It’s not often I get to have dessert for breakfast and consider it a healthy meal, but that’s exactly what I did yesterday. A sudden craving for something frozen and sweet got me thinking: Why are some foods considered breakfast and others dessert? What’s the difference, really, between muffins and cupcakes, pancakes and dessert crepes, or smoothies and frozen yogurt? Although the breakfast foods are generally considered healthier and less sugary, in actual practice that isn’t necessarily so.
But if your desserts are on the healthier side, what’s to stop you from having one for breakfast? Well, if you’re me, nothing! I used my Vita-Mix to create this creamy, luscious frozen soy yogurt in about 3 minutes using no sugar at all. I added a few fresh peach slices and a sprinkling of granola and felt like I was having the most decadent breakfast ever.
The same formula works with just about any frozen fruit, but my personal favorites are peach and cherry. If you don’t have a Vita-Mix or similar high-powered blender, you should be able to pull this off in a food processor. I used to do it all the time with strawberries in my Cuisinart; the texture is a bit more icy, but the flavor is still fresh and fruity. Enjoy!
Almost Instant Frozen Fruit Yogurt
(printer-friendly version)
1 cup soy or other non-dairy yogurt
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped (see note)
16 ounces frozen peaches or other fruit, unsweetened
1 tablespoon apple juice concentrate
1/3 cup sugar–or stevia to taste (I used 3 tiny scoops of KAL pure stevia extract)
Place ingredients into blender in the order listed. Put on the top and insert the pusher, if your blender has one. Start blender on low and quickly turn it up to its highest setting. Blend, pushing the fruit into the blades, until four mounds appear at the top of the mixture and machine sounds like it is running harder. Do not over-blend because the friction will cause melting. Serve immediately for best taste.
To make in a food processor, put the fruit and sweetener (and vanilla, if using) in first and pulse to chop. With the machine running, add the yogurt through the feed tube. Continue processing until most of the fruit is pureed and fruit and yogurt are well mixed.
This frozen yogurt is best served right away, but if necessary, store it in a covered container in the freezer. Before serving, remove it from the freezer and allow it to thaw slightly, stir, and serve. Or put it back into the blender or food processor and process briefly.
Note: Cut the vanilla bean in half crosswise. Insert the tip of a knife in the stem end and slice the bean in half lengthwise, without going all the way through the bean. Open the bean up, and use the back of the knife to scrape the seeds out. Save the scraped bean. You can use it to flavor sugar, yogurt, or any liquid just by soaking it for a few hours.
Servings: 4
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving, using stevia): 89 calories, 13 calories from fat, 1.4g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 16.1mg sodium, 335.2mg potassium, 17.4g carbohydrates, 3.5g fiber, 12.5g sugar, 3.1g protein, 1.2 points.
Nutrition (per serving, using sugar): 153 calories, 13 calories from fat, 1.4g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 16.1mg sodium, 335.5mg potassium, 34g carbohydrates, 3.5g fiber, 29.1g sugar, 3.1g protein, 2.5 points.
(Both analyses use Wildwood Plain Soy Yogurt and peaches.)
Though MyPoints are calculated using a formula similar to Weight Watchers Points TM, this site has no affiliation with Weight Watchers and does not guarantee the accuracy of this information.
bazu
oh yum. I'm craving this exact same thing! I don't have a vitamix, but will give it a go with the faithful Cuisinart… I'm thinking mango would work great too!
Chris
Great picture! The vanilla bean specks reminds me of peach butter with spices. Now I want peach butter and peach frozen yogurt.
Would extract or leaving out the vanilla work in a pinch?
Gwen
I've made a dessert with just soy milk and frozen strawberries, bananas, or other fruits; but this is looking extra special, Susan!
jacqueline
wow, this looks awesome! i wish so badly i had a vita-mix. seems like it would also be great with blueberries or mango.
Josiane
The texture of your frozen fruit yogurt seems perfect! It must have made for a delicious breakfast.
Josiane
The texture of your frozen fruit yogurt seems perfect! It must have made for a delicious breakfast.
chow vegan
Wow! that looks awesome! It looks almost like dessert instead of breakfast. What a great breakfast idea!
~M
Yum, I'm going to try with plain coconut yogurt (which I think is slightly sweetened). Do you have an idea for a sub for the apple juice concentrate or could I omit it?
SusanV
Chris, a little vanilla extract would be fine. It's just a light flavor, so you could also choose to leave it out.
~M, I don't think the apple juice concentrate is essential. I just happened to have it onhand, so I used it to add a little sweetness.
A
That looks incredibly easy AND delicious!! 😀
-A
inadvertent farmer
We always use frozen bananas for our sweetener and then other fresh fruit, right now it is blueberries because they are coming out of our ears! A splash of vanilla soy or rice milk and you have a killer smoothie.
I like to add flax seed and oat bran to mine, the kids will eat it that way but prefer straight up fruit! Kim
Pearl
love it! sounds refreshing and looks delicious.
Christina
I love doing this! It's great to start or end the day. I usually use strawberries or mango, and a tablespoon or two of agave nectar, though. It really is one of the easiest, most satisfying desserts.
tastestopping
Wow. That looks both decadent and refreshing. Is that possible? 🙂 I'm also thinking that my kids would love this, and since it's filled with things I would serve them anyway (yogurt, fruit, cereal on top), why not let them eat it for breakfast? Then I wouldn't have to hide it! 🙂 Thanks for the idea.
Anyway, I found you through TasteSpotting and am writing to say that if you have any photos that aren’t accepted there, I’d love to publish them. Visit my new site (below), it’s a lot of fun! I hope you will consider it.
Best,
Casey
Editor
http://www.tastestopping.wordpress.com
Mandi
This looks amazing. I love quick simple desserts you don't have to feel guilty about.
I like to run frozen bananas through my juicer with the blank on.. It comes out just like custard, and it tastes amazing. You can also blend frozen bananas with a little bit of soy milk and get similar yummy-ness.
I know this is a bit off topic but your photography is absolutely beautiful. I'm always enraptured every time I visit your site!
The Voracious Vegan
Cold, fresh and creamy! The perfect summer dessert…or breakfast! Lovely post.
Alisa - Frugal Foodie
mmm, seriously yummy idea!
tasty treats
Famous Recipe Newsletter
recipeguides.blogspot.com
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This is a new recipe I recently found,
I made it for a family dessert
the entire family enjoyed it very much.
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mandasuz1
Frozen mango gets really creamy when blended. Mango and peaches – yum!
Laura
Well Susan, you've talked me into it. I've been pining after the Vita-Mix for quite some time now and I finally ordered it today! I think this will be the first recipe I try, it looks delicious! I have a bag of frozen wild blueberries in my freezer, has anyone out there tried it with blueberries?
Thanks again for another great one! My non-veg husband and I enjoy your recipes at least twice a week. It's so great to find delicious, vegan food we can both enjoy!
Natalie
This looks so delicious and I wouldn't even feel guilty having it for breakfast or as a midnight snack!
Anonymous
Susan you should have a rating bar for every recipe. I would rate this one a 10! YUMEEE~
Sophia.Pflieger
I use my braun food processor to cream up my frozen fruit. It seems to work really well, I think my blender would die if I tried to blend up frozen fruit without liquid!
I never thought of adding yogurt to it, but that is a really good idea, it look extra creamy!
Sophia,
http://whatyourmommadidntknow.blogspot.com/
Carey
I just tried this and it worked great! I used frozen strawberries and vanilla extract since that's all I had. I didn't have any apple juice concentrate but I did use the stevia. Thanks for a such a quick, delicious recipe!
Michal
this looks so delicious 🙂
i cant wait to try it out!
used forklifts
Yum! This looks heavenly. It certainly is very nutritious too. I love this post. Thanks!
Vegetarian Man
I've tried your other recipes…but this one takes the cake…so tasty
Jessica
thank you for this recipe! My daughter and I had this for breakfast the other day (minus the vanilla bean) and it was incredible! The consistency was perfect and we really enjoyed the flavor.
Thanks!
Lovliebutterfly
Interesting! I've got some frozen berries and I'm gonna try this! I always just make banana smoothie with soy milk. But here's a change!
Meghann
my husband is always begging me to make this fruit 'ice cream.' Its so tasty, so cheap, and oh so good for him. Thanks for the post!
Anonymous
This is my usual breakfast, except that I use banana instead of apple juice as the sweetener. Yum! I just buy whatever fruit/berries are on sale, and often freeze up a big batch myself.
Anonymous
It is extremely interesting for me to read the post. Thanx for it. I like such topics and anything connected to this matter. I definitely want to read a bit more on that blog soon.
jennyfurlynn
hi susan! i've been looking around the blog for more info about the vitamix. i'm leaning toward buying one, and i wasn't sure if you've written anything else about it aside from mentions in recipes. i saw info on their website, but i was wondering why else you liked it.
thanks! 🙂
jenny
Azahara
I had this as an afternoon snack, together with some fresh fruit. It was delicious! I especially loved the texture, although it didn’t look as pretty as the one in this post’s pictures.
Cassandra
I just bought a vitamix and was searching the web for recipe ideas. I came across this one and tried it last night, it was amazing! The whole family loved it! It was so delicious. I didn’t have a vanilla bean so I used extract, which worked great. I also didn’t have soy yogurt but had a greek plain yogurt and added some stevia for some extra sweet flavor since it was a dessert. I will definitely be making this again and will try different fruits! Thank you so much for sharing!
Radhika Sarohia
This looks delicious, lovely photos
I make something semi-similar by blending up blueberries with coconut milk and a bit of a agave nectar for a thicker summer smoothie.
afracooking
Oh yum, just finnished a portion of cherry-yoghurt. I think I might just go and make a second serving!