10 Unconventional Ways To Add Bold Fruit Flavor To Any Yogurt

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It's easy to chop up some fresh fruit and add it to your bowl of yogurt, but that can get boring quickly. There are plenty of creative ways to give your yogurt bowl a serious boost of color, sweetness, and fruit flavor besides simply throwing in some pieces of strawberries or banana. Think beyond the produce section and look to ingredients that add bold fruit flavor to yogurt, such as freeze-dried fruit, fruit powders, preserves and jams, fruit-flavored syrups, and even fruit-infused honey (you're likely swirling in a sweetener anyway, why not fruit and honey in one?). 

These options add flavor while bringing something different to the texture, and can even make your morning yogurt bowl taste more like dessert. Even better, you can use these fruity ideas with any type of yogurt, from Greek yogurt to dairy-free yogurt, and any level of fat. So, grab a spoon, use whichever yogurt you like best, add some of your new favorite fruit flavor instead of fresh fruit (or add some of that, too), and make your everyday yogurt taste a whole lot more interesting.

Frozen fruit is a great way to add fruit flavor to yogurt. The best thing about using frozen fruit over fresh is that it stays good far longer: Frozen fruits can last up to 18 months in the freezer while fresh fruit can last anywhere from three days to up to six weeks, depending on the type. You can add frozen fruit to yogurt straight from the freezer for a frozen treat that's perfect for hot summer days, or you can briefly warm it up in the microwave for a gooey addition.

Don't like the texture of adding frozen fruits to yogurt? No problem, use pureed fruit, which you can easily make yourself. Just toss some fruit (frozen or not) in a blender or food processor with a bit of water and blend until smooth, adding more water if needed. You can do this with any type of fruit; strawberries, bananas, blueberries, apples, pears, oranges, limes, lemons, raspberries, blackberries, you name it. Swirl the puree into your yogurt bowl for strong fruit flavor.

Fruit-flavored syrup is another amazing way to add bold fruit flavor. If you're feeling adventurous and want to try a few different flavors, the Syruvia Summer Fruit Syrup Variety Pack comes with raspberry, blackberry, strawberry, peach, mango, and cherry syrups. Just drizzle some onto your yogurt bowl for intense flavor. You can also use these syrups in coffee, lemonade, tea, or even on pancakes or waffles.

Dried fruit is another great way to add bold fruit flavor, and some chewy texture goodness, to yogurt. Think raisins, dried cherries, cranberries, apricots, mango, and even blueberries. Mavuno Harvest Organic Dried Fruit Variety Pack is a nice option that comes with mango, papaya, pineapple, banana, jackfruit, and a tropical mix containing banana, mango, and pineapple. Throw in some nuts for crunch, too.

Turn plain yogurt into a flavor-filled treat by using preserves or jams. Stir them in for a flavored snack, or gently swirl them in for ribbons of flavor with every bite. Try a smooth, pureed preserve or jam, or add some texture with a chunky preserve filled with fruit pieces. Strawberry, peach, apricot, blueberry, cherry, and raspberry all work well, but you can also experiment with more unusual flavors, such as fig.

Fruit juice concentrate is a budget-friendly way to make plenty of fruit juice, but it can also be used for a tasty yogurt bowl. Since concentrates are made by extracting most of the water from fruit juice or puree, concentrates pack a lot of flavor when not mixed with water to make juice. Start with a tiny amount, and work your way up to your desired flavor. Try different juice concentrates, such as orange, apple, and lemonade, which are all flavorful and sweet.

Freeze-dried fruit powder brings big fruit flavor to your yogurt without the texture of fresh or frozen fruit. Stir it in completely for a beautifully colored yogurt bowl, which is an especially appetizing way to add appeal for kids, or sprinkle some on top for a pop of color. Use strawberry for a bold red, or blueberry for blue. You can also mix it up by trying raspberry and lemon together, or a mix of other flavors.

Fruit curd has a creamy, custardy consistency with a bright, tangy flavor that pairs well with Greek yogurt (since it's a little thicker than regular yogurt). The tartness of fruit curd with the tanginess of yogurt balances well. The classic choice is lemon curd (try Paradigm Foodworks Lemon Curd), but you can experiment with other flavors, such as lime, orange, passion fruit, raspberry, pumpkin, cranberry, or even grapefruit. Add some texture and crunch with granola, crushed cookies, coconut, or nuts.

A simple way to bring fruit flavor and natural sweetness to yogurt is with fruit-infused honey. Drizzle it over your yogurt of choice and enjoy the balance of sweetness from the honey and tanginess from the yogurt. You can find honey infused with fruits such as lemon, lime, or apples, or make some yourself. Try different flavors of honey with different flavors of yogurt: Strawberry-infused honey works well with vanilla yogurt, for example, and blueberry-infused honey works well with lemon yogurt (and vice versa).

Fruit leather is pureed and dried fruit, and it can add bold fruit flavor to your yogurt. Simply tear or cut it into small pieces and mix it into or top off your choice of yogurt to add a chewy texture that pairs well with yogurt's smoothness. You can even roll fruit leather up and use your yogurt as a dip. Try Zest Delites Fruit Leather Berries & Mediterranean Fruits Variety Pack, which comes with strawberry, blackberry, plum, and peach flavors.