New Triple Feature Flavors at Pinkberry

Fro-yo girl here. Opening weekend is here and Pinkberry has critics raving with the Triple feature of limited time only froyo flavors: Chocolate Hazelnut, Strawberry Vanilla and Lemon Lime. Chocolate Hazelnut is a returning favorite. The other two flavors are brand new.

Lemon Lime Pinkberry is “a tart and refreshing citrus combo made with real lime puree.” I was a fan of Key Lime Pinkberry from 2013: http://froyogirl.blogspot.com/2013/03/new-flavor-alert-key-lime-pinkberry.html and this new flavor is similar but even better. The lemon gives it more of a tart punchy flavor but it’s not harsh because it’s sweetened and the yogurt makes it milky and mild. Think of lemon-lime curd plus yogurt. Yum.

Recommended toppings: Raspberries, shortbread cookies, yogurt chips

Strawberry Vanilla Pinkberry is “a tart flavor of fresh strawberry that ends with a creamy note of Madagascar vanilla.” The flavor is noticeably sweeter than Lemon Lime and other tart Pinkberry flavors. It reminded me of a yogurt you’d get at your supermarket (the refrigerated kind) only better because it’s lighter and more refreshing. Plus it’s frozen! You can see the vanilla bean specks.

Recommended toppings: Strawberry popping clusters, strawberries, raspberries, cheesecake

I spotted two new toppings: Caramel popcorn and Shortbread cookies. The shortbread cookies are thick, sweet and buttery – definitely get them.

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.

Cupcake Dividers Look Like Froyo Cup Dividers & Where to Find Froyo Cup Dividers in the SGV

Fro-yo girl here. Spotted at Cost Plus: “Cupcake Dividers” from Sweet Creations – these cupcake dividers “allow you to fill your cupcake pan with one batter flavor on one side and another on the other with no mess.” They’re pretty cute because they look like cupcakes and they come in different colors ($1.99 each at Cost Plus).

You slip the mold in the center of the cupcake pan and take the mold out before baking. The dividers are made out of plastic. Maybe I’ll get one and use it as a reusable froyo cup divider…only it’s smaller than most of the froyo cups so they won’t fit the cup snugly.

Speaking of froyo cup dividers, they finally made it to the Pasadena area some time late last year. Yogurtland in Old Town Pasadena has cookie dividers and Menchie’s in South Pasadena has waffle dividers. Yogurtland's San Gabriel (927 E Las Tunas Dr.) location has cookie dividers.

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.

Stonyfield Oh My Yog! Tri-Layer Organic Yogurt Review

Fro-yo girl here. Stonyfield launched the Oh My Yog! Yogurt line late last month. Oh My Yog! features a unique tri-layer format: cream on top, creamy yogurt with a touch of honey in the middle and fruit on the bottom. It’s made with organic ingredients, including organic whole milk.

A six ounce cup retails for $1.59 (I found it at Whole Foods for $1.79). The Orange Cranberry flavor is 190 calories with 5 grams of fat.

Available flavors: Madagascar Vanilla Bean, Wild Quebec Blueberry, Pacific Coast Strawberry, Gingered Pear, Apple Cinnamon, and Orange Cranberry.

* Orange Cranberry: I peeled the lid off and stuck my spoon in it. Each layer is so different that I felt like stirring them together. The top layer of cream made the stirred yogurt clumpy but it wasn’t unpleasant to consume lumpy yogurt. I found some tiny orange bits. The orange flavor is very prominent while the cranberry flavor is subtle. The yogurt is very sweet (it’s sweetened with sugar and honey) and felt indulgent. I missed the yogurt tang. I could see eating this yogurt as a dessert or snack (rather than for breakfast).

* Madagascar Vanilla Bean: I tried eating it without stirring it...it definitely needs to be stirred well. The clumpy cream is tasty and the vanilla flavor is strong. This flavor was better than the Orange Cranberry but I found it too sweet.

Ingredients (Orange Cranberry): Cultured pasteurized organic milk, organic sugar, organic honey, organic orange juice, organic cranberries, organic orange peel, natural flavor, pectin, organic carob bean gum, contains live active cultures

Want to try Oh My Yog!? Use Stonyfield’s store locator: http://www.stonyfield.com/products/oh-my-yog

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.

Menchie’s New Froyo Flavors for March: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Slam Dunk and Cookie Butter

Fro-yo girl here. I love the beginning of every month because I can look forward to new froyo flavors. Menchie’s has two new limited time froyo flavors for March: Reese’s® Peanut Butter Cup Slam Dunk and Rich ‘n’ Smooth Cookie Butter.

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Slam Dunk froyo is made with Reese’s peanut butter cups, yet it doesn’t taste like Reese’s peanut butter cups. It tastes like chocolate with a hint of peanut butter. Reese’s PB cups have a stronger peanut butter flavor.

Recommended toppings: Reese’s peanut butter sauce, Reese’s peanut butter chips, Reese’s pb cups, peanuts, Butterfingers – to up the peanut flavor

Rich ‘n’ Smooth Cookie Butter froyo is made with real Speculoos cookie spread, nutmeg and cinnamon. I didn’t see any cookie bits. The froyo seemed thicker and richer than usual with cookie spread and spices. The spices aren’t that strong.

Recommended toppings: Cinnamon Toast Crunch, almonds, Heath bars, white chocolate chips

The Menchie’s that I went to didn’t have the special chocolate-dipped waffle bowl topped with Reese’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.

Muller Ice Cream Flavored Yogurt Review

Fro-yo girl here. Muller Ice Cream Inspired Yogurt just went national last month. The new yogurt line features “rich, creamy whole milk yogurt inspired by your favorite ice cream flavors!” Each cup of yogurt is 5.3 oz with 170-210 calories and 8-9 grams of fat depending on the flavor. The yogurt has live and active cultures. The suggested retail price is 99 cents. I found two flavors at Von's.

Flavors: Raspberry Chocolate Chip (raspberry yogurt with chocolate shavings), Mint Chocolate Chip (mint yogurt with chocolate shavings), Vanilla Bean, Strawberries & Cream

* Vanilla bean: The texture was thick, creamy and sweet but more mousse like/lighter than Greek yogurt. It was sweet but not overwhelmingly sweet and I liked how it still had some tangy yogurt flavor. The vanilla bean specks were visible. (4.5 out of 5 stars)

* Strawberries & cream: The texture was thick, and creamy with a few tiny chunks of strawberry. The flavor was sweet with yogurt tang and a mild strawberries and cream flavor (4 out of 5 stars)

I was pleasantly surprised by Muller Ice Cream Inspired Yogurt. It’s rich and indulgent but still tastes like yogurt. I could easily see having one for dessert. I liked Vanilla Bean better than Strawberries & Cream.

Ingredients (strawberry): Cultured pasteurized grade A milk and cream, sugar, strawberries, water, milk protein concentrate, corn starch, kosher gelatin, natural flavor, pectin, citric acid, locust bean gum, guar gum, radish-apple-blackcurrant juice concentrate for color

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.

Chobani Limited Batch Concord Grape and Green Tea Greek Yogurt, Chobani Greek Yogurt Oats Review

Fro-yo girl here. I like the idea of seasonal Greek yogurt flavors. Last fall Chobani introduced two seasonal limited batch Greek yogurt flavors, Apple Cinnamon and Pumpkin Spice. Last month they introduced their latest limited batch flavors, Concord Grape and Green Tea.

Limited batch flavors are available while supplies last for a limited time only. They’re creative, unexpected flavors for adult palates. The product is a blended, 2% milkfat Greek yogurt that’s all natural with live and active cultures.

* Green Tea (4 out of 5 stars): This was my favorite limited batch flavor. The texture was thick, smooth and creamy. The flavor was tangy and not too sweet with a hint of green tea flavor.

* Concord Grape (3 out of 5 stars): Smooth, thick and creamy without any grape bits (it’s flavored with grape puree and grape juice concentrate), it had the distinctive Concord grape flavor…which I’m not sure that I like that much. 

I found Chobani Limited Batch Greek Yogurt at Target. One 5.3 oz cup is $1.14.

While I was at Target I decided to try Chobani Greek Yogurt Oats too. It was on sale for $1 a cup. One serving is also 5.3 oz. The yogurt is made with 1.5% milkfat milk and is 170 calories per serving. I tried the cranberry flavor. The oats are soft and chewy and they make it a more filling snack. It also had bits of cranberry. The yogurt was creamy and tangy but sweeter than I expected. The chewiness was okay but I would have preferred a crunchy topping. 3 out of 5 stars.

Chobani is coming out with interesting new products that are worth trying.

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.

Yogurtland's Flavor Quest is Back with More Flavors Inspired by the World

Fro-yo girl here. Get your froyo spoons ready for Yogurtland’s Third Annual Flavor Quest, which starts today. The Flavor Quest will bring 10 new flavors from 10 countries from March 2 to May 10. The Quest kicked off with four new flavors:

* Banana Pudding (US): I hate bananas but this flavor was pleasant for a banana flavor because of the addition of the vanilla notes that muted the banana

* Churro (Mexico): Sweet, creamy burst of cinnamon

* Cinnamon Coconut (Thailand): An unusual combination that works – it tastes more like coconut than cinnamon, the balance of cinnamon and coconut with the creamy yogurt works well

* Alphonso Mango Tart (India): Sweet like the mango fruit with a mild tartness

Real Reward members, each visit gets you closer to free froyo. Collect a sweet spot icon for every visit (max one icon per day) and earn 5 free ounces with 5 visits and 10 free ounces with 10 visits.

I didn’t spot any new toppings but heard that macarons would be offered with the froyo flavor inspired by France (starting March 30).

Also, the spoons are new – they have Yogurtland facts on the back now. For full Flavor Quest details, read the official press release below.

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

Yogurtland’s Third Annual Flavor Quest Brings Culinary Highlights of the World to the Land of Frozen Yogurt

– Yogurtland Introduces First Cultured Gelato –

(IRVINE, CA) March 2, 2015 — Yogurtland’s big international flavor mixer, serving up sensational new flavors inspired by destinations from all around the world, arrives once again when Yogurtland’s third annual Flavor Quest begins March 2.

From March 2 to May 10, Yogurtland locations will take its valued frozen yogurt lovers on a global experience like no other. This culinary journey will introduce 10 completely new flavors, in honor of 10 countries around the world, adding them to its already impressive list of delicious tarts and tongue-tantalizing blends of frozen yogurt. One of these flavors, Peanut Nougat with Almond Butter and Honey, is the company’s first cultured gelato offering. This rich and delicious cultured gelato flavor is made with whole milk for a creamier, more indulgent taste.

And if that’s not enough, Yogurtland’s Real Rewards members will have the opportunity to enjoy their smooth treats for free.

Yogurtland’s Real Rewards members land first class every time they visit one of the deliciously vibrant locations. With each visit using the Real Rewards mobile app or by swiping their rewards card, members earn one Sweet Spot icon per visit. When five Sweet Spots are accumulated, five free ounces of yogurt are automatically rewarded. For intense cravings, ten Sweet Spots supplies 10 ounces of deliciousness.

Each must-try flavor will only be available for two to four weeks at a time before making way for the next honorary flavor. With all flavors mastered and finely tuned by Yogurtland’s very own chief flavorologist, Scott Shoemaker, the flavors being introduced into the spotlight for the first time ever are:

• Churro – Churros, one of Mexican culture’s most iconic cinnamon infused, sugar coated hot pastries has finally found it’s way into yogurt form, and it’s about time.
• Alphonso Mango Tart – Inspired by the lovely culture of India, this tropical-style tart is sure to transform any average dessertist into a bragging frozen yogurt nut.
• Cinnamon Coconut – Playing tribute to the magnificence of Thailand, this perfectly spiced coconut recipe humbles any and all toppings.
• Banana Pudding – Comfort food is an essential part of American culture, and this smooth and tasty recipe will play as a reminder of all things red, white and blue.
• Peanut Nougat with Almond Butter and Honey Gelato – This flavor completes the creamy treat tripod with its Danish-inspired gelato packed with flavors that will have you calling this your new favorite.
• Pineapple Sorbet – Inspired by the tropics of Brazil, this sorbet presents pineapple in all its sweet pucker-punching delight and puts it right into a cup.
• Salted Dark Chocolate – In honor of the one of the finest culinary locations on the planet, France, Yogurtland’s flavorologists balanced perfect salt tones to complement the sweet melodies of dark cocoa.
• Pom Berry Lemon Tart – What better way of admiring Egypt than flattering yogurt by incorporating the savory fruits that grow in this beautiful country.
• Espresso Float – When one thinks of exquisite coffee, the bold, crafty and profound coffee of Italy comes to mind. This robust flavor is the center of this No Sugar Added (NSA) flavor.
• Blood Orange Ice – In Spain, respect is found in honesty, and honestly this citrusy flavored frozen yogurt is flat out amazing.

Yogurtland’s continual search to find the world’s best flavors and honest ingredients has taken the company’s team of flavorologists to the far corners of the world. The search is the travel and taste adventure that inspires Flavor Quest and the growing selection of Yogurtland’s proprietary recipes for the company’s more than 100 different and customized flavors. Whether traditional or exotic, each flavor uses real ingredients sourced from their original locations. By controlling the entire frozen yogurt making process, Yogurtland has raised the standards for flavors and quality to new heights and much to the delight of millions of fans.

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.