Trying the Viral Japanese Cheesecake Trend

 

Fro-yo girl here. I must have seen the viral cheesecake recipe a few dozen times one week on Instagram. It seems so easy, and yogurt is the main ingredient, so I decided to try it. The basic recipe is yogurt that you put crunchy cookies in and let soften for a few hours. It’s supposed to be like cheesecake.

I went with Siggi’s Icelandic Style Whole Milk Yogurt - Lemon, which is thick and rich. And I added Trader Joe’s Speculoos cookies. I love both.

After letting the cookies sit in the yogurt overnight, I tried the combination. It was good, like a cookie dip, but not as sweet.

It comes down to whether you like your Speculoos cookies crunchy or soft. I like them crunchy. I’d rather have the yogurt with crunchy Speculoos cookies on top.

I tried the method again, using crunchy granola this time. I liked the softened granola better than the softened cookies. But do I prefer the softened granola to the crunchy granola? I do not.

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.

History of Yogurtland in Irvine

first Yogurtland in Irvine

Fro-yo girl here. With Yogurtland turning 20 this year, I was inspired to look at the history of Yogurtland in Irvine. While the first Yogurtland opened in 2006 in Fullerton, CA, Irvine became Yogurtland’s stronghold. It’s been the home of Yogurtland's HQ since 2012.

Currently, there are four Yogurtland branches in Irvine. Three branches have closed. At its peak, Yogurtland had six branches in Irvine.

Irvine's population is estimated to be around 320,000, so it's large enough to support multiple Yogurtland branches.

Yogurtland Branches in Irvine

Yogurtland, 14775 Jeffrey Rd., Ste. J, Irvine, CA 92618

• Opened 2007
• Closed 2022

This was the first Yogurtland in Irvine. It opened in 2007, the year after Yogurtland was founded. I visited several times, because it was also a test location. They tested breakfast items and fancy cones here. They had 16 self-serve flavors a day.

Yogurtland, 4970 Irvine Blvd #110, Irvine, CA 92620

The Yogurtland on Irvine Blvd is known as Northwood since it is in the Northwood Town Center. This branch offered 16 self-serve flavors a day. The location closed because the landlord did not want to renew the lease.

• Opened 2008
• Closed March 2023

Yogurtland, 4187 Campus Dr #M-172, Irvine, CA 92612

This Yogurtland location at University Center opened in 2008 across the street from UCI. It’s a smaller location with just 10 self-serve froyo flavors a day and toppings.

• Opened 2008
• Still open

Yogurtland - Jamboree Road (Market Place): 13260 Jamboree Rd, Irvine, CA 92602

Known as The Market Place, this Yogurtland branch on Jamboree Rd. It features 16 self-serve flavors a day and was also remodeled (the faux wood replaced the square green tiles). I still have to visit this location.

• Opened in 2009
• Still open

Yogurtland, 2738 Alton Pkwy Ste 113, Irvine, CA 92614

Yogurtland on Alton holds the distinction of being the shortest-lived Yogurtland in Irvine. I did not visit it.

• Opened 2010
• Closed in 2014

Yogurtland, 733 Spectrum Center Dr, Irvine, CA 92618

Yogurtland opened at the Irvine Spectrum, an outdoor shopping mall, in 2015. The location is narrow, but they did squeeze in 8 machines (16 self-serve flavors a day) and the usual Yogurtland toppings. There is no indoor seating, but they have a few small tables outside.

• Opened in 2015
• Still open

Yogurtland, 4616 Barranca Pkwy, Irvine, CA 92604

This is the newest Yogurtland location in Irvine; it opened in 2018 at Woodbridge Village Center. There are 16 self-serve flavors a day.

• Open 2018
• Still open

I’ve visited five Yogurtland branches in Irvine, as well as the headquarters.

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.

New Yogurtland Valentine Stickers

 

Fro-yo girl here. Yogurtland has new Valentine’s sticker sheets. Each sheet features ten stickers, including a cup of Yogurtland froyo, a Yogurtland spoon, a teddy bear, gummy bear, and more. So sweet. The stickers are complimentary.

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.

National Froyo Day 2026 Recap

 

Fro-yo girl here. Happy National Frozen Yogurt Day! I went to the two places with the best NFYD deals, Menchie’s and Yogurtland. Both shops were extremely busy (the line was out the door). Both had NFYD signs.

Menchie’s had a BOGO free deal today, with double points when you scan your app from Feb. 7 – 13. I went to the Menchie’s in Eagle Rock. The froyo was so icy that I had to throw it away. I should have gone to Menchie’s in Burbank or Valley Village.

Yogurtland had the buy one froyo, get one free offer AND double points for Real Rewards members. I went to the one in Eagle Rock. The Super Tart flavor is so good. I also picked up some Valentine’s sticker sheets.

Pinkberry didn’t have an NFYD offer this year.

I’m glad that most shops now celebrate NFYD and IFYD on February 6. It took a few years for this to happen.

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.

Salt & Straw Introduces Chocolate Toasted Buttermilk Torte Froyo

 

Fro-yo girl here. Salt & Straw just introduced another frozen yogurt! That’s two consecutive months – something that’s never happened before. The froyo, Chocolate Toasted Buttermilk Torte, is part of The Chocolatiers Series. Salt & Straw describes it as: “For Sebastian Cisneros of Portland’s Cloudforest, chocolate is personal—his single-origin cacao (sourced from his native Ecuador) often marries ingredients sourced from his home in the Pacific Northwest. Inspired by Cloudforest's Nest bar, this scoop blends our one-of-a-kind honey milk chocolate frozen yogurt—sweetened with local Oregon honey—with ribbons of caramelized, toasted-buttermilk fudge. Spiced graham cracker crumbles add a cozy, malty swirl, while hunks of dense, ganache-y chocolate cake make it a decadent celebration that’s definitely worth writing home about.”

Chocolate Toasted Buttermilk Torte: it’s very sweet and intensely chocolatey. There’s a lot going on, including pieces of chocolate cake, spices and spices. It was rich, creamy, and thick. Did it taste like frozen yogurt? No. But it was interesting in a good way. I wish it had some tang.

Also, Salt & Straw’s Black Forest Cake is made with coconut cream frozen yogurt. I wish I could buy a slice rather than the whole cake.

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.

February at Menchie’s: A New Flavor, A Returning Flavor & NFYD

 

Fro-yo girl here. This month, Menchie’s is featuring a new flavor, Classic Blueberry Muffin froyo, and a returning favorite, Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Kisses froyo, made with Hershey’s milk chocolate.

Classic Blueberry Muffin froyo: According to Menchie’s, “muffin compares to our new flavor, Classic Blueberry Muffin! This froyo is made with no artificial flavors, no artificial colors, and no high fructose corn syrup.” It’s made with cake mix but the blueberry flavor is stronger than the cake flavor. The color is a striking blue. My sample was icy and also seemed overly sweet. I could taste a hint of the cake. Recommended toppings: graham crackers, blueberries, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

In case you needed a reminder, February 6 is National Frozen Yogurt Day. Menchie’s will offer a buy one, get one free on froyo on February 6 and double points when you scan your Menchie’s app in-store from February 7 – 13.

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.

Amazon to Close All Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh Locations

Fro-yo girl here. Amazon recently announced plans to shutter all Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go locations. Amazon Go was Amazon’s version of a convenience store. The suburban Amazon Go locations offered self-serve froyo and toppings with flat rate pricing of $4.99. Initially, Pinkberry was served, but later they switched to non-Pinkberry froyo.

The Amazon Go in Whittier, CA, was the first Amazon Go to open in Southern California back in 2022. Later, Amazon opened additional SoCal Amazon Go locations in Woodland Hills and Torrance. The Whittier location was the only one still open in 2026.

I liked Amazon Go because you could get hot, even freshly made food that was affordable and better than 7-Eleven and other convenience stores.

There were 14 Amazon Go locations listed on the Amazon website in late January 2026. I looked into which Amazon Go locations still had froyo in 2026. Five of the 14 offered self-serve froyo.

Locations of Amazon Go with Froyo

• Amazon Go #ILS1, 14249 Whittier Blvd, Whittier, CA 90605 - opened in 2022
• Amazon Go #IBF2, 10819 4th St. NE, Bellevue, WA 98004 - opened in 2024
• Amazon Go #ILS4, 13209 39th Ave SE, Mill Creek, WA 98012 - opened in 2022
• Amazon Go #IWA3, 17710 Canyon Road E, Puyallup, WA 98375 - opened in 2023
• Amazon Go #IWA2, 15518 Meridian Ave, Puyallup, WA 98375 - opened in 2023

Locations of Amazon Go without Froyo

• Amazon Go #ICH2, 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza, Chicago, IL 60654
• Amazon Go #ICH3, 500 West Madison Street, Chicago, IL 60661
• Amazon Go #ICH6, 130 E Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60601
• Amazon Go #INY1, 200 Vesey St, New York, NY 10281
• Amazon Go #INY4, 150 E 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022
• Amazon Go #ISE9, 1122 Madison St, Seattle, WA 98104
• Amazon Go #ISE6, 300 Boren Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109
• Amazon Go #ISE1, 2131 7th Ave, Seattle, WA 98121
• Amazon Go #IBF3, 1906 Terry Ave, Seattle, WA 98101

Amazon Go in Woodland Hills, CA, had froyo, but the one in Torrance did not. 

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.