Chunky Monkey Frozen Yogurt

Along with oatmeal and smoothies, I have another food obsession. If you have already met me, chances are you found this out within the first few days of knowing me. But if we have never had the pleasure of meeting, let me share a little secret: I am head-over-heels in love with frozen yogurt. Frozenyo, a frozen yogurt chain in the D.C. area (and my absolute favorite frozen yogurt), recently opened a location within walking distance to where I live. This is one of the best and worst things to happen to me recently, because, for example, I may or may not have insisted on making an appearance at their opening night. And this may or may not have been after I returned from a Pilates class. Some would call this crazy, and I would have to agree with them. But it's just part of accepting this obsession of mine.

Given my frozen yogurt craze, I was determined to try and make my own frozen yogurt for Greek Week with the new Chobani Vanilla Chocolate Chunk Greek Yogurt. I researched some recipes to see if this was even possible since I do not own an ice cream maker. I found a few recipes that suggested placing the yogurt in the freezer and stirring every so often until you get a smooth, slightly frozen but still soft texture.

So I went straight to the kitchen, mixed up a batch of Chunky Monkey Frozen yogurt, and followed the suggestion of stirring it every so often. Fast forward 5 hours and my yogurt is slightly frozen but the texture isn't quite right (however, it tasted deeelicious). So I decide to leave it in the freezer overnight and see if I like it better with a harder, ice cream-like texture. Well this wasn't quite right either because it was nearly impossible to scoop out. After letting it thaw for a bit, I was finally able to scoop out a serving. The texture was still off, but it was so tasty that I almost didn't mind. The bottom line is that if you are picky about your frozen yogurt and crave that soft, smooth texture then you will need to invest in an ice cream maker (or just hop in your car and visit the closest frozen yogurt spot). So until I get an ice cream maker, looks like I'll be making a regular appearance at Frozenyo. Christmas is only a few months away and my birthday is in March, for anyone who is curious. ;)

Chunky Monkey Frozen Yogurt
(About 2 1/2 cups, or 5 servings)

16 ounces Chobani Vanilla Chocolate Chunk Greek Yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 packets stevia, or sweetener of choice (add more if you enjoy sweeter frozen yogurt)
1/4 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 banana, diced
optional: 1/4 cup chocolate covered peanuts

Combine all ingredients in a bowl (or right in the Chobani container). Cover and place in freezer. Stir mixture every 30-45 minutes until desired consistency is reached. Or, add mixture to ice cream maker and churn until desired consistency is reached.

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Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 5
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 181.9
Total Fat: 6.8 g
Cholesterol: 4.5 mg
Sodium: 40.6 mg
Total Carbs: 23.5 g
Fiber: 1.2 g
Sugars: 20.4 g
Protein: 7.3 g

Pros:
-Easy to make
-Simple list of ingredients
-Refreshing and tasty
-Versatile-use different flavors of yogurt and different add-ins

Cons:
-Time consuming if you do not have an ice cream maker
-Texture is not ideal (very hard to achieve the typical soft, smooth texture of frozen yogurt without an ice cream maker)

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5