Yogurt pie is a treat for anyone looking to cut calories, gain calcium, and keep an eye on health. It’s quick and easy to whip up, and a number of variations mean a clever cook can change it up to keep diners from getting tired of it. Busy people can put together this icebox, no-bake dessert in less than five minutes using three ingredients, and cooks who like to tweak recipes will find all kinds of ways to glam up this yummy dessert.
The most basic version of yogurt pie requires only a premade pie crust, a container of flavored yogurt, and a container of frozen whipped topping. The topping and yogurt are swirled together and frozen in the pie crust. A graham cracker crust from the grocery store freezer is what most cooks prefer, both for the taste and because it doesn’t require baking. For those who want a standard flour crust, they can use it as well as long as it has been baked and cooked before filling.
One way to easily jazz up this treat is to slice some bananas, blueberries, strawberries, or other fresh fruits into the mix. Alternatively, cooks can add fresh fruit to the top of the pie as it’s served. Chunks of chocolate, tiny marshmallows, or broken bits of peppermint or toffee candy bring this dessert from serviceable to memorable.
Some cooks up the fruit content by adding in canned fruit filling. This saves time, and the ingredients can be kept on hand for emergency desserts. In a pinch, a dollop or two of berry jam or preserves works just as well.
Well-drained pineapple mixed into plain yogurt and the whipped topping is also yummy. Some folks like to stud this pie with maraschino cherries. Others add a bit of coconut or a drop or two of coconut extract for a tropical flavor.
Some cooks have found that adding a package of flavored gelatin intensifies the flavors of the yogurt pie and improves the texture. There’s no need to cook the gelatin. Folding it into the yogurt and whipped topping is all there is to it.
Cooks who aren’t satisfied unless their guests are thoroughly wowed can jazz up the standard yogurt pie by adding lavender or clover honey as well as a good amount of very cold heavy cream in addition to the whipped topping. Rather than using purchased whipped topping, nothing beats homemade whipped cream. This version is best with unflavored gelatin to allow the honey to showcase. To make it even more amazing, a cook can line the pie crust with peach slices, with more added to the top of the frozen pie before serving.
