How To Make Plain Yogurt Taste Good!

Learn how to make plain yogurt taste good with these simple tips and tricks and enjoy three homemade naturally flavoured yogurt recipes that are refined sugar free, gluten free, and can be vegan/plant based too!

Have you ever wondered how to make plain yogurt taste good?

Over the years I’ve experimented with many different ways to make plain yogurt taste good (or better!) because I find it a little too tart/sour on it’s own. I also don’t love buying flavoured yogurt as it is often high in added sugars and many contain artificial flavours as well.

Often store-bought flavoured yogurts have around 18g of sugar per 3/4 cup serving (and much, if not all of that is refined sugar!). I‘ve come up with several ways to make tart plain yogurt taste good with natural whole-food additions you’ll love along with three tasty recipes that all have less than 10g of natural sugars per 3/4 cup serving!

Why Does Plain Yogurt Taste So Bad? 

Ok, maybe not so bad (let’s not be dramatic here!), but it’s honestly not the best tasting food out there. Whether you go for plain Greek yogurt (made from cow’s milk) or a non-dairy plain yogurt alternative (such as coconut, almond, or soy)… they all taste rather sour and tart. 

This is because yogurt is made through bacterial fermentation of cow’s milk or plant milk and the fermentation process creates a naturally sour flavour. This sour flavour can be off-putting which is why so many brands have flavoured alternatives, to cover up that sour taste. As mentioned before though, these alternatives can be sugar bombs which is why I recommend flavouring plain yogurt yourself, at home! 

Plain Yogurt Add In #1: Natural Sweeteners

Pure Maple Syrup

Maple syrup is a great way to flavour yogurt as it’s an all-natural unrefined sugar with amazing taste and a little goes a long way. Simply add in 1/2 tablespoon of pure maple syrup to a 3/4 cup serving of plain yogurt along with some fruit and your choice of extra additions for a delicious yogurt. 

Raw Honey

Like maple syrup, raw honey is a natural unrefined sugar and adds the right amount of sweetness to cut the tart flavour of plain yogurt. Stir in 1/2 tablespoon of honey to a 3/4 cup serving of plain yogurt along with some fruit and extra additions for a yogurt snack you’ll love. 

Coconut Palm Sugar

This granulated sugar is made from the sap of the coconut palm and it is an all natural unrefined sweetener that is low glycemic (won’t spike blood sugar) and goes so well with diced apples and cinnamon in plain yogurt! Use 1/2 tablespoon of coconut palm sugar per 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup serving. 

Fruit-Sweetened Jams or Homemade Chia Jam

In the natural food section of most grocery stores you can find fruit jam that has been naturally sweetened with fruit juice, not refined sugar. Crofter’s Just Fruit spreads are a great option! Stir in 1 tablespoon of your choice of jam into 1/2 cup serving of plain yogurt for a perfectly sweet snack. You can also make my homemade chia seed jam!

Stevia

If you want to go with a sugar-free option, adding liquid or granulated stevia is a great way to go. I love Sweet Leaf Vanilla Creme Stevia Drops!

Plain Yogurt Add In #2: Fresh or Frozen Fruit

When it comes to making plain yogurt actually taste good, along with a natural sweetener such as those I listed above, fresh or frozen fruit is a perfect addition! Berries including raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries are all lower sugar fruits and have a nice touch of sweetness that compliments the tart yogurt. 

Other fantastic fruit options include peaches (also naturally low in sugar), pineapple, mango, and kiwi. The nice thing about these fruits is that they are naturally “juicy” and when you mash them and mix with plain yogurt, they add in taste, texture, and sweetness. 

Plain Yogurt Add In #3: Extra Taste and/or Texture 

To add even more delicious flavour to plain yogurt along with the natural sweeteners and fruit of choice is some extra taste and/or texture. Here are some great ideas:

• cinnamon
• fresh mint
• pure vanilla extract, almond extract, or lemon extract (use sparingly as it’s potent!)
• slivered almonds or pistachios
• chia, hemp, or flaxseeds
• cocoa nibs
• naturally sweetened granola
• cocoa powder

Plain Greek Yogurt, Three Different Ways:

To make things even easier for you I’ve come up with three amazing yogurt combinations following the tips above. 

• Strawberry Kiwi – a combination of pure maple syrup, strawberries, and kiwi fruit. 
• Blackberry Crunch – a combination of blackberries, pure maple syrup, vanilla, and mint, granola, and a sprinkle of cocoa nibs. 
• Peach Cobbler – a combination of pure maple syrup, thawed frozen peaches, cinnamon, vanilla, and a sprinkle of granola. 

Have you avoided plain yogurt because you didn’t like the taste? Which of these flavour combinations will you try first? Tell me about it in the comments and be sure to pin the photo below the recipe to save this post for later!

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How To Make Plain Yogurt Taste Good

Yield: 1

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

Try these three easy, delicious, and healthy ways to flavour plain yogurt (plant based or regular)!

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Ingredients

• 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt, coconut yogurt, almond yogurt, or other plain yogurt of your choice

Peach Cobbler:

• 3-4 slices of frozen peaches, thawed until soft
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2-3 tablespoons granola or rolled oats (a low sugar or refined sugar free version is recommended*)

Blackberry Crunch:

• 1/4 cup fresh blackberries
• 1/2 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla exract
• 2-3 tablespoons granola or rolled oats (a low sugar or refined sugar free version is recommended*)
• a few sprigs of fresh mint
• sprinkle of cocoa nibs (optional)

Strawberry Kiwi:

• 2-3 strawberries, diced or mashed
• 1/2 kiwi, peeled and sliced
• 1/2 tablespoon pure maple syrup

Instructions

1. Add plain yogurt of choice to a bowl.
2. Add in the pure maple syrup and vanilla extract (if listed) and stir to combine.
3. Next, add in the fruit depending on the flavour combination you choose. Mash the fruit then stir it in for even more flavour spread throughout the yogurt, or leave the fruit diced/whole.
4. Add in the taste/texture additions listed depending on your flavour combination choice - granola, cinnamon, mint, cocoa nibs.
5. Enjoy!

Notes

*Try my sugar-free granola recipe here!

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