Who Supplies Chick-Fil-A's Yogurt (And Where Can You Buy It)?

Chick-fil-A may be known as the chain restaurant that sells the most chicken every year, but what many don't know is that its menu contains a sleeper hit in its parfaits. Indeed, the offering has become so popular that some have attempted to recreate it. Since yogurt is the key component of any parfait recipe, curious home recipe makers have attempted to achieve what Chick-fil-A has done with its Greek yogurt. It may not surprise anyone that Chick-fil-A yogurt parfaits are produced by a third party since 2015: Fair Oaks Farms, which provides dairy for the Fairlife brand. Interestingly, Fairlife is owned by Coca-Cola. 

Since its founding in the late 1990s by Mike and Sue McCloskey, Fair Oaks Farms has become successful enough to reach the status as one of the nation's largest dairy farms.  Wanting to share its process with the world, Fair Oaks Farms opened its doors to the public in 2004, becoming a major player in agritourism. The farm allows guests to attend museums, informing them on Fair Oaks' history and production, as well as other attractions, like farm tours and children play areas.  This success was likely what inspired the yogurt in Chick-fil-A parfaits.

While Fairlife traditional yogurt was once available online for purchase, the Greek-style used in Chick-fil-A parfaits is exclusive to the chain. So aside from a visit to your nearest Chick-fil-A, if you want to try Fairlife products, you will have to settle for the brand's milk selection, which includes ultra-filtered milk blends and its Core Power line of protein shakes. As Fair Oaks Farms is Fairlife's dairy producer, those wanting to make a trek to the Indiana farm could find a reasonable alternative at the farm's Red Barn Milk Bar. Here, Fair Oaks guests have access to the farm's house-made ice cream and milkshakes, which come in flavors like vanilla bean, butter pecan, and cookies and cream.

Of course, if trying the yogurt is a must and Chick-fil-A isn't an option, you can turn Fairlife milk into homemade Greek yogurt. Traditionally, yogurt is made by heating milk in appliances, like a slow cooker, up to 180 degrees before adding the culture starter. However, that requires a cooling time before letting the yogurt settle. Alternatively, the cold-start Instant Pot method uses less time and only involves mixing and incubating. To make milk into Greek yogurt, strain the resulting product through a fine mesh, like cheesecloth, to separate the whey. This helps it to achieve its unique thick and creamy texture. Then you can add nuts and berries to create an easy three-ingredient frozen yogurt.