Make this easy dessert with just a few ingredients for a perfect ending to dinner or summer holiday parties. Macerate the berries in sugar (or Gran Marnier), whip up the cream-yogurt combination, and you're all done.
You can even make this dessert up to 4 hours ahead. Just cover the glasses with plastic and store in the refrigerator until you're ready to serve them.
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Summer desserts that put berries in a starring role are always popular. They're perfect in a crumble or crisp, like this Strawberry and Blueberry Crumble and these Mini Strawberry Rhubarb Crisps. Or keep it simple with a Skinny Yogurt Cheesecake Dip and serve it with strawberries.
This Berries and Cream dessert is another winner I modified from a recipe I saw in the New York Times Cooking app. I made it for a very fun dinner party we recently went to and it was a solid hit. It's easy to make with very few ingredients, and combining yogurt with whipped cream makes it healthier and results in a fantastic flavor.
If you keep vanilla bean paste on hand, this would be an excellent way to use it: Substitute an equal amount of vanilla bean paste for the extract. But for the best appearance, wait until just before serving to add the final layer of berries on top.
❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- Few ingredients: You only need 5 ingredients to make this dessert.
- Minimal meal prep: If you use strawberries in the mix, you'll need to slice them. And using a mixer to whip up the yogurt cream mixture takes only a few minutes.
- Flexible: Use Greek yogurt instead of regular yogurt if that's your preference, and use various sweeteners instead of sugar. Maple syrup, agave, and honey all work great.
- Make-ahead friendly: Make this dessert up to 4 hours ahead and keep covered in the refrigerator until you're ready to serve.
🧅 Main Ingredients + Notes
This list only covers ingredients that require some notes. Go to the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post for a complete listing of the ingredients, measurements, and directions.
- Fresh berries - Use any combination of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries. I don't remember using frozen berries in this recipe.
- Sugar - Maple syrup, agave, and honey all work in this recipe.
- Yogurt - Use plain, full-fat yogurt to get the creamy texture when it's whipped with the cream.
📝 Instructions Overview
Below are photos of the four main steps when preparing this Berries and Cream dessert.
🎯 Why This Recipe Works
- Macerating juicy berries in sugar and/or Gran Marnier softens the fruit and creates a fruit syrup that's added to the dish.
- Combining yogurt with whipping cream punches up the cream for a unique fantastic flavor that reminds me a something between sour cream and creme fraiche.
👩🍳 Tip for Success
Be sure to whip the yogurt-whipping cream mixture long enough that it creates a defined shape when scooped into each glass.
💡Ideas for Possible Variations
- Swap out the sugar in the cream for maple syrup or honey.
- Greek yogurt is fine in place of regular yogurt.
- Macerate the berries in Gran Marnier for a boozy dessert.
- Add a layer of pound cake that's cut into cubes.
🙋♀️ FAQ
Yes, make it up to 4 hour ahead, cover with plastic wrap, and store in the refrigerator.
Use heavy whipping cream for your best result.
📇 More Berry Desserts You Might Like
Berries are the ideal dessert whether you serve them with a skinny yogurt cheesecake dip, a crumble, or crisp.
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Berries and Cream Recipe (with Yogurt!)
Equipment
- Large bowl
- Measuring cup for both dry and wet ingredients
- Electric mixer either hand held or a stand mixer
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh berries any combination of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries
- 4 tablespoons sugar divided (or substitute 2 tablespoons with Gran Marnier)
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract divided
- 1 cup plain, full-fat yogurt
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- chocolate shavings optional for serving
- fresh mint leaves optional for serving
Instructions
- Wash and dry the berries and place them in a large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of sugar or Gran Marnier and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.Toss and let sit on the counter for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
- Use an electric mixer, either a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or hand-held mixer, to whip together the yogurt, heavy whipping cream, the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar, and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. I begin on a medium speed to mix all of the ingredients together and then transition to a high speed.Continue to whip the mixture until you have medium peaks. To test this, dip the whisk attachment into the whipped mixture and then hold it upside down. If the peak of the whipped cream droops a lot, this means soft peaks and you need to continue whipping. It should only droop a little.
- Layer the berries with the cream in individual glasses or serving bowls starting with the cream. Scoop out dollops of at least half of the whipped cream into the bottoms of each glass or bowl. You can scoop as much as ⅔ of the whipped cream in this first layer, but not more than that.Evenly divide the macerated berries between the glasses or bowls, including any fruit syrup. Top with the remaining whipped cream
- I serve them at room temperature with shavings of chocolate and fresh mint leaves, but that's entirely optional.
Gisela du Vigneau
The berries with cream dessert was soooo delicious.
Thank you Susan!