New Enlightened Frozen Yogurt Bark Review

 

Fro-yo girl here. In January 2024, Enlightened, known for healthy frozen desserts, launched a new line of frozen yogurt bark. The yogurt bark is made with Greek yogurt, chocolate, and freshly frozen fruit.

Available flavors: 

• Triple Berry (yogurt & white chocolate base with strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries)
• Banana Peanut Butter (yogurt & dark chocolate base, peanut butter, topped with banana pieces)
• Pineapple Coconut (yogurt & white chocolate base, fresh pineapple, shredded coconut).

I found all three varieties at Walmart in Rosemead, California. One bag is 4.75 oz and priced at $5.98 (with an MSRP of $6.99). The bark was next to the frozen fruit in the freezer section, not the ice cream and frozen yogurt products. The bark comes in resealable bags.

Triple Berry Frozen Yogurt Bark: The bark comes in small rectangles with small pieces of strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries on top. The white chocolate flavor is stronger than the Greek yogurt flavor. The bark had an overwhelming chalkiness that I did not enjoy. The fruit added a little tang but there wasn’t enough fruit to add much flavor. The texture was firm and crunchy. It doesn’t melt quickly. I’ve made my own frozen yogurt bark (it’s so easy that anyone can do it) and it tasted much better.

They do recommend letting it thaw for 3 – 5 minutes before consumption. I waited four minutes. The bark wasn’t any better. It’s so chalky.

One serving is 2 – 4 pieces, 100 calories, 6g total fat, 9g total carbs, 8g total sugars, and 4g protein.

Check the Walmart.com website to see if your local Walmart carries Enlightened Frozen Yogurt Bark. Raley’s also carries the bark. But I recommend that you make your own froyo bark and add what you like to it.

2 out of 5 stars.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

Froyo Guide to Culver City

Pinkberry in Culver City

Culver City is a small city in West Los Angeles with a population of 39,970 (2021 United States Census). It’s known as a creative center, once home to MGM Studios and now the home of Sony Pictures, National Public Radio West, and Hughes Aircraft.

The area has had quite a few froyo shops. Today, there are four froyo shops: Cherry On Top, Menchie’s, Pinkberry, and Yogurtland. Three of these shops are self-serve. The oldest froyo shop in Culver City might have been TCBY but I’m not sure when it opened or closed, while the first place to serve tart froyo was California Roll & Sushi.

Current Froyo Shops

• Cherry On Top/Poke Bar, 12350 Washington Pl, opened in 2014 as a self-serve froyo shop. In 2018, Poke Bar opened inside Cherry On Top and the two continue to co-exist, serving poke bowls and froyo.
• Menchie’s, 5622 Sawtelle Blvd, opened in the summer of 2009 when the froyo and toppings were $0.39/oz.
• Pinkberry, 6000 Sepulveda Blvd, is a counter-serve kiosk inside the Westfield Culver City Mall that opened in 2013.
• Yogurtland, 3817 Overland Ave, opened in the summer of 2009, after Menchie’s opening. It was $0.30/oz during the early years.

I've been to all four of the current froyo shops. Of the closed shops, I've been to Menchie's and Tutti Frutti.

Former Froyo Shops

• California Roll & Sushi, 6251 Bristol Pkwy, opened in 2007 and served Red Mango frozen yogurt. The restaurant remains open, but they stopped serving froyo many years ago.
• Cantaloop, 3835 Main St, opened in downtown Culver City in July 2008. It was a counter-serve froyo shop with several locations, similar to Pinkberry. In 2009, the shop switched to self-serve. The next year, the shop closed.
• Freshii, 10820 Jefferson Blvd, was located inside Target and served froyo, smoothies, juices, bowls, and burritos from 2016 - 2017. It was a cafe that also happened to serve one flavor of froyo, plain.
• Menchie’s, 3851 Main St, opened in 2014 and closed in 2018. The space was taken over by a boba shop.
• TCBY, 5701 W Slauson Ave, was open a long time ago.
• Tutti Frutti, 6000 Sepulveda Blvd Ste 2290, opened inside Westfield Century City Mall in 2010 and closed in 2020. Part of a large international chain, it was self-serve.
• Yalla Mediterranean, 9516 Culver Blvd, was a casual Mediterranean café with plain Greek froyo. They opened in 2015 and closed in 2022, but stopped serving froyo in 2020.
• Zinga Frozen Yogurt, 4114 Sepulveda Blvd, was part of a larger self-serve froyo chain. The Culver City location opened in 2012 and closed in early 2014. Zinga was known for the bottoms bar (e.g., cake, brownies, donuts, and treats you’d put in the bottom of your froyo cup).

Did I miss any Culver City froyo shops? Let me know.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

Kalamaki Greek LA Opens in Los Angeles and Adds Greek Froyo

Fro-yo girl here. Kalamaki Greek LA is a new Greek street food café in Los Angeles that started as a food truck in 2018. A brick & mortar restaurant opened last September in the Hancock Park neighborhood of Los Angeles (Central LA). The menu includes gyros, skewers, salads, sides, Greek coffee, and Greek yogurt smoothies. In November 2023, they added Greek froyo to the café (but not to the food truck).

The owner of Kalamaki, Antonios Karagiannakis, is from Crete and he made Greek frozen yogurt when Greek froyo became huge in Greece. Then he was recruited to make Greek fresh and frozen yogurt for Go Greek in Beverly Hills.

Kalamaki specializes in authentic Greek street food made with Greek olive oil, Greek feta, etc. Choose from appetizers, skewers (chicken or pork), falafel, Greek salad, and gyro sandwiches (beef/lamb, beef, chicken or pork gyros). It’s not froyo but the Greek salad with gyros was excellent – very fresh ingredients, lots of feta, very flavorful.

I was more than a little disappointed that they were cleaning their froyo machines during the afternoon of my visit. I waited two hours and they only had one froyo flavor available. 

On my second visit, they had all four flavors available.

Froyo flavors:

• Mango
• Plain: rich, smooth, tangy, lots of flavor, softer and creamier 
• Chocolate
• Honey tahini: similar to the plain froyo only with the distinct taste of tahini (yellow sesame)

A small froyo is $11 with a choice of two toppings, while a large is $13 with three toppings. Greek fruit preserves, a hot dark chocolate crust, and hot Nutella crust are extra. The toppings looked healthier: hemp seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds, popping boba, fresh fruit, nuts, mochi, granola, coconut, sprinkles, etc.

It’s expensive but the froyo quality and taste are there.

Order at the counter and get a number. They’ll bring the food to your table. The café’s décor is reminiscent of Greece. The neon sign in front and the awning both say frozen yogurt (yay!)

They are understaffed at the moment, so expect a long wait.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

* KALAMAKI GREEK LA: 344 S La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

Yogurtland’s New Chocolate Hazelnut Lava Cake Froyo, Chocolate Covered Strawberry Froyo Returns, New Online Exclusive Cup, New Topping, New Stickers, & NFYD Details

Fro-yo girl here. Lots of Yogurtland news! Yogurtland is ready for Valentine’s Day with a new froyo flavor, returning froyo flavor, new topping, new Valentine’s themed stickers, and a new online exclusive cup. Last but not least, the details of Yogurtland’s National Frozen Yogurt Day offer have been revealed.

Yogurtland’s first new flavor of 2024 is Chocolate Hazelnut Lava Cake froyo. The lowfat froyo flavor is made with real hazelnuts and cocoa. It was rich in chocolate flavor but not overwhelmingly rich, sweet, or heavy. The hazelnut flavor was a nice addition – not too faint or strong. Recommended toppings: chocolate pirouline rolled wafer cookies, Oreos, and toffee bits.

Interestingly, Chocolate Hazelnut Lava Cake froyo is not Yogurtland’s first lava cake flavor. Back in August 2017, Yogurtland introduced Molten Lava Cake gelato.

They also brought back fan-favorite, Chocolate Covered Strawberry which was originally introduced in February 2022.

Featured flavors are available for a limited time only at participating Yogurtland locations, while supplies last.

I spotted the new topping, Sour Gummy Hearts. They come in red and white. I asked what flavor they were but the employee wasn’t sure.

The online exclusive creation, Sweet Lava Cup features Chocolate Hazelnut Lava Cake froyo, hand-sliced strawberries, and sour gummy hearts. Order it online from the Yogurtland website or the Yogurtland app.

The new Valentine’s sticker sheet features hearts, a Yogurtland spoon, a chocolate-dipped strawberry, etc. Ask for the stickers at the register. They’re free.

Finally, Yogurtland will celebrate National Frozen Yogurt Day on Tuesday, February 6, with a buy one cup, get one cup (equal or lesser value) for in-store guests. Real Rewards members will earn double points on any in-store order.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

Greentable Almond Yogurt Review

Fro-yo girl here. I recently found a new yogurt at Erewhon, from Green Table Café, a vegan eatery in Los Angeles. Greentable Yogurt is a plant-based almond yogurt that’s vegan, soy-free, kosher, organic, gluten-free, and probiotic. It’s made with no preservatives and no additives. Vegan almond yogurt is surprisingly hard to find.

I found Greentable Yogurt at Erewhon. The yogurt is sold in glass jars. One 16 oz jar was $10.99, regular price. There are two flavors: Unsweetened Plain, Vanilla sweetened with agave. The yogurt is Greek-style.

Vanilla Almond: The yogurt had a smooth, silky texture. I could definitely taste the almonds as well as the sourness and tang that you’d expect from lightly sweetened yogurt. The vanilla flavor was faint. The aftertaste was subtly sweet. The taste was pleasant. It’s not as rich as coconut or dairy-based yogurt but would be quite nice in smoothies or topped with fruit and granola. It’s not as thick as dairy-based Greek yogurt.

One ¾ cup serving is 140 calories, 9g total fat, 13g total carbs, 5g total sugars, and 6g protein.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

4 out of 5 stars.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

Zero Brands Zero Added Sugar Cream Bars + Probiotics Review

Fro-yo girl here. I recently spotted Zero Brands Zero Added Sugar Fruit Cream Bars at Grocery Outlet in South Pasadena, California. Grocery Outlet had all three flavors: mango, strawberry, and triple berry, as well as the 12-bar variety pack that Costco carried. The 12-pack box was $7.99 and the 4-bar box was $3.99.

The Keto-friendly frozen cream bars have zero added sugar, zero artificial sweeteners, zero sugar alcohols, zero artificial flavors, and are gluten-free, kosher, and probiotic. Sweetened with allulose, monk fruit, and Stevia. The bars are made with real fruit, milk and cream from family-owned farms, chicory root fiber (a prebiotic with several health benefits), and olive oil (high in monosaturated fatty acids). Based on the cultures that they use, I don’t consider these bars to be frozen yogurt bars.

Triple Berry bar: The texture is excellent: firm but not too hard, creamy, and not icy in the least. I could taste the berries (blueberries, blackberries, strawberries) but the berry flavor wasn’t that strong. The berries were blended into the cream and milk. The blueberry flavor was the most noticeable. The bars do not taste like frozen yogurt. There is no tang or yogurt flavor. They taste like cream and berries, with more cream flavor than berry flavor. The flavor is sweet but not cloying. It does have a bit of the Stevia bitterness but it’s very mild. The bar is pretty good for a berries and cream bar.

One 58g bar is 70 calories, 4g total fat, 10g total carbohydrates, 2g total sugars, and 3g protein. The

Zero Brands is based in Scottsdale, Arizona and I think the cream bars are their first product. The product was launched in 2023. Use the store locator to find their bars.

4 out of 5 stars.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

New Flavors at Menchie’s, Double Smiles Day is January 16

Fro-yo girl here. Menchie’s January's promotions include two new flavors and a Double Smiles Day when you scan the Menchie’s app on January 16. I also spotted a few signs for National Frozen Yogurt Day. Menchie’s will celebrate NFYD on February 6 with an all-day Buy One, Get One free froyo offer.

Back to the new flavors, I’ve only found one so far, Cinnamon Roll froyo. Cinnamon Roll froyo is called a new flavor. Menchie’s has had similar flavors in the past, including Cinnabon Classic Cinnamon Roll in 2014 and Cinnamon Bun froyo made with Philadelphia Cream Cheese in 2020. Cinnabon Classic Cinnamon Roll had a stronger cinnamon flavor than Cinnamon Bun froyo. As for the new Cinnamon Roll froyo, it had a strong cinnamon flavor. I thought I could even taste icing. It was a bit too strong and sweet for me, plus the texture was a bit icy (the texture could be creamier at other Menchie’s locations). Recommended toppings: almonds, walnuts, granola.

Cinnamon Roll froyo is nonfat and made with no artificial flavors, no artificial flavors, and no high fructose corn syrup.

Vegan rocky road made with almond milk is also a new flavor. It’s gluten-free, lowfat, dairy-free, and made with no artificial flavors, no artificial flavors, and no high fructose corn syrup. I’ll report back once I try the new Vegan Rocky Road flavor.

Update: Tried vegan rocky road flavor. It tasted like fudgsicle with a hint of almonds. I could not taste the marshmallow. It was fine, but I’m not a fan of rocky road the flavor. Recommended toppings: marshmallows, chopped almonds, Special Dark chocolate chips.

Double Smiles Day is Tuesday, January 16. To earn double smiles, be sure to scan your Menchie’s app. If you haven’t downloaded the app, do it soon. You’ll need to register for an account to start earning smiles (and free froyo).

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

New Pinkberry Flavor, Ube Honey

 

Fro-yo girl here. Pinkberry’s first new flavor of 2024 is…Ube Honey frozen yogurt. This non-tart flavor has a striking dark purple hue. I tried a sample and it was decent but I didn’t want a cup of it. The flavor was sweet and slightly earthy and nutty. The dark color looked unnatural and unappetizing to me but it certainly is unique. Ube pairs well with coconut. The texture was light and smooth.

Ube is a purple yam from the Philippines that’s rich in antioxidants. It was named the 2024 flavor of the year by T. Hasewaga, the flavor house. I’ve had ube froyo before from other places and I’ve never been a fan.

Pinkberry recommends enjoying Ube Honey froyo with shaved coconut, honeycomb, and honey drizzle.

While my local Pinkberry had Ube Honey, they didn’t have the Ube Honey poster or signs (marketing materials).

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

Tutti Frutti in Artesia, CA is Now Go-Go Froyo

Fro-yo girl here. Tutti Frutti in Artesia, California has a new look and a new name, Go-Go Froyo. I believe the ownership hasn’t changed because they still mention that they’ve been open since 2012 on the new website and they accept the old TF Artesia frequent buyer cards and gift cards. The owners explained why they changed names on their website: “Why the name change? Simply....freedom of choice, freedom to design, freedom to decide the end of High Fructose Corn Syrup frozen yogurt whenever we choose. Why play along to a middle man inflating supplies cost when they provide no artistic creation or input from every day real life workers. When franchisees leave, the brand is all but a dying and fading memory.”

The last Tutti Frutti Artesia reviews were posted in July 2023 and the first Go-Go Froyo review was posted in August 2023. I visited Tutti Frutti Artesia in 2021 and I remember at that time they had a sign that said that they are independently owned and not related to any other Tutti Frutti shop. By that time, Tutti Frutti was no longer providing support to its franchisees.

When I visited Go-Go Froyo, the employee said that the name and décor had changed but everything else was the same as before. It’s still self-serve and the soft serve machines are the same. I liked how they had quite a few tart froyo flavors and tons of toppings, including big brownies, cream puffs, and Hello Panda cookies.

I also saw a case for waffle taco shells, waffle bowls, and waffle nachos for the build-your-own froyo taco and nachos option, but the case was empty. Froyo and toppings are $0.65/oz.

Two other Tutti Frutti locations changed names in 2023. Tutti Frutti, San Carlos is now called Toot Sweet Frozen Yogurt and Tutti Frutti Long Beach is now Frozen Oasis.

* Go-Go Froyo: 11855 Artesia Blvd Artesia, CA 90701

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.

2024 Froyo Wish List

Fro-yo girl here. Happy Froyo New Year! The new year brings new froyo hopes and dreams. Before I reveal my froyo wishes for 2024, I’d like to see which of my 2023 froyo wishes came true.

Recap of 2023 Froyo Wishes

• Wish #1: Erewhon starts stocking Yoga-urt: This didn’t happen but Erewhon started offering soft serve at their Tonic Bars this year. Their soft serve is coconut-based, vegan, soy-free, organic, gluten-free, and kosher. I’ve tried it and it’s not as good as Yoga-urt’s. In Yoga-urt news, they started franchising this year and their first franchisee is opening in Granada Hills (San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles) later this year.
• Wish #2: Llaollao opens in California: Llaollao is definitely still in expansion mode, but most of their new branches are in Asia and Spain. They still have just one location in the US, in Houston. At this rate, Yole may reach California first. They’re opening their first location in North America this year – in Toronto, Canada.
• Wish #3: Souvla opens in Los Angeles: Souvla finally opened a branch outside of San Francisco, but it’s in Larkspur (Marin County). They have six locations and if you’re in San Jose, you can get their Greek froyo from DoorDash.

2024 Froyo Wishes

• Wish #1: Smaller portion sizes: I noticed my coffee drinks have gotten much smaller this year. I wouldn’t mind seeing counter-serve froyo shops offer smaller cups of froyo. Some of them are far too large and some places only offer one size, large. When there’s only a large size available, the cup of froyo becomes a meal when I’d much rather have froyo as a snack or treat.
• Wish #2: Lower sugar options: While there have been quite a few lower sugar froyo options at supermarkets, there aren’t that many in froyo shops. The ones at supermarkets tend to have sugar substitutes like monk fruit and Stevia. I don’t like those. The best NSA sweeteners are date syrup and agave nectar. I’d be fine with froyo that isn’t as sweet.
• Wish #3: Australian froyo place opens in Los Angeles: Now that I’ve tried Israeli froyo, I’d like to try Australian froyo. Australia is known for the quality of its dairy products. Some of the Australian froyo shops (e.g., Yo-Chi, Frozen By A Thousand Blessings) look stylish and seem to offer high-quality froyo.

I was also pleasantly surprised by a few froyo developments in 2023, including:

• Jeni's opens in Highland Park (Los Angeles): This location makes it very easy for me to get my rainbow buttermilk frozen yogurt fix.
• Jeni's launches frozen dessert sandwiches: Available exclusively at Whole Foods for now, the Key Lime Pie sandwich features super tangy key lime froyo and graham cracker cookies. 
• Gelatys yogurt pops: I found Gelatys at Pavilions and their yogurt gelato pops are surprisingly good. They're rich and tangy.
• Yogurtland opens in East Pasadena: Yogurtland is back to having two locations in Pasadena. I was surprised to see the new branch open in East Pasadena.
• L2 Tea Club's thick-cut froyo cubes: I was finally able to try froyo cubes, a trend that started in China years ago. It's still hard to find thick-cut yogurt/froyo cubes in the US.

You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.

Looking for more frozen yogurt news, discussion boards, and resources? Check out the International Frozen Yogurt Association website at http://internationalfrozenyogurt.com/. The IFYA is the independent voice of the frozen yogurt industry.