The Ultimate Vanilla Frozen Yogurt Taste Test

Frozen yogurt is definitely having a moment, with successful fro-yo chains raking in cash all across the country. It wasn't so long ago when it was impossible to find tubs of frozen yogurt in supermarkets alongside ice cream, but today just about every supermarket has some in stock. We wanted to see which one reigns supreme, so we tracked down seven different brands of vanilla frozen yogurt and put them to the test. 

We took these bars off of their sticks to keep the playing field even, but this brand still fell to last place among our tasters, who found it to be "oddly sour and mushy," "strangely lumpy," "grainy," and "sour" instead of tangy. Many agreed that it also had the least pronounced vanilla taste of the bunch.

Serving Size: One 3.5-ounce bar
Calories: 80
Fat: .5 grams
Sugar: 12 grams
Protein: 5 grams

Price: $4.99 for 4 bars

This frozen yogurt came in individual serving cups, and turned most of our tasters off. One taster complained of a "cheesecake-like" texture, and another said that it had the texture of "the inside of an ice cream sandwich." Yet another said its texture was "marshmallow-like," and another thought it was "whipped, or oddly lumpy," The reason for this odd texture is most likely the addition of a thickener called  maltodextrin. Tasters also complained of a lack of vanilla flavor, as well as an odd aftertaste.

Serving Size: One four-ounce cup
Calories: 100
Fat: 2 grams
Sugar: 11 grams
Protein: 4 grams

Price: $4.99 for 3 cups

Trader Joe's frozen yogurt had the most pronounced yogurt taste, and was tangy almost to the point of being lemony, which divided the panelists. "It tastes more like lemon than vanilla," one taster said, while several others compared it to sour milk. While all the panelists agreed that there was very little in the way of vanilla flavor, those who enjoy the flavor of yogurt agreed that this came the closest to what "real" frozen yogurt tastes like.

Serving Size: ½ cup
Calories: 100
Fat: 0 grams
Sugar: 17 grams
Protein: 6 grams

Price: $4.49 for 1 quart

Only available in the Northeast and found at our local Whole Foods, this product is described by Sweet Scoops as "the most indulgent frozen yogurt on the planet," and it certainly contained more fat than any of the competition (It was also the only one that contained real Madagascar vanilla extract). Our tasters found that it wasn't especially creamy and had a slightly icy texture, and several compared the texture to that of a Popsicle. Several other tasters mentioned not being able to taste much vanilla. One taster commented that it "melted nicely," however, and another said that "this tastes like real frozen yogurt."

Serving Size: ½ cup
Calories: 150
Fat: 6 grams
Sugar: 15 grams
Protein: 3 grams

Price: $5.99 for 1 pint

This frozen yogurt was the closest in texture to ice cream, and many panelists noted that fact. "Well-rounded and smooth," one taster wrote, and another noted that it had "a milky and mild vanilla flavor." "It tastes like vanilla ice cream, not yogurt," someone commented, however, and another person said that it's "not at all yogurt-tasting." The flavor that was there, however, was good whether it tasted like frozen yogurt or not. This fro-yo contained more calories, protein, and sugar than any other we tested, but was, surprisingly, the least expensive.

Serving Size: 1/2 cup
Calories: 170
Fat: 2.5 grams
Sugar: 21 grams
Protein: 9 grams

Price: $3.99 for 1 pint

Our tasters agreed that this fro-yo was "tart and tangy" and nicely creamy. The vanilla flavor wasn't entirely pronounced, which put some tasters off, but one panelist said that it's "what I think of when I think of vanilla frozen yogurt."

Serving Size: ½ cup
Calories: 100
Fat: 0 grams
Sugar: 19 grams
Protein: 5 grams

Price: $5.99 for 1 pint

This product is called a "slow-churned yogurt blend," but judging by the ingredients, there wasn't much separating it from the competition. That said, it was a near-unanimous favorite, with far more points than the next in line. "Very creamy, and a very nice vanilla flavor," one panelist said, and another wrote that it was "rich but not overpowering." "You can taste the vanilla," a taster noted. While it tasted more like ice cream than frozen yogurt, and melted quite quickly, it had the texture, flavor, and overall likeability factor to win out over the competition.

Serving Size: ½ cup
Calories: 100
Fat: 3 grams
Sugar: 13 grams
Protein: 2 grams

Price: $5.99 for 1.5 quarts