I wonder if Chobani influenced Häagen-Dazs to think outside of the freezer aisle. For years, Chobani was known as a yogurt company, but then it used its dairy knowledge to develop other products, like coffee creamers and cold brew. Häagen-Dazs has been known as an ice cream brand with a made-up name for decades. But now it’s using its dairy expertise to take up some space near Chobani’s turf with its new yogurt Cultured Crème.
They look like yogurt, and you will find them in the yogurt aisle, but the word “yogurt” doesn’t appear anywhere on the label. While traditional yogurt uses milk as the main ingredient, these use crème fraiche. According to General Mills, the product utilizes a fermentation process that is up to five times longer than traditional yogurt to create a thick, creamy texture reminiscent of ice cream. It also uses a unique blend of dairy cultures that offer a smoother taste experience, unlike the slightly sour flavor of traditional yogurt.
Currently, six flavors are available: Black Cherry, Blueberry, Coffee, Lemon, Strawberry, and Vanilla Bean. They come in four-ounce containers, which seem slightly stingy compared to the 5.3-ounce Chobani and six-ounce Yoplait containers.
The Blueberry, Strawberry, Black Cherry, and Lemon varieties mostly taste like yogurt I’ve had from other brands. However, something about them makes them slightly more enjoyable than any yogurt I’ve had. Is it the cane sugar or the use of actual fruit and fruit juices? I’m not sure. All four have fruit pieces in them, although I didn’t notice the pulp in the lemon one. Also, these are smoother tasting than Greek yogurt, but there’s still a noticeable tanginess.
While the tang isn’t weird with the fruity flavors, it’s odd and maybe slightly more noticeable in the Coffee variety, which is made using cold brewed coffee. Its taste is similar to coffee ice cream but with some tanginess. While I’m fine with it and think it’s a great flavor, I can taste how some folks might be turned off by it.
As you can see, I don’t dislike any of them, but I was surprised by my favorite of the bunch — vanilla bean.
It’s the best tasting vanilla product in the yogurt aisle I’ve ever had. There are vanilla bean specks throughout, and as it goes down my throat, it sometimes tastes like I’m eating vanilla ice cream. Also, the tang gives it a cheesecake-like flavor most of the time. Of the six flavors, it’s the one that tastes most like a dessert than something yogurt-like. I scraped the container’s sides with a spoon and licked the foil lid to get every bit of it. That’s how much I loved it.
With all that said, the name, Cultured Crème, confuses my gut microbiome. Does it contain live and active cultures? Unlike most yogurt, it doesn’t say it anywhere. So am I getting any health benefits while eating these, or are these just sugary desserts in the yogurt aisle? While I’m unsure if these are great for my digestive system, they do taste great and are worth trying.
Purchased Price: $2.00 each
Size: 4 oz containers
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 8 out of 10 (Vanilla Bean), 7 out of 10 (all others)
Nutrition Facts: (1 container) Black Cherry – 190 calories, 11 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 45 milligrams of cholesterol, 55 milligrams of sodium, 19 grams of carbohydrates, 16 grams of sugar (including 10 grams of added sugar), and 4 grams of protein. Blueberry – 200 calories, 11 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 45 milligrams of cholesterol, 60 milligrams of sodium, 21 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 17 grams of sugar (including 11 grams of added sugar), and 4 grams of protein. Lemon – 200 calories, 11 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 45 milligrams of cholesterol, 65 milligrams of sodium, 22 grams of carbohydrates, 20 grams of sugar (including 15 grams of added sugar), and 4 grams of protein. Strawberry – 190 calories, 10 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 40 milligrams of cholesterol, 60 milligrams of sodium, 20 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 16 grams of sugar (including 11 grams of added sugar), and 4 grams of protein. Coffee – 200 calories, 11 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 45 milligrams of cholesterol, 55 milligrams of sodium, 21 grams of carbohydrates, 18 grams of sugar (including 13 grams of added sugar), and 4 grams of protein. Vanilla Bean – 190 calories, 11 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 45 milligrams of cholesterol, 55 milligrams of sodium, 20 grams of carbohydrates, 17 grams of sugar (including 12 grams of added sugar), and 4 grams of protein.