10 Frozen Yogurt Brands, Ranked Worst To Best

Gelato, custard, soft serve, sorbet, sherbert, ice cream — the types of delicious frozen treats in your grocery aisle are vast, and it can make it hard to distinguish one scoop from the next. When it comes to frozen yogurt, however, things become a little more self-explanatory.

Made with yogurt and subsequently live bacterial cultures, frozen yogurt exists in a league of its own. Since it replaces cream with yogurt it tends to have an overall lower fat and calorie content. For these reasons, it's typically thought of as a more nutritious alternative. But before you go adding a sizeable helping to your daily diet, keep in mind that many versions also come with an inflated amount of sugar to better cover up that distinct yogurt tang, making it a sort of cold double-edged sword.

Still, we know it's always good for the soul, and the frosty dessert has its share of fervent supporters. Fro-yo shops allow you to dole out the good stuff yourself with the added element of piling on toppings. When you want to enjoy a pint or bowl in the comfort of your own home, there are plenty of retail brands at your service. To find out which ones are worthy of your spoon, we tested 10 cool options, consisting of both nationwide legacy brands and more regional Midwest selections. Let's dig in.

Read more: 25 Best Ice Cream Brands Ranked

10. Wyman's Just Fruit & Greek Yogurt Bites

If the name Wyman's sounds familiar to you, check your freezer. You might have a hefty bag of the brand's frozen fruit stashed there. Hailing from Downeast Maine, the company has been following its mission to help the world eat more fruit since the late 1800s, primarily through its production of wild, antioxidant-rich blueberries. Sold in powdered, dried, frozen, and even juiced form, the tiny blue fruits are Wyman's true money-makers. But don't for a second think that the company is just a one-trick pony.

Plenty of other fruits can be found in Wyman's Rolodex of frozen products including mangos, bananas, strawberries, cherries, and even coconut. Wyman's expanded its palate even further in 2020 with its Just Fruit & Greek Yogurt Bite creations. They are essentially more nutritious Dippin' Dots and come in five varieties, each featuring different fruits but all with tiny white frozen yogurt spheres speckling the individual-sized cups.

As we plunged into our own strawberry and raspberry-based cups, however, we noticed that these frozen bits are few and far between, leaving behind a nearly flavorless helping of frozen berries. If you isolate a few of the frozen yogurt pellets you can pick up on their subtle vanilla flavoring. Otherwise, that taste is lost when you scoop an entire spoonful. In our humble opinion, it comes off more like a smoothie that has yet to be blended — a refreshing snack, but not what we're looking for in a frozen yogurt treat.

9. Simple Truth Raspberry Cheesecake Greek Frozen Yogurt Bars

Kroger's ice cream aisle can be intense. Countless brands and flavors all swirl together on the shelves, presenting you with a nearly impossible choice. But if you're looking for a budget-friendly option with nutritional benefits, we'll let you in on a little secret: Simple Truth frozen desserts. Kroger's private-label organic line carries an entire slew of tubs, pints, and even dessert bars that offer fewer calories, sugar, and unrecognizable ingredients compared to other big-name brands.

In the realm of frozen yogurt, Simple Truth boasts Yo Greek bars in adventurous flavors like Sea Salt Caramel, Strawberry Vanilla Swirl, Mint Chip, and Raspberry Cheesecake. The latter is the bar we decided to try — a decision we later came to regret. At first bite, it becomes apparent that the entire bar is coated in an icy armor. You must decide to either let it soften before eating the rest or just continue to chip through. Whichever route you pick, though, you're sure to be met with a tangy, almost sour substance in the middle. There's not enough sugar or other flavors to mask the distinct Greek yogurt taste, and it certainly didn't remind us of cheesecake.

Once you finally reach the swirls of raspberry, the dessert becomes more approachable, even reminding us of those spiraled strawberries and cream Creme Savers. But, this sweet revelation came a little too late and wasn't enough to pull the Simple Truth bars from our second-to-last spot.

8. Purple Cow Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

This brand has quite an interesting back story, and if you're a Midwesterner you may just know a little bit about its origins. Originally inspired by the poem "The Purple Cow!" written by Gelett Burgess, the creamery got its start in 1934. However, it reached full popularity in the 1960s when it opened up ice cream shops inside Meijer locations, becoming a trademark of the store much like its coin-operated ponies.

Sadly, these in-house ice cream shops are no more, but the Purple Cow name lives on at Meijer's over 250 locations in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Kentucky. You can find the violet bovine logo on a multitude of ice cream flavors, sherbet containers, other frozen novelties, and on tubs of frozen yogurt, like its low-fat Strawtastic Strawberry.

Digging into the fruit-based treat, the first thing you'll notice is its fluorescent pink coloring. We thought there was no way it could be natural, and our hunch was correct. The yogurt gets its bright hue from the food dyes Red 40 and Blue 1 — presumably, these add-ins are what contribute to its artificial flavor. To make matters worse, the rosy substance exhibits a frosty texture — and not like the treat from Wendy's. It's icy, almost as though it has a case of freezer burn even though it's fresh from the store. This texture mishap, combined with its inclusion of unnecessary food dyes, did not have us jumping over the moon for Purple Cow.

7. Kemps Vanilla Frozen Yogurt

Kemps smooth and creamy fro-yo is a mid-tier option for us. The dairy brand is mostly found in the upper Midwest, both at larger retailers like Target and Kroger and more regional stores like Giant Eagle. Kemps' collection of products is extensive, ranging from milk and cream to cottage cheese and dips.

With strong Midwest ties, we wanted to root for the company's frozen yogurt rendition, but it didn't impress. Thick and scoopable, the texture of the 1.5-quart vanilla tub we purchased was not the issue. It has both the consistency and yellowish color of any other store-bought vanilla that you would pair with birthday cake or use as a base for a sundae. However, our first couple of bites were spoiled by a frosty taste that was almost sour on the tongue. Just like Purple Cow, the tub had not been sitting in our freezer for long and should not have succumbed to this frozen phenomenon so quickly.

At the end of the day, though, this minor flaw is nothing a little bit of hot fudge or caramel sauce couldn't fix. As we dug deeper into the container, the displeasing pungency started to wither away, leaving behind just a classic, albeit boring, vanilla.

6. Enlightened Salted Caramel Cookie Greek Frozen Yogurt

If you struggle to keep up with all the new nutrition-forward ice creams on the market, you're not alone. They ceaselessly pop up left and right nowadays. But one that has been around from the start of the fad is Enlightened. The brand is a pioneer in the space, debuting the same year as Halo Top in 2012.

What started as feel-good ice cream has turned into so much more, and now Greek Frozen Yogurt is another major arm of the Enlightened business. Each pint comes with 460 calories or less and is made with both sugar and allulose, a sugar-like sweetener with a low glycemic index. We worried this might result in a more synthetic flavor, but the Salted Caramel Cookie yogurt didn't suffer in the slightest. Instead, it's creamy with sweet Biscoff cookie-like bits that remind us of Trader Joe's famed Speculoos Cookie Butter or even Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

Our only qualm is the overdose of salt. Sweet and salty treats require a careful balance and in this yogurt pint, it goes off the rails. There is a total of 860 mg of sodium in each pint — or 37% of your daily total — making each bite feel like licking a salt block. If Enlightened could get this under control, it would be golden. But that being said, we certainly aren't deterred from trying the brand's other flavors, and we've specifically got our eyes on the blue Kookie Dough.

5. Mixmi Orange Dream Frozen Yogurt

Born from the minds of food scientists comes the brand Mixmi. The company deals only in frozen yogurt, but not just any frozen yogurt. The premium pints and cups are starkly different from other desserts, designed specifically to support gut health through the inclusion of live and active probiotics.

Though it's a newer brand, Mixmi has already made its rounds, now available at grocers nationwide including HEB, Fred Meyer, Ralph's, and Kroger locations — which is where we picked up an Orange Dream pint. A certain level of happiness falls over you as you take in the product's bright packaging and smiling logo — a feeling that carries over as your spoon goes to work. It immediately transports you back to the days of orange creamsicle push-pops at school with a texture that lands somewhere between smooth ice cream and granulated Italian ice.

The whole thing tastes authentic and refreshing, which is why we were flabbergasted to see that oranges are not actually listed as an ingredient. After a quick round of due diligence, we found that Mixmi's other fruit frozen yogurts, including Mas Mango! and Strawberries and Cream, also don't include real fruit -- just natural flavorings. From a more nutritionally-conscious brand, these exclusions and flavor swaps are surprising, but the product remains undeniably palatable.

4. Kroger Deluxe Caramel Praline Frozen Yogurt

In addition to Simple Truth, America's largest grocery chain also offers a slew of frozen favorites under its Kroger Deluxe line — and there really is a flavor for everyone. When you want something simple, Vividly Vanilla and Chocolate Paradise have your back. The Chocolate Cherry Nut Truffle and Black Raspberry Cookies & Cream flavors are up for grabs if you're really looking to clobber that sweet tooth. Or, conversely, if you're on the hunt for something with a little less fat content, the brand's frozen yogurt tubs are another viable option.

To jazz things up, and satisfy our curiosity, we ventured away from your average everyday flavors this time and gave Kroger's Caramel Praline flavor a spin. Unlike our reaction to the Simple Truth bars, though, this choice was not met with buyer's remorse. Underneath the tub's purple lid is sumptuous bliss. Caramel pockets are hidden throughout -- and don't get us started on the almond pralines. Crunchy and sugar-coated, they immediately reminded us of the nuts sold at the fair in paper cones.

At times, we wondered if this fro-yo was a tasty dream because the frozen yogurt is high-quality or because the flavor add-ins commandeer the entire experience (we did notice the yogurt is more on the melt-in-your-mouth side rather than creamy). Either way, it's beyond enjoyable, and with a price tag of just $2.99 it's a no-brainer.

3. Blue Bunny Vanilla Bean Frozen Yogurt

If you haven't hopped on the Blue Bunny train yet, you have to give it a try. The company is owned by Wells Enterprises — the largest privately-held frozen treats manufacturer in the United States. But, with over 80 years of experience, Blue Bunny certainly knows a thing or two about what it takes to create the most crave-able freezer desserts.

Though ice cream is its bread and butter — sold in the form of sandwiches, sundaes, bars, tubs, and pints including its new soft serve variety — the company also dabbles in frozen yogurt. Multiple flavors have existed at one time or another, but currently, vanilla bean is the only one on the menu. And in our opinion, it's the only one you need.

This tub stuck out to us, a top contender even when pitted against considerably more elaborate treats. It's defined by a richness that almost comes off as buttery and is creamy beyond belief. The vanilla bean essence is perfectly displayed, delivering a flavor that's nostalgic, yet not too sweet. It's a vanilla frozen yogurt we would (and likely will in the future) eat all by itself sans any distracting toppings or sauces.

2. Noosa Strawberries & Cream Frozen Yoghurt Gelato

Noosa got its start in 2004 with a goal of whipping up the finest and creamiest yogurt around — or should we say "yoghurt," the way they spell it Down Under where the brand originated. The company champions using only quality whole milk plus real fruits and other ingredients to create products that, in its own words, are "wholly delightfully delicious".

After realizing great success with its line of flavored yogurts, Noosa used this same ideology to jump into the world of frozen yogurt recently in 2022. After tasting a pint for yourself, however, you would never be able to guess the brand is new to the game. The pint of Strawberries and Cream we snagged is rich and confident — like it came from old money — and has a distinct authenticity to it that even the most established brands can't seem to match.

As a designated gelato -- like all Noosa's frozen yogurts -- it's also denser and more velvety than other ice cream options. Plus, there are real chunks of strawberry in nearly every bite which are somehow juicy and flavorful even after being frozen and submerged. They taste like they were picked fresh from a strawberry field and immediately plopped into the mix. It's a flavor that makes you want to kick your feet up and simply enjoy it with no distractions. Although it is a pricier pint, retailing for $5.49, it's well worth it in our book.

1. Yasso Black Raspberry Chip Greek Frozen Yogurt Bars

While most other brands offer both ice cream and Greek yogurt-based products in unison, Yasso instead markets frozen yogurt as an upgrade to its cool cousin. All the company's products are made with Greek yogurt and aim to cut back on both calories and sugar so customers can snack in a more nutritious way.

Yasso now carries yogurt-filled sandwiches, poppables, and even mochi. But, what we're most interested in is its original Greek Yogurt Bars. There are currently 13 different flavors, ranging from Chocolate Fudge and Cookies and Cream to Sea Salt Caramel and Pistachio Brittle. However, something a little fruitier caught our eye: the Black Raspberry Chip bars. They have received rave reviews on the company's website, and we're here to give them just one more — we would even give them 10 out of 5 stars if we could.

Each bar is just 100 calories but packs a creaminess you would never expect from a frozen yogurt product. The black raspberry flavoring is additionally spot on, resembling something that could have been scooped from a gourmet creamery. Both white and dark chocolate chips decorate the oval-shaped bar, creating a visually pleasing mosaic effect and adding the perfect amount of crunchiness and milky sweetness into the mix. Upon the first bite, these delicious pops immediately catapulted to the top of our list and never wavered. They remained top of mind even as we sampled the rest, making them the undisputed winner.

Methodology

For this taste test, we gathered frozen yogurt pints, tubs, and bars from grocery stores around our city of Columbus, Ohio. Most brands are recognizable national names, while a few, including Kemps and Purple Cow, have a presence confined mostly to the Midwest region. In our quest for the absolute best frozen yogurt, the taste was of the utmost importance and was the first thing we looked for in each dessert. A sweet flavor with no hint of sourness from the yogurt was key, as well as a smooth finish that lacked any sort of freezer burn.

From there, we also considered core ingredients — weeding out some frozen yogurts that contained more artificial ingredients. Lastly, overall cost, availability, and flavor variety played a small role in our final decisions and placements.

Read the original article on Tasting Table.