Healthilicious: Whipped Greek Yogurt Cream

It's safe to say that it's no secret that I have a sweet tooth. It's kind of ironic, really, considering I'm also kind of a health nerd. I'm also kind of obsessed with greek yogurt. So, sweet tooth + greek yogurt obsession= 0, right? Like, they cancel each other out. :)

The other day I was craving some berries & whipped cream, but was feeling guilty about the whipped cream part. I got the idea to create a whipped greek yogurt cream; I wasn't quite sure how it would work or if it would work at all, but I was going to give it a try.

My first try failed, but I gave it another go and whipped greek yogurt cream instantly became my new favorite way to use greek yogurt!

It's still light like whipped cream, but also a little creamy and tangy from the greek yogurt. It was the perfect thing to top my super sweet berries (and I bet it would be delish on top of homemade pancakes or waffles!) and I'm sure I'll be eating this for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack for the next week.

The best thing about this recipe is that you can adjust the sweetness. I knew my berries were super sweet, so I didn't make my cream as sweet as I normally would. My recipe reflects this, so you may need to add more sweetener to yours. You can also control the type of sweetener you use- I used a combination of pure maple syrup and granulated sugar. Any sweetener would work well here.

I wouldn't call this recipe "healthy", but it's definitely "healthier" because I subbed half of my regular whipped cream recipe with the whipped greek yogurt. With added protein, as well as live and active cultures from the yogurt we've definitely boosted the nutritional value of regular ol' whipped cream!

My daughter even loved it, so it's kid-approved!

Whipped Greek Yogurt Cream

Ingredients

3/4 c. heavy cream
3/4 c. plain non-fat greek yogurt (I'm partial to Chobani)
2-3 splashes pure maple syrup
2-3 tsp. pure granulated sugar
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract (optional)

Directions

Using the whisk attachment on a stand mixer, whisk the heavy cream and maple syrup together until it forms soft peaks (or stiff peaks if you prefer that consistency). If you don't have a stand mixer, an electric hand mixer works great too! 

Transfer the whipped cream to a medium sized bowl and set aside. 

Rinse out the mixing bowl, then add greek yogurt and sugar. Add vanilla extract if you're feeling fancy. Whip for approximately 2 minutes. Taste and add another teaspoon of sugar if need be. 

Add yogurt to whipped cream and fold gently until combined. Check sweetness level and add another splash of sweetener if needed. 

Store in airtight container for up to one week and enjoy!