Come summer, and social media users witness a wave of recipes with strawberries. This year, one of the recipes that went viral was strawberry yogurt clusters. These are crunchy, chocolaty frozen sweet treats with yogurt and fruit. The yogurt and fruit is mixed, portioned into small cookies (or clusters), baked, dipped into indulgent melted chocolate, sprinkled with salt flakes, frozen and relished. Think of them like chocobar-bites with yogurts and fresh fruits.
While strawberries are most popular—because they look pretty in photographs which make them Insta-worthy—recipe creators have experimented with a whole host of fruits; from pineapples to dry fruits and frozen fruits. There are vegan options as well as dark and white chocolate variations. They are sweetened with just a bit of maple syrup. The recipes on social media caught on like a house on fire, because most believe these are healthy, plus they are easy and fun to make. Whether they are healthy is open to debate—because the fruit is baked which strips it off some of the nutrition, compared to fresh. And, packaged yogurt isn’t as healthy as homemade dahi. Whether someone has replaced yogurt with dahi to make these clusters isn’t yet known; perhaps you could give it a try.
Also, feel free to experiment with fruits that are locally available. Stone fruits, like plums and peaches, are in season right now which are great ingredients for desserts that look fancy but are simple to make. You could add almond shavings, grated coconut, salted pista pieces, sunflower seeds and a touch of cinnamon powder to take it up a few notches and give them a creative spin. It’s a quick homemade dessert for quests, and are perfect as an after-school snack. It’s a great midweek treat if you are looking for something to lift your mood. Here is a recipe for yogurt clusters with blueberries and peanut butter.
And, if you are looking for something different, try this recipe with white chocolate. If strawberries are unavailable, use raspberries, plums or peaches. Make it your own.
