After hearing about the easy frozen fruit and yogurt bites going viral on Instagram/TikTok, I couldn’t resist trying it. I love the flavour combination of fresh fruit with Greek yoghurt and chocolate. Of course, I had to put my little spin on it, and these frozen Greek yogurt bites did not disappoint! Using chia seeds adds healthy fats and dietary fibre. Meanwhile, the rose water adds a depth of flavour that compliments the strawberries and chocolate.
What are Yogurt Bites?
These homemade, mini chocolate-covered yogurt bites are an easy sweet treat roughly the size of a wagon wheel or moon pie. In the centre is a mix of frozen Greek yogurt, chia seeds and fresh strawberries, flavoured with maple syrup and rose water. The frozen yogurt bites are then coated in a layer of rich melted dark chocolate.
In each bite, you get the rich and creamy Greek yogurt, juicy sweet strawberry, soft floral notes of rose water and a slight bitterness from the dark chocolate. These yogurt bites are the perfect snack or dessert for adults and kids. Serve them either frozen or let them defrost in the fridge so they become soft and gooey in the centre. They are sweet enough to satisfy those sweet cravings and healthy enough to nourish your body.
Why this is the best Yogurt Bites recipe
Some of the reasons I love these Greek yogurt bites are:
- They have the perfect balance of sweet, tangy, bitter and floral flavours!
- They are easy to make, as they use no difficult cooking techniques!
- You only need 7 ingredients to make them!
- Uses everyday ingredients that are available at most supermarkets.
- It is budget friendly – cost me AUD$8.84 (~USD$6.11) but can be made cheaper!
- They are a great healthy snack or dessert option!
Yogurt Bites
YOGURT VS GREEK YOGURT
While regular yogurt and Greek yogurt are both popular dairy products, there are a few key differences that set them apart:
- Texture – Regular yogurt is smooth and creamy but has a thinner consistency. Meanwhile, Greek yogurt is much thicker and creamier.
- Taste – Regular yogurt often contains added sugars and flavours, so it can be much sweeter. While Greek yogurt is less sweet and tangier.
- How they are made – Although both are made with milk and live bacterial cultures, Greek yogurt is strained. The straining process removes much of the liquid and gives Greek yogurt a creamier texture.
BENEFITS OF GREEK YOGURT
Being a fermented dairy product, Greek yogurt comes with a range of benefits, such as:
- Is much higher in protein than regular yogurt, which supports immune system function, repair and maintenance of body cells and tissues, and can also be a source of energy.
- Is lower in fat and cholesterol than regular yogurt, which is better for heart health overall.
- Are a rich source of vitamin B12, which is used for maintaining a healthy nervous system and blood cells, as well as making DNA for new cells.
- Both regular and Greek yogurt are a probiotic, as they contain live bacterial cultures. Research suggests probiotics may be beneficial for digestive health, immune system function and certain chronic diseases and their risk factors.
Recipe suitability
These little yogurt bites may be small, but they have 3g of dietary fibre per serve, which is not bad for weighing only ~70g. They use fermented food, which makes them a great choice for gut health. Additionally, they have 4.5g of protein per serve, which can be increased by using protein powder. While they are not low in fat (or saturated fat), they are low in cholesterol and sodium. However, I consider them heart friendly at 2 serves because they contain healthy fats. They contain low GI ingredients and less than 15g of carbohydrates per serve, making them diabetes friendly. These yogurt bites are also gluten free and vegetarian and can be made vegan with a simple swap.
Yogurt Bites ingredients
- Greek yogurt – I used plain Greek yogurt. Scroll up to read about the benefits of Greek yoghurt.
- Strawberries – I used fresh strawberries since they are in season, which means they are cheaper than frozen. Strawberries are a rich source of vitamin C, which helps our bodies to absorb plant-based iron. Vitamin C is also used to make collagen, which strengthens blood vessel walls, forms scar tissue and is used for bone growth.
- Chia seeds – Are loaded with dietary fibre and healthy fats! Dietary fibre supports our gut health by feeding our gut bacteria, can help prevent constipation and helps us feel fuller for longer. Chia seeds also contain omega-3 fatty acids, which may support eye health and make part of the membranes of our cells.
- Maple syrup – For a touch of sweetness. However, maple syrup does contain a lot of excess sugar and is best eaten in moderation.
- Rose water – Adds a floral note that compliments the flavours of the strawberries and Greek yogurt. I got my rose water from the international section at Woolworths; however, you can sometimes find it at Coles.
- Dark chocolate – Is slightly bitter, which balances out the sweet and tart strawberries. Dark chocolate also has more antioxidants than milk chocolate. Antioxidants can help to neutralise free radicals and prevent damage to our body cells.
- Extra virgin olive oil – Thins out the melted chocolate to easily coat the yoghurt bites. I used the “Light” Cobram Estate extra virgin olive oil, which is light in flavour only, so you cannot taste it. Extra virgin olive is rich in vitamin E, which supports a healthy immune system and doubles as an antioxidant.
How to make Yogurt Bites
- Add the Greek yogurt, chia seeds, maple syrup, and rose water to a bowl and stir to mix well. Give the mixture a taste and adjust the amount of rose water if needed.
- Add the chopped strawberries and stir to mix. If you want your Greek yogurt to stay white, gently fold in the strawberries so they don’t leech their colour. If you want a pink coloured mixture, continue to mix until the yogurt has turned pink.
- Spoon the Greek yogurt mixture into a silicon muffin pan, filling the cavities halfway. Smooth the surface of the yogurt bites with the back of a metal teaspoon (optional). Place the muffin pan into the freezer for one hour or until the yogurt is frozen. If you don’t want to use a muffin pan, spoon the Greek yogurt bites mix in mounds on a tray covered with baking paper / parchment paper and place it into the freezer.
- Line a tray or chopping board with baking paper / parchment paper.
- Add dark chocolate and extra virgin olive oil in a small, deep bowl. Heat in the microwave for 15 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until the chocolate has melted.
- Remove the yogurt bites from the freezer and pop them out of the silicon muffin pan. Drop one of the yogurt bites into the melted dark chocolate and flip it with a fork so that both sides are coated. Then place the chocolate coated yogurt bite onto the baking paper / parchment paper. Repeat this step with the remaining yogurt bites. The frozen Greek yogurt bites will reduce the temperature of the dark chocolate, making it thicker. Heat it for 10-15 seconds in the microwave in between coating the yogurt bites. Don’t worry about rushing to return them to the freezer. The chocolate will harden even at room temperature due to the cold from the frozen yogurt bites.
- Allow the dark chocolate coating to harden, then serve the yogurt bites or store them in the fridge for later.
Storage
These Greek yogurt bites will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Otherwise, they will last in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Yogurt Bites FAQ
Yes! These yogurt bites are healthy because they have a good amount of protein, dietary fibre, healthy fats, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. However, fat (even healthy fats), if eaten in excess, is not beneficial to our health. So moderation is best!
It is best to use a thick yogurt, such as Greek yogurt, as it ensures that the bites are thick and creamy. I haven’t made this recipe with regular yogurt, so I’m unsure whether it would work.
You can, but flavoured Greek yogurt will likely contain added sugar and may make the yogurt bites very sweet. The flavour may also not be suited to the strawberries, rose water or dark chocolate. I recommend tasting the yogurt before adding the other ingredients.
Absolutely! You can just replace the rose water with 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Yes, you can! Just line each cavity of your muffin pan with paper liners. Otherwise, you will likely have trouble getting your yogurt bites out when they are frozen.
Yes, you can eat the stems / stalks of broccolini! Just be sure to trim any tough ends at the bottom before cooking or eating.
Yes they will, as the Greek yogurt used for this recipe contains minimal fat. If you want to keep the yogurt bites in the freezer, I recommend adding 1-2 tablespoons of a nut butter. Peanut butter, almond butter, or using full fat Greek yogurt would be my choices. Adding fat will help to minimise any ice crystals, but it will significantly increase the amount of fat in this recipe. However, after 2 months in the freezer they will likely develop ice crystals.
No, you can let them defrost in the fridge for about 30 minutes or 10 minutes at room temperature and the centres will be nice and gooey!
Substitutes & variations
- Other fruit – Blueberries would be my next choice. Otherwise, you could also make this recipe with just about any type of berry, frozen banana, or even dragon fruit. Acidic fruit such as pineapple, lime, lemon or other citruses will not work – as they can make the Greek yoghurt watery.
- Granola – For an extra crunch element.
- Nuts – Almonds, walnuts or peanuts would suit.
- Other flavours – Pumpkin spice or pumpkin puree.
Other dietary
Vegan / dairy free – Swap out the Greek yogurt for a plant-based yogurt such as coconut or soy yogurt. However, coconut and soy yogurt will be lower in protein, so you can add a vegan or dairy free protein powder to make up the difference.
For diabetics – Swap the dark chocolate for a sugar free dark chocolate to reduce the amount of sugar and carbohydrates. This way you can eat more than one serving.
Tips
Make sure that your dark chocolate is completely melted and mixed with the extra virgin olive oil before dunking the yogurt bites.
Ensure that your yogurt bites are fully frozen before dunking them in the dark chocolate so they don’t fall apart (and ruin your batch of dark chocolate)!
Dip the yogurt bites in batches and leave the rest in the freezer. Coat 3 or 4 at a time so the last few aren’t melting by the time you get to them!
Always line whatever you are freezing the yogurt bites on so they don’t get stuck to the baking sheet / tray / board.
If you are using sugar free dark chocolate, take care not to eat too many of these yogurt bites in one sitting. Eating lots of food with sugar free sweeteners can result in diarrhoea.
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Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups plain Greek yogurt, I used 2 160g tubs of chobani
- 1 1/3 cups fresh strawberries, diced
- 1 1/2 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 - 1 1/2 tsp rose water (Note 3)
- 3 tsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups dark chocolate (Note 4)
Instructions
- Add the Greek yogurt, chia seeds, maple syrup, and rose water to a bowl and stir to mix well. Give the mixture a taste and adjust the amount of rose water if needed.
- Add the chopped strawberries and stir to mix.
- Spoon the Greek yogurt mixture into a silicon muffin pan, filling the cavities halfway. Smooth the surface of the yogurt bites with the back of a metal teaspoon (optional). Place the muffin pan into the freezer for one hour or until the yogurt is frozen
- Line a tray or chopping board with baking paper / parchment paper.
- Add dark chocolate and extra virgin olive oil in a small, deep bowl. Heat in the microwave for 15 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until the chocolate has melted.
- Remove the yogurt bites from the freezer and pop them out of the silicon muffin pan. Drop one of the yogurt bites into the melted dark chocolate and flip it with a fork so that both sides are coated. Then place the chocolate coated yogurt bite onto the baking paper / parchment paper. Repeat this step with the remaining yogurt bites. (Note 5)
- Allow the dark chocolate coating to harden, then serve the yogurt bites or store the min the fridge for later.
Notes
- Health benefits - Details regarding the benefits of Greek yogurt and other ingredients in this recipe are in the post above.
- Other cooking methods & instructions with photos - Detailed in the post above.
- Rose water - I recommend starting with 1 teaspoon, tasting and then adding more if needed.
- Dark Chocolate - This recipe works with sugar free dark chocolate. Take care not to eat too many of these yogurt bites in one sitting if using sugar free dark chocolate. Eating lots of food with sugar free sweeteners can result in diarrhoea.
- Dunking the yogurt bites - The frozen yogurt bites will reduce the temperature of the dark chocolate, making it thicker. Heat it for 10-15 seconds in the microwave in between coating the Greek yogurt bites. Don’t worry about rushing to return them to the freezer. The chocolate will harden even at room temperature due to the cold from the frozen yogurt bites.
- Vegan / dairy free – Swap out the Greek yogurt for a plant-based yogurt such as coconut or soy yogurt. However, coconut and soy yogurt will be lower in protein, so you can add a vegan or dairy free protein powder to make up the difference.
- For diabetics – Swap the dark chocolate for a sugar free dark chocolate to reduce the amount of sugar and carbohydrates. This way you can eat more than one serving.
- Storage - These Greek yogurt bites will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Otherwise, they will last in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Measurements - A reminder that all measurements in this recipe were made using Australian cups (250ml) and tablespoons (20ml).
- Nutrition - Calculated per serve, assuming 13 serves.