Chocolate Chip Frozen Yogurt Cake

Cool and creamy, this chocolate chip frozen yogurt cake is a delicious alternative to ice cream! Made with Greek yogurt and dark chocolate chips, I promise no one will know it’s a healthier summertime dessert. 

This fro-yo dessert is the perfect way to celebrate warmer weather and summertime! A creamy Greek yogurt layer is studded with dark chocolate chips, sits atop a crunchy graham cracker crust and the result is nothing short of delicious!

I am not a fan of plain yogurt for snacks, so it’s a good thing I love to bake with it! I love to use Greek yogurt in my yogurt cake recipe and this no-bake Greek yogurt pie.

Thanks to Greek yogurt, this frozen yogurt dessert is higher in protein and calcium but no one will know it’s healthy. It’s perfect for the season, is quick to make and is a fun twist on an ice cream cake! 

Ingredients Needed

• Cookie base: Graham crackers or digestive biscuits that have been made into cookie crumbs are combined with melted butter.
• Whipping cream: Whole cream or heavy whipping cream with at least 30% fat. 
• Vanilla extract: Pure vanilla extract for best flavor. 
• Powdered sugar: Also called confectioners sugar, this light and airy sugar dissolves well into the Greek yogurt for a light and airy cake. 
• Greek yogurt: Plain Greek yogurt or chocolate chip Greek yogurt. 
• Chocolate chips: I like semi-sweet chocolate chips, you can use regular chocolate chips or mini chocolate chips. 
• Garnish: Additional chocolate chips or chocolate curls for serving. 

How to Make Chocolate Chip Frozen Yogurt Cake

To start, make your cookie base crust. Mix your crushed graham crackers or digestive biscuits with the melted butter and press on the bottom of either a springform pan or regular cake pan that has been lined with parchment. Place in the refrigerator to firm.

For the yogurt cake, beat the whipping cream and vanilla until a soft peak forms. Sift in the powdered sugar and then beat until stiff peaks form. Fold in your Greek yogurt and chocolate chips. If you prefer a firmer cake then see recipe notes for adding gelatine.

Remove prepared cookie base from the refrigerator, spoon the yogurt mixture onto the base, cover with plastic wrap and freeze for approximately 3 – 4 hours or until firm. 

To serve, let it sit for 10 minutes to soften before slicing then sprinkle the cake with chocolate chips or chocolate curls.

Variations

• Greek yogurt: Easily change the flavor of the cake by using a flavored Greek yogurt. My daughter swears they sell chocolate Greek yogurt, so if you can find it, that would be delicious as would a strawberry, vanilla or even peanut butter frozen yogurt cake. 
• Extract: Replace some of the vanilla extract with butter extract, almond extract or peppermint extract. 
• Chocolate chips: Use white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, dark chocolate chips or even chopped chocolate bars.
• Cookies: Stir in some crushed Oreos cookies or your favorite sandwich cookie. You may also love this Oreo ice cream cake!
• Coffee: Stir in some brewed then cooled coffee or espresso for a coffee ice cream treat. 
• Crust: Make a Nutella cookie crust or a chocolate wafer crust like I do in this chocolate vanilla ice cream cake. 

Expert Tips

• To easily cut: Use a long serrated knife with a pointed tip that has been run in warm water. If cutting multiple slices, you may want to rewarm the knife before making another slice.
• Lining the pan: When lining the pan with plastic wrap or parchment paper be sure to overlap the sides a bit to make it easier to lift out and slice. 
• Sift powdered sugar: Sift powdered sugar to remove any lumps when adding to the yogurt mixture. 
• To soften: Remember to let your cake sit outside of the freezer for up to 10 minutes to soften. This not only makes it easier to cut but also allows it to get to a cool and creamy consistency. 
• Remove any air bubbles or pockets: Before freezing, smooth out your yogurt mixture with a spatula so that no pockets of air develop. 
• If you are worried about the firmness of the cake you could add gelatine to the recipe.

How to add gelatine

In a small pot add two tablespoons of milk and sprinkle one tablespoon of gelatine on top, let stand one minute, then place the pot on low heat and heat just until the gelatine has dissolved, stirring often (1-2 minutes), do not boil, then immediately remove from heat.

Add a heaping tablespoon of the yogurt mixture to the gelatine mixture and stir gently to combine, fold the gelatine into the remaining mixture, mix until combined.

How to Serve Frozen Yogurt Cake

To serve your frozen yogurt cake, let it sit for 5-10 minutes at room temperature so it softens slightly for slicing if it is too firm.

I like to sprinkle the cake with chocolate chips or chocolate curls before serving! 

Storage

Store your fro-yo cake in a freezer safe container for up to 3-4 weeks. You can store it whole or you can store it in slices. 

How long does a frozen yogurt cake last?

This cake should last up to 3-4 weeks from when it was made. Store it in a freezer safe container to prevent freezer burn and let thaw 5-10 minutes before serving. 

What is the difference between frozen yogurt and frozen ice cream? 

The main difference is in the dairy base that is used. Ice cream uses cream while yogurt uses cultured milk. 

Can you freeze yogurt and eat it like ice cream?

This is only possible if you add sugar to the yogurt before freezing. Sugar will help slow down the formation of ice crystals which allows the yogurt to remain soft while frozen. 

Is frozen yogurt a healthier dessert than ice cream?

Frozen yogurt is a healthier alternative to ice cream as it is lower in fat and calories and it contains live yogurt cultures and is higher in protein. That being said, it is still a dessert as it does contain sugar. 

So if you are looking for a yummy Summer Dinner Dessert or an afternoon get together and you want something other than an Ice Cream or a No-Bake Dessert I think you will find this easy Chocolate Chip Frozen Yogurt Cake is the perfect choice. Enjoy!

Updated from May 27, 2016.