracle you don’t eat it all straight away, you can freeze it in an airtight container. Though honestly, in my house it never lasts more than a day! Just know that it freezes pretty hard, harder than shop bought ice cream. So you’ll need to let it sit on the counter for maybe 10 to 15 minutes to soften up before you can scoop it easily. Its worth the wait though.
How We Eat It
We pretty much always eat this immediately, piled high in bowls. Sometimes I’ll throw some extra fresh berries on top, or maybe a sprinkle of granola for crunch. My youngest likes a drizzle of honey. It’s especially good after you’ve been standing over a hot BBQ – so refreshing! Perfect ending to a Memorial Day feast.
Learn From My Mistakes!
Seriously, use FROZEN berries. I once tried using fresh ones thinking it’d be fine and ended up with berry soup. Not the vibe we’re going for. Also, taste your yogurt first! If you start with super tangy yogurt, you might need a bit more sweetener. I made that mistake once and it was face puckeringly sour. And don’t walk away form the blender! Sometimes it needs that scrape down halfway through to really get smooth.
Questions I Get Asked Sometimes
Can I use non dairy yogurt?
Totally! Coconut yogurt or almond milk yogurt works great, just make sure it’s plain and unsweetened otherwise you’ll need to adjust the honey/maple syrup.
How sweet should it really be?
Honestly? As sweet as YOU like it! Start with 1 tablespoon of sweetener, taste, and add more if needed. Remember berries vary a lot in sweetness too. There’s no right or wrong answer here folks.
Help, my blender is struggling!
Yeah, that can happen with less powerful blenders. Try adding the yogurt first, then the berries on top. Or add a tiny bit more liquid (yogurt or even a splash of milk) to help it get going. Just a splash though! And be patient, stop and scrape often.
Can I make it ahead?
You *can* freeze it (see the storage bit), but it’s truly best enjoyed fresh, right after blending when it has that perfect soft serve texture. If you do freeze it, remember to let it soften before serving!
Hope you love this easy berry frozen yogurt as much as we do! It’s such a simple way to make something delicious for Memorial Day or any hot summer day, really. Happy cooking!
gaxown
