MOVE OVER CUPCAKES >>>

It seems everywhere I look, frozen yogurt shops are popping up. I began to think I was going crazy. Am I imagining it or is frozen yogurt the new cupcake?

Frozen yogurt has long drawn patrons looking for a low fat frozen treat. To investigate the trend, I recently visited The Freeze in University Place (3806 Bridgeport Way W.), which opened in mid-March. The flavors ranged from standards like chocolate and vanilla to red velvet and mango. Sure, the yogurt is low fat, but then I had my way with the toppings. Cookie crumbles, caramel syrup and gummy worms, oh my.

Gibson's Frozen Yogurt Shoppe in Tacoma's Stadium District (8 N. Tacoma Ave.) opened in February 2011 and has been a go-to dessert fix in the area ever since. In fact, Gibson's has been so well received that they're opening a second location at North 26th and Pearl in Tacoma's Westgate neighborhood they'll be in the old Little Caesar's building.

Ben Hall hangs at The Freeze in University Place.

Fueling my cupcake-turned-fro-yo conspiracy theory, the old Jubilee Cupcakes space in Tacoma's Proctor District will soon be home to Proctor Frozen Yogurt (2510 N. Proctor), with an anticipated opening date in early May.

Last July, Elements Frozen Yogurt (333 South Meridian, #111) opened in downtown Puyallup. South Hill now has a place to get their frozen yogurt fix at Menchie's in Sunrise Village (10306 156th St. E.). It opens April 5.

The range of flavors and toppings makes frozen yogurt irresistible to kids and adults alike. Add the fact that it's self-serve and pay-by-weight, and it's easy to see why frozen yogurt is the newest trend to hit the area.