Greek yoghurt has a fat content and texture that makes it genuinely useful in desserts – not as a compromise ingredient, but as something that actively improves the result. It adds a clean tang that stops sweet things from being cloying, and it sets and freezes well.
1. Frozen Yoghurt Bark
Line a baking tray with baking paper and spread two cups of Greek yoghurt in an even layer about one centimetre thick. Stir through a tablespoon of honey first if you like sweetness. Scatter over your toppings – sliced strawberries, blueberries, crushed pistachios, and dark chocolate chips work well together. Freeze for at least three hours until completely solid, then break into rough shards. Store in a freezer bag and eat straight from frozen. Cold, creamy, and crunchy all at once, and takes about five minutes to assemble.
2. No-Bake Greek Yoghurt Cheesecake
Blend 250g of cream cheese with one cup of Greek yoghurt, three tablespoons of icing sugar, and a teaspoon of vanilla until smooth. Press a base of crushed biscuits mixed with melted butter into a springform tin, pour the filling over, and refrigerate for at least four hours. The yoghurt cuts through the richness of the cream cheese and gives the filling a lighter, fresher flavour than a traditional cheesecake. Top with fresh berries or a simple compote before serving.
3. Honey, Pistachio and Yoghurt Cups
Spoon Greek yoghurt into small glasses or bowls. Drizzle generously with a floral honey – orange blossom or raw honey both work beautifully. Scatter over roughly chopped toasted pistachios and finish with a very small pinch of flaky sea salt. The salt sharpens the honey and makes the whole thing taste more considered than three ingredients have any right to. Takes two minutes to assemble and works well as a dinner party dessert.
4. Yoghurt Panna Cotta
Warm half a cup of cream with two teaspoons of caster sugar and one and a half teaspoons of gelatine powder until dissolved – do not boil. Remove from heat and whisk in one cup of Greek yoghurt and a teaspoon of vanilla. Pour into lightly oiled moulds or glasses and refrigerate for a minimum of four hours. The yoghurt makes it lighter and tangier than a standard panna cotta. Serve with fresh passionfruit or a quick berry compote.
5. Dark Chocolate Dipped Frozen Yoghurt Bites
Mix Greek yoghurt with a teaspoon of vanilla and a drizzle of honey. Drop tablespoon-sized mounds onto a lined tray and freeze solid, about two hours. Melt dark chocolate with a teaspoon of coconut oil. Dip each frozen yoghurt round halfway into the chocolate, return to the tray, and freeze for another fifteen minutes. The contrast of cold creamy yoghurt and cracking dark chocolate is the kind of thing that disappears fast. Keep in the freezer and serve straight from frozen.
