Homemade Pinkberry Frozen Yogurt

Pittsburgh has a new yogurt joint based on the Pinkberry style of frozen yogurt–two flavors, plain and green tea, with tons of fresh toppings.

Do you have a “do it at home” Pinkberry recipe that comes close to that wonderful, fresh, tart flavor of the plain yogurt they offer?

There seem to be two schools of thought on recreating Pinkberry for home consumption–one version keeps things mostly yogurt, and the other mixes in additional acids to boost the flavor profile.

I was leaning toward simplicity, but I had to try both to see what was more accurate. I test these things rigorously for you folks, you know.

The easier recipe, which was simply yogurt and sugar blended and frozen, was too thick and plainly sweet. It didn’t really replicate the tartness and granular texture that you get with a Pinkberry.

The following homemade Pinkberry recipe, adapted from Gourmet, is a bit more work, but the results are much more on the mark.

You can use any brand of plain Greek yogurt or skyr for this recipe, but note that the lower the fat content in your yogurt, the more bricklike it will become over time in the freezer.

In one of my tests, I used fat-free Chobani and it was pretty tough to chip off a bowl after a week or so.

If you’re planning to keep your batch of homemade Pinkberry around for a while, I recommend using full-fat yogurt.

And don’t be afraid of the corn syrup mixture. It does sweeten and mellow the flavor, but the buttermilk/lemon combo keeps that tangy freshness right at the forefront.

If the green tea flavor is more your thing, add 2 tablespoons matcha powder to the buttermilk mixture before combining and chilling.

I’ve been eating my homemade Pinkberry with fresh mango and strawberry to complement the tart and sweet flavors in the frozen yogurt.

Feel free to add your favorite fruit toppings, like kiwi, pineapple, or even pomegranate seeds to add textural crunch to your bowl.

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Homemade Pinkberry Frozen Yogurt

Yield: 1 quart

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Additional Time: 12 hours

Total Time: 12 hours 15 minutes

Homemade Pinkberry, that frozen yogurt with the tart kick we all can't get enough of, can be yours with this simple recipe.

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Ingredients

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 cups (16 ounces; 454 grams) plain Greek yogurt, preferably whole milk
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Instructions

1. Heat the sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
2. Once bubbles start to form on the bottom of the pan, remove from the heat.
3. Transfer to a large bowl and cool about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. In a separate bowl, mix the yogurt, buttermilk, and lemon juice together, and then into the sugar mixture.
5. Refrigerate until cold, 6-8 hours.
6. Freeze in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer instructions.
7. Transfer to a separate bowl to harden in the freezer for at least 4 hours.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 165Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 132mgCarbohydrates: 34gFiber: 0gSugar: 33gProtein: 6g

The nutritional information above is computer-generated and only an estimate.

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