Basil Lemon Vegan Frozen Yogurt

Vegan Frozen Yogurt Can Pack a Punch

When you give up bad fats and refined sugar, how do you create flavor?

Herbs, herbs, herbs. Let’s say it again: herbs. Bold, bright, delicious, they have a ton to say. Not just in savory food. They make a great showing in desserts, too.

This month’s Recipe Redux challenge asked us to showcase a green herb. Near and dear to my heart and heritage, I decided to celebrate basil. This frozen yogurt recipe does just that. A celebration of one of the most beautiful herbs in creation. Yes, I’m a biased Italian. At this point, you could probably measure basil in my blood. I’m ok with that. My love of the herb produced a lovely frozen yogurt that’s guilt-free, easy-to-make, and full of life and flavor. Blamo!

There are a few ways to go about vegan frozen yogurt. I kept this recipe simple so the flavors would shine through. Super easy to make, totally delicious to eat. Little investment in time, money and calories with a huge flavor pay-off. You gotta try it, simply for the flavor of it – whether you’re vegan or not.

Here’s how to you make Basil Lemon Vegan Frozen Yogurt:

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Basil Lemon Vegan Frozen Yogurt

Prep Time4 hrs

Total Time4 hrs

Servings: 1 quart

Author: Angela Marinelli

Ingredients

• 24 oz unsweetened plain yogurt (dairy-free or dairy_
• 6 tbsp light agave nectar
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• zest of one lemon
• 1 - 1 1/2 cup fresh basil depending how strong of a basil flavor you like
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp xantham gum
• 1/8 tsp sea salt

Instructions

• Mix all ingredients except xantham gum in a blender for about 1 minute.
• As blender runs and mixes ingredients, add xantham gum and blend for another minute.
• Chill in fridge until cold (3-4 hours).
• Put in ice cream maker - follow instructions for your machine, usually runs for 20-30 minutes.

Here’s how the mixture looks before it goes in the fridge:

Here’s how my frozen yogurt looks after it’s turned in my machine:

How do you know your vegan frozen yogurt is ready?

If you’re like me, you’ll never end up with a quart of this awesome frozen yogurt. You won’t be able to resist dumping your spoon right into the machine as it turns. Of course, I tell myself that I’m “testing” the frozen yogurt to see if it’s ready. Are 20 tests overkill?

You kind of have a window for the best level of doneness – within that window is really to your taste. Most machines tell you to turn the mixture between 20 and 30 minutes. If you overturn it, it loses it’s creaminess. Too soft and it doesn’t fully come together. Follow the instructions of your machine.

Some tips that have helped me:

• Make sure your mixture is cold when it goes into the machine
• Make sure the ice cream bowl that turns your mixture is completely frozen when you pour your mixture into it
• Turn your mixture for the recommended time (usually between 20-30 minutes)
• Put your frozen yogurt in the freezer as soon as it’s done

Good luck!  Let me know how it goes. 🙂