Frozen Greek Yogurt Cherry Bites

I started making these cherry bites years ago when my kids were teens and my house was the hangout home for all of their friends. This meant a steady flow a kids to feed, especially in the summertime. I miss those days. 

I’ve always been passionate about fresh cherries, with fond memories of many cherry picking trips in Beaumont, California.

This is barely a recipe, but these simple bites are always a hit during cherry season.

They are the perfect sweet treat for movie night or a quick bite after lunch or dinner. They take about thirty minutes to make, from start to finish, and there are never leftovers.

You can easily adjust the amount of sugar called for based on how sweet your cherries are, or leave it out completely.

Ingredients

Only three simple ingredients are needed to make these cherry season treats.

• Fresh Cherries – when picking out fresh cherries, look for bright green stems, a sign of freshness. Cherries should be firm, plump, dense and have shiny skin with saturated color. If skins are bruised or wrinkled, avoid purchasing them.
• Vanilla Flavored Greek Yogurt – You can use full or low-fat, but the full fat will definitely taste better
• Granulated Sugar – this helps any tart cherries taste a little more like dessert. If you’re lucky enough to have very sweet cherries, feel free to reduce the amount or leave it out all together.

How To Store Cherries Before Using Them

If you’re not able to make these right away, store your cherries in the refrigerator, washing them only right before eating or making something with them.

Cherries can keep for up to a week in the refrigerator.

You can freeze fresh cherries, freeze them on a cookie sheet for several hours before placing them in a plastic bag so they don’t clump together. But, for this recipe you’ll want to start with fresh cherries that have not been previously frozen.

Should I Pit These Cherries?

I do not pit the cherries for this recipe and no one minds. Just makes it more interactive.

If you pit the cherry, you will lose the stem, and you really want the stem on for this recipe. It just makes it more fun to eat.

MORE FRESH CHERRY DESSERT RECIPES

• Mixed Berry-Cherry Clafoutis
• Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes
• Fresh Cherry Coconut Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
• Fresh Cherry Pie
• Fresh Cherry-Almond Coffee Cake
• Fresh Cherry Berry Crisp

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Fresh Cherry Greek Yogurt Bites

Three ingredients and ready in less than thirty minutes, these frozen yogurt cherry bites are the perfect summertime snack. 

Course Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword Fresh Cherry Greek Yogurt Bites

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Freezing 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Calories 83kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Ingredients

• 1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar (you can reduce this amount based on how sweet your cherries are)
• 2 lbs fresh cherries, stems on

Instructions

• In a small bowl, stir together yogurt and sugar.
• Holding the cherry stem, dip cherry into yogurt until completely covered. Place dipped cherries onto a rimmed baking sheet covered with parchment paper.
• Repeat with remaining cherries. Freeze for 20 minutes (yogurt is frozen but cherry is still somewhat soft) and serve immediately.

Notes

As always, nutrition information is only approximate. If this number is important to you, please calculate yourself using your exact weights, measurements and the brands you are using to make this.

Nutrition

Calories: 83kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 0.6mg | Sodium: 11mg | Potassium: 220mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 13g | Calcium: 2mg

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Fresh Cherry Greek Yogurt Bites appeared first on Noble Pig.

Chickpeas, otherwise known as garbanzo beans, have always been one of my favorite additions to salads, certain chicken dishes and obviously hummus. I can open a can of  chickpeas and happily eat them with a fork too. There is something quite satisfying about the subtle, earthy flavor grainy texture of a chickpea. 

Up until now, my go-to method for making my chickpeas crispy, was in the oven, sweet and savory versions are particularly my favorites. However, these days I’m enjoying cooking things in my air fryer. I don’t think a day goes by without making use of it in one way or another. It’s a great appliance to have around for summer as it doesn’t heat up the kitchen. Bring on the warm weather!

I use a handful of ingredients to season these Air Fryer Chickpeas and they are flavor-packed. The normally understated taste profile of the chickpea allows it to take on seasoning spices, letting any added flavor shine through.

Chickpeas as a snack are also great for gluten free or plant-based diets.

How To Air Fry Chickpeas With Parmesan

1. One of the tricks to making crispy chickpeas is making sure they are completely dry before adding any olive oil and spices. Rinse canned chickpeas and place them on top of paper towels to dry, blotting the tops with more paper towels. If you can leave them sitting there to air dry for an hour or two, even better.
2. Combine all ingredients with the chickpeas until they are uniformly seasoned.
3. Air fry chickpeas in batches, shaking them every 5 minutes to avoid sticking and for even cooking.
4. Enjoy them immediately or cool them completely and add to salads, a snack mix or enjoy on their own.

Tips and Tricks

• As mentioned previously, starting with dry chickpeas before seasoning them is key for flavor in this recipe.
• Don’t want to overcrowd them. I let each batch air fry for 5 minutes and give them a shake and air fry them for another 5 minutes, or until they are the desired crispness I prefer.
• There is a secret to keeping the chickpeas crispy after you’ve made them, especially if you want to store them for a couple of days. Air flow is very important, so plastic bags are out. Storing them at room temperature in parchment bags keeps the crunch factor alive. I’ve linked my favorite parchment bags in the recipe card below.
• You can re-crisp them in the air fryer if you need to.

If you are putting to together a snack mix, don’t forget to add these to your ingredient list.

More Air Fryer Recipes 

Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a newbie to air frying, these recipes will have you cooking up a storm and impressing all your friends and family. So say goodbye to greasy and hello to crispy with these air fryer recipes that will have your taste buds doing the happiest of dances.

• Indulge in this juicy and luscious air fryer Caribbean spiced chicken that boasts the exotic flavors and flair of the Caribbean in every bite, while the air fryer seals in its succulence to perfection, as always.
• For seafood enthusiasts who crave a tasty blend of sweet and savory, this mouthwatering maple soy salmon air fryer recipe is a must-try.
• Get in on the trend of air fryer desserts with these air fryer apple chimichangas that offer a hassle-free way to indulge in the classic flavors of apple pie. No fuss, no mess, just pure deliciousness.
• Experience the ultimate flakiness and crunchiness with these air fryer fish nuggets. Move over chicken nuggets, these irresistible bites may just become your kids’ new favorite meal.
• Enjoy the delicate and crumbly texture of these air fryer hand pies that are cooked to crispy perfection.
• Perfect for even the busiest of weeknights, air fryer bang bang shrimp can be on your dinner table quicker than you can order takeout.
• This air fryer pumpkin spice Chex snack mix is a must-try during the holiday season and will leave you craving for more with its irresistible taste and aroma.
• Experience a special breakfast without the hassle with these thick and dunkable air fryer French toast sticks that are air-fried to perfection.
• Elevate your campfire treat game with these air-fried and crispy s’mores egg rolls.
• Conquer your breakfast rush with these air fryer bagels that are the ultimate solution for a quick and easy morning meal.
• These low carb air fryer pickles serve as the perfect guilt-free snack for any gathering.

Chick-Pea Amazed

If you find yourself making a crunchy snack mix with these air fried chickpeas, I’d love it if you snapped a photo and tagged @NOBLEPIG and #noblepig on INSTAGRAM so I can see how this crispy, crunchy, and downright addictive snack has you saying ‘more peas, please!’

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Air Fryer Chickpeas with Parmesan

Crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside, these Air Fryer Chickpeas are the perfect snack on their own, or toss them on top of salads or into a snack mix. Making these air fried chickpeas is a quick and easy way to achieve the perfect chickpea crispness.

Course Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword Air Fryer Chickpeas

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 7

Calories 210kcal

Author Cathy Pollak

Equipment

• measuring cups and spoons
• mixing bowls
• Air Fryer

Ingredients

• 2 (15 oz.) cans chickpeas, drained and patted completely dry
• 2 tbsps. olive oil
• 1/4 cup gated (crumbly) Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• zest of one lemon
• 1 tsp dried oregano leaves
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

Instructions

• Drain and rinse your chickpeas under cold water, patting completely dry with a paper towel.
• Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss gently until chickpeas are covered uniformly in seasonings.
• Set air fryer to 390 degrees F. Divide chickpeas into three batches, air frying one batch at a time as to not overcrowd them. Air fry for 5-6 minutes, remove and shake the basket and air fry for another 5 minutes or until desired crispiness is reached. Repeat with each batch until done.
• Serve immediately or cool chickpeas in a single layer on paper towels or parchment sheets before storing in parchment bags for up to three days.

Video

Notes

Nutrition information is only an estimation and variation will occur based on the ingredients/brands you use. 

Nutrition

Serving: 75g | Calories: 210kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 3.7g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Sodium: 702mg | Potassium: 250mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 4.9g | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 2mg

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Air Fryer Chickpeas with Parmesan appeared first on Noble Pig.

I am so excited to tell you about my newest, favorite snack. I have been eating this new-found love almost every day, since I put these few ingredients together. And I don’t see myself stopping anytime soon! It’s swoon-worthy for sure.

Looking at the pictures now, I see how festive these snacks are going to be for the upcoming Fall holidays (a little added bonus). If you want to serve up something healthier and less caloric, between all the candy and pies, this should be your go-to snack. It’s also the ideal afternoon pick-me-up. Try it.

Here’s a little history, like many of you, I have been eating Dole fruit since I was a kid. My mom introduced me to cottage cheese and fruit when I was very young. It has remained a staple snack in my life ever since.

You know what I really love about this fruit…it’s already peeled, chopped and ready to go. That’s half the battle when it comes to making a quick, healthy snack. This makes it easy to indulge in high quality, ready-to-eat fruit that is naturally fat and cholesterol free.

I do strain the juice for this recipe, but make sure to reserve it as it’s 100 percent fruit juice and makes a nice beverage. My kids love it.

Coconut cream (not coconut milk) is a canned, sweetened mixture found in the juice aisle or by the drink mixers. It’s not homogenous and requires pouring it into a bowl and whisking until smooth. Keep the unused portion in the refrigerator for making more snacks.

It’s easy to put several of these together at once when you keep your kitchen stocked with DOLE Jarred Fruit. Snacking becomes as easy as 1-2-3.

The resealable lid makes it easy to scoop out what you need and save the rest for later. No wasting, and the leftover fruit is ready and waiting for your next snack craving.

We are all concerned with getting the right amount of nutrition in our diet, one of these snacks has one full serving of fruit and each jar of DOLE Jarred Fruit has 5 whole servings. I’m so glad my family loves these as much as I do.

The coconut cream adds the right amount of balance to the tangy cottage cheese. It also adds another tropical layer of flavor. When you are using good ingredients, you only need a few to make something really delicious.

The post 3-Ingredient Tropical Fruit Colada Snack appeared first on Noble Pig.

With summer tomatoes at their peak, avocados in season and fresh basil multiplying overnight in the garden, these Avocado Caprese Bites are the answer to snack time at my house. 

First of all, they are super CUTE! And since we eat with our eyes first that is important. They are also tasty, as in, you kind of can’t stop eating them, so make enough for everyone. These are also a great party appetizer, serve them up at your next get-together.

But the most important reason to serve avocado as a snack is its superfood status. Avocados are loaded with healthy fats and nutrients such as oleic acid, lutein, folate, vitamin E, monounsaturated fats and glutathione. These can help protect your body from heart disease, cancer, degenerative eye and brain diseases. Have one every day and enjoy the benefits. They also taste amazing.

Place all ingredients on a toothpick and drizzle with balsamic glaze.

And if you knock into the table while photographing, they will fall over.

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Like me, my kid’s have always loved string cheese. It’s rare that one of the fridge drawers are not full of all kinds of varieties of this awesome snack. Even their friends are aware of the cheese snack drawer. And if I put a package of string cheese in their lunch, they eat it without a doubt. But, to make sure my kids never get bored with their lunch, I like to get creative with how I serve this wonderfully packaged little snack.

I love using the pepper jack cheese sticks for a spicy kick, however feel free to use regular string cheese for someone who might not prefer any heat. It will taste just as good.

I slice the cheese sticks in half lengthwise, then slice them again crosswise only once. This yields four pieces of cheese. I secure two of the pieces with a toothpick to each side of the apple. Each bite is a tasty nibble for my apple-loving, cheese-addicted teenager.

To keep the apples from browning and looking unappetizing, I soak them in pineapple juice. It adds a teeny bit of sweetness, but does not make the apples taste like pineapple. It’s a better option than lemon juice, which can make them sour tasting.

The post 3 Fun Lunch Box Ideas with Cheese appeared first on Noble Pig.

Peanut butter powder is about 23 calories per tablespoon and has an intense peanut butter flavor. It’s made by squeezing natural oils out of the peanut and then dehydrating what’s left, yielding a powder in which 90% of the fat is removed from the peanut.

Please note this is not an organic product and has a little added sugar. It’s not going to satiate you as peanut butter would. It’s there to enjoy a peanut butter craving when you simply can’t afford the calories. A good treat for anyone on a weight loss journey. And it’s delicious.

I’ve added two tablespoons to my vanilla Greek yogurt with some mini chocolate chips. I’ve mixed it into ice cream, milk and stir frys. It lets me enjoy the peanut butter taste, without always increasing my calorie and fat intake. Can it replace peanut butter on toast or bagels? No! But it really helps satisfy the cravings for a needed treat.

I get mine from Amazon, I’m not sure where else it is available.

Enjoy it!

The post Peanut Butter-Chocolate-Banana Protein Shake appeared first on Noble Pig.

I am literally shocked at how good this muffin tastes with just a few little ingredient changes. There is no oil or butter in these muffins! And they are satisfying and sweet; dense, but in a good way. They are also completely moist, even after four days.

I used my tips and tricks for the Best Banana Nut Muffin and applied them to this recipe. The two-cup method does work when it comes to creating a banana muffin you will love.

Consider it the perfect gateway snack in between meals, with a cup of black coffee of course.

One of the things I did was get rid of some the white flour by using oatmeal and whole wheat pastry flour. Whole wheat pastry flour is different than whole wheat flour, which often makes baked goods very dense (but not in a good way).

Whole wheat pastry flour comes from the soft wheat berry, which has more carbs and less protein and gluten compared to the hard wheat berry (where whole wheat flour originates). While the whole wheat berry (germ & bran) is utilized in the making of whole wheat pastry flour, it does not impart that strong “wheaty” and tannic taste whole wheat flour brings to the table. Just for that reason, whole wheat pastry flour is perfect for baking.

Whole wheat pastry flour is available everywhere. I usually purchase the Bob’s Red Mill brand, which I see in every grocery store. Now, anytime I use whole wheat flour, regular or otherwise, I always let the batter sit (about 30 minutes) before baking. Mostly, because whole wheat flour is not as fine as white flour, it does take more time for the liquid to absorb into the fiber dense flour. This is probably less important with whole wheat pastry flour, but I like to let it sit anyways. I do think it helps.

Make sure to freeze your whole wheat flour as soon as you open it. It does begin to oxidize right away. Let it defrost 15 minutes before use.

All muffin cups are not created equal. I often get a handful of emails after posting a muffin recipe, indicating the recipe made more or less.

This muffin pan holds 1/3 cup of liquid in each well and a 1/4 cup of batter was put into each one.

One Year Ago: Cheesy-Buffalo Roasted Cauliflower-Potato Soup
Three Years Ago: Chocolate Lover’s Cake
Four Year’s Ago: Croissant and Chocolate Bread Pudding
Five Years Ago: Unsolicited Help…Never Again

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The post Guilt-Free Chocolate Banana Muffins appeared first on Noble Pig.

I tried not to make a face, but when I didn’t eat anymore of them, well I guess that sent its own message. Is that not the worst when someone is really excited about something they made and it’s just bad?

Here’s the thing, with every recipe there’s a trick. When it comes to roasting chickpeas, it’s all about making sure they are hard like a nut before removing them from the oven. Sure a couple of them won’t be perfect but most of them should. This will require turning the pan and/or moving the chickpeas around on the baking sheet. You’ll also want to taste them before you pull them out just to make sure.

The final texture will be crunchy like a peanut. You’ll know when you bite into the right one. And they are such a great alternative for people who have nut allergies. 

I love putting these in trail mix for my boys (I have one with a nut allergy) and even serving them at a cocktail party as a little munchie. Everyone loves them. I can also see these in cute little mason jars given as a homemade holiday gift.

This is what chickpeas look like dried. I have only been able to find them in the bulk section of my grocery store, not in the bean aisle. They will require soaking overnight, like any other dried bean.

Ready for the oven with a drizzle of olive oil and sugar. I do roast them on a aluminum foil and at this moment I’m wondering if they would roast crispier (faster) on a sheet sans the foil. I’ll try it next time.

One Year Ago: Hoisin Burger with Sriracha Relish
Five Years Ago: Roasted Asparagus with Honey Citrus Dressing

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