Well that was a long vacation in Japan! I was there for just over five weeks and now that I am back in Brooklyn, I feel refreshed and ready to get back on the food blogging horse. I spent most of my vacation in the south of Japan, Fukuoka to be precise, with my mother, a wonderful and funny woman I wish I could see more often. I got my fill of Japanese food feasting on nigiri zushi, ramen, soba, curry rice, bread and pickled plum 😉 . We took a short trip to Yufuin where the hot springs are stunning, saw a baseball game (go Hawks!), had coffee and pasta in a famous cat cafe and of course, shopped until we dropped. We also watched a lot of TV since I love Japanese quiz shows!
While I was there relaxing on my mother’s couch I had plenty of time to flip through Japanese cookbooks and magazines. The idea to make a pineapple frozen yogurt sprouted from a shaved ice cream recipe I saw in one of them. There is nothing more refreshing than a big pile of shaved ice topped with sweet syrup and a little condensed milk in my book! When it’s 90 degrees and not a cloud in the sky, my diet consists of ice pops, ice cream sandwiches, chocolate sundays and now that I have something healthier – pineapple frozen yogurt.
You see the picture above with only four ingredients? That’s all you need to make this recipe! The texture is like a creamy version of a granita and its taste is mild with a hint of sweetness. Both Ben and I instantly fell in love with this dessert as soon as we took a bite. You can certainly use other fruit to create this yogurt ice cream recipe but I chose pineapple because of its bright yellow color and refreshing taste. I think about Hawaii and palm trees when I see pineapples!
The trick to achieving this texture is to fluff the frozen mixture a few times using a fork – this gives it volume, lightness and creaminess. It pairs really well with a baseball game, a purring kitty and the sound of wind chimes 🙂 .
Pineapple Frozen Yogurt
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: 4 people 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Freezing
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This light and fruity homemade pineapple yogurt only requires 5 ingredients to make!
Ingredients
- 8 ounce can crushed pineapples
- 1 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon water
- 3 tablespoons honey
- Mint, as garnish
Instructions
- Put the pineapple and yogurt in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Put the sugar and water in a microwave safe bowl and zap for 15 seconds. Stir until sugar has completely melted.
- Add the honey to the yogurt and pineapple and blend.
- Add the sugar mixture to the blender and blend for a few seconds.
- Put themixture in a tupperware, cover with a lid and put in the freezer for 3 hours.
- Using a fork, fluff up the mixture, return to freezer and leave for another 2 hours.
- Fluff with a fork again and serve topped with mint.
Notes
This pineapple frozen yogurt will keep in the freezer for up to 1 month, in an airtight storage container.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 196
- Sugar: 28g
- Sodium: 38mg
- Fat: 5.4g
- Saturated Fat: 2.6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28.7g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 10g
- Cholesterol: 13.9mg
Does it really need the sugar?
Hi Lauren! I prefer adding a little sugar to counteract with the tanginess of the pineapple but that’s a personal preference. You can try omitting the sugar and if come out tasting too sour, pouring a little agave nectar or honey on top 🙂