Ingredients

Mango Frozen Yogurt Base

  • 450 g frozen mango chunks, thawed
  • 500 g strained whole-milk yogurt
    • Start with about 650–750 g homemade yogurt and strain until thick.
  • 125 g granulated sugar, to taste
  • 40 g honey or light corn syrup
    • Corn syrup is more neutral; honey is slightly floral.
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice concentrate, plus more to taste
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • Optional but recommended:
    • ⅛ teaspoon xanthan gum for smoother texture
    • 1 tablespoon vodka or white rum for slightly softer scooping

Directions

  1. Freeze the Cuisinart bowl fully. Make sure the freezer bowl is frozen solid, ideally for at least 24 hours. If you shake it and hear sloshing, it is not ready.

  2. Strain the yogurt. Put your homemade yogurt in your yogurt strainer or fine sieve and refrigerate until thick and Greek-yogurt-like. Measure out 500 g strained yogurt.

  3. Thaw the mango. Let the frozen mango thaw until soft enough to blend easily. If it gives off liquid, keep the liquid; it has flavor.

  4. Blend the mango mixture. In a blender, combine the thawed mango, sugar, honey or corn syrup, lime juice, vanilla, salt, and xanthan gum if using. Blend until completely smooth.

  5. Add the yogurt. Add the strained yogurt and blend briefly, just until combined. Avoid blending for a long time after adding the yogurt, since you don’t need to whip extra air into it yet.

  6. Taste and adjust. The base should taste a little too sweet and a little too tangy before freezing. Add a little more sugar if it tastes flat, or a little more lime if it tastes dull.

  7. Chill the base. Refrigerate the blended base for at least 2 hours, preferably 4 hours, until very cold.

  8. Churn in the Ice Cream Maker. Assemble the machine with the frozen bowl, turn it on, then pour in the cold mango-yogurt base. Churn until thick and soft-serve-like, usually about 20–30 minutes.

  9. Pack and harden. Transfer to a chilled container. Press parchment or plastic wrap directly against the surface, cover, and freeze for 2–4 hours for a firmer scoop.

  10. Serve. Let it sit at room temperature for 5–10 minutes before scooping.

Notes

  • This should make a little over 1 quart, a good size for a typical Cuisinart freezer-bowl machine without overfilling it.
  • If your mango is bland, add more lime juice and a tiny pinch more salt. Mango needs acidity and salt to pop when frozen.
  • Xanthan gum is worth using here. Just ⅛ teaspoon helps reduce iciness without making the texture gummy.
  • If skipping xanthan, the texture will still be good, especially because mango has body, but it may freeze a little harder.
  • For a quick serving upgrade, top with toasted unsweetened coconut, chili crisp peanuts, Tajín, or a drizzle of melted dark chocolate.