I was first introduced to cranberry ice cream on Cape Cod… ya know, the nation’s capitol for cranberry bogs.
Well, maybe not officially – but I’m pretty sure the vast majority of this country’s fresh cranberries hail from our humble little state.
Anyway. Cranberry ice cream. Have you ever had it?! I really enjoyed the tiny cup I had out in Truro, and have been waiting for fresh cranberries to grace stores’ shelves so I could make a healthier frozen yogurt version.
Though it may not be the best time for a frozen yogurt recipe, it most certainly is appropriate to post a cranberry recipe given the holiday season.
Cranberries. Greek yogurt. Sugar. Salt.
That’s all it takes to make this fuchsia-hued dessert.
Plus a little patience – always patience when it comes to homemade frozen yogurt! BUT I can tell you that the end result is well worth the wait. Every time I make a frozen dessert I prepare myself for the demise of my 5+ year old ice cream machine, and every time it mercifully proves me wrong. Keep on truckin’ little guy =).
Sweet, slightly tart, creamy, and luscious, this cranberry fro yo tastes much more decadent than it actually is.
Plus, you can’t beat that color. In a world overrun by artificial food coloring, it’s important to remember that food with gorgeous colors do actually exist in nature.
As is true with most homemade frozen yogurts, this one is best if served either straight from the ice cream machine or after a brief (1-2 hours) sojourn in the freezer. Any longer and the frozen yogurt will freeze almost rock-hard, (yes, I’ve tried the vodka trick… it makes just a tiny bit of difference), rendering it a bit tough to scoop. However, if you do end up with leftovers – as I did – simply remove the container from the freezer about half an hour before you intend to serve the frozen yogurt. I’m not a huge fan of the microwave thaw method, but it will do in a pinch if you absolutely must have cranberry frozen yogurt rightthissecond (I wouldn’t blame you if this is the case).
Cranberry Frozen Yogurt
Printer-Friendly Recipe
yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 8 oz (about 2 cups) fresh cranberries, picked over
- 2 Tbsp water
- 2 cups plain 2% fat Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup cane sugar
- pinch of salt
Directions:
- Combine the cranberries and water in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cook until the cranberries are very soft, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let mixture cool for 10 minutes. Puree mixture very well in a food processor and then pass through a fine mesh sieve set over a bowl. You should have 1/2 cup of perfectly smooth cranberry puree in the bowl. Discard solids left in the sieve. Chill cranberry puree until very cold, at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the strained cranberry puree, yogurt, sugar, and salt until well-combined and smooth.
- Chill mixture in the fridge for an hour, or until very cold. Churn frozen yogurt according to ice cream manufacturer’s instructions.
- Serve immediately OR transfer to a sealable glass container and place in the freezer for 1-2 hours. The consistency is best when the fro yo is served the same day/night, but if you have leftovers, just be sure to take the container out of the freezer about 1/2 hour before scooping as the fro yo will freeze pretty hard.
Nutritional Information Per Serving (about 1/2 cup):
198.5 calories, 2.4 grams fat, 1.3 grams saturated fat, 2.2 grams fiber, 30.6 grams sugar, 11.5 grams protein
If you’re thinking that this cranberry frozen yogurt would go beautifully well with a warm Spiced Sweet Potato Blondie, you would be 100% correct!
