What's The Difference Between Ice Cream And Frozen Yogurt?

Imagine this. It's a sweltering summer afternoon, and you've been standing in the sun for hours, feeling unbearably hot. And that's when you realize that a frozen dessert might be the only way to truly cool you off.

When it comes to frozen desserts, two of the most popular options include frozen yogurt and ice cream. There's, however, a noteworthy gap in popularity between the two items. While Americans ate an average of 12 pounds of ice cream in 2021, the numbers are far lower for frozen yogurt. During the same year, the average citizen ate less than a pound of froyo (via Statista).

You won't necessarily go wrong with choosing either of them, as both items share the same base ingredients of dairy and sugar. Of course, the dairy foundation of the two desserts is not the same, and that's only the start of the differences between them.

According to the International Dairy Foods Association, ice cream as a concept may have originated back in the second century B.C. and reached America in the 1700s. However, it only began to enjoy life as a more mainstream dessert in the mid-1800s. Frozen yogurt, on the other hand, didn't emerge as a dessert option until the 1970s (via The Yogurt City).

The primary difference between froyo and ice cream comes down to how dairy is used in the two desserts. As evident in the name, ice cream includes the fatty milk product, otherwise known as cream, per SFGate, and is legally required to contain 10% milk fat (via USDA Agricultural Marketing Service). The dessert also contains other ingredients like egg yolks, milk, and sugar. Conversely, frozen yogurt uses cultured milk as a base, as well as gelatin and other emulsifiers that help stabilize the dessert in the absence of the extra milk fat.

Per SFGate, a cup of ice cream typically has around 267 calories, while the same serving of frozen yogurt will usually contain nearly 214 calories. Though before you deem frozen yogurt the healthier dessert option, you should be aware of the additives. Nutritionist Dana Kofky informs us that froyo, in order to combat the sour taste from the cultured milk, often contains more sugar than ice cream, so it's really just pretending to be healthy (via CNN). And while many people immediately associate yogurt with probiotics, the dessert's exposure to freezing temperatures can eliminate any beneficial probiotic bacteria. However, frozen yogurt featuring live cultures can aid in dairy digestion for lactose-intolerant individuals. To help you choose the healthier froyo varieties, the International Dairy Food Association has developed a Live and Active Cultures seal, which is usually plastered on the side of a froyo container that has a minimum of 10 million live cultures per gram.

Another difference between the two frozen desserts is their respective fat content. According to Healthline, half a cup of ice cream has almost twice as many grams of fat as the same size serving of frozen yogurt. Additionally, froyo is also topped with various sugar-laden items, from fresh fruits to candy chunks or even cereal. This naturally increases its sugar content, which is why some dietitians won't eat frozen yogurt. So if you are opting for frozen yogurt over ice cream because it seemingly has fewer calories, make sure you consider all of these potentially unhealthy additives.