We’re getting on the yogurt bark bandwagon because it’s been SO HOT in Hawaii and adding pomegranate since the holidays are approaching! We’re at the tail end of hurricane season and it’s still 89 to 91 degrees in the afternoon when I pick up my son from school. Thus, we made some Pomegranate and Chocolate Yogurt Bark to help cool us off without having to go get ice cream.
This frozen treat is addicting! It’s creamy (if you use full fat yogurt) and icy (if you use non-fat yogurt) and beautifully tart. The pomegranate and chocolate really balance out the tartness in the yogurt. Nuts add some extra crunch to just make it more fun to eat. If you don’t have nuts, use up those pretzels that have been sitting in your cabinet that no one wants to eat but you bought because you were trying to keep healthier foods at home. ☹
Health Benefits: Pomegranate
Antioxidants, vitamin C and K, and fiber are among some of the reasons to pick up a pomegranate at the store. Pomegranate has the stuff to help with blood pressure and blood flow, as well as possibly help prevent some types of cancer, like prostate, breast, lung, and colon cancer. It might also help with arthritis and joint pain and other things related to inflammation.
CAUTION: If you are taking blood pressure medication, you should talk to your doctor if you want to add pomegranate to your diet and haven’t had it before. Pomegranate can interact with certain blood pressure medications, so be safe, not sorry!
There are all kinds of supplements and vitamins out there using pomegranate. However, there’s medical research out there that shows that the human body absorbs vitamins from food better than the ones from pills. Take some time to remove the arils out of fresh pomegranates. Make it a race for the little ones to see who can clean their arils out the fastest (or who can squish the least amount)!
Is Chocolate Healthy?
Chocolate is one of my all-time favorite treats. Anything chocolate flavored is usually my go-to for desserts. It does have antioxidants and can help with your mood. But with ongoing research showing that chocolate, especially dark chocolate, continues to have high levels of lead and cadmium, dangerous metals that can make you extremely sick with high consumption, I’ve really pulled back on the daily chocolate snacking.
I really appreciate the work that Consumer Reports tests the safety of various foods. It can help all of us make informed decisions about what food products to buy within our means.
Now, I know that not all of us can just throw away the cocoa powder or chocolate chips that we bought for the holiday cooking season. There are also medical toxicologists that say with heavy metals existing in a lot of the different food and produce out there, metal toxicity from chocolate alone is not likely to happen. Thus, look at your own situation and see if you can afford to toss the chocolate you have with heavier metal content in them. If you can’t, don’t beat yourself up. Try to eat up the chocolate in moderation, don’t binge on it all at once, and if your budget can afford it later, treat yourself to some chocolate that is lower in heavy metals.
Topping vs. Swirling the Chocolate on the Yogurt Bark
Chocolate Topping on Yogurt Bark: I love that the chocolate doesn’t always stay stuck to the yogurt after it is broken up into pieces. That way, if I’m not in the mood for chocolate on the yogurt bark, I can just find a piece with no chocolate on top.
Swirling Chocolate into the Yogurt: Now, another camp would say that swirling is the best. You can get the melted chocolate chips, top it on the not frozen yogurt, and swirl everything together. If this is the method you use, the yogurt and chocolate will stick to each other much better since it’s partially mixed.
It’s really your preference. That’s what’s so great about food! You can change it up to how you like it or to the method that’s easiest for you to prepare. Try some yogurt bark before it gets too cold to eat!
Not hot in your area? Don’t worry, try some of these other recipes that you could treat as snacks below:
Pomegranate and Chocolate Yogurt Bark
Equipment
- 1 paring knife or small knife
- 1 Large bowl
- 1 Colander
- 1 Large baking sheet
- parchment paper or wax paper
Ingredients
- 1 pomegranate (9 to 10 ounces, about 0.6 pounds) arils removed (about 1 cup arils)
- 2 cups yogurt or Greek yogurt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup optional
- 1 cup walnuts or pretzels, chopped
- 1 cup chocolate chips melted
Instructions
- Score the pomegranate with the knife. Peel off the skin of the pomegranate and remove the arils into a bowl of water. Remove the inner pith and wash the arils in the water. Drain.
- Combine the pomegranate arils, yogurt, cinnamon, and honey (optional) in a bowl. Transfer onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or wax paper. Smooth the mixture out so it is covering most of the parchment paper.
- Top the mixture with walnuts. Freeze for at least 2 hours.
- Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl at intervals of 9 seconds for about 27 to 36 seconds. Mix the chocolate chips between each interval to make sure you don’t overheat the chocolate chips and burn them. Mix until smooth.
- Remove the yogurt mixture from the freezer. Drizzle the melted chocolate on top and return the baking sheet to the freezer for at least 1 more hour.
- Once completely frozen, break the yogurt bark into pieces. They do not have to be nice even pieces. It looks beautiful and tastes the same as uneven broken chunks.
