Frozen Yogurt Bark with Cranberries & Pistachios Recipe

A frozen treat can be the perfect way to end a meal or perk up an afternoon, but ice creams and gelatos come with a lot of sugar. Looking for a freezer-friendly snack that is semi-crunchy yet creamy and subtly sweet without all the sugar? Try some cranberry and pistachio frozen yogurt bark!

When I think of frozen yogurt, I picture going to shop and filling my cup to the brim with my favorite flavor, then layering it with candy bars, chocolate and various toppings. There's a time and place for that treat, but did you know you can make an equally satisfying snack at home with healthier ingredients you likely have on hand? Frozen yogurt bark is versatile, quick, and full of your favorite flavors, so you won't want to skip this healthy, no-bake yogurt bark recipe! It's a great way to break a fast or calm a craving for sugar.

What is frozen yogurt bark?

This bark is an easy snack that consists of mixing your favorite yogurt or Greek yogurt with a bit of honey or maple syrup, spreading it onto a baking sheet, adding toppings, and then freezing it. This process of freezing the Greek yogurt with toppings turns it into a delightful, semi-crunchy yet still creamy snack that is protein-packed and full of nutrients. It is easy to customize, and it's especially quick to create.

Is frozen yogurt bark healthy?

Plain Greek yogurt (my favorite because it's so versatile when adding flavors) is a byproduct of milk that is generally filled with active live cultures that are known as probiotics, depending on the brand.

Probiotics support your gut microbiome and many other aspects of health, such as heart health, brain health and mood—making Greek yogurt a great breakfast choice to start your day.

Probiotics help so many aspects of health because the gut is connected to everything. After all, when we eat food, it's our gut that facilitates absorption of those nutrients. Probiotics in yogurt help promote a healthy inflammatory response and can benefit our emotional well-being, heart and liver.

In addition to the health benefits of Greek yogurt, the toppings you add to your bark—such as those heart-healthy pistachios and antioxidant-rich cranberries—can deliver even more vitamins and nutrients.

Why add cranberries to my yogurt bark?

One of my favorite types of recipes to make in the kitchen is a recipe that can be easily customized and tailored to your favorite tastes as well as what you may already have stocked in your pantry. So this frozen yogurt bark recipe makes the top of my list because of how versatile it is and how easy it is to add any of your favorite flavors.

Adding cranberries to this bark recipe is a great way to take advantage of their antioxidant benefits and to support urinary and digestive health, especially for women.

Cranberries are also a powerful fruit for healthy brain function. Studies show consuming cranberries every day can support memory, brain function and vascular health. Cranberries are a rich source of dietary phenolic compounds, and they've been shown to support already-healthy blood pressure and a healthy inflammatory response.

Can I add frozen cranberries to my yogurt bark?

Frozen cranberries or other frozen fruit can be added, but it is recommended to let their excess moisture/ice crystals melt off before using them. This is because the additional water from the frozen cranberries would drip into the yogurt, causing it to have an icy texture instead of a creamy texture. You can prevent this by first spreading the frozen cranberries onto a paper towel to allow the excess water to melt off.

Although frozen fruit is an option, I prefer using dried cranberries. They're easy to handle and you can keep them in your pantry for many months.

How long does yogurt bark last?

Greek yogurt bark lasts until the original Greek yogurt container you used reaches expiration. This is because the yogurt stays cool during preparation (since it is a quick process to mix in the honey and spread onto the baking sheet) and shortly after that process, it is frozen. If you are keeping the yogurt frozen in an airtight container, it can store in the freezer up to 30 days. For the freshest taste, keep your Greek yogurt bark frozen and eat it within three days.

How to make frozen yogurt bark with cranberries

Ingredients

2 cups plain Greek yogurt
2 tbsp honey (or maple syrup)
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup shelled pistachios

Preparation

• Add yogurt and honey to a bowl to combine.
• Spread yogurt mixture about ¼" thick onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper or wax paper.
• Top with dried cranberries and pistachios. Gently press toppings into the yogurt mixture.
• Place in freezer for about three hours until bark is firm.
• Break into pieces to serve.

This recipe serves 6.

Nutritional Values per serving:

Calories: 164 calories
Protein: 10 grams
Carbohydrates: 22 grams
Fat: 4 grams

All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes.

Tips for success

• Ensure your bark is completely frozen before breaking it into pieces. If it's not totally solid, you'll end up with a bit of a mess. It's best to freeze for at least three hours.
• Some of my favorite toppings to add are chocolate chips, coconut flakes, sliced almonds, crushed walnuts, granola and sprinkles to make a colorful, kid-friendly treat.
• Not only can you customize the toppings you're adding, you can also use your favorite flavor of yogurt, such as strawberry, blueberry, raspberry or coconut. Plain yogurt mixed with cocoa powder, peanut butter, maple syrup or vanilla extract are all amazing variations of this yummy recipe.
• This Greek yogurt bark recipe is gluten-free, but check your ingredients to ensure they are processed in gluten-free facilities if gluten is a concern. Most of the toppings are also gluten-free, but the chocolate chips and granola might be cross-contaminated during processing, so check their labels.
• You can make frozen yogurt bark dairy-free by using coconut milk yogurt. It also comes in plain and fruit flavors, such as strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, key lime and mango.
• You can reduce the calorie content by replacing the honey or maple syrup with an alternative sweetener like stevia, and by using a low-fat yogurt instead of the full-fat variety.

How to store frozen yogurt bark

It is best to store frozen yogurt bark in the freezer so it maintains its form. Not only is this best for maintaining your snack, but storing in the freezer also ensures every bite of it has that crunchy + creamy effect.

Does frozen yogurt bark melt?

Frozen yogurt bark does indeed melt. It's recommended to consume immediately from the freezer, otherwise it will become creamy and begin to melt – this results in your snack resembling yogurt itself instead of the Greek yogurt bark you spent time to create!

Can I get enough cranberry benefits from yogurt bark?

When you think of cranberries, you may think of traditional cranberry juice or the dried cranberries you see in this recipe. But there are a variety of other ways to enjoy cranberries and add them to your daily intake:

• Baked cranberries
• Cranberry jam
• Fresh, raw cranberries
• Cranberry butter
• Cranberry baked goods

As tasty as cranberries are, it's not so easy to eat enough every day to get all their health benefits, especially because cranberries are often processed with sugar. Even with this healthy yogurt bark recipe, eating enough to get optimal benefits from the cranberries probably isn't realistic. This makes supplementation a smart choice.

Cranberry supplements

The easiest and most effective way to receive all the benefits of cranberries, without the sugar, is with a cranberry supplement. Such supplements help support urinary tract health and protect against oxidative stress with the polyphenols and antioxidants in the cranberry concentrate they deliver.

References

• Flanagan, Emma et al. "Chronic Consumption of Cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon) for 12 Weeks Improves Episodic Memory and Regional Brain Perfusion in Healthy Older Adults: A Randomised, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel-Groups Feasibility Study." Front. Nutr., May 2022, https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2022.849902/full
• Nemzer, Boris V. et al. "Cranberry: Chemical Composition, Antioxidant Activity and Impact on Human Health: Overview." Molecules, March 2022, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8911768/