Every day around 4pm, I remember that dinner is still a few hours away, and I’m already hungry enough to eat home. Packaged snacks can fill the void, but they often leave me unsatisfied, so I’m always looking for homemade snack ideas that are as delicious as they are easy to make.
These frozen chocolate-covered fruit and yogurt clusters got their 15 minutes of fame on social media a few years ago, but I’ve been making them ever since because they’re easy, require minimal ingredients, and taste like ice cream. as is
Original trending recipes include mixing strawberries or blueberries with yogurt, freezing the mixture into individual dollops, and then dipping each cluster in a mixture of melted chocolate chips and coconut oil, which hardens into a hard shell to the touch. goes
A few suggestions
- Frozen vs. Fresh FruitIf you use frozen fruit, you may want to increase the amount of yogurt slightly. Yogurt congeals and sticks to the frozen fruit, making it difficult to distribute evenly when collected in a bowl.
- Make a doubleIf you are feeding a crowd or want to make a large batch, the recipe can easily be doubled.
- Use a different chocolate.If you like, replace the semi-sweet chocolate with milk, dark or white chocolate.
- Play with the toppingsA sprinkling of salt, a dusting of cardamom, or spicy chili flakes or tajine (especially on mango clusters) can pack an extra flavor punch.
Which yogurt is best for clusters?
I use regular vanilla yogurt for these clusters, but you can substitute plain yogurt. Greek yogurt For extra protein, or your favorite plant-based yogurt. You can also add more or less yogurt depending on your preferred yogurt to fruit ratio. I prefer 1/4 cup of yogurt to 1 cup of fruit.
Strawberry Yogurt Clusters
These strawberry yogurt clusters remind me of the classic summer flavor of strawberries and cream. Fresh strawberries are best here because they offer a lot more flavor than frozen, and they can be easily cut into small pieces.
Strawberry Yogurt Clusters
1 cup chopped strawberries (aim for 1/4-inch pieces)
1/4 cup vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup semi-sweet Chocolate chips
2 tablespoons of coconut oil
Flaky sea salt or kosher salt (optional)
preparation
- Line a plate or baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl, mix together the strawberries. And yogurt until the fruit is covered. Drop the mixture onto the parchment into 5 equal-sized clusters. Freeze until solid, about 30 minutes.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil in 30 second increments, stirring after each addition, until the mixture is smooth and comes off a spoon easily (if the chocolate seems too thick If so, add a little more coconut oil). Allow the melted chocolate to cool for a few minutes.
- Working quickly, dip the frozen clusters in the chocolate so they are completely covered. Return to the parchment, then sprinkle with a little salt if desired. Return to freezer for 10 minutes. Once the chocolate has hardened, place the clusters in a freezer container until ready to enjoy.
Blueberry Yogurt Clusters
Blueberries are a great option for these yogurt clusters because they don’t need to be chopped, which means one less step! I prefer fresh blueberries over frozen, but frozen works just as well (although, as mentioned above, you may need to up the amount of yogurt a bit).
To make blueberry yogurt clusters, follow the recipe above, substituting 1 cup whole blueberries for the sliced strawberries.
Mango curd bunches.
Although I tend to use semi-sweet chocolate for the hard shell here as well, this would be a good opportunity to experiment with a white chocolate hard shell. Also, like the blueberry clusters, you can use either frozen or fresh mangoes, but no matter what kind of mango you use, cut it into 1/4-inch chunks. take
To make Mango Yogurt Buns, follow the recipe above, substituting 1 cup chopped mango for the chopped strawberries. Instead of optional salt, sprinkle them with chili flakes or tajine.