protein yogurt: strawberries and cream & cookie dough

Originally posted May 24, 2019. Updated June 16, 2022 for content and clarity.

Protein yogurt is the perfect healthy snack to satisfy your sweet craving without any of the guilt! I’ll share two flavors and two ways to make it–one plant based and one dairy based! But once you try one of these recipes, it’ll open your eyes to a new world and you’ll be craving even more flavors!

strawberries and cream protein yogurt;

Let’s dive straight into the plant-based strawberries and cream protein yogurt! For a delicious plant-based option I go with coconut yogurt. It’s luscious and thick with a mild coconut flavor that complements the strawberries for a little tropical getaway in your mouth.

I really love the combo of vanilla and just a hint of almond extract, then add some maple syrup to sweeten it up. If you like an extra punch of strawberries in addition to fresh strawberries, stir in an extra swirl of jam. Note that the jam is very sweet so you might be better off mixing it in first and doing a little taste test. Then adjust the maple syrup as you see fit.

I also like to add chia seeds for added fiber and antioxidants and nutrients. If you add chia seeds, add 1 Tbsp of milk. Use whatever milk you’d like but if you want to keep your snack plant-based then pick something like almond or oat. But there’s no reason you couldn’t use cow’s milk if you prefer!

In fact, if you don’t need to avoid dairy, feel free to use greek yogurt as your base instead of coconut yogurt–it’ll be delicious either way, I promise! You can mix and match to your preferences. That means use honey instead of maple syrup if you want, or leave out the almond extract. Protein yogurt is still such a healthy and easy and delicious snack!

cookie dough protein yogurt;

Eating healthier doesn’t have to mean cutting out deliciousness! But there are those days that you crave something sweet right? You need some chocolate in your life, or else it’s not worth living! Maybe that’s a little extreme, but if you couldn’t tell from the blog title, chocolate is pretty important! So this is the perfect snack when you’re craving sweetness but don’t want to completely undo the day’s progress on eating healthy, but still get your sweet chocolatey fix.

I will fully admit that while this recipe is reminiscent of cookie dough and that craving you get, it is not the same as breaking into freshly made cookie dough. There’s a reason that buttery sugary deliciousness is so delicious. But I really like the vanilla mixed with a tiny bit of almond extract to give it a really nice light cookie flavor. I sometimes leave out the peanut butter, but always put in the chocolate!

If you can tolerate the bitterness and want to be as healthy as possible, you can try cocoa nibs in lieu of the chocolate chips, but even as a chocolate lover, I find cocoa nibs too bitter on their own. So I mix half chips and half nibs into my single serve cup. That way the sugar in the chocolate chips cuts some of the bitterness in each bite but the chocolate flavor is even more pervasive with less guilt! My favorites come from Trader Joe’s: roasted chocolate nibs and semisweet chocolate chunks.

secrets to success;

• Tailor this recipe to your preferences and dietary restrictions! For a plant-based option, use greek yogurt and maple syrup. Otherwise you can use greek yogurt and honey to sweeten it up. Add chia seeds to either option if you’d like!
• I love adding fresh fruit or chocolate for a bit of texture. It’s nice to break up the smoothness of the protein yogurt with some hearty deliciousness.
• Once you become addicted to protein yogurt, don’t be shy trying other flavors! Use a little mint extract for a mint chocolate chip option. Or even combine the flavors here and mix some chocolate chips into your strawberries and cream for a chocolate strawberry action.

Looking for other healthful but delicious recipes? I’ve got you covered!

• healthful protein-packed tofu pasta alfredo is a guilt-free way to enjoy the delicious, rich pasta alfredo–with double the protein!
• If you want to make a hearty breakfast to go with your protein yogurt, add these healthful greek yogurt pancakes to the menu!
• healthful ‘twix’ bars will satisfy your sweet cookie craving.