With a perfect balance of sweet and tangy, pineapple upside down cake frozen yogurt is a creamy homemade frozen yogurt recipe that isn't too 'icy' or 'frosty' thanks to a few tips. Vanilla wafers, canned pineapple, and maraschino cherries are swirled throughout for a fun take on a dessert classic.
Once upon a time I lived dangerously close to a Jeni's. And I do mean dangerously close. Walking for ten seconds past my mailbox would land me smack in the middle of the waffle cone-scented breeze that would waft out each time their door would open.
Looking back I'm amazed I had any self-control whatsoever.
Now that I don't live within walking distance to a mecca of frozen goodness (sigh) I lean more heavily on making ice creams and frozen yogurts from scratch. Though with a nod to the inspiration! This slightly tangy, perfectly sweet pineapple upside down cake frozen yogurt is a rough recreation of a fro yo flavor I happily enjoyed at that ice cream shop.
While ice cream is usually my go-to, I thought I'd give frozen yogurt a try to keep with my inspiration. Coincidentally when researching a frozen yogurt base I came across this recipe for a lemon and blueberry frozen yogurt in Food & Wine that - surprise, surprise - is from the creator of that beloved ice cream shop. Done!
What You'll Need
- Plain Greek Yogurt: A whole milk variety is highly recommended for the creamiest texture and richest flavor.
- Cream: Adds to the creamy texture and rich mouthfeel.
- Pineapple Chunks: I go for canned. Make sure these are in 100% juice (and not syrup) as we'll use the juice in this pineapple frozen yogurt recipe, too.
- Unflavored Gelatin & Corn Syrup: These help prevent ice crystals from forming.
- Vanilla Wafers: These soften just right to act as the spongy, vanilla cake element in a pineapple upside down cake.
- Maraschino Cherries: Also a necessary element here. Thoroughly pat them dry to prevent excess color transfer when churning the frozen yogurt.
necessary Tools
Do you need an ice cream maker?
I have only made this recipe with an ice cream maker (paid link, the one I bought 12 years ago), but looking at the common methods of no-churn frozen yogurt, I believe it can work but may not turn out as creamy. I'd prepare the recipe through the ice bath, then pour into a wide freezer-safe container and freeze for 30-45 minutes before stirring it all up, freezing again for that amount of time, and repeating the process for several hours until your desired consistency. This is similar to the blackberry granita process to prevent it from turning into a big icy block.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Step 1: Blend yogurt, a portion of the pineapple juice, and cream until combined. Separately, sprinkle gelatin over a few tablespoons of pineapple juice and set aside.
- Step 2: Heat the remainder of the juice, sugar, and corn syrup in a saucepan until smooth before whisking in the vanilla extract, then the bloomed gelatin mixture.
- Step 3: If you need extra space, pour the contents of the blender into a large bowl, then whisk in the contents of the saucepan.
- Step 4: Pour into a large, zip-top bag and chill in an ice bath for 20 minutes.
- Step 5: Pour into your ice cream maker and follow directions, adding the mix-ins during the last few minutes of churn time.
- Step 6: Transfer to a freezer-safe container, cover, and freeze for at least two hours for a firmer, scoop-able consistency.
Tips and Tricks
- Storing homemade frozen yogurt: The 1.5-quart oblong-shaped container (paid link) you see above fits very efficiently into my freezer.
- Ensure a neat appearance: Thoroughly pat the maraschino cherries dry to prevent excess neon red color transfer. And add them to your ice cream maker just at the end of the churn time so they aren't overly agitated.
- Visible vanilla bean specks: Instead of vanilla extract, use vanilla paste. The kind I have from Trader Joe's is a 1:1 substitute for extract, with a bold vanilla flavor.
Did you enjoy this recipe? I’d love for you to leave a star rating and a comment review in the recipe card below!
Pineapple Upside Down Cake Frozen Yogurt
Ingredients
- 1 20-ounce can pineapple chunks in 100% juice (reserve the juice)
- 1 cup pineapple juice divided (reserved from can)
- 2 cups plain whole milk yogurt
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 0.25-ounce packet unflavored gelatin
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 3 Tablespoons light corn syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 15 vanilla wafers roughly chopped (amount really up to you)
- 8-10 maraschino cherries drained, patted dry, and chopped
Instructions
- Make sure your ice cream maker is ready to roll. Mine requires the freezer bowl insert to be completely frozen, which per the manual can take between 16-24 hours.
- Drain pineapple juice from the pineapple chunks, saving the juice. You should have about 1 cup of juice. Set pineapple chunks aside for now.
- Add yogurt, ½ cup of the pineapple juice (reserve the remaining ½ cup), and heavy cream to a blender and blend until smooth and combined. Set aside for now.
- Add 2 Tablespoons of the reserved pineapple juice to a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over top. Let stand for 5 minutes - set aside for now.
- In a small saucepan set over medium heat, add the remaining 6 Tablespoons of the pineapple juice, granulated sugar, and light corn syrup. Whisk to combine and let it come to a simmer. Once simmering, let cook 1-2 minutes, or until the granulated sugar has dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat and then whisk in the vanilla extract.
- Add the reserved pineapple juice/gelatin mixture to the saucepan and whisk to combine until dissolved.
- The blender will likely be very full, so pour the mixture into a large bowl before the next step, if needed. Slowly pour the contents of the saucepan into the bowl with the yogurt/cream mixture while whisking and whisk until well combined.
- Pour the pineapple frozen yogurt mixture into a large sealable plastic bag. Place it in the middle of a large bowl filled with ice water. Let frozen yogurt chill for 20 minutes before proceeding.
- Once chilled, pour frozen yogurt into your ice cream maker and prepare according to the instructions. Near the end of the process with 5 minutes left (after about 15 minutes of churning) I add the chopped wafers and cherries and let them mix in.
- After about 20 minutes of churning (or however much your particular machine calls for) the frozen yogurt will be of a soft-serve consistency. Spoon it into a freezer-safe container and cover securely. Freeze for at least two hours before serving for a firmer scoop.
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Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as an estimate. As it can vary due to many factors (brands used, quantities, etc.), we cannot guarantee its accuracy.
Food Safety and Nutrition DisclaimerFrozen yogurt base adapted from Food & Wine.
This recipe and these photographers were given a second spruce up in July 2026 from their first spruce up in March 2018. Recipe changes include using a slightly smaller can of pineapple chunks (as is seen on grocery shelves now) and my preference for beginning with plain yogurt and not vanilla.
Cailee says
WOW! This looks so yummy! I have to say... I'm a dessert lover as well and hear ya about the apartment location in regards to the ice cream shop being a blessing and a curse! I LOVE ice cream and it is one of my top 3 desserts- chocolate chunk brownies, Skinny cow ice cream sammies and tootsie pops... yeah, I'm 5! haha... this looks so yummy!! Great recipe!
Alyssa says
Haha Cailee, if you're five, then I'm five too! Those all sound deeeelicious. Thanks so much! 🙂
Pamela @ Brooklyn Farm Girl says
The beginning of your post totally sums this up for me.... YES YES YES!
Alyssa says
Haha - thanks Pamela! 🙂
Kathy @ Olives & Garlic says
YES! Beautiful. Love the flavors.
Alyssa says
Thanks Kathy! Some of my favorite flavors in a refreshing summer treat! 🙂
Ashley says
Oooo I've never seen a pineapple upside down cake frozen treat before! This sounds awesome! I hate the unpacking part of moving - it always seems to take forever! And PS my sister also lovessss to pop bubble wrap!
Alyssa says
Haha Ashley, I don't know what it is about bubble wrap, but I can't resist! And I can SO do without unpacking. For-ever. I may have snuck away from the boxes early to make this frozen yogurt! 🙂
Cindy @ Pick Fresh Foods says
I love yogurt and have been wanting to make some for quite awhile, but other recipes and things keep me from remembering that I want to make it. I love your flavors! You even got the cherry in there 😀 Yum!
Alyssa says
Thanks Cindy! I'm so glad I happened to see this flavor on the menu at a local ice cream shop, or else I may have forgotten about it entirely! Pineapple upside down cake combines so many of my favorite flavors - cake, pineapple...and definitely cherries! 🙂
Anna Johnston says
Awh yeah, love whats crackin with this frozen yogurt, sweet combo Alyssa! Snow, rain or shine, always up for some frozen yogurt. 🙂
Alyssa says
Thanks Anna! Ice cream/frozen yogurt/custard is a year-round treat for me. It may be chilly out in the winter but I'll add an extra layer of clothing if I've got a craving! Haha
Helen @ Scrummy Lane says
Hello, Alyssa! So happy you're getting unpacked and settled there. Are you enjoying Nashville so far?
I can't believe you thought of this idea! So creative (well, I don't mean I don't think you can be creative - hopefully you get what I mean!) I love that you've added the cherries as well. 🙂
Alyssa says
Hi Helen! We are so enjoying Nashville so far! On one hand it feels like we just got here, but on the other it feels as if we've lived here for a long while. It's a very comfortable city for us, which I love! We're slowly exploring outside of our local surroundings and starting to get a lay of the land, taking some back roads on our errands and not getting lost (most of the time!) The apartment is just about settled regarding important functional items, though I spent more time than I'd like to admit browsing pillows online yesterday. Just some finicky decor items left to figure out. 🙂 And haha - thank you! I do know what you mean. Love those cherries!
Danielle says
I love the flavors in this frozen yogurt! This sounds so delicious right about now too, pinning!
Alyssa says
Thanks Danielle! It's such a treat in the summertime. 🙂
Sarah @ Running On Brie says
I'm obsessed with pineapple upside-down cake and I think this recipe might rock my world! Yum! Great idea- perfect for a nice hot July day.
Alyssa says
Thanks Sarah! Pineapple upside down cake is one of my very favorites. This is definitely the 'summer' version! 🙂
Jess @ WhatJessicaBakedNext says
This is such an amazing recipe idea, Alyssa! So cool, pineapple upside-down cake is my absolute favourite cake! I definitely need to try this fro-yo out soon! 🙂
Alyssa says
Thanks Jess! I love pineapple upside down cake, too. 🙂
Deb says
Love the summery color and flavor of the scrumptious Pineapple Upside Cake Frozen yogurt! Happy to hear you are settling into your new space!
Alyssa says
Thank you, Deb! Summery indeed. 🙂 Moving is a process (as always), but we've made great strides in just a few weeks here!
Natalie @ Tastes Lovely says
ALYSSA! We are such life twins! This is really starting to get funny. I posted an ice cream recipe today TOO! And talked about how much I craved it while moving. We must have been separated at birth, haha!
This pineapple upside down cake frozen yogurt sounds delicious! And I'm so excited to try out a frozen yogurt recipe in my ice cream maker! That didn't even occur to me. Fun!
Alyssa says
That is TOO funny, Natalie! Hahaha Our minds are in exactly the same place! I was totally huffing and puffing up our stairs with armfuls of bags/boxes/everything with ice cream on the brain. Just read your post - good find on the ice cream maker! I'm glad it made its appearance now than in the middle of winter, though I think of ice cream as an all-year-round treat. 🙂
Lynette says
This looks delicious and refreshing just from your photos. Yum. I wonder if I could make this without an ice cream maker? Hmmmm
Alyssa says
Hmmmm there are plenty of tutorials out there, though I can't vouch for any. I'd definitely look up some guidance...I'm having a recollection of trying to freestyle frozen yogurt years ago and it didn't turn out so great haha 🙂
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
This is seriously so genius! I love the idea of this!
Alyssa says
Thanks Jocelyn!
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says
Love the flavors in this yogurt, Alyssa! Such a fun twist, especially for the summer. I could use some of this today! 🙂
Alyssa says
Thanks Gayle! It's certainly refreshing after spending time outside in this summer heat. Plus I love anything pineapple, so the more excuses I can sneak it into my diet, the better! 🙂