We can all agree that ice cream is the food of the gods. There are probably more Instagram accounts dedicated to ice cream than to any other food (shoutout to @icecreamofinsta).
We live in the golden age of ice cream, with homemade waffle cones, donut ice cream sandwiches, s’mores sundaes and so much more just waiting to be created and devoured. Because ice cream is so great, the idea of substituting frozen yogurt for ice cream is often always met with a bit of skepticism.
Why mess with something so delicious, amirite?
Ben & Jerry’s is the only brand of frozen yogurt that true ice cream connoisseurs will ever allow in their freezers because Ben & Jerry’s froyo comes pretty damn close to tasting like the real thing. How close, you ask? We made it our mission to find out with a blind taste test of both froyo and ice cream, made by the masters themselves.
The Facts
Photo by Maya Detwiller
Before actually doing the taste test we’ve gotta lay down some background info about froyo versus ice cream. This chart has a nice comparison between the two.
Basically frozen yogurt is made with milk and yogurt cultures (shocking, I know), while ice cream is made with heavy cream, which accounts for its fattiness. Both desserts have plenty of calcium, though, so next time your friends give you crap for getting a second helping of ice cream in the dining hall you can just tell them you need more calcium in your diet and they’ll shut right up.
The Test
Okay now’s the moment you’ve been waiting for, it’s time for the taste test. We will be using Ben & Jerry’s Half Baked Ice Cream and Froyo.
Here’s the nutrition info for the ice cream:
Photo courtesy of Ben and Jerry’s
Heres the nutrition info for the froyo:
Photo courtesy of Ben and Jerry’s
As you can see, the froyo has significantly fewer calories and grams of fat than the ice cream. But does that take away from the taste? The short answer is yes.
In our blind taste test, every participant was easily able to tell the difference between the froyo and the ice cream. One participant said, “The yogurt just doesn’t taste as rich.” Another agreed that, “The froyo is lighter and simply not as creamy and good.”
Okay, so we’ve established that there is a taste difference, but does that taste difference mean people won’t eat Ben & Jerry’s frozen yogurt? The tasters were divided on the issue.
Some said, “The froyo is worth it because they basically taste the same and since the froyo is lighter, I feel like I can eat more without feeling guilty.” Others felt that, “either way, you’re eating all kinds of calories so why not just go for the ice cream?”
The Conclusion
Photo by Maya Detwiller
Overall people were impressed with good ol’ Ben & Jerry’s because the froyo was surprisingly tasty. The general consensus was that the froyo would taste better if it wasn’t being eaten simultaneously with the superior ice cream.
So yes, the ice cream is king, but the froyo is a worthy competitor. In the end it’s your choice: should you go for the less rich but healthy froyo or the tastier but more fattening ice cream?
Decisions, decisions…
Here are some related articles to help you out in this major decision: