Frozen yoghurt bark is a healthy frozen treat on a hot day
Frozen yoghurt bark is a light alternative to ice cream that is simple to make at home. With just a few ingredients you can make a refreshing summer snack. The focus is on the yoghurt base, which is combined with fruits, nuts or chocolate, and frozen flat. In no time at all you have a bark that you can snap into pieces and eat directly from the freezer compartment. A healthy alternative to ice cream for anyone who wants to combine conscious enjoyment with fresh ideas. This article sets out how frozen yoghurt bark is made, step by step, what ingredients are particularly good to use, and how to freeze it for the best consistency.
The key points
- Frozen yoghurt bark is a homemade alternative to ice cream with a yoghurt base
- A thin layer ensures short freezing times and a fine texture
- Greek yoghurt and skyr make a particularly creamy bark
- Toppings can be picked to suit your taste and vary seasonally
- The bark can keep for up to two months in the freezer compartment at −18 °C
What is frozen yoghurt bark and why is it so popular?
Frozen yoghurt bark is a yoghurt mixture that is thinly spread, frozen, and then broken into pieces. The term “bark” is already used to described broken chocolate, where it refers to its irregular, natural shape.
This method is very popular because it can be done without any special appliances and can be easily adapted to peoples’ preferences. In contrast to conventional ice cream, no air is whipped into frozen yoghurt bark, which means that its structure and taste come directly from the ingredients used.
Yoghurt contains protein and calcium, and fruit adds freshness and natural sweetness. Frozen yoghurt bark is particularly great in summer as a refreshing snack that can be portioned out quickly. Eating it straight away in its frozen state means the texture remains stable and the yoghurt doesn’t become watery as is thaws.
Ingredients:
Toppings:
- Fresh fruit, for example strawberries, blueberries, or banana
- Nuts, such as almonds or walnuts, roughly chopped
- Seeds, such as chia seeds or flaxseeds
- Chopped dark chocolate or cocoa nibs
- Optional: a few drops of linseed oil for additional unsaturated fatty acids
How to make frozen yoghurt bark step by step
The yoghurt is first combined with a sweetener, such as honey or maple syrup and stirred smooth. You can also enhance it with vanilla extract if you wish. The mixture is then spread flat over a tray or flat mould covered with baking paper. Getting an even layer no more than one centimetre thick is important as this reduces the freezing time and encourages small ice crystals to form.
The chosen toppings are then evenly spread over the yoghurt. The tray is put in the freezer for two to four hours at around −18 °C until the mixture has fully hardened. Thin layers freeze quicker and create a finer texture. After freezing the slab is broken into pieces and served immediately or stored in the freezer in an airtight container.
It’s important to have the right thickness for your layer of yoghurt bark: Thinner layers freeze quicker, form smaller ice crystals, and create a finer texture.
What makes frozen yoghurt bark a healthy alternative to ice cream?
Frozen yoghurt bark is a healthy alternative to ice cream because the ingredients are chosen with thought and can be fully controlled. You decide what goes in: real yoghurt, fresh ingredients, and no additives. Sugar can be individually portioned or specifically reduced.
Greek yoghurt and skyr in particular contain high-quality protein that helps you feel full and aids muscle metabolism. Probiotic cultures in the yoghurt can have a positive effect on gut microbiota, even though their activity is somewhat reduced by freezing.
For additional unsaturated fatty acids, a tiny amount of linseed oil can be added, but be careful of its intense taste.
Frozen yoghurt contains a lot less energy than conventional ice cream: around 115 kilocalories per 100 grams, in contrast to around 170 kilocalories in chocolate ice cream. Industrial frozen yoghurt products often contain a lot of sugar and very little yoghurt. Homemade variants give you full control over the amount of yoghurt, the energy, and the nutrition.
This text has been machine translated from English.