Customize Without Compromise
As discussed in Yogurt Customization #1, the best part of making your own yogurt (I make mine in my Instant Pot), is that you can completely customize your yogurt. Everyone in my house has their own opinion about what flavor we should have or what toppings should be on top. The biggest request is not to compromise the homemade yogurt’s thick consistency.
Flavor Options
You have all sorts of options when it comes to customizing the flavor of your yogurt. This time, we are showcasing the blueberry, vanilla bean, and peach-mango naturally flavored yogurts. All are simple, yet satisfying flavors, that can still be customized even more with toppings. The blueberry got it’s flavor from freeze dried blueberries, that I ran through my food processor (I am looking into freeze dried blueberry juice powder for next time). Vanilla bean has both vanilla bean paste and vanilla extract. Peach-Mango got it’s flavor from some fruit preserve I found at my local grocery store. I am sure other similar flavored preserves would work just as well.
Top Your Yogurt
Once you have your beautifully flavored yogurt, you or the other hungry mouths might want to add some extra flavors or textures. A great to accomplish this, as well as offering additional yogurt customization options, is with toppings. Some great toppings for these flavors are granola, crushed graham crackers, fresh blueberries, or chopped nuts. You can get very creative and individualized with topping options. My family loves yogurt parfaits with fresh fruit and granola. Freeze dried fruit works well for toppings, too.
Vanilla is such a simple, yet satisfying flavor. It's floral notes and sweetness is great by itself, or when combined with other flavors or with toppings.
- 2 cup thick or greek style yogurt plain
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoon vanilla paste
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
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Combine all ingredients in a bowl, until completely incorporated.
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Allow to sit in refrigerator for 30 minutes, before serving, for flavors to combine and for sugar to dissolve.
If you have whole vanilla bean on hand, you can also substitute the vanilla bean paste for the inside ("caviar") of one whole vanilla bean.
Great when topped with fresh or freeze dried fruit, granola or crush graham crackers.
This recipe was tested with homemade yogurt.
Yogurt made from freeze dried blueberries and homemade yogurt, great by itself or with berries or other toppings.
- 1 tablespoon freeze dried blueberry powder see notes
This recipe was tested with homemade yogurt.
I used whole freeze dried blueberries, and ran them through my food processor, to make the powder used in this recipe. I saved some whole ones to use for toppings.
I used peace-mango fruit preserves to naturally flavor and sweeten my homemade yogurt.
- 1 cup thick or greek style yogurt plain
- 1/2 cup peach-mango fruit preserve
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
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Mix all ingredients until completely combined.
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Allow to sit together in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, prior to serving, so that flavors can more thoroughly combine.
This recipe was tested with homemade yogurt.
Want some other yogurt flavoring ideas? Try the strawberry, raspberry or citrus flavors in Yogurt Customization #1 (all of them naturally flavored).