Healthy Homemade Cherry Frozen Yogurt

Make my famous healthy homemade Cherry Frozen Yogurt that we made at my bake shop! This homemade frozen yogurt uses real cherries for a cool summer treat that’s a little healthier than the yogurt shop!

If you’re looking for more frozen dessert recipes, check out Organic Rocky Road Ice Cream, Homemade Mint Chocolate Chip Fro Yo, or my favorite Bone Broth Chocolate Milkshake.

A Quick Look At The Recipe

• Recipe Name: Healthy Homemade Cherry Frozen Yogurt
• Ready In: 1 day 20 minutes
• Makes: 10 servings
• Main Ingredients: cane sugar, cherries, milk, plain yogurt
• Flavor Profile: sweet cherry
• Dietary Info: gluten free, eggless
• Difficulty: Easy!
• Why You’ll Love It: Homemade fro yo with no artificial colors!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• 4 Ingredients: This homemade frozen yogurt has only 4 ingredients, making it simple and easy!
• Uses Real Cherries: I make a homemade cherry syrup to flavor this organic frozen yogurt, but you can also take a shortcut and use organic cherry flavor if you prefer. I provide a simple substitution below.
• Healthy Frozen Yogurt: This homemade frozen yogurt is much healthier than hitting up the local yogurt shop. Most all fro yo shops contain artificial colors and flavors — and some even use mixes that don’t even have real milk!
• Real Milk: I use organic whole milk and yogurt. This provides the best flavor with real organic ingredients!
• Make Fro Yo Cookie Sandwiches: Make soft and chewy cookies like Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies, Eggless Chocolate Chip Sugar Cookies, Eggless Chocolate Strawberry Cookies, Eggless Double Chocolate Chip Cookies, or Lemon Blueberry Protein Cookies With Collagen.

Ingredients

• Cherries: I use organic fresh cherries for this. Frozen also works if you don’t want to pit them, this is a great way to go. But, you can take a shortcut and use an organic cherry flavor instead. I provide notes in the tips below on that. You could also use any other fruit that you like, raspberries, strawberries, peaches, blueberries, they would all work here.
• Milk: I use organic whole milk, while most fro yo places use nonfat milk (if any real milk at all)! But, low fat milks have less fat (more water) which can make frozen yogurt icy. So for the creamiest frozen yogurt, use whole milk.
• Cane Sugar: I use organic cane sugar which is less processed than granulated white sugar.
• Yogurt: I use organic plain yogurt because we are adding sugar to the milk and cherries, so we don’t need it in the yogurt too!

*For a full list of ingredients and measurements, visit the recipe card below.

Pro Tips for Healthy Homemade Cherry Frozen Yogurt

At my bakery that I ran for over a decade, we made homemade organic frozen yogurt from scratch daily. So, I've got tips to share for the best homemade cherry fro yo!

• Use whole milk and whole yogurt for the creamiest frozen yogurt. While you can use low fat options, it can become icy with lower fat options.
• You can use Greek yogurt for added protein!
• I use real organic cherries to make a homemade cherry syrup, but you can use organic cherry extract or flavor instead. Just add 1 to 2 tablespoons of cherry extract or flavor to the milk mixture and just taste the milk mixture before churning. You can adjust to your liking as all flavors or extracts will be a little different.
• One of my top tips for a cherry pitter is to use a cupcake decorating tool, I show you how I do this in the video, so check it out!
• You can use frozen cherries if you like, no need to thaw as the excess moisture will cook off during the compote stage.
• Folding in the cooked cherries is optional. If you want a smooth fro yo, just leave them out. You can use this instead on top of Homemade Malted Milk Waffles or Eggless Banana Waffles for a sweet topping!
• Be sure to store in an airtight container in the freezer.

How to Make Healthy Homemade Cherry Frozen Yogurt

1. Place your ice cream maker in the freezer and let it chill for 24 hours. Wash cherries.

2. To make the cherry compote: Pit the cherries. My top trick for this is using Ateco decorating tip #804 (see video). But, if you don’t have this, you can use a small pairing knife to cut in half and remove the pits.

3. Add the cherries, 226 grams cane sugar, and water to a small pot. Put over low/medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Then turn the heat up to medium/high and bring to a gentle boil. Continue to cook until the mixture has reduced by half.

4. Strain the cherry liquid into a large mixing bowl and reserve the cooked cherries.

5. To make the frozen yogurt: In a small pot, add the milk and 113 grams cane sugar. Put over medium/high heat and heat until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture reaches 140°F on a drink thermometer. If you don’t have a thermometer, just ensure the sugar is dissolved and the milk does not boil or burn (as that burned flavor will transfer to the fro yo).

6. Add the milk to the cherry juice mixture. Allow this mixture to come to room temperature or place in the fridge to chill completely.

7. Once the milk and cherry mixture has cooled, add in the plain yogurt and whisk to combine completely.

8. Turn the ice cream maker on and slowly pour in the cherry mixture.

5. Churn for 20 minutes (or follow the instructions on your ice cream maker if not using the KitchenAid attachment).

6. The frozen yogurt will look thick and creamy when it's done churning.

5. Transfer one third of the fro yo mixture to a 1-pound loaf pan and spread evenly. Top with one third of cherry compote and swirl it in. Repeat with another third of fro yo and compote and then again until it’s gone.

6. Transfer the frozen yogurt to the freezer and freeze overnight. It’s best to store frozen yogurt in an airtight container once made.

Recipe FAQ’s

More Frozen Dessert Recipes

Olive Oil Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches

Salted Caramel No Churn Ice Cream

Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Bars

Raspberry Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Without Eggs