Fro-yo girl here. Did you know that April is National Soy Foods Month? This is the month to celebrate the soybean and it made me miss soy frozen yogurt all the more. Anti-soy sentiment has been around for years, probably because most domestic soybean crops are genetically modified. But, there isn’t strong evidence that GMO-soybeans are harmful. In fact, soy has many health benefits. Soy is a complete protein that’s low in saturated fat. It may reduce levels of LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol), diabetes risk and the risk of some types of cancer.
Years ago, Loving Cup in San Francisco offered a soy base option for their hand-mixed froyo. But, since soy fell out of favor, they switched to a banana base and the last time I went, the vegan option was coconut based. Fraiche used to have a soy froyo but all their locations have closed, except for the one at SFO International Airport. Also, I think they switched to making vegan froyo using almond milk.
Tutti Frutti and 16 Handles are the only sizeable chains that have introduced soy froyo. Tutti Frutti may still offer soy froyo but I haven’t seen it there for years.
These are the places where you can still get soy froyo.
- 16 Handles introduced its first soy flavor in 2014, Yo Soy Vanilla, followed by Yo Soy Chocolate. I’m not sure how often it’s offered now, especially since they’ve gone on to introduce other types of dairy-free froyo, including almond milk, coconut milk, cashew milk, and oat milk (new in 2020).
- 21 Choices Frozen Yogurt (Claremont & Pasadena, CA): The soy froyo is made with organic soy milk and their flavors are all made in-house. Soy froyo is sometimes offered. Even if it isn’t there, they always have a dairy-free option. I like their peanut butter soy froyo.
- Bishco (Gloucester, MA) is a cafe that also serves mix in froyo, including tofu froyo.
- Cafe 472 (Boston, MA) serves pizza, sandwiches, salads, and froyo, including tofu frozen yogurt.
- Cafe Podima (Boston, MA) is a pizza restaurant that also serves froyo. Tofu froyo is listed on the menu.
- Chil (London, ON, Canada) claims to have Canada’s largest selection of froyo toppings and vegan froyo, had soy froyo but I’m not sure if they still offer it. They also have vegan froyo made with almond milk, oat milk, and quinoa milk. The single location is self-serve.
- Citra (Seattle, WA) in Seattle’s University District has dairy-based froyo but it’s the soy froyo that gets the rave reviews. Try your froyo with snow ice.
- Frozen By a Thousand Blessings (Australia), the first froyo shop in Australia to use biodynamic milk and yoghurt, offers two vegan soy-based flavors, Mango & Soy and Soy Strawberry. The froyo is self-serve.
- Humphrey Yogart (Sherman Oaks, CA): Humphrey Yogart has been serving up old school mix in style froyo since 1984. They moved across the parking lot and into Gelson’s in 2016 but they brought their organic soy base option for mix in froyo with them. I like their matcha froyo that’s made with imported Japanese matcha powder.
- Kushco Bistro (Salem, MA) is another greater Boston eatery that carries tofu froyo with mix-ins. I'm sensing a pattern here. Bishco and Kushco sound so similar.
- Moochie (Belgium) is a counter serve froyo chain that according to Happy Cow, offers vegan soy froyo. There’s even proof in the form of a picture.
- Tutti Frutti (worldwide) started offering soybean frozen yogurt in 2012. The soybean froyo is made with non-GMO, US grown soybeans. Their range of 19 soy froyo flavors is the widest I’ve seen. Some of the soy flavors are Spiced Cake, Red Bean, Latte, Black Sesame, and Taro. And 10% of the sales go to the Real Green Project to help fight childhood hunger. I noticed that many Tutti Frutti locations don’t carry any soy flavors though. Tutti Frutti La Crescenta used to on a regular basis but then they closed (and moved). I haven’t been going to the new location, so I’m not sure how often they carry soy froyo.
- Yo-Chi (Australia) is a self-serve froyo mini chain that sometimes offers a soy-based froyo. Banana Soybean is one of their soy flavors.
- Yo-Get-It (Australia, China) has a variety of soy froyo flavors and a self-serve format. Soy froyo flavors include Banana, Chai, Mango, Passionfruit, and Wildberry.
- YOMARO (Germany) offers a vegan soy froyo that gets good reviews, along with the vegan bubble waffles.
- YOMG (Australia) started as a self-serve froyo shop and expanded into burgers. Their vegan soy froyo flavors include banana soy cinnamon and soy chai. They even have vegan burgers and vegan waffle cones.
- Yumorama (Mexico) is a self-serve froyo chain that has a soy froyo option that’s also free of added sugars
Even though it isn’t froyo, I did want to give a shout out to the tofu flower soft serve at Big Softee in Monterey Park, CA. If you like tofu pudding, Big Softee’s version has the ginger syrup and flavor of tofu/soy milk that you’ll recognize. Uji Time has tofu soft serve too, but it isn’t as good as Big Softee’s.
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’ve put together this list of the best places to satisfy your craving for healthier froyo (and soft serve) for those of you who are looking to eat healthier this year. I wrote about the health benefits of froyo back in 2008. It’s lower in fat and calories than ice cream and probiotics help with digestion.
But if you’re following a specific type of diet or are looking for froyo that’s even healthier than average, here are some recommendations.
Low sugar/No sugar added
There are many sweeteners out there, some of which are natural and others are not. I personally do not like the bitter taste of Stevia. I’ve tried a variety of sweeteners and my favorites based on taste are agave nectar and dates.
My favorite no sugar added frozen yogurt can be found at Yoga-urt (1407 W Kenneth Rd., Glendale, CA). Currently they offer two NSA date sweetened flavors, Ganesha’s Sweet Greens and Purple Power. Both flavors are fresh, complex, and hand-crafted with love. They are not always offered, so check their Instagram account, @yoga_urt, or call ahead. They’re currently swirling both Ganesha's Sweet Greens and Purple Power!
If Yoga-urt doesn’t have any NSA flavors on tap, ask if they’re available by the pint. If they don’t have any, then I recommend heading to Pressed Juicery for a Freeze. The Freeze is much icier and not as flavorful or interesting as Yoga-urt, but it is made with just a few ingredients and has a clean, simple flavor. Not every Pressed Juicery location offers Freeze, though I think most of the newer ones do. I usually go to the one at the Americana at Brand in Glendale.
Low carb
I don’t eat low carb frozen yogurt but Menchie’s often will carry at least one low carb flavor. Also, Humphrey Yogart (4520 Van Nuys Blvd., Sherman Oaks), The Bigg Chill (10850 W Olympic Blvd., West Los Angeles) and The Yogurt Shoppe (11726 Barrington Ct., Brentwood & 873 N Swarthmore Ave., Pacific Palisades) are good about carrying low carb flavors. Humphrey Yogart also has multiple vegan bases for their mix-in style yogurt.
Dairy free
It’s easy to find dairy-free options. Most frozen yogurt shops offer at least one dairy-free option nowadays. If I had to choose my favorite, it would have to be something from Yoga-urt. Their hand-crafted, plant-based, organic, soy free, kosher frozen yogurt/soft serve is the best. My favorite flavor is Vanilla Harmony but there isn’t a flavor there that I don’t like. Try them all!
Nut free
For nut avoiders, I recommend going with a vegan base (soy) from Humphrey Yogart or 21 Choices (Pasadena & Claremont). Check http://www.21choices.com/ for the day’s flavors. I think they always have a dairy-free option but sometimes it has nuts. They sometimes have no sugar added flavors too. If you prefer soft serve that isn't mix-in style, Frozen Fruit Co. (729 Montana Ave., Ste 2, Santa Monica) makes their soft serve 100% from fruit.
Most frozen yogurt is gluten-free and much of it is kosher. If you have doubts, ask to see the nutritional information.
Don't forget healthy toppings: fresh fruit and nuts!
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. Lots has happened at Yoga-urt lately. They brought back sundaes for the month of December. We spotted some new picture signs outside the shop. And there’s a brand new flavor, Mint Magic.
- Mint Magic: Mint Magic is “made with our cashew/almond base, real mint leaves, spirulina, probiotics and......avocados.” I didn’t notice the avocados but the mint leaves make this flavor super fresh and very, very minty. I like mint, so I liked this flavor. It’s like a fresher version of peppermint candy canes. The texture was smooth and thick, without being icy. It was sweet but not overly so. I’m sure that it would go well with Chocolate Bliss. I loved it swirled with Vanilla Harmony.
Yoga-urt’s probiotic, dairy-free soft serve is hand-crafted, made from scratch, organic, kosher, soy free, and probably some other things that I’m forgetting. It tastes fresh, handmade, and way better than your typical soft serve/froyo. In fact, Mr. Froyo won’t eat froyo anywhere else.
Yoga-urt is open on Christmas Eve (12 PM – 6 PM) and Christmas (2 PM – 7 PM). Today is the last day to buy a gift card of $25 or more and get a free mini.
You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.
* YOGA-URT, 1407 ½ W Kenneth Rd., Glendale, CA 91201
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. Yoga-urt just came out with a new flavor, Coffee Karma made with organic Groundwork Coffee. It’s housemade, organic, vegan, dairy-free, kosher, all-natural, gluten free, soy free and has probiotics. I love coffee. I love coffee flavored frozen yogurt. Coffee Karma has a fresh brewed coffee flavor. It’s the right amount of coffee – not too intense, not too bitter. And it’s not too sweet. Thumbs up.
Recommended toppings: Housemade chocolate sauce, cacao nibs and chocolate chips. It’s currently swirling with Chocolate Bliss because coffee and chocolate were meant to be together. Chocolate brings out the coffee flavor.
You know you love me. X0 X0, fro-yo girl.
* YOGA-URT, 1407 ½ W Kenneth Rd., Glendale, CA 91201
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. Happy Froyo New Year and may your year be filled with froyo! It’s also time for new froyo flavors. I haven’t seen the press release yet but these new flavors have arrived (or are about to arrive) at participating Menchie's locations:
* Classic chocolate malt made with Whoppers: This was rich and creamy but I didn’t taste the malt much even though it’s made with Whoppers. It tastes like milk chocolate fudgsicle. Recommended toppings: Andes mints, Whoppers, Hershey’s Kisses, Magic shell, brownies
* Rich ‘n’ nutty pistachio: This lowfat flavor is made with real pistachios. I had a cup of it and it was icy and sweet, with noticeable pistachio flavor. The iciness surprised me. Recommended toppings: almonds, Magic Shell, Nilla Wafers, Crunch ‘n Munch
* Dairy-free Tahitian Vanilla made with coconut milk
Tahitian Vanilla is the first coconut milk flavor introduced by Menchie’s. My Menchie’s location didn’t have it yet, so I’ll have to try it later.
There’s a new Hershey’s Experience Sweepstakes where the winners win a family vacation to Hershey’s Chocolate World and Hersheypark attractions.
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.
