May 20, 2015
updated
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Yogurt is great, but drinkable yogurt is even better mom! Said my oldest son Alex. What is not to love in the creamy fruity drink sold in bright colored packaging? If you’ve been wanting to make your own homemade yogurt drinks with fewer ingredients and real fruit, you are in luck! So easy. Just watch how easily these drinks come together.
I’m a big fan of yogurt since it’s high in protein, calcium, and milk provides many of the minerals my kids need.
What is Drinkable Yogurt
This beverage is a mixture of yogurt, milk, honey, and fruit blended into a delicious and refreshing chilled drink.
It has the consistency of kefir but less tang and involves no fermentation, so if you’re into kefir or want to try it, this recipe is a great option to start.
Most of the store-bought yogurt drinks our kid’s love rely heavily on sugars and artificial flavors to offset the tang of yogurt. It’s why I prefer to make them at home, so I have more control over what goes into the yogurt drink, plus my kids can select a flavor based on what fruit is available. Our favorite options include strawberries, blueberries, and banana.
I mostly come up with recipes out of necessity, because I want to make versions of store-bought favorites with real ingredients, or a combination of both. My grocery store trips are a great way for me to come up with recipe ideas. My kids point out their favorite snacks, maybe they tried it at a friend, or maybe they think it looks so delicious. Unfortunately, I often reply to requests with “I have a recipe for those.”
That’s about how it went with these Homemade Yogurt Drinks and 60+ recipes in the Best Snacks Book. I either get inspired by something I see at the grocery or it’s something my kids beg for. In the end, I try to simplify a recipe so it’s easy for anyone to recreate at home. Just like these yogurt drinks. And for my dairy-free kiddo, I serve these up with homemade dairy-free yogurt.
Are Yogurt Drinks Healthy?
The best part about making a recipe, like this one, at home is that you save money and you have control over the ingredients and flavor of the recipe. Many drinkable yogurts are filled with extra sugar and ingredients that are easily omitted when made at home. Some of the store-bought drinks have added thickeners, corn syrup, and preservatives to keep it last on the shelf.
The advantage of making it at home is that I can use any fruit I want to use up! I have a freezer full of ripe bananas, strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, peaches… and the list goes on!
With all the nutritional benefits, like vitamins, calcium, and protein, it’s a beverage I can confidently serve to my kids for a snack or on a hot summer day when something cold is much appreciated.
I recommend yogurt options such as Greek yogurt or Skyr; they’re high in protein and a little thicker than regular yogurt that gives this drink a wonderful consistency.
Instead of artificial flavor, fresh fruit and a touch of honey or maple syrup go a long way for added sweetness. However, if you prefer no added sugar, you can make these without the honey, and they still taste great.
How to Make Yogurt Drinks
Now that you have all the ingredients in ready, let’s make this happen!
- Combine the Ingredients
In a high-speed blender, combine the milk, yogurt, maple syrup or honey, and chopped fruit, if using. You can use fresh or frozen fruit. Feel free to mix, your favorite fruit together to make a blend! Get creative! If you have leftovers, freeze it in popsicles for later. - Blend
Top with a lid and blend on medium-low until everything is smooth. - Pour and Chill
Divide the drink between 4 drinking glasses and refrigerate for 1 hour. - Enjoy!
Drink up and enjoy!
Yogurt Drinks – Homemade Drinkable Yogurt
Ingredients
- 2 cups milk
- ½ cup yogurt
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup , or honey (optional)
- 1 cup chopped fruit
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on medium-low until everything is smooth and evenly combined.
- Pour yogurt drinks in 4-ounce (120 ml) drink containers and refrigerate for 1 hour prior to serving.
Notes
You can skip refrigeration by using frozen fruit.
Sheri
Just found this recipe and it sounds heavenly. However, I was wondering would it be possible to freeze these drinks for a longer ‘shelf life’ if I made a couple larger batches of different flavors to allow for variety? Thank you!
Laura Fuentes
You can definitely freeze these. They’ll need to be consumed within 48h of thawing and you’ll need to shake them to re-mix.
Letty Ojeda
I am in love with the Activia Vanilla yogurt drinks. Do you have a recipe for the re-creation of that?
Laura Fuentes
For a vanilla yogurt version, start with the yogurt you enjoy, like Activia vanilla yogurts, and add milk to thin it out into a yogurt-like consistency, omit the fruit.
Rosa
I love this idea! Do you think it will keep for 5 days if I make a batch of these and store in individual jars? That way we can grab one each morning during the work week! Would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Laura Fuentes
Hi Rosa, the fruit & the liquid will separate after day 2. You’ll simply need to give it a “shake” and you’ll be good to go.
Alice Bouwma
Thanks Laura for another great and healthy recipe! My turned out very foamy and separated. Any recommendations?
Laura Fuentes
This has happened to me too! First, blend the fruit with a little bit of liquid until you have a thick paste that’s smooth. After that, on medium speed add the rest of the liquid and don’t over-blend. The foamy separation is from too much blending at high speed. Tends to settle.
Andrew C. Tecson
Dairy-free?!
So what type of milk are you using??
Laura Fuentes
I use either homemade diary-free yogurt or store-bought dairy-free yogurt blended with almond milk.
Tom
Your Nutrition information reads 15.6g sugar. Store-bought Activia has 10 to 12g. I think you should cut back on the added sweetener in your recipe.
Laura Fuentes
My recipe has the sweetener as optional. Cut that out you reduce 2g. In addition, there is a lot more fruit per serving in mine than Activia. Fruit adds natural sugars.
Kimberli
I am so excited. I usually drink a lot of ensure because I can’t tolerate a lot of solid food. They are so refreshing. Thank you, thank you, thank you
Kimber
Great yogurt drink recipe! These are the perfect way to start the day.
Jennifer
Do you have a recommendation on the containers you use?
Laura Fuentes
These were empty glass bottles but I usually make a large container and fill lidded cups. I also use these lidded ones.
Becca
Thanks for this recipe! I love drinkable yogurt but it’s expensive to buy! Do you know how long this will keep in the fridge for?
Laura Fuentes
I keep these in the fridge for about 3 days. Give it a quick stir prior to serving and it’s good to go. Enjoy!
Stephanie
Laura — thanks so much for sharing these. My kids LOVE yogurt drinks.
Do these work for packing in school lunches? Just wondering if they’d work, or because they are actually made of whole ingredients if they’d separate and not work. Thoughts? Thanks so much.
Laura Fuentes
Stephanie, I pack these inside an ice pack and my kids know to shake them before they drink them (like in the video). I hope this helps! 🙂
Meggan | Culinary Hill
I love this idea, Laura! My son Calvin is obsessed with those brightly-colored smoothie packages at the store, and I admit I do buy them. I tried making homemade ones, even using those plastic containers from the store-bought ones for a little bait-and-switch. He wasn’t fooled. BUT. I never tried adding sweetener… and maybe I need to use sweeter fruit, too. There must be SOME kind of concoction he’d go for that isn’t the store-bought! Thanks for reminding me to make this a priority. 🙂
Laura Fuentes
I know the feeling Meggan. Start with the strawberry banana recipe (50/50) that is the sweetest. Enjoy!