Surprisingly Low-Calorie Berry Soft-Serve Vegan Yogurt Made with Cashews

|Updated Jul 22, 2021
@natalie.naturally

Waking up to a blue sky day always motivates me to eat healthier and exercise, especially as the weather warms. Instead of reaching for the banana bread or other comforting foods, I couldn't shake my craving for a citrus smoothie or soft-serve yogurt to enjoy while under the sun. This fro-yo recipe is low calories, creamy, and one of those treats you want to make over and over again. Aside from the sweet taste, the frozen yogurt looks beautiful and you can get creative by adding roses, strawberries, and elderberries to your presentation. Scoop the fro-yo into a mason jar and slurp with straw or grab a spoon and enjoy the refreshing taste in the blazing sun. For açai bowl lovers, scoop some of this vegan froyo into a bowl and top with coconut flakes, fresh fruit, cacao nibs, chia seeds, and more!

Why we love it:  When we're sitting by the pool this summer and need a tasty and cool treat, you can enjoy this healthy fro-yo and don't have to worry about calorie overkill. This recipe is light, made with real ingredients, and easy to make.

Make it for: A hot spring or summer day. Make a large batch so you can serve fro-yo to your friends and cheers with a glass of rosé!

Summer Berry and Rose Fo-Yo

Makes 8-12 scoops

Ingredients

  • 4 cups of unsweetened soy/almond/cashew yogurt
  • ½ cup maple syrup
  • Lemon juice
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1-2 tbsp. rose water (optional)

Berry Mix

  • 2 cups frozen summery berries or fresh
  • 2 tbsp. maple syrup

Instructions

  1. In a small saucepan add the berries and maple syrup, cook on medium heat until the juices are flowing, and have thawed through. Continue to let them bubble for a few minutes until the liquid becoming a little syrupy. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
  2. In a large bowl add the yogurt, maple, lemon juice, and rose water (gradually). Whisk to combine, check for taste and add more rose or maple if necessary.
  3. Have a freezer-proof container at the ready if you’re not churning it.
  4. Once the berry mix has cooled down, stir it through the yogurt mix, it doesn’t need to be completely incorporated. You could add an extra handful of frozen berries at this stage if you like.
  5. Pour into your chosen container and place in the freezer for 1 hour, after which time fork it rigorously and every hour thereafter. Once it’s beginning to freeze up nicely do a little more often like every 30 minutes until you have a smoothie bowl/nice cream or soft-serve consistency.
  6. If however, you are using a churner, once you have combined the yogurt and berry mix add it to the machine until you have a soft-serve consistency, this usually takes about 20 minutes.
  7. Empty into a loaf tin or container of choice, you can also stir through a small handful of extra frozen berries if you wish. Cover with a little parchment and wrap in cling film, or if it has a lid pop that on.
  8. Freeze until ready to serve. Or a good hour or so to firm up. You can eat it immediately as a soft-serve style if you wish.
    Take it out the freezer for a good 10 minutes so its scoopable and serve with extra berries if you like.
  9. Enjoy on a hot summer day.