Gelatys Mini Gems Blueberry Yogurt Review

Fro-yo girl here. Sprouts just added Gelatys Mini Gems to the freezer section. Mini Gems are mini gelato pops. They’re available in five flavors, including one yogurt-based flavor, Greek Yogurt with Blueberry and White Chocolate. A box of four mini pops is $8.99 regular price. I found them on sale for $7.99/box.

Greek Yogurt: The plain yogurt gelato pop had a drizzle of blueberry sauce and was enrobed in Belgian white chocolate. There was very little blueberry sauce. The Belgian white chocolate shell was thin and crispy. The sweetness of the white chocolate didn’t complement the tartness of the plain yogurt. It detracted from the yogurt flavor. The yogurt was slightly tangy with a light, somewhat creamy texture (it wasn’t super creamy). It did taste like yogurt. The pop was about 2.5 inches high and 2 inches in length. One 45g mini pop is 140 calories, 10g total fat, 10g total carbs, 9g total sugars, and 2g protein. It’s made with Greek yogurt and heavy cream.

Available flavors:

• Passion Mango
• Strawberry Chocotella
• Pistachio Chocotella
• Chocolate Volcano

The Gelatys full-size gelato on a stick Blueberry Yogurt was much better. I’ve had a hard time finding it recently.

3.5 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.

‘ndulge Greek Yogurt Bars Review

Fro-yo girl here. I found ‘ndulge Greek Yogurt Bars during a recent trip to Sprouts. The line of Greek yogurt bars is new to Sprouts. Each box has three full-size (3 fl oz) bars. A box is $9.99, regular price.

The bars are individually wrapped. Each bar has 10g of protein and is 160 calories or less. The bars are made with milk and cream and have live and active probiotic cultures.

Vanilla Almond bar: The milk chocolate coating wasn’t as crispy as usual. It was softer and fudgier. It mostly tasted like milk chocolate because the vanilla yogurt interior had little flavor. It did not taste like yogurt. I didn’t like the texture of the chocolate coating or the taste. It had a lingering sweetness from the use of monk fruit extract. If you look at the picture on the box, it has a lot more almond pieces than the actual bar. One bar is 160 calories, 11g total fat, 8g total carbs, 3g total sugars, and 10g protein.

The box says that you should let the product thaw for 5 minutes before enjoying. I didn’t read that suggestion till after I ate the bar.

Available flavors: Salted Caramel Almond, Chocolate Caramel Cookie, Vanilla Almond, Mint Chip, Chocolate Fudge Chip

2.5 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.

Jolly Llama Half-Dipped Yogurt Bars Review

Fro-yo girl here. Jolly Llama just introduced a line of new half dipped yogurt bars. I found them at Sprouts. Three flavors are exclusive to Sprouts: Cool Mint Chip, Chocolate Fudge, and Coffee Espresso. The yogurt bars are dairy-free and gluten-free, according to Sprouts. However, if you look at the box, it says it contains milk and is a dairy product. The bars are kosher.

A box of four bars was $4.99 on sale and $6.99 regular price. One yogurt bar is 2.65 fl oz. The bars contain probiotics.

Cool Mint Chip: Described as “white mint frozen yogurt with chocolaty flakes half-dipped in a chocolaty coating.” It tasted like peppermint. The mint flavor is very strong. It’s refreshing. The texture is softer than Yasso’s bars. The chocolatey coating was sweet, thin, and crispy. I thought the texture was a bit too soft but the flavor was better than I expected – if you like strong mint flavors. One bar is 100 calories with 6g total fat, 5g total carbs, 9g total sugars, and 2g of protein. It’s made with kefir yogurt and sweetened with allulose, stevia, and monk fruit.

Available flavors: Coffee Espresso, Lemon Cheesecake, Cool Mint Chip, Strawberry ‘N Cream, Chocolate Fudge

Jolly Llama’s other frozen treats are dairy-free and gluten-free. I tried their sorbet back in 2009.

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.

Painterland Sisters Organic Yogurt Icelandic Style Skyr Review

Fro-yo girl here. I spotted Painterland Sisters Organic Yogurt Icelandic Style Skyr on a recent shopping trip to Sprouts in La Canada Flintridge. The signs indicated that it was a new product. The yogurt was priced at 2 for $5.

Painterland Sisters organic, whole milk skyr style yogurt has billions of live and active cultures (probiotics), high in protein, low in sugar, gluten-free and lactose-free. They sweeten their skyr with organic ingredients: berries, lemons, and cane sugar. The ultra-filtration process removes lactose and excess liquid.

Vanilla bean: Very thick, creamy, and smooth – thicker than Greek yogurt. I liked how there was a sour note and definitely tang. It wasn’t as sweet as other yogurts. There was a richness from the use of whole milk. I could see vanilla bean specks.

Meadow berry: This yogurt is flavored with raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries. It’s blended. The raspberry flavor was prominent and there was a cream aftertaste.

One serving (5.3 oz) is 160 calories, 8g total fat, 10g total carbs, 9g total sugars, and 16g protein.

Ingredients: cultured pasteurized organic whole milk, organic cane sugar, organic corn starch, organic vanilla extract, organic lemon juice, organic guar gum, organic vanilla bean specks, sodium citrate, lactase enzyme, live and active cultures

Available flavors: plain, vanilla bean, blueberry lemon, strawberry, meadow berry

Painterland Sisters yogurt is a product of a women-owned, fourth-generation family farm, Painterland Farms in Westfield, PA. They source their milk from Pennsylvanian organic farms where animals are free to roam on open pastures and fed balanced diets of grains and grasses. Their products are non-GMO and free of chemicals.

The yogurt was rich and tasty but it does contain corn starch and guar gum (thickeners); Siggi’s does not.

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

4.5 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.

Renee’s Live Coconut Crème Desserts Review

Fro-yo girl here. Renee’s Live is a line of organic, gluten-free, plant-based, nutrient-dense, 99% raw, coconut frozen desserts. The allergen-free dessert is made with simple ingredients, including fresh-pressed coconut crème and a blend of prebiotic and probiotic live and active cultures. It contains no refined sugar. The business is woman and minority-owned.

I found Renee’s Live at Sprouts, on sale for $4.89 (the regular price was $6.99). The flavors sounded healthy and appealing.

Vanilla with maca: Renee’s Live describes this flavor as “Energy boosting Maca enhances the flavour of FRESH, fair trade Madagascar Vanilla Beans in our Renee’s LIVE Vanilla with Maca cultured coconut crème.” The texture was rock solid, so I let it soften by leaving it out on the counter for a few minutes. It was still very firm when I tried it. I liked the flavor a lot. The coconut flavor is strong though I could taste vanilla. It tasted natural and healthy. It was a bit sweeter than I expected, but they do have sugar-free varieties. One serving (2/3 cup) is 190 calories, 14g total fat, 14g total sugars, 18g total carbs, and 1g protein.

Renee's Live tastes similar to Sunscoop, the other coconut creme based frozen dessert, but Sunscoop is softer and more scoopable.

I was surprised that there was no seal or way to indicate that the pint hadn’t been opened. But I checked a few pints and none of them were unsealed.

Flavors: Decadent chocolate cacao, Lemon with ginger & turmeric, Cold brew latte with reishi, Berries n’ crème, Vanilla with maca, Sugar-free vanilla, Sugar-free chocolate, Strawberries n’ crème

You can find Renee’s Live by using the store locator.

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.

Enlightened Greek Yogurt Cones Review

Caramel Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Greek froyo cone

Vanilla Honey Greek froyo cone

Fro-yo girl here. Sorry froyo followers, I have to admit that it took me nearly a year to realize that Enlightened introduced froyo cones (thought it was just an ice cream brand). In my defense, Enlightened Sundae Cones are available with light ice cream and Greek froyo and the word yogurt is not prominent on the packaging. Enlightened Sundae Cones feature a crispy cone, ice cream or froyo, a chocolate drizzle, core flavor, and a chocolate filled tip. They’re made with less sugar and more protein than your typical frozen dessert cones.

I found Enlightened Sundae Cones at Sprouts in La Canada Flintridge, California on sale for $6.99/box. The regular price is $7.99. Each box contains three individually wrapped cones.

Vanilla Honey Greek Yogurt Cone: Enlightened describes it as “Vanilla flavored frozen Greek yogurt with a dark chocolate swirl, oatmeal cookie crumble and a honey flavored core.” I’ve seen pictures of these cones and mine must have melted because there was nothing above the cone part. Also, the cone was completely soft – no crunch at all. There was a lot going on flavor-wise. The texture of the melted and refrozen yogurt was awful – dense and icy. Flavor-wise, it seemed okay – not cloyingly sweet. The saving grace was the chocolate filled tip. The chocolate was actually crunchy! One serving is 140 calories, 4.5g total fat, 25g total carbs, 10g total sugars, and 5g protein. Ingredients include skim milk, Greek yogurt, cane sugar, and monk fruit.

I read some other reviews and they said the cone was crunchy and the ice cream/froyo was creamy. Something was clearly wrong with the box that I bought.

Caramel Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Greek Yogurt Cone: This cone looked a lot better than the Vanilla Honey cone. The froyo was not melted but was actually creamy but still dense. The caramel flavor is mild. There was no yogurt flavor. The cone was still soft and chewy. The chocolate tip was still the best part. I could taste a little almond butter towards the end.

So, these cones do not taste like low sugar cones. They’re sweet enough for those looking for a sweet dessert. The frozen yogurt is mild and bland but the chocolate tip makes up for the blandness. The cone is not crunchy.

Light Ice Cream Sundae Cone flavors: Vanilla Fudge, Caramel Fudge, and Peanut Butter Fudge

Frozen Greek Yogurt Sundae Cone flavors: Vanilla Honey featuring a honey core, Caramel Dark Chocolate Almond Butter featuring an almond butter core and Strawberry Shortcake. Strawberry Shortcake is not on the Enlightened website, so it must have been discontinued.

Find where Enlightened is carried with their store locator feature.

3.5 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.

Esti Dairy-Free Yogurt Review

 

Fro-yo girl here. I found a new yogurt to try while shopping at Sprouts the other day: Esti Dairy-Free Yogurt. Esti’s dairy-free yogurt is vegan, gluten-free, non-GMO, probiotic, contains no starches, and is made with coconut milk. One cup is 4.2 oz and retails for $2.29 at Sprouts. During my visit, Esti was on sale for $1.99.

Vanilla Yogurt: Really good but very rich, like eating coconut cream with a hint of vanilla. The sweetness and richness were natural. The texture was super thick, thicker than regular yogurt, and creamy. It’s high and fat and filling. The yogurt was not tangy. It was more like cream than yogurt.

Plain Yogurt: Similar to the vanilla flavor – super rich and natural tasting. One serving is 230 calories, 21g total fat, 12 total carbs, 9g total sugars, 2g protein.

Ingredients (Plain): Organic coconut milk (organic coconut extract, organic coconut water), organic maple syrup, agar agar

Available flavors: Chocolate, Almond Chocolate, Vanilla, Plain, Mix Berries

Esti Yogurt is rich and natural tasting. My only issue would be that it’s too rich to eat on a regular basis.

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.

Alden’s Organic Freckled Strawberry Yogurt Bar Review

Fro-yo girl here. I’ve seen Alden’s Organic ice cream for years, but I never saw any frozen yogurt offering, so I never tried it – until now. Alden’s Organic has a new frozen yogurt product, Freckled Strawberry yogurt bars, introduced at Expo West this year. I spotted the yogurt bars at Sprouts. One box was $4.99 regular price, $4.49 on sale. A box comes with four bars.

Freckled Strawberry: The bar was soft and creamy. It was quite sweet, with no yogurt flavor. It tasted like strawberry ice cream. The strawberries were blended into the bar.

One bar is 90 calories, with 1.5g total fat, 19g total carbohydrate, 13g sugars, and 2g protein. The yogurt bars are organic, non-GMO, and contain live and active cultures.

It looks like Alden’s strawberry yogurt bars are the same as Julie’s Organic strawberry yogurt bars because it says New Look same great taste on the box. On the side of the box, which I didn’t notice till I was at home, it says Julie’s Organic is now Alden’s Organic. I gave the bars 3 stars back in 2011. I hadn’t had the bars since then, because they’re too sweet. Both brands are owned by Oregon Ice Cream.

Ingredients: Cultured nonfat milk, cane sugar, strawberries, tapioca syrup, cream, short chain fructan fiber, natural strawberry flavor with other natural flavors, guar gum, red beet juice concentrate (color), locust bean gum, citric acid, pectin, xanthan gum.

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

3 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.

So Delicious Oatmilk Dairy-Free Frozen Dessert Review

Fro-yo girl here. Oatmilk in coffee is good. Oatmilk yogurt is horrible. Oatmilk is so popular that it’s now available in frozen dessert form from So Delicious. I found the pints at Sprouts for $6.49 regular price, $4.21 on sale.

Oatmeal Cookie Oatmilk: I love oatmeal cookies. The frozen oatmilk dessert was creamy, sweet but not crazy sweet, and mild. There were small chunks of oatmeal cookie dough which were soft and not overly sweet and crunchy chocolate flecks. The aftertaste was clean with a hint of coconut. I really liked the oaty flavor and the addition of pea protein. It seemed less heavy than dairy-based ice cream. Mr. Froyo liked it too, though he wished it had less sugar. One serving is 2/3 cup, 250 calories, 12g total fat, 23g total sugars, and 36g total carbs.

Ingredients (Oatmeal Cookie): Oatmilk (filtered water, whole oat flour), organic cane sugar, organic coconut oil, organic tapioca syrup, organic brown sugar, rolled oats, organic rice starch, cane sugar, raisins, pea protein, palm oil, organic sunflower oil, cocoa, organic molasses, rice starch, natural flavor, sea salt, chocolate liquor, locust bean gum, guar gum, cinnamon, citric acid).

Available flavors: Oatmeal Cookie, Peanut Butter Raspberry, Caramel Apple Crumble

The oatmilk frozen desserts are gluten free and non-GMO. They’re better than I expected – not super healthy but that’s probably why it’s so good. There aren’t that many flavors but the ones they’ve chosen complement oatmilk.

4.5 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.

Green Mountain Creamery Skyr Review

Fro-yo girl here. I was at Sprouts and decided to try Green Mountain Creamery’s Skyr yogurt. It was marked new. The retail price was $1.59 each and the sale price 5 for $5. The flavors are blended. My Sprouts was sold out of Strawberry Cream, but they had Vanilla Bean and Key Lime.

Available flavors: Strawberry Cream, Vanilla Bean, Salted Caramel, Key Lime, Plain

* Key Lime: Their key lime skyr had the usual key lime flavor. It was sweeter than I expected but had a nice tang. The texture was thick and creamy. I’m used to skyr having less sugar than Greek yogurt. I’m not sure how Green Mountain’s skyr is different from Greek yogurt. It seems too sweet for skyr.

* Vanilla Bean: It was nice to see the vanilla bean specks throughout the yogurt and to taste more vanilla than Green Mountain Creamery’s vanilla Greek yogurt. It was tangy but not sour and it had a hint of cream flavor. It was definitely richer than the Greek yogurt version, and better because it had more vanilla flavor. However, it was slightly chalky and pretty sweet for skyr (sweeter than Siggi’s). I also noticed they used thickeners: guar gum and corn starch. I prefer skyr made without thickeners.

Green Mountain Creamery Skyr is all natural, no RBST, gluten free, Grade-A strained, 3.5% milkfat, and has live and active cultures.

One serving of Vanilla Bean Skyr has 160 calories, 4g total fat, 16g total carbohydrates, 12g total sugars and 13g protein. Compared to their Greek yogurt, it has a little more protein, more fat (whole vs. nonfat milk), and a little more sugar.

Ingredients (vanilla bean): Pasteurized whole milk, cane sugar, non-GMO corn starch, pectin, natural flavors, vanilla extract, guar gum, vanilla beans, live active cultures

3.5 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.

Clover Whole Milk Greek Yogurt

Fro-yo girl here. I spotted Clover Whole Milk Greek Yogurt at Sprouts. Their yogurt is organic and made with milk from Northern California dairies. The Greek yogurt is strained and the flavors are blended into it. This product was labeled as new by Sprouts. It retails for $2.19 and I found it on sale for $1.99. One cup is 5.3 oz.

* Vanilla bean: This was really good! I could see the vanilla bean specks throughout the yogurt. The sweetness was pleasant; it wasn’t overly sweet. It tasted fresh and natural. The texture was creamy and smooth. The full fat made it satisfying but not heavy. It's more mild than tangy.

Available flavors: Plain, Vanilla Bean, Blueberry, Honey, Raspberry

One serving has 150 calories, 4.5g total fat, 15g total carbohydrates, 13g total sugars and 11g protein. And it has live and active cultures.

Ingredients (vanilla bean): Cultured pasteurized organic whole milk, organic sugar, pectin, organic vanilla extrat, natural flavor, locust bean gum, organic lemon juice concentrate, organic vanilla beans.

5 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.

Bio-K+ Review

Fro-yo girl here. I know I bought Bio-K+, the fermented probiotic drink, years ago and I thought I reviewed it here, but I can’t find that review anywhere. I remember liking how Bio-K+ Original wasn’t too sweet.

Bio-K+ Original, a fermented dairy drink, was created in 1996 and could only be found in the Montreal area at that time. Later, it was approved for use by hospitals and prescribed to over 40,000 patients taking antibiotics. A published clinical study found the product was effective for reducing diarrhea linked to antibiotics and the also had the potential of reducing diarrhea linked to Clostridium difficile (Beausoleil et al.). Bio-K+ is the #1 recommended probiotic by doctors across Canada.

Over the years, Bio-K+ added other products: capsules and new flavors of drinks, including non-dairy and kids’ versions. I’ve seen Bio-K+ at quite a few stores, including Whole Foods, Gelson’s, Sprouts, and Erewhon. It is carried by some pharmacies at well.

Bio-K+ is not a yogurt. It’s a probiotic supplement that has 50 billion CFU in each bottle (the equivalent to eating 50 yogurts). One drink is 3.5 fl oz.

While I enjoyed Bio-K+ I never regularly consumed it because one small bottle was $5 or more. I don’t have digestive issues and I’m not taking antibiotics. My gut health is probably pretty good. I think Bio-K+ boosts your immune system too, which is something we could all use. It’s not clear whether healthy people should take probiotics though.

Bio-K+ recently added a few non-dairy options: Blueberry (fermented rice), Mango (fermented soy), Coconut (fermented pea & hemp). The coconut flavor is a Whole Foods exclusive in the US.

I tried the flavored drink flavors that are for adults and here’s what I thought of each. I didn’t try the Coconut flavor.

• Strawberry (fermented dairy): This was the best flavor. It was tangy, creamy, and tasted like real strawberries and dairy. 4 out of 5 stars. 
• Mango (fermented soy): This was pleasant though the mango flavor wasn’t that strong. There was a hint of soy flavor that I liked. 3.5 out of 5 stars. 
• Blueberry (fermented rice): I could barely taste the blueberries. The funky fermented flavor was super strong. The drink was very sour. It contains less sugar than the Mango and Strawberry flavors. It was also thinner and not as creamy. I can’t imagine drinking much of this, and I like sour flavors. 1.5 out of 5 stars. 

People like to add Bio-K+ to smoothies, overnight oats, and chia puddings.

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.

Lifeway Organic Skyr Review

Fro-yo girl here. I spotted some new items in the yogurt section of Sprouts during a recent shopping trip. Lifeway Skyr was new and on sale. The regular price is $2.29 and it was on sale for $1.99.

The product is labeled as having less sugar, more protein, GMO free, 14 strains of probiotic live and active cultures and up to 99% lactose free. It’s organic and made in small batches with grassfed milk. The organic blueberry prep is kept in a separate container that can easily be folded over to add to the skyr section. It also comes with its own little spoon and a convenient cap, in case you don’t finish the cup in one sitting. One serving is 150g, 9g total fat, 7g sugars, and 18g protein.

* Blueberry skyr: The skyr was thick, creamy, and super sour, sourer than plain yogurt. It did have a slight grittiness. The blueberry prep was more like a jelly than a jam, though it had bits of blueberries in it, and even tiny whole blueberries. It seemed very sweet by itself but since the skyr is extra sour, the sweetness is a good thing. Once combined, the skyr still has that sourness but it’s not as intense. I turned it upside down and the skyr stayed in the cup, that’s how thick it is. This skyr is probably too sour for the mainstream yogurt eater but I liked the sourness.

Available flavors: Natural, Honey, Blueberry, Wildberries, Ancient Grains

Skyr ingredients: Pasteurized organic whole milk, vitamin D3, live and active cultures

Organic blueberry prep ingredients: Water, organic blueberries, organic sugar, organic blueberry flavor, pectic, organic locust bean gum, organic fruit and vegetable juice concentrate for color

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.

Vega Protein Cashewmilk Yogurt Alternative Review

Fro-yo girl here. Plant-based dairy alternative products keep taking up more shelf space at supermarkets. I spotted Vega Protein Cashewmilk Yogurt Alternative at Sprouts for $1.79 on sale ($1.99 retail price). It features 13g of protein, live active cultures (prebiotics and probiotics) and more protein than sugar. Also, Vega’s yogurt is certified vegan, gluten-free, and non-GMO project verified. One 150g serving is 180 calories, 8g total fat, 7g sugars, 6g dietary fiber and 13g protein.

* Vanilla Cashewmilk Yogurt Alternative: When I peeled the lid back, I was surprised to see such a dark greyish brown looking yogurt. It looked like coffee yogurt, probably because of the chicory root. It didn’t look attractive. The texture was thick and creamy (they use thickeners). The flavor was very strange. I could taste the nuttiness of the cashews but it was super sweet in that weird fake sugar way. It was super sweet but had a sour aftertaste. So weird. It tasted like sweet and sour chalky protein powder. I should have read the ingredients because stevia and monkfruit usually taste horrible. I do like some vegan yogurt, like Kite Hill.

Luckily, Mr. Froyo was interested in eating the yogurt because it has protein and low sugar. He didn't like the taste though.

Ingredients: Cashewmilk (filtered water, cashews), pea protein, chicory root extract, coconut sugar, natural flavors, fruit pectin, guar gum, vanilla beans, stevia leaf extract, monk fruit extract, live and active cultures.

Available flavors: Vanilla, Strawberry, Raspberry, Blueberry

1.5 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.

Trimona Bulgarian Yogurt Review

Fro-yo girl here. Greek yogurt has become so popular that the market has seen an influx of Greek yogurt alternatives. Enter Trimona Bulgarian Yogurt, a European-style yogurt made with lactobacillus bulgaricus and made in New York. It was developed by Atanas Valev with the help of two jars of homemade yogurt brought over from Bulgaria in 1991. 

Bulgarians have a long history of eating yogurt and special connection with yogurt, long revered for its health benefits. A Bulgarian scientist, Dr. Stamen Grigorov, discovered lactobacillus bulgaricus in 1905. Dr. Ilya Mechnikov won a Nobel prize for finding that fermented milk “was responsible for the hardiness of the Bulgarian people."

Trimona Bulgarian yogurt is organic, not strained and made from the milk of grass-fed cows. It is made with whole milk yogurt to which no sugar is added. You can get it plain or plain with flavorings in a separate compartment. I found Trimona for $1.99 (single serving, flavored) on sale at Sprouts (regular price: $2.29).

Varieties: Plain, Honey Ginger Cinnamon, Raspberry Coconut, Mango Passion Fruit, Blueberry Lavender

* Honey Ginger Cinnamon: I tried the plain yogurt side first. The texture is clumpier, thinner, and pretty sour (the whey wasn’t strained out). It had a clean taste and you could taste the richer cream notes from the whole fat milk. I liked how the cinnamon, ginger and honey mixture was kept separate so that you could control the desired level of sweetness. There was a very strong, sharp ginger flavor (I like ginger so that’s a good thing).

I liked how the yogurt was simple, minimally processed and similar to homemade yogurt. Good stuff.

One serving is 130 calories, 4.5g fat, 12g sugars, 4g protein

Ingredients: Pasteurized organic whole milk, live & active yogurt cultures, organic honey, water, organic ginger puree, pectin, organic ground ginger, organic cinnamon

I found this interesting snippet on the Trimona website about straining vs. not straining yogurt: “Greek yogurt is by definition a strained yogurt, which means they remove the liquid whey fraction. Bulgarian yogurt retains the whey, since it is one of the highest quality proteins, and is stocked with vitamins and minerals. Most Greek yogurt is further adulterated by removing fat and adding sugar. Some also add inferior protein and thickeners.”

4.5 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.

Yeti’s Frozen Custard Review

Fro-yo girl here. Yeti’s Frozen Custard started out as a food truck in Austin, TX. They later built their wholesale business and recently (as of mid-February 2016) their pints became available nationwide at Sprouts. They plan to open a brick and mortar shop this year.

Yeti’s prides itself in its all natural quality ingredients and creative flavors like Cinnamon Toast and Lemon Lavender. They use local ingredients when possible. The fruits are from Texas. Their frozen custard is hand crafted and and hand packed.

The Sprouts I went to in Monrovia carried three flavors: Mint Chocolate Chip, Roasted Strawberry and Blueberry Pancake. A pint retails for $6.99. During the sale that I encountered, a pint was $3.99. The packaging with the yeti is cute and appealing.

* Blueberry Pancake frozen custard: The texture is denser and chewier than ice cream. The chewiness made it seem odd to me. However, it does taste like it’s made with good milk, cream and sugar. It’s rich and creamy. The blueberries are blended throughout. The blueberry flavor is faint and there is no pancake flavor. They did add maple syrup but that isn’t enough to make it taste like pancakes.

One serving (1/2 a cup) is 230 calories and 15g of fat. Yes, it’s rich.

Ingredients: Milk, cream, sugar, nonfat milk, egg yolk, blueberries, simple syrup, guar gum, carob bean gum, carrageenan, orange juice, orange peel

You can find a list of stores that carry Yeti’s Frozen Custard on their website: 
http://www.yetispot.com/#!where-to-buy/c24vq

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.

Green Mountain Creamery Greek Yogurt Review

Fro-yo girl here. I found Green Mountain Creamery Greek Yogurt at Sprouts on sale (5 for $5). Each cup is 5.3 ounces and fat free. The yogurt is manufactured in Vermont with all natural ingredients and made with rBST free Vermont milk. It’s sweetened lightly with sugar. The fruit flavors are made with real fruit and berries. Each cup has live and active yogurt cultures.

* Maple Greek: I really liked this flavor. It’s a simple flavor – just yogurt and maple syrup, but the maple syrup adds something special. The maple flavor is subtle but present. It’s fairly sweet but still has that lovely yogurt tang.

* Vanilla Greek: The texture was great – smooth, thick, creamy. I also liked how it wasn’t too sweet but the vanilla flavor was too subtle for me and it didn’t taste like vanilla beans (tasted more like vanilla extract). I didn’t see any bean specks.

Available flavors: Blueberry, Cherry, Coffee, Maple, Peach, Pineapple, Plain, Strawberry, Vanilla

Ingredients (Vanilla Greek): Cultured pasteurized Grade A Nonfat Milk, sugar, native corn starch, natural flavor, pectin. Contains the following live cultures: Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidus, Lactobacillus casei.

To find out where to buy Green Mountain Creamery, visit their website: http://greenmountaincreamery.com/

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.

Three Happy Cows Greek Yogurt Review

Fro-yo girl here. Dallas based Three Happy Cows is back after a fire destroyed its yogurt plant. Their Greek yogurt is “ridiculously thick,” all natural and lightly sweetened. It’s low fat, made with 2% milk and has live and active cultures. Each serving has 15g of protein. One serving is 5.3 ozs and 160 calories.

Flavors: Strawberry, blueberry, vanilla bean, caramel

* Vanilla: Visually, the yogurt looked very appealing - very thick (as thick as skyr), ultra creamy with no water on top and vanilla bean specks throughout. I also liked how it was less sweet than most yogurts. There was a slight aftertaste from the thickeners they use that detracted from the overall flavor. The texture was also slightly gummy. I think I’d like it better without the thickeners and citric acid.

* Strawberry: This had the same ultra thick and creamy texture with a distinct but not very strong strawberry flavor and no chunks of fruit or seeds.

Ingredients (vanilla yogurt):Grade A pasteurized reduced fat milk, vanilla bean base (water, sugar, locust bean gum, pectin, natural flavor, citric acid, calcium citrate, vanilla beans) and live and active cultures.

I found Three Happy Cows at Sprouts (2 for $3 on sale, $1.79 regular price).

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.