Fro-yo girl here. On a recent trip to the new Meat & Essentials, the new butchery and mindful market in San Marino, I spotted a brand of yogurt that I’ve never seen before, G-Pa Ryc Organics Durty Gut YogArt. It’s organic, vegan, non-GMO, gluten-free, and locally produced (in Ventura, CA). I spotted three flavors: Lemon Vanilla Bean, Midnite Magick Dark Chocolate, and Vanilla Bean. They come in glass jars. One 16 oz jar of YogArt was $20. A portion of profits go to building houses for Widows in Ethiopia and orphans in Honduras.
Lemon Vanilla Bean YogArt: The texture is the thickest and smoothest that I’ve ever encountered in a yogurt. It has a pot set quality. It’s very rich but so good too – like eating a dense lemony cream that isn’t too sweet but has an intriguing tang. It tastes so much better than The Coconut Cult but it’s not clear how many active cultures or what type of cultures are in their yogurt.
YogArt is sweetened with maple sugar and coconut sugar, not refined sugar. The main ingredient is coconut cream. It also has active cultures so it’s good for your gut. Coconut cream is super rich, so the serving size is just 1.75 tbsp. One serving is 120 calories, 10g total fat, 0 cholesterol, 3g total sugars, and 0g protein.
5 out of 5 stars.
You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.
MEAT & ESSENTIALS: 2004 Huntington Dr, San Marino, CA 91108
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.
Fro-yo girl here. The new coconut-based yogurt products keep coming. I recently found Cocojune on sale at Sprouts for $1.99 (regular price, $2.29). The shelf tag also said it was new. Cocojune’s line of organic cultured coconut yogurt is plant-based, vegan, probiotic (with billions of probiotics), non-GMO, pesticide free. The flavors also sounded interesting and appealing. One container is 4 oz (smaller than usual).
The paper cup is eco-friendly. They also claim to have better probiotics. “Our probiotics are science-backed. We’ve teamed up with a leading Danish culture bank to develop our probiotic blend. Each serving of cocojune comes with 30 billion CFU, and includes some of the world’s most researched probiotic strains, such as “BB-12” and “LA-5”. We believe in using cultures with proven potency, as not all strains are created equal.”
Available flavors: Pure Coconut, Vanilla Chamomile, Strawberry Rhubarb, Lemon Elderflower
Strawberry Rhubarb: The consistency was not as thick as Greek yogurt but the yogurt was pretty smooth after stirring. Flavorwise, I really liked how it tasted natural and tangy, and it wasn’t too sweet. The luxurious coconut cream flavor dominated but I could taste the strawberries too. The finish was clean and the berry/rhubarb flavor lingered. Wish it were thicker though. One serving is 15g total fat, 11g total carbs, 7g total sugars and 1g protein.
Lemon Elderfower: The Lemon Elderflower yogurt was a little clumpy because the cream seems to rise to the top. I recommend stirring. The consistency seemed a little thicker than the Strawberry Rhubarb. Lemon Elderflower was quite tangy and sourer than Strawberry Rhubarb. The floral hint of elderflower was pleasant and lingered. The lemon was lost in the sourness and the strong flavor of the coconut cream. One serving is 16g total fat, 10g total carbs, 7g total sugars and 1g protein. Ingredients: organic coconuts, spring water, organic elderflower, organic cane sugar, organic lemon juice, vitamin C, organic cassava root, organic carob bean gum, vegan probiotic cultures.
The verdict: Cocojune is one of the better coconut based yogurts available, second only to Culina.
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.
Fro-yo girl here. I first spotted Culina Yogurt at Sprouts a few months ago, but it was pricey (over $4), so I didn’t get it. I finally found it at Lassens for $3.99. Surprisingly, Sprouts charges quite a bit more than Lassen's and Whole Foods. The packaging changed from the terracotta pots to clear glass jars. The jars look like the kind you’d use to make your own yogurt at home. One jar is 5 oz.
Based in Austin, Texas, Culina is a woman-owned business that makes thick, probiotic, fermented coconut yogurt. The plant-based, vegan, paleo yogurt has no gums, starches or fillers. I like how it’s made with a few ingredients and is all-natural. I also like the glass jar and the recipes that come with the jars of yogurt. I bet that it would make incredible frozen yogurt. I wish they offered more flavors.
* Strawberry Rose: I’ve tried my share of plant-based, dairy-free yogurt, and Culina’s is the best that I've tried. Thanks to the coconut cream, it’s rich and creamy. The fermentation provides that sour taste of dairy yogurt that’s often missing from plant-based yogurt. It’s truly thick and tangy. And they don’t mess it up by adding too much sugar. The texture was smooth though some separation had occurred (stir before consumption). So good! I could taste the strawberry and coconut, but I didn’t notice the rose oil though.
* Bourbon Vanilla: Also very good with mild vanilla flavor.
Available flavors: Plain & Simple, Bourbon Vanilla, Blueberry Lavender, Strawberry Rose
Ingredients (Strawberry Rose): Organic coconut, water, organic strawberries, organic maple syrup, agar, rose oil, probiotic cultures.
One serving of Strawberry Rose is 220 calories, 18g total fat, 11g carbs, 9g sugars, and 2g protein. The yogurt is high in fat but it’s worth the indulgence.
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.
Fro-yo girl here. Coconut-based yogurt seems to be the in thing in 2020. Oui by Yoplait, which started out as a pot-set French style dairy yogurt, introduced a plant-based dairy alternative yogurt made with coconut in December 2019. The distribution of Dairy-Free Oui was expanded in January 2020. I found Dairy-Free Oui at Target, on sale for 3 for $4. The regular price is $2.35 for a 5 oz pot. The glass jar has changed to one with straighter sides.
Vanilla: Creamy, smooth, light texture, similar to regular yogurt. It tasted more like coconut than vanilla and had a coconut cream aftertaste. It was sweeter than it needed to be but mild and pleasant. One serving has 170 calories, 10g total fat, 12g total sugars, 19g total carbohydrates and 1g protein.
Strawberry: Similar to the vanilla but it had a chunk strawberry puree on the bottom. The yogurt tasted more like coconut than strawberry, but I could taste the strawberry throughout. The strawberry flavor is stronger towards the bottom of the jar. I wish it had less sugar.
Available flavors: vanilla, strawberry, raspberry, mango.
Ingredients: Coconut base (water, coconut cream, cane sugar, modified tapioca starch, malic acid, natural flavor, vanilla extract), cultures.
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.
Fro-yo girl here. The plant-based yogurt category keeps expanding. While shopping at Whole Foods, I noticed Harmless Harvest, which started as a coconut water brand, recently added plant-based yogurt. Their yogurt products launched nationwide this month at Whole Foods exclusively, for 90 days.
What’s the difference between Harmless Harvest’s plant-based coconut yogurt and the other brands? The process is different. Harmless Harvest starts with organic hand-scooped coconut meat that’s pureed. They then add the cultures and make the yogurt. It’s all natural and organic. They used fair trade ingredients, which is admirable. Other brands usually start with coconut cream to which they add thickeners and cultures. They claim that this results in a clean-tasting, not overly coconutty yogurt with better texture.
Harmless Harvest coconut yogurt is $2.29 for a 4.4 oz container. That’s smaller than the average cup of yogurt which is 5.3 oz. However, I didn’t notice that it was smaller when I was eating it but I think that’s because I didn’t love it. One serving is 80 calories, 2.5g total fat, 14g total carbsand 5g sugars. They do add sugar to the plain flavor.
Plain: The texture was very smooth and about as thick as regular dairy yogurt. On the positive side, it wasn’t too sweet and the coconut flavor wasn’t overwhelming. On the negative side, the flavor was bland and not that tangy. It would be okay with other things added to it but I wouldn’t eat it plain because it is too plain.
Ingredients: Organic coconutmilk (water, organic coconut meat), organic cane sugar, organic tapioca starch, live and active cultures.
Available flavors: Plain, Strawberry, Blueberry, Vanilla
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.
Fro-yo girl here. Dairy-free continues to be all the rage. Chobani, the #1 Greek yogurt in the US, just introduced its first plant-based product, Non-Dairy Chobani. Chobani describes Non-Dairy Chobani as “a delicious, non-dairy coconut-based blend packed with probiotics and made with 25% less sugar than other non-dairy alternatives. It’s the perfect non-dairy choice, made the Chobani Way: with only natural ingredients and real fruit for a creamy texture and refreshing taste.” It’s non-GMO, soy-free, and gluten-free.
I found Non-Dairy Chobani at Sprouts in Alhambra, CA. The retail price was $2.49 and the sale price was $2.29. One cup is 5.3 oz, typical for yogurt. I like the leafy green packaging, a good visual representation for something plant-based. It’s interesting and even a bit strange that Chobani doesn’t call Non-Dairy Chobani yogurt.
Slightly Sweet Plain: Since this is the lowest sugar flavor, it caught my eye and interest. I’ve had coconut-based non-dairy yogurt before, but other brands. While COYO was too thick and rich, Dairy-Free Chobani suffers the opposite problem – it’s not thick enough. The texture is a little strange – liked thickened cream that’s almost gelatinous, something that’s obviously been thickened with additives. But I liked the overall mild coconut flavor (I don’t like coconuts) and the fact that it was less sweet. I suspect that Plain is the best Non-Dairy Chobani flavor. One serving is 130 calories, 8g fat, 16g carbs, 7g sugars, 2g fiber, and 1g protein.
Strawberry: This is a blended flavor. I could taste the strawberry and the coconut. The strawberry flavor was stronger. The flavor was fine but too sweet since it didn’t have any sourness or tanginess. One serving has 140 calories, 7g fat, 19g carbs, 11g sugars, 2g fiber, and 1g protein.
Ingredients (Strawberry): Cultured coconut blend (water, coconut, tapioca flour, agar, cultures), cane sugar, strawberries, water, chicory root fiber, lemon juice concentrate, natural flavors, fruit pectin, fruit and vegetable juice concentrate (for color), locust bean gum
Available flavors of Single Serve Cups: Blueberry, Peach, Slightly Sweet Plain, Strawberry, and Vanilla
Available flavors of Single Serve Drinks: Mango, Slightly Sweet Plain, Strawberry, and Vanilla Chai
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.
