This was a miserable assignment. Forging our way through frozen yogurt stands across the state, in search of the best fro-yo.

It is one summer dessert you can eat without guilt (or at least, with less guilt) because it’s lower in fat and calories than the ice cream you crave. The best fro-yo is also far better than most of the low- or no-fat ice cream sweetened with artificial sweetener.

Here’s our scoop:

The newest kids on the block may be the healthiest, and somewhat satisfying, but you have to love that tart yogurt taste. We’re talking about Yogomango (542 Livingston Street) in Norwood, and Yolato, (www.yolato.com) in Edgewater. Yogomango will even make you their version of a “pizza,” from brownies, toppings and fro-yo, for $15.00. Best call ahead for that one.

Purists can stick with McCools (www.mccoolsicecream.net) in Madison, serving the best fro-yo with mix-ins, followed closely by Daily Soup (www.dailysoup.com) in Montclair.

Not quite as gritty with flavor, but still very tasty was the fro-yo at South Street Creamery (www.southstreetcreamery.com) in Morristown.

Another fro-yo that topped our taste meter was the Columbo twist from Gelotti (194 Bloomfield Ave.) in Caldwell. We’d put Thomas Sweet (www.thomassweet.com) of Princeton and New Brunswick right alongside, with their no- and low-fat frozen yogurt.

Not dieting? Try Applegate Farm (www.applegatefarm.com) for rich frozen yogurt, chunk full of sweets, not pretending to be low fat or calorie conscious.

Want to try something different, but healthy? Stop by the newly opened Miami Rice Pudding Company in Denville, (www.miamiricepudding.com) and enjoy one of the flavored puddings with toppings and whipped cream.

Denville Police Officer Ken McEvoy founded the franchise and moved it here from the Livingston Mall, and now he’s looking to take it nationwide. Bring in a copy of this column, and you can buy one, and get one free.

The pudding is low fat, low carb, and will still be appealing, long after the long lines for ice cream at Denville Dairy around the corner have disappeared for the winter.

Got a favorite spot for fro-yo, or another healthy-but-guilty-dessert-pleasure? Click on the “Write The Editor” tab and let us know. We’ll just have to suffer through another assignment. It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it.