Mother Culture Greek Yogurt Review

Fro-yo girl here. One of the joys of traveling is finding local products like Mother Culture. I spotted Mother Culture Greek yogurt at Whole Foods in Austin, Texas. The 8 oz tubs were $6.49 each. Mother Culture is based in San Antonio and available at retailers across Texas and farmers' markets.

The process starts with certified Grade A raw milk sourced from a dairy farm in Moulton, Texas. The cows are grass-fed. The yogurt is made by hand using traditional methods. A slow, low-heat pasteurization technique is used to help the probiotics thrive. Greek yogurt is strained.

Luscious Lemon Greek yogurt: Indulgent, tastes like cream and yogurt. The texture was creamy, thick, and rich. It was lightly sweetened with honey. The texture is a bit thicker than whipped cream. The lemon extract is blended in. It's not that sweet and has some sourness, but it’s more like rich cream that tastes like yogurt. I wish it weren't quite so rich but it's good and pure.

Serving size: ½ a cup, 188 calories, total fat 11g, total carbs 14g, sugar 12g, protein 9g

Ingredients: milk, honey, lemon extract, cultures

Available flavors: Plain, Honey Vanilla, Luscious Lemon, Maple Pecan. I saw Pumpkin Pie on the Mother Culture website but not at Whole Foods

4.5 out of 5 stars.

* WHOLE FOODS: 901 E 5th St, Ste 100, Austin, TX 78702

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.

La Fermiere’s Hard to Find Flavors

 

Fro-yo girl here. I always check out the yogurt aisle when I go grocery shopping and for some reason, it seems impossible to find all of La Fermiere’s flavors. Matcha Lime and Hibiscus Raspberry have proven particularly elusive, but I did find both at the La Fermiere pop-up in Los Angeles.

La Fermiere is a French style yogurt made with whole milk, cream, and live and active cultures. It’s pot set and so it is firm and creamy, like custard. The yogurt is gluten-free, rbGH free, and contains no artificial flavors or colors.

Matcha Lime, blended: The yogurt is sweet and tangy with a creamy, smooth texture. The matcha flavor was clearly present but not very strong. The lime flavor was also not strong. I’m on the fence on how well the two flavors pair together and complement the taste of yogurt. They’d probably be better separate – i.e., matcha yogurt and lime yogurt. A serving is 180 calories, 11g total fat, 16g total carbs, 15g total sugars, 4g protein.

Hibiscus Raspberry, fruit on the bottom: I liked this one better because the raspberry puree had so much tangy flavor and the hibiscus made it slightly different (more floral). It was tangier. One serving was 210 calories, 11g total fat, 24g total carbs, 21g total sugars, and 4g protein.

I have a hard time throwing away the La Fermiere pots. So cute. Use the La Fermiere product locator to find the stockists near you.

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.

Kourellas Traditional Greek Yogurt Review

 

Fro-yo girl here. I’m not sure what’s going on with Kourellas US. Their website isn’t fully functional. I found their yogurt at the Grocery Outlet for $0.50 per container. One container is 4.2 oz. There were three flavors available: blood orange, cherry, and coffee.

The Kourellas own a dairy farm in Greece, the first organic dairy in Greece. I believe the Greek yogurt I found was made with New York dairy and primarily carried on the East Coast. Other than the Grocery Outlet sighting, I haven’t seen Kourellas yogurt in other stores (in the Los Angeles area).

Kourellas Greek yogurt is made with whole milk, cream, sugar, etc. It contains no stabilizers, preservatives, starch, added flavors, pectin, colorings, GMOs, or gluten. The yogurt is strained in the traditional Greek way.

Cherry yogurt: This is a blended yogurt. The texture was creamy and smooth. It did have a strong cherry flavor with a sour aftertaste. I like sour yogurt, so I found it pleasant and natural tasting. One serving is 170 calories, 10g total fat, 9g total carbs, 8g total sugars, and 7g protein.

Blood orange yogurt: Creamy with a strong taste of blood orange, sour aftertaste

Kourellas Greek yogurt isn’t as sweet as other Greek yogurt brands and it does taste like real yogurt and real fruit. I liked it a lot! Most yogurt on the US market is too sweet.

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.

2023 Pumpkin Yogurt Rankings

Fro-yo girl here. I’ve tasted and reviewed many pumpkin froyo brands, but this is my first pumpkin yogurt (non-frozen) taste-off. I started by buying the pumpkin flavors of yogurt brands that I like.

All of the yogurts that I selected contained real pumpkin with spices and they were all thick and creamy, though La Fermiere wasn't as thick since it isn't a Greek yogurt. But there were definite differences in the amount of pumpkin flavor, the amount of spices, and the pleasantness of the spice blends. Also, some yogurts had ingredients that weren't present in the other brands.

And the winner was...Ellenos Pumpkin Pie. This yogurt tasted a lot like a good pumpkin pie, and that was before I added the separate container of crunchy cookie crumble. Culina's pumpkin spice yogurt was the spiciest but it didn't taste like pumpkin pie. I would buy all of them again, except for the Trader Joe's pumpkin yogurt. 

Here's a bit more about each yogurt, in order of their taste ranking. 

#1) Ellenos Pumpkin Pie is a non-blended Greek yogurt made with whole milk. It comes with a separate compartment that contains a crunchy cookie crumble. Ellenos captured the true flavor of pumpkin pie, balancing spices, pumpkin, and tangy yogurt flavors. The cookie crumble tastes like buttery graham crackers. So good! One 7 oz serving is 330 calories; 13g total fat; 31g total sugars; 15g protein.

#2) La Fermiere Pumpkin Spice is a French style whole milk yogurt in a glass jar. The pumpkin puree is on the bottom. The pumpkin puree was too sweet but I did like the flavor of the puree, spices, and tangy yogurt. One 5.6 oz serving is 210 calories; 11g total fat; 22g total sugars; 4g protein.

#3) Culina Pumpkin Spice is a dairy-free coconut based blended Greek style yogurt. The strong nutmeg flavor with a hint of coconut was unique and different than the other yogurts. One 5 oz serving is 240 calories; 17g total fat; 11g total sugars; 2g protein.

#4) Noosa Pumpkin is an Australian style non-blended whole milk yogurt. It had a few ingredients not found in the other brands: honey and cream cheese and honey. It didn't have much spice and had a caramel-like flavor. One 8 oz serving is 280 calories; 12g total fat; 30g total sugars; 11g protein.

#5) Trader Joe's Pumpkin is a Greek nonfat yogurt. It had the least pumpkin flavor and reminded me of apple cider. One 5.3 oz serving is 130 calories; 0g total fat; 17 total sugars; 12g protein.

I did look for Chobani pumpkin yogurt but I only saw Chobani Zero Sugar pumpkin spice. I found all but Trader Joe's yogurt at Whole Foods. I was surprised that Whole Foods didn't have Siggi's Pumpkin & Spice skyr. I still hope to find it. It has less sugar than all the brands that I reviewed. 

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 Cheesecake Review

 

Fro-yo girl here. I’m not a huge fan of classic cheesecake (I do like Japanese cheesecake, the fluffy kind), so I wasn’t in a hurry to try Enlightened’s Greek Yogurt Cheesecake. They launched Greek yogurt cheesecake a year ago (April 2022) in two flavors: classic and chocolate. The product is described as “New York-style Greek yogurt cheesecake with a graham cracker crust and a dollop of whipped cream on top.” It has up to 50 percent less sugar compared to the same size serving of regular cheesecake. The main ingredient is Greek yogurt.

One box contains two individually packaged frozen mini cheesecakes with a suggested retail price of $5.99. Each cheesecake comes in a lidded cup. I found the cheesecakes at Grocery Outlet for $2.49. You’re supposed to either microwave the cheesecake, thaw it at room temperature or thaw in the refrigerator. I left the cheesecakes in the fridge for over the recommended 45 – 60 minutes (didn’t read the instructions carefully), so that may have affected the flavor and texture.

Classic cheesecake: It was smooth and creamy but didn’t taste like cream cheese or yogurt. I thought it tasted like plastic. Maybe the plastic of the cup it was in? The whipped cream was chewy and also tasted like plastic. The crust was soft but had a little more flavor. I could taste cinnamon and molasses.

One cheesecake is 190 calories with 11g of total fat, 19g total carbs, 8g total sugars, and 6g protein.

I had to throw the cheesecakes out. I do appreciate the lower sugar aspect but the cheesecakes taste like plastic.

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.

Häagen-Dazs Cultured Crème Review

 

Fro-yo girl here. General Mills recently launched a new line of snacks, Häagen-Dazs Cultured Crème. This is the first non-frozen product from Häagen-Dazs. 

I found Cultured Crème at Target in the yogurt section for $1.99 each. One cup is 4 oz, smaller than the typical container of yogurt, which is 5.3 oz.

Cultured Crème is a dairy snack that is fermented and cultured. According to General Mills, the process for Cultured Crème takes "up to five times longer than traditional yogurt.” It’s less tangy than yogurt with a smoother, creamier, thicker texture. The product was inspired by the taste and texture of ice cream. Cultured Crème is made with fresh milk, cream, and real fruit. It’s made with no artificial colors and no artificial flavors.

Available flavors: Vanilla Bean, Coffee, Strawberry, Black Cherry, Lemon, Blueberry

Vanilla Bean: The crème had a thick, smooth, and creamy texture with visible vanilla bean specks. The flavor was very sweet (too sweet for me) and seemed like something I’d have for dessert rather than breakfast. The tang was mild. One serving is 190 calories, 11g total fat, 20g carbs, 17g total sugars, and 4g protein. Ingredients: cultured pasteurized milk, cultured pasteurized cream, cane sugar, corn starch, natural flavor, pectin, vanilla bean pieces.

Strawberry: I liked it slightly better than Vanilla Bean because it was a bit more tangy and not quite so sweet. I could see strawberry pieces.

Tip: Cultured Crème tastes better frozen! It tastes like a froyo ice cream hybrid. It’s perfect for making froyo bark and froyo clusters. When I made froyo bark with regular yogurt, it was icier than the bark I made with Cultured Crème.

Cultured Crème is too sweet for snacking but perfect for frozen desserts and snacks.

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.

Meltémi Premium Greek Yogurt Review

Fro-yo girl here. Meltémi is a new Greek yogurt brand that launched last year. They make their Greek yogurt in the US with yogurt cultures from Greece and simple, all natural, non-GMO ingredients. The yogurt is gluten-free, probiotic, and high protein.

The company describes their mission as follows: “We made Meltémi because we believe authentic Greek yogurt tastes better and is better for you. We made it to share that wonderful experience we had growing up with all of you. We want you to fall in love with Greek yogurt like we did. Meltémi is the yogurt we make for our families. We hope you will enjoy it with yours.” The company is women-owned.

I don’t think Meltémi has a distributor in Southern California yet, but I found their yogurt at Grocery Outlet in South Pasadena. There was no shelf tag but I think it was $0.69 cents for a 5.3 oz cup. At Giant, one cup is $1.49. They have a traditional line and a lower sugar line. Grocery Outlet had both lines.

Traditional Blueberry Fruit on the Bottom: The texture was thick and creamy, like Greek yogurt usually is. There were whole blueberries and a blueberry sauce. The yogurt wasn’t too sweet – it had some tang and some sweetness. There was a pasty quality that coated my tongue that I didn’t love. Other than being a little less sweet and pastier, the yogurt did not stand out. One serving is 5.3 oz, 120 calories, 0g total fat, 14g total carbs, 12g total sugars, and 12g protein. 3 out of 5 stars.

Lower sugar strawberry: The texture was thick and creamy but the Stevia made it taste far too sweet but in a fake way. Yes, Stevia is a natural plant, but I don’t like how sweet it is. The strawberries were blended in and there wasn’t much strawberry favor. I could not finish one serving. One serving (150g) is 100 calories, 0g total fat, 7g total carbs, 4g total sugars, and 13g protein. 2 out of 5 stars.

Traditional line flavors: Blueberry, Cranberry Blueberry Raspberry, Orange Mango, Peach, Strawberry, Vanilla

Lower sugar flavors: Plain, Strawberry, Blueberry

I’ve had better Greek yogurt and I’m disappointed that Meltémi chose to use locust bean gum and corn starch as thickening agents. I hope they don’t use Stevia to sweeten yogurt in Greece.

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.

Dah! Organic India Style Almond Yogurt Review

Fro-yo girl here. Now you can get plant-based India-style yogurt thanks to the new Dah! line from DAHLicious. Dah! almond yogurt is dairy-free, organic, kosher, gluten-free and has 15 billion live probiotics. The yogurt is slow-cultured at a lower temperature, leading to a rich and creamy texture. There’s a full serving of almonds in every cup. They use organic whole fruits to flavor the yogurt.

I found Dah! at Bristol Farms in South Pasadena, CA. The yogurt was on sale, 3 for $5. The regular price is $2.29. Each cup is 5.3 oz. The products were introduced at Natural Products Expo West last year.

Available flavors: Plain, Alphonso Mango, Wild Blueberry, Field Strawberry, Madagascar Vanilla

Field Strawberry almond yogurt: The yogurt was thick, rich, and creamy. It tasted like almonds with a mild strawberry flavor. I liked the tanginess and texture. It wasn’t too sweet. It was comparable to dairy yogurt. Mr. Froyo liked it too. One serving is 190 calories, 14g total fat, 3g fiber, 8g sugars, and 6g protein. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Ingredients: Organic almond milk (filtered water, organic almonds), organic strawberries, organic cane sugar, organic starch, organic locust bean gum, organic strawberry flavor, organic fruit and vegetable juice for color, organic lemon juice concentrate, live and active cultures.

Madagascar vanilla: I didn’t like this flavor as much – tanginess, almond, and vanilla might not be as complementary as tanginess, almond, and fruit. It tasted chalkier. I didn’t have any problems finishing it off but I didn’t love it. The sweet chalkiness lingered on my palate. One serving is 180 calories, 14g total fat, 3g fiber, 8g sugars, and 6g protein. 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.

Culina Yogurt Review

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.

Plant-Based Coconut Blend Non-Dairy Siggi’s Review

Fro-yo girl here. I’ve been a long time fan of Siggi’s and I was curious about their new plant-based yogurt made with coconut, pea protein and macadamia nuts. I looked for it at Target and Sprouts – no luck. But Whole Foods had three of the four non-dairy Siggi’s flavors. One cup is 5.3 oz and $1.99 at Whole Foods.

The idea of plant-based yogurt by Siggi’s seemed odd to me, but they’ve been expanding the product line so that they offer more than skyr. The products are connected by offering more protein and less sugar than leading alternatives. They say that “Siggi’s plant-based coconut blend has 3x more protein & 40% less sugar than leading yogurt alternatives.”

* Vanilla & Cinnamon: The texture is thinner than skyr and more like regular yogurt. The flavor was definitely sour and though I could see vanilla bean specks, the vanilla flavor was hard to detect. It tasted like sour cinnamon coconut with a powdery, chalky aftertaste thanks to the pea protein. It was somewhat odd. I didn’t hate it but I didn’t love it either. I think it would taste better without pea protein. One serving is 190 calories, 11g fat, 13g carbs, 9g sugars and 10g protein.

* Raspberry: It was very flavorful. I tasted the sour raspberry first and then the chalky pea protein. The flavor is a bit odd but I did like the raspberry flavor and the bits of raspberry. I can’t get over the chalky protein flavor though. And the brownish color wasn’t visually appealing.

Available flavors: Raspberry, Vanilla & Cinnamon, Mixed Berries, Mango

3 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.

Noosa HiLo Review

Fro-yo girl here. A few months ago, Noosa launched a new high protein, low sugar product line called HiLo. I found Noosa HiLo at Bristol Farms in South Pasadena, CA for $1.99, regular price. One cup is 5.3 oz. The flavors are blended. HiLow features 30% less sugar than Greek yogurt and 12g of protein.

Vanilla Bean: The thickness and texture reminded me of Greek yogurt. I could see lots of vanilla bean specks. While there’s less sugar, it was still plenty sweet for me. Compared to regular Noosa, HiLo was a bit thicker and not quite as flavorful. It had a different aftertaste, like cream. While it wasn’t as good as regular Noosa, I still liked it. The honey they add makes their yogurt taste different from other brands.

Strawberry: I’d say the same thing about Strawberry HiLo. It’s not as tangy and flavorful as the regular strawberry Noosa. I did like the tiny bits of strawberry. The cream aftertaste isn’t as nice as the regular Noosa aftertaste.

One serving (vanilla) is 170 calories, 7g total fat, 14g total carbs, 12g protein and 12g sugars

Ingredients: Whole milk yoghurt (Grade A pasteurized milk, live active cultures), Vanilla blend (water, cane sugar, natural flavor, pectin, locust bean gum, vanilla bean, lemon juice concentrate)

Available flavors: vanilla bean, mixed berry, blueberry, strawberry, peach and plain

The size is just right for breakfast or a snack.

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.

Noosa Blended Yoghurt Review

Fro-yo girl here. I used to prefer blended yogurt, because it saved you the extra step of having to stir your yogurt and the compote or whatever was on the bottom always seemed too sweet. My feelings changed once I started eating Noosa. I grew to appreciate the fact that it wasn’t already blended because you gently swirl the compote and have bites that tasted different.

I was surprised when Noosa recently launched a line of blended yogurt called Blended Noosa. I found Blended Noosa at Whole Foods (Glendale, CA) for $1.49 each. A cup is 4.5 oz, so it’s smaller than regular Noosa. It’s about the right size for a snack. One tub of Noosa Blended Strawberry is 150 calories with 6g fat, 19g total carbs, 18g sugars, and 6g protein.

Strawberry: Creamy, thick, tangy, super flavorful, smooth, a few tiny strawberry pieces. Just as good as the unblended. In fact, it seems the same only smaller and blended for you.

Mixed Berry: Made with blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and blackberries, the mixed berry yogrt is not as tangy or as flavorful as the strawberry, but still tasty. It has the same amount of sugar as the strawberry. In color (pale purple) and flavor, it reminded me the most of blueberry. I could see a few tiny berry bits.

Ingredients (Strawberry): Grade A Pasteurized Whole Milk, Fruit Purée (Strawberries, Water, Cane Sugar, Natural Flavors, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Pectin, Locust Bean Gum, Fruit and Vegetable Juice [for color]), Cane Sugar, Wildflower Honey, Kosher Gelatin, Pectin, Live Active Cultures.

Available flavors: Strawberry, Mixed Berry, Raspberry, Key Lime, Coffee, Vanilla Bean

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.

Dairy-Free Oui by Yoplait Coconut Yogurt Alternative Review

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.

Kite Hill Blissful Coconut Milk Yogurt Review

Fro-yo girl here. There’s been an explosion of coconut milk yogurt on supermarket shelves. Kite Hill, which started as an almond milk yogurt maker, introduced a new coconut line of plant-based yogurt called Blissful. I spotted Blissful at Whole Foods for $1.99 regular price for a 5.3 oz cup. Blissful is dairy-free with no artificial flavors or preservatives, made from live cultures, non-GMO, vegan, kosher, soy-free and gluten-free.

* Decadent vanilla bean: It was creamy, smooth and about the thickness of regular yogurt. The yogurt was sweet and not tangy. It tasted like vanilla coconut. The flavor was natural but too sweet. I think it would be great in smoothies but I wouldn’t want to eat it straight from the cup.

One serving of vanilla bean yogurt is 140 calories, 14g total sugars, 6g fat, 1g protein and 21g total carbohydrates. Ingredients (vanilla bean): Coconut cream (water, coconut), cane sugar, modified tapioca starch, tricalcium phosphate, natural flavor, pectin, locust bean gum, lemon juice concentrate, salt, vanilla bean seeds, live active cultures, vitamin D2, vitamin B12.

Available flavors: Caffe Macchiato, Blueberry Limoncello, Decadent Vanilla Bean, Strawberries and Crème, Peaches and Crème.

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.

GT’s CocoYo Review

Fro-yo girl here. I’m a fan of GT’S kombucha, so I was curious about their plant-based coconut yogurt line, CocoYo. I found CocoYo at Whole Foods, on sale for $4.99 a jar. The regular price was $5.99. The yogurt comes in clear glass jars. Each jar contains 8 oz of yogurt, larger than the average cup of yogurt. The yogurt is vegan, gluten-free, Kosher Pareve and contains billions of probiotics. The proprietary probiotic blend includes 25 billion cfu per ½ cup. There are two servings per jar. One serving contains 110 calories, 8g total fat, 6g total carbs, 1g protein, and 1g sugars.

Vanilla: The texture is different from other brands. It has tiny bits of coconut meat, so it’s not as smooth but it’s more substantial. The flavor was tangy, as you’d expect from a fermented product. The vanilla flavor was not strong. It’s unfortunate that they chose to use stevia because it has a sweet but to me, unpleasant, aftertaste. The Pure flavor doesn’t contain stevia. Anyway, I wasn’t that fond of the gritty coconut meat texture either. It does taste like yogurt but the texture and the stevia ruin it for me. Still, I appreciate the short list of ingredients and the tang.

Ingredients (Vanilla): Raw young coconut, raw young coconut water, probiotic cultures, organic vanilla extract, organic stevia.

Available flavors: Pure (plain), Raspberry, Vanilla, Cacao

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.

Harmless Harvest Coconut Yogurt Review

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.

Ripple Creamy Yogurt Alternative Review

Fro-yo girl here. I first tried Ripple’s Greek Yogurt Alternative product about 1 ½ years ago. It wasn’t a positive experience. Then the product disappeared from shelves. I guess I wasn’t the only one who didn’t like it.

Recently, I noticed the return of Ripple Yogurt, with new packaging and a new formulation. It’s no longer positioned as a Greek yogurt alternative, but instead is called a Creamy Yogurt Alternative. Of course, their yogurt features Ripple’s proprietary Ripptein pea protein. Interestingly, Ripple admits that they “messed up” their first attempt at yogurt, because of scalability issues.

I found Ripple Creamy Yogurt Alternative at Target for $2.35 each. One cup is the standard yogurt size, 5.3 oz. The product is nut free, soy free, gluten free, lactose free, and vegan.

Available flavors: Original, Blueberry, Peach, Strawberry, Vanilla

* Vanilla Yogurt: The color was light yellow-grey and I could see the tiny vanilla bean specks. It seemed to smell better than I remembered, like vanilla protein powder. The texture was smooth and creamy, but not as thick as Greek yogurt. The flavor was sweet with a little tang and a sweet aftertaste. It tasted like vanilla soy milk with protein powder. Not bad. It’s an improvement.

* Strawberry Yogurt: The greyish light pink color wasn’t appealing but the flavor was better than I expected. The texture was smooth, creamy and a bit thicker than the vanilla yogurt. There were tiny pieces of strawberry and seeds throughout. The strawberry made it a bit tangier than the vanilla yogurt and it wasn’t that sweet. It also had that soy milk meets protein powder taste. It was light on the tongue, with a clean aftertaste.

I recommend stirring the yogurt before consuming it. Doing so makes the texture smoother.

One serving is 160 calories, 6g total fat, 15g sugars, and 6g protein. It has more sugar and less protein compared to the earlier Ripple Greek Yogurt Alternative.

Ingredients (Strawberry Yogurt): Pea protein blend (water, pea protein), water, organic cane sugar, sunflower oil, strawberries, tapioca flour, contains less than 2% of strawberry puree, yeast extract, pectin, locust bean gum, beet juice concentrate for color, natural flavors, live and 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.

Trader Joe’s Organic Creamy Cashew Cultured Yogurt Alternative Review

Fro-yo girl here. I have to say that Trader Joe’s usually has good yogurt products. They seem to like yogurt quite a bit, judging from the number of yogurt products over the years. This past July they introduced Trader Joe’s Organic Creamy Cashew Cultured Yogurt Alternatives. Their cashew yogurt alternative is dairy-free, comes in 5.3 oz cups and is priced at $1.69 each. The two flavors are Vanilla Bean and Strawberry.

Vanilla Bean: The texture was thin and the flavor mild, sweet but tangy. I could taste a hint of coconut and a hint of vanilla. I could see the vanilla bean flecks. Flavor wise, it tasted like eating a yogurt and I think it would be amazing in a smoothie or other recipe that calls for yogurt.

Strawberry: While the strawberry was considerably thicker than vanilla, it had a stronger bitter aftertaste and a pasty quality. The strawberry flavor was mild. I liked the vanilla better.

Ingredients (Vanilla): Organic cashew base (filtered water, organic cashews), organic cane sugar, organic tapioca starch, organic locust bean gum, pectin, natural flavor, organic lemon juice concentrate, organic vanilla beans, organic coconut cream (organic coconut, water), live active cultures.

One serving of vanilla is 140 calories, 6g total fat, 20g total carbs, 13g total sugars and 3g protein.

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.

Lavva Plant-Based Yogurt Review

Fro-yo girl here. Lavva is another line of plant-based yogurt. It’s different from other plant-based yogurt because it’s made with Pili nuts, coconut, and plantains. Also, Lavva has prebiotics and 50 million probiotics. And it’s made with no added sugar (yay!). The fruit flavors are 100% real fruit and the ingredients are 80% organic. The yogurt has no gums or stabilizers. The Pili nuts are sustainably harvested, sprouted, organic, and fair trade certified. It sounds really good on paper.

I found Lavva at Whole Foods for $1.79 cup (regular price, $2.49). One cup is 5.3 oz.

* Vanilla: The texture was about as thick as regular, unstrained yogurt though not as smooth. It was not gelatinous. I noticed lots of vanilla bean specks. Flavor wise, it was buttery with a hint of coconut and vanilla. The flavor was sweet with a mild tang. Very nice – it tasted natural.

* Raspberry: The raspberry is blended throughout. I was surprised by how tangy this flavor was – even though it has more sugar than the vanilla, it is much tangier. I mostly tasted raspberry with a hint of coconut. The other flavors were overwhelmed by the raspberry. One serving is 140 calories, 11g fat, 9g carbs, 7g sugars, and 2g protein.

Ingredients (Raspberry): Coconut water, coconut cream, raspberry, plantains, Pili nuts, coconut powder, cassava root, lime juice, Himalayan salt, live vegan cultures.

I don’t think I’ve had Pili nuts before. They’re grown in Australia, Southeast Asia and Pacific Islands.

Available flavors: Original, Vanilla, Strawberry, Raspberry, Blueberry, Mango, Pineapple

Lavva makes the best plant-based yogurt I’ve tried so far. I tend not to like a strong coconut flavor and while I can taste coconut in Lavva, it’s not too strong. The natural sweetness and higher fat are probably why it’s so good.

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.