Big news: Erik is requesting green smoothies.
Yes, that is my Midwestern, steak-loving, Honey-Bunches-of-Oats-traditionalist boyfriend I’m talking about. I’d like to think this is due to my mad blending skills, but some credit probably has to go to my new secret ingredient: chocolate protein powder (it’s amazing.)
Turns out, he’s happy I’m dipping into his supply because, as I was tickled to learn, he’s worried about my protein intake! As he probably should be. As I probably should be. The internet says I should be eating somewhere in the ballpark of 60-80 grams of protein a day. That…is not happening.
But I’m trying. Like, to the point where my impressive consumption of Greek yogurt was remarked upon the last time I exited Costco with three family-sized containers of Fage. Yes, it’s true. I’ve turned into a yogurt fiend. After detoxing dairy out of my diet, I’m curious to see what this does to my body but for now, I’m going with the 23-grams-of-protein-per-cup flow and kind of loving it.
This frozen yogurt is essentially my latest favorite green smoothie (spinach, banana, milk, protein powder) with yogurt instead of milk. I follow the exact same steps of making a smoothie (blending all the ingredients in a blender), and then I dump everything in a very cold ice cream maker for a few minutes. This is by far the easiest “ice cream” I’ve ever made, and definitely the first with vegetables.
I prefer this over banana-only frozen yogurt because you get more volume for fewer calories (plus who has 10 frozen bananas lying around?!), a hint of chocolate, and WAY more protein. Which I need.
The result is something that looks like it should taste minty, but really just tastes like vanilla-y banana goodness with a hint of chocolate. The spinach is undetectable. If you hate bananas, you can leave the banana out. If you don’t have protein powder, you can try adding a tablespoon or two of unsweetened cocoa powder (taste the blended mixture and if it’s not sweet enough, add additional sweetener. But my vanilla yogurt was pretty sweet.) I’d like to try using unsweetened Greek yogurt next, but for now, this is some incredibly, incredibly easy frozen yogurt that you deserve to consume right. Now.
Boyfriend rating: 7
Erik’s comments: “The texture is halfway in between froyo and ice cream..the flavor wasn’t too intense which made it refreshing! The chocolate chips were a nice bonus. Overall..very good for a healthy alternative to ice cream/froyo!”
Spinach Frozen Yogurt
Ingredients
- 2 cups nonfat vanilla Greek yogurt
- 1 large frozen banana
- 2 cups spinach
- ½-1 scoop chocolate protein powder After careful research, EAS is Erik's brand of choice
- 3 tablespoons chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- In a blender or powerful food processor, blend together the yogurt, banana, spinach and protein powder until very smooth. I find it’s best to add the ingredients in the above order, otherwise the protein powder tends to get stuck on the sides of the blender.
- Pour into your ice cream maker and freeze as directed*. Mine took between 10-15 minutes. Add the chocolate chips right before you remove the frozen yogurt and stir to distribute evenly. You can eat as is (mixture will be soft) or freeze for an hour or so to let it firm up a bit into a more scoop-able form. Enjoy your vegetable-packed treat!! Store in a freezer-safe container. It will freeze rock-hard, so let it thaw for 10-15 minutes before you want to eat it.
- *If you don't have an ice cream maker, there are two alternative ways to make ice cream/frozen yogurt:
- 1) Pour the mixture into an ice cube tray and freeze. Once completely frozen, blend the smoothie cubes until ice cream-like!
- 2) Pour the mixture into a freezer-safe container and stir with a spoon every half hour or so until it's at your desired texture (I'm guessing this would take about 2 hours to get an ice cream-like texture). Stirring the yogurt breaks up ice crystals so theoretically you don't end up with a frozen green block. But I've tried this before and my ice cream ended up pretty chunky and icy, not smooth and creamy. I suppose you could try to break up the large ice block and blend it...it's just a bit more work.
andrea
Hey Erika
I cant wait to try this, I have been trying to get the nerve up to try a green smooth!! so here is my chance. I really do like spinach but I am going to go it!!! Thanks for the idea
erika
Yay glad to hear it Andrea!! Hope you like it and make sure to enjoy some of it freshly made! It freezes up like a rock, so you’ll have to defrost it for a bit before eating after you freeze it all the way (if that makes sense)!
Lianna
haha I’m not gonna lie when I first read the title, I gagged a bit inside. I was picturing a spinach flavoured ice cream and just couldn’t see it happening. but then I kept reading and I love green smoothies and this is pretty much a frozen green smoothie! yummahh also doesn’t hurt that you actually make spinach look so pretty with your pictures!
erika
Haha Lianna you are literally MAKING. MY. DAY. I was totally wallowing at my desk, but I love opening my email every few minutes and seeing a few more notifications of your awesome comments!! Serious love right here. So this comment in particular is making me seriously consider re-naming this post “Green Smoothie Frozen Yogurt” so that other people don’t mentally gag like you hahaha. So smaaht!!
Josie | Ice Cream Las Vegas
HI Erika,
This is a new recipe that came to know. Ravishing recipe with gorgeous color. Surely like to make and taste it on this weekend. Keep sharing such a delish. Thanks for sharing.
Katie
Looks delish! Haven’t ventured into fro-yo/ice-cream making yet…this is definitely a recipe I’ll bear in mind though 🙂 Great blog x
erika
Aww thanks so much Katie! 🙂
Melissa
I need to try this! Looks so yummy! I also need more protein…
erika
Omg. Story of my life! Seriously, protein powder is so delicious. You should try it!!
yummychunklet
What a creative flavor for frozen yogurt!
Natasha @ The Cake Merchant
I’m reading this as I’m drinking my green smoothie, thinking how much better it would taste in frozen yogurt form. I need to get my hands on some chocolate protein powder!
erika
You healthy girl! Yay for green smoothies! Yes–I feel like all vegetarian baking-obsessed girls (I have this inkling you may belong to this club? I could be totally wrong about the first part…) need chocolate protein powder in their lives. It’s SO good. I can only hope it’s as good for you as it seems!
Kylie @ immaeatthat
Okay if this frozen yogurt is anything like the green smoothies you were planning on eating this weekend then I totally am okay with that. Or maybe green smoothie AND cinnamon rolls. Ummm yes, that sounds like the best option:)
erika
Haha good deal! Omg. I still have some of this leftover. I am TOTALLY making those cinnamon rolls and eating them with this. Yes. Yes!!!
Kayle (The Cooking Actress)
OOOOH I love the idea of turning my fave green smoothie into frozen yogurt!!! I’d just throw some pb in there 😉
erika
Um, BRILLIANT!
Grace @ Perpetual Nomming
I absolutely love banana ice cream! I like how you’re being sneaky by making this healthier than it is already!
erika
Thanks Grace 🙂 Banana ice cream is SO good, isn’t it? Bananas are such a magical fruit!
Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious
How unique! I can’t wait to try this for myself!
erika
Ooh please let me know if you try it! I just checked out your blog and it is GORGEOUS. I am in love with all your pancake recipes!! Thanks so much for stopping by!
Angie@Angie's Recipes
Baby spinach and yogurt…What an unique veggie treat!
laurasmess
Haha, I think I had the same reaction as everyone else when I read your post header in my email inbox. “Spinach frozen yoghurt? What?!”. After reading your post, I’m convinced. That stuff looks incredible; like you said, it resembles mint choc chip ice-cream but it’s entirely healthy and delicious! I do like chocolate protein powder. I used to drink Sustagen and a couple of other nutritional supplements some years ago and those powders make awesomely creamy milkshakes and smoothies! I love the fact that Erik cares about your protein intake. Aw, so sweet. Yay for a treat that meets both male and female nutritional specifications! 🙂
erika
Haha yay, so glad I could convince you! Yum, that sounds delicious–I’ll have to check out Sustagen. I know, he’s a good egg huh? (I just love that phrase. “Good egg.” Because there are so many bad ones, right?) Thanks for the lovely comment 🙂
Nancy @ gottagetbaked
Whoa! As soon as I saw your title, I had to come and read about it. Say whaaaaaa?! Spinach in frozen yogurt? I’m amazed when you say you can’t even taste the spinach. That’s pretty green lookin’ stuff. Lol – who has 10 frozen bananas lying around *sheepishly raises hand* I hate eating bananas when they start getting black freckles, so as soon as I see them, I leave them on the counter to blacken and then throw them into my freezer. I’ve got a zillion bananas in there. Looks like I need to try this recipe!
erika
Haha–give me your freezer! I wish I stocked up on enough bananas to have 10 on hand! I guess it doesn’t help that I like my bananas slightly speckled, so I always eat them before they can make it to the freezer! Erik and I didn’t think this tasted like spinach so you’ll have to let me know your thoughts 🙂
Kristi @ My San Francisco Kitchen
Wow, I need to try this because I have been waiting for my husband to start asking for more green smoothies!! I finally got him to drink SOME of the ones I make, so that is a start right? 😀
erika
Haha! Erik was so apprehensive before he tried his first green smoothie but I’ve found if I put enough banana/protein powder/strawberries/peanut butter, he’s totally down with the green! I hope you guys like it 🙂
CCU
I didn’t realise you could have green anything! This frozen yoghurt looks brilliant, goodbye smoothies, hello heaven 😀
Cheers
CCU
erika
Thanks CCU 🙂
Alex @ Brain, Body, Because
This is so beautiful! And with a Midwesterner stamp of approval to boot 😉
When I was weight lifting more seriously and being super protein-centric, I was aiming for 100-130 grams of protein and it was EXHAUSTING. I’m not tracking right now and I honestly couldn’t even begin to estimate how much I consume? Maybe about 50 grams? That’s a wild guess.
Glad you found a protein powder that you like. That helps a lot 🙂
erika
WOW!!! I can’t even imagine consuming that much protein. Not that I reeeally know how much I’m eating now, but what were you eating??! Did a lot of it come from protein powder? What kind do you like?