Cookie Dough Frozen Yogurt Bites

In my house, everyone screams for cookie dough ice cream. I mean, really, is there anything better than sweet, creamy ice cream laden with chewy bits of cookie dough goodness?!? Here, I’ve whipped up an easy version we can all feel good about enjoying any day of the week. This spin is a real winner because prep is super simple (no ice cream machine required, no churning needed), and each bite is perfectly portioned, light on calories and packed with protein. Oh, and they’re totally scrumptious. Scoop, there it is!

A few recipe notes:
• Cashew butter and almond butter give this a more neutral cookie dough batter taste, but peanut butter is easy, and a peanut butter-forward flavor is always a good thing in my book.

• I use full-fat Greek yogurt because it produces the fluffiest, creamiest, and most “ice cream”-like result, but you can use 2% as well. If you can find full-fat vanilla-flavored in a 16-ounce (2-cup) container, great. You can then skip adding your preferred sweetener and vanilla extract because it’s already flavored. If not, opt for a plain variety, which is readily available, and flavor it up yourself with my suggested ingredients. 

• Feel free to use your sweetener of choice. Traditional sugar and coconut sugar will provide a more mainstream sweet flavor. If you like a maple-forward flavor, maple syrup works really well. You can easily swap in honey for an alternative flavor profile.

• Add the vanilla extract to the Greek yogurt mixture last, starting with 1 teaspoon. Taste, then add another ½ teaspoon if needed. You can always add more after tasting.

• If you can find mini chocolate chips, I recommend using them. They are easier to incorporate into the cookie dough batter.

• If desired, mix in ½ to ¾’s of the cookie dough bites and reserve the rest to place on top after the mini muffin compartments are filled with the yogurt mixture. This way they’ll pop when they freeze and you can easily identify those scrumptious cookie dough pieces. 

• For easy removal, run the bottom of the muffin tin under warm water for about 30 seconds to loosen up the bites. You can also sit the tin in a baking sheet with warm water—but be sure to do this for a very short timeframe so they don’t get melty. Then, simply flick them out of each compartment using a thin butter knife. Serve them immediately or transfer to freezer bag and store in freezer for you to a month.

• How to cut back on calories and sugar:

• Select a vanilla-flavored yogurt without added sugar (one that uses a 0-calorie sugar replacement) or by mixing plain full-fat yogurt with a sugar replacement instead of sugar, maple syrup, or honey. You can also use half the amount of cookie dough balls (save the rest in the fridge or freezer for future treats. In my house, we love to add them to yogurt parfaits—or as a mix-in for store-bought ice cream moments). If you do only use half, the calories will go down to 50 per serving.