I’m constantly looking for ways to streamline healthy eating in our house. One thing I’ve learned about myself is if it ain’t easy, I’m probably not going to follow through. That’s why I’m such a big fan of single-serving yogurts. They are super easy to meal prep and are a great grab-and-go breakfast or snack. Plus, they’re tasty and full of healthy fats, protein, and probiotics.
Why should I make my own yogurt with fruit on the bottom?
Unfortunately, there are also quite a few things that I don’t love about single serving yogurts. I really hate all the waste they create. We try to reuse our leftover yogurt containers wherever possible (and recycle if we can’t reuse), but that’s still generating way more waste than I feel comfortable with. I also don’t love the price. If you hit a good sale, you can maybe get organic yogurt for $1 per single-serving container (which averages around 6 ounces). By making my own yogurt from organic milk, I can get a full gallon of yogurt for about $5. A gallon at single serving prices=$21. That’s a hefty savings when you eat as much yogurt as we do.
What kind of container works best for this yogurt with fruit?
We use four-ounce and eight-ounce jelly jars, depending on how big we want the servings to be. They are glass, reusable, and hold the perfect portion size. You can usually find a set of 12 jars with lids at your local hardware store, supermarket, or grocery store for a reasonable price.
What fruit should I use?
For the fruit-on-the-bottom part, you’ll make a lightly-sweet fruit-chia syrup concoction (kind of like a fruit compote) that not only looks great in the jars, but adds tons of flavor, antioxidants, and omega-3s. We’ve made it with:
- Blueberries
- Strawberries
- Raspberries
- Cherries
- Peaches
- Apples and cinnamon
You’ll find a recipe below that will work for most fruits, and feel free to adjust it and tweak it to make it your own. I like mine on the less sweet end of things to let the taste of fruit really shine, so if you’re into sweeter yogurts, I’d up the sugar content.
What kind of yogurt do I need?
On top, I just put my plain regular yogurt, but this also works well with homemade coconut yogurt. Making your own yogurt is so easy and cheap!
But if you aren’t into making your own yogurt, you can just as easily buy the large tubs of whatever yogurt you prefer and follow the same process. You’ll still be saving money over buying the single-serving versions.
Happy food prepping!
Homemade Fruit on the Bottom Yogurts - Syrup
Homemade yogurt with fruit on the bottom is an easy, inexpensive way to get a nutritious snack or breakfast. Learn how to make this perfect meal prep breakfast!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups fresh fruit or frozen fruit
- 3 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1/2 cup water
- 2-4 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
- 48 ounces plain yogurt (regular or Greek yogurt)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients except yogurt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until sauce is thickened, stirring occasionally.
- Spoon the fruit syrup into the bottom of each jar—use 2 tablespoons for four-ounce jars, or a quarter cup for eight-ounce jars.
- Top off the container with a layer of yogurt and seal. Store in the fridge until use.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1 4-ounce jarAmount Per Serving: Calories: 131Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 81mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 2gSugar: 18gProtein: 7g
At Wholefully, we believe that good nutrition is about much more than just the numbers on the nutrition facts panel. Please use the above information as only a small part of what helps you decide what foods are nourishing for you.
Want more meal prep breakfast ideas?
- One Bowl Vegan Blueberry Muffins
- Egg Muffin Cups (delicious little egg bites!)
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Overnight Oats
- Strawberry Cheesecake Overnight Oats
It’s probably obvious to most, but just to avoid a mishap, don’t combine *all* the ingredients in the list. Combine all but the yogurt. 🥴
Great catch, Judy—thanks! Fixed! =)
Hi. How long will the yogurts last in the fridge? Will they keep longer if I vacuum seal them in mason jars? I am new to this and am grateful for the recipe, information and patience 🌷. Thank you, Tricia
Hi Tricia! These will keep about a week in the fridge. Since the jam isn’t preserved at all, we wouldn’t make up more than you can eat in a week!
Excellent idea. I’ve been making my own yogurt for the past few months and love it. This is a great idea to add the fruit and flavor as well as single servings ahead of time. We’ve always used reusable pouches for the kids for school, but they still have a shelf life. Now to get my kids to eat the homemade yogurt:)
That sounds yummy, Cassie! I will be adding some vanilla to the yogurt and sub some organic stevia and/or erythritol for sweetening.
Im crazy about homemade yogurt-loving greek the best. I had the same light bulb idea you did and bought some raspberries and blueberries. Going to the local fruit stand to get fresh out of the field strawberries! I’m using my instapot to make the yogurt and using the souz vide setting to keep the temp at 112 after the boil-oh and I bought yogurt from an Indian food store -its tangier-which i love!
Are you suppose to mash the fruit before adding it in the pan with the rest of the ingredients?
It is easier to mash the fruit up a bit once it is in the pan and heating and starting to break down!
I just tried this recipe in an attempt to replace store bought fruit yogurts, with an actual clean version. I made this with berries, honey and chia and it turned out wonderful! I also tried it with cottage cheese, as well as yogurt and it was fantastic! Thank you so much for sharing this. I’m thrilled to have found this.
Hi,
I was wondering have you ever tried making the yoghurt itself over the fruit? I mean allowing the curd to set over hte fruit? Does that happen? Instead of making a compote and adding yoghurt over it??
Thanks,
Shobha
Homemade single-serving yogurts is an AWESOME idea! I have been dreaming of something like this for a long time, but didn’t know what kind of containers to put them in. Now I know I must invest in some of those cute little Mason jars if I can find any!
Hi… Love your single serving recipe… How long can they last in the fridge?