Frozen yogurt bars are easy to make and the perfect treat to have on hand for summer. They're healthier than traditional ice cream bars and the combination of strawberry and chocolate is just heavenly! I make these dairy-free, but traditional yogurt can be used, too.
If you love the combination of chocolate and strawberries as much as I do, you may also like my Chocolate Covered Strawberries. They're so simple to make and a great way to use in-season berries.
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Ingredients
As mentioned, I make these with dairy-free yogurt but traditional Greek yogurt works great too. I like Cocojune strawberry-flavored yogurt, but an unflavored option will be just as tasty. If you're using plant-based yogurt, try to find one high in fat. This will help the bars stay creamy when frozen. Coconut yogurt typically has the most fat content compared to other plant-based options. To keep these lower in sugar, I use unsweetened yogurt and chocolate that contains unrefined sugar.
Here's what you'll need:
- yogurt
- strawberries
- vanilla extract
- maple syrup
- coconut cream
- chocolate chips
- coconut oil
A note about the coconut cream: Dairy-free yogurts tend to have lower fat and high water content, and when frozen will have an icy texture. I use coconut cream to add fat and make these bars creamier. Full-fat Greek yogurt typically has enough fat and will freeze nice and creamy. If you like the icy texture or you're using Greek yogurt, feel free to omit the coconut cream.
How to make these frozen yogurt bars
Making these bars is simple and requires no fancy equipment. Just mix the yogurt, coconut cream, vanilla, and maple syrup. Gently fold in your strawberries, pour the mixture into your pan, and freeze. Once the bars are frozen, melt the chocolate and coconut oil together, dip the bars, and freeze again for a few minutes. That's it!
Step 1: Mix the yogurt bar ingredients except for strawberries. Once well combined, gently fold in the strawberries.
Step 2: Spray a loaf pan with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper. Spray the paper, then pour in the yogurt.
Step 3: Freeze for 3 hours. Cut into 6 bars.
Step 4: Microwave the chocolate and coconut oil together in 20-second increments, stirring in between. Once the mixture is smooth, dip your bars.
Place your dipped bars onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet then place in the freezer for about 15 minutes. Once the chocolate has hardened you can transfer your bars to a freezer-safe covered container or a freezer bag.
Tip: If your bars come out of the freezer too hard to cut, leave them at room temperature for a few minutes to soften.
Dairy-Free Chocolate
I use dairy-free chocolate from Hu Kitchen to make these. I like Hu chocolate because it's organic, uses simple ingredients, and contains unrefined sugar. Look for a dark chocolate or low-sugar option if you're watching your calories or carbs. Check out my guide to dairy-free chocolate for more options.
Tips For Making Frozen Yogurt Bars
Making these bars is extremely easy but there are a few things you can do to ensure they come out creamy and delicious.
- Use Fat - Fat is necessary to make these bars creamy and to prevent your frozen yogurt from getting icy. I don't recommend using nonfat yogurt for this.
- Pour off any accumulated water - If any water has accumulated at the top of the yogurt container, carefully pour it down the drain. This will help prevent ice crystals and make your bars more creamy.
- Chop your berries small and pat them dry- Dicing the berries very small will make them easier to bite into once they're frozen. Make sure they are very dry to avoid any water, which will cause ice crystals.
- Don't skip the coconut oil - This helps thin out the chocolate and makes it easier to eat once it's hardened. It will also make dipping your bars a bit easier.
- Use parchment -spraying your pan and lining it with parchment will help get your bars out of the pan once they're frozen. If you have difficulty removing them from the pan once they're frozen, try running the sides of the pan under warm water for a minute. This will soften the edges of the bars just enough to lift them out of the pan.
- Let them sit at room temperature -It's best to leave your bars at room temperature for a few minutes to let them soften before eating. 5-10 minutes typically works for me, depending on how warm it is in my kitchen.
The photo above displays how to crisscross your parchment paper. This will help you lift the bars from the pan once frozen. You could also spread the yogurt mixture onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet in a rectangular shape, as it would be in a loaf pan.
Variations
Feel free to mix up the fruit in these bars. Any fruit that goes well with chocolate will work in these, just be sure they are cut small.
- Blueberries - ripe, fresh blueberries work great and they're small enough to leave whole.
- Raspberries - raspberries pair deliciously with chocolate. Be sure to cut them in half if the berries are large
- Bananas - In my opinion, chocolate and bananas are a match made in heaven. Be sure to dice the bananas small. (if you like this, try my Frozen Snickers Bananas)
Storing Your Bars
These will keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months. Store them in a covered freezer-safe container, or an airtight freezer bag.
FAQ
Icy frozen yogurt results from water in the yogurt freezing into ice crystals. To prevent this, use a yogurt with a high fat content. The one I use has 18g of fat. I also pour off any water in the yogurt container. The addition of the coconut cream adds a bit more fat and helps the bars become even more rich and creamy.
More Healthier Desserts
Looking for more recipes? Try these:
Chocolate Strawberry Frozen Yogurt Bars
Ingredients
For The Yogurt Bars
- ¾ cup yogurt dairy-free or greek style
- ¼ cup coconut cream omit if using Greek yogurt
- ½ cup strawberries diced small
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ tablespoon maple syrup
For The Chocolate
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl stir together the ingredients for the yogurt bars except for the strawberries. Before adding your yogurt, pour off any water that has accumulated at the top of the container.
- Once the mixture is thoroughly combined, gently fold in your strawberries. Make sure your berries are very dry. Pat them dry with a paper towel if they have any moisture.
- Spray a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray (I used coconut). Lay two strips of parchment paper across the pan, one horizontally and one vertically. I cut my parchment in half to make them more narrow. You want the ends of the parchment paper to go up the sides. They'll serve as handles later to help pull your bars up and out of your pan. (See the photo above for a visual.)
- Spray your parchment in the loaf pan with nonstick spray.
- Pour your yogurt mixture into the prepared pan, and freeze for 3 hours.
- Once the yogurt is frozen, pull up on the parchment handles to release the yogurt from the pan gently. If it's stuck to the pan, run the sides of the pan under warm water for a couple of seconds. This will help it release.
- Cut the bars into 6 squares. If your yogurt is too hard to cut, let it sit at room temparature for a few minutes to soften.
- Combine your chocolate and coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 20 seconds at a time, stirring after each 20-second increment. Continue this until the chocolate is melted and smooth. It's going to look thin and liquidy and that's how we want it.
- Line a small cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Dip each yogurt bar in the chocolate. Flip it over in the chocolate so you thoroughly coat all sides.
- If you have leftover chocolate you can drizzle it over the top of the bars.
- Place the bars on the parchment-lined cookie sheet and freeze for about 15 minutes, until the chocolate has hardened.
- I let them sit at room temperature for 5 minutes to soften before enjoying.
- Store in an airtight container or freezer bag in your freezer for up to 3 months.
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