This guilt-free Greek yogurt, thyme honey and white chocolate mousse cake with a walnut and oats base and fresh fruits on top, is the perfect summer dessert!
This Greek yogurt, honey, and white chocolate mousse cake is served with plenty of fresh fruit and a light drizzling of extra honey. It is a light, summer dessert with minimum guilt because half of the cream for the mousse is replaced with Greek yogurt (2% fat) which except for the freshness, it also provides some extra protein. The tanginess of the yogurt is eliminated by the sweetness of the honey and the white chocolate, with the finished mousse having the taste of something between a velvety cheesecake and a smooth vanilla ice cream! And though it’s not as low-fat as this yogurt pannacotta with strawberry sauce, I believe you can eat it without any remorse, especially if you follow a balanced diet! 🙂 And because the base is made from oats and walnuts, this cake is also gluten-free.
My inspiration for this recipe was a classic, simple Greek dessert which consists of plain, strained yogurt, some honey (thyme honey preferably) and crushed walnuts for crunch. In Greece, a lot of people have this as a quick and light dinner, but it’s also a great way to finish a meal. And if you’ve ever been to Greece, you have probably found yogurt with honey on the menu of a Greek tavern. Adding some white chocolate to this recipe seemed just obvious and topping it with lots of fresh fruits really emphasized the summer-y character of this mousse cake.
Hey, did you see those two glasses filled with mousse in the previous photo? This is another way you can serve this dessert, probably an easier one, though not as impressive (because what can beat the expectation that’s born from a luscious, creamy cake waiting to be cut into slices and served to some hungry mouths?). If you choose to serve it in glasses, you’ll have to bake the base in a pan and crumble it with your fingers after it’s cooled. Fill 10-12 glasses with half of the crumble, add some tablespoons of the filling, then add the rest of the crumble and finish with the rest of the filling. Top with fresh fruits just before serving!
Some notes/tips:
- Use a thick, strained Greek yogurt with 2% fat or even full fat.
- You can substitute pecans, almonds or hazelnuts for the walnuts.
- Substitute your favorite cookie base for the oats/walnut crust for a more kid-friendly result.
- Instead of making a cake, you can serve this dessert in separate glasses.
You may also like these similar recipes:
Poached mini apples with granola and yogurt cream
Peanut butter and white chocolate fudge popsicles
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P.S.: This cake is dedicated to my mom because tomorrow is her birthday! 🙂
Recipe
Greek yogurt, honey & white chocolate mousse cake
Ingredients
- For the base:
- 1 cup walnuts, crushed or finely chopped
- 1 cup oats
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons shredded coconut
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon hot water
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil or olive oil
- A pinch of salt
- For the filling:
- 1 ½ cup (430 grams) Greek strained yogurt, 2% fat at room temperature
- ¼ cup (100 grams) Greek thyme honey
- 1 tablespoon liquid vanilla extract
- 4 gelatin sheets (6 grams)
- 200 grams white chocolate, chopped
- 1 ½ cup (360 grams) heavy cream, 35% fat very cold
- 2 - 4 tablespoons white sugar (depending on how sweet you want it to be)
- A mix of fresh fruits for topping
- Extra honey for serving
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F) and line with baking paper a spring-form pan 8 inches (20cm) in diameter (for easy unmolding you can also line the sides of the pan with baking paper cut into strips).
- Make the base: Mix the walnuts, the oats, the shredded coconut, the cinnamon and the salt in a bowl. Add the coconut oil and give the mixture a stir. Mix the water, sugar, and honey in a small bowl and add it to the oat mixture. Mix well, transfer to the pan and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Set aside to cool.
- Make the mousse: Soak the gelatin sheets in a bowl with cold water and let it sit for 5 minutes. Transfer the white chocolate with the ½ cup of yogurt to a bowl and melt them in a double boiler (or in the microwaves in short increments). When the chocolate has melted, remove from the heat. Strain the gelatin sheets well and add them to the white chocolate. Add the vanilla and the honey and the rest of the yogurt and stir well to combine. Whip the cream and the white sugar until stiff peaks form. Then, fold the yogurt mixture gently with the whipped cream, using a spatula.
- Assemble the cake: Fill the pan and refrigerate for 4-6 hours or overnight. To unmold, run a hot knife through the edges of the pan and gently remove the sides. If you’ve lined the sides, peel-off the strips. Transfer to a plate and top with the fruits. Serve with a drizzle of honey and a dusting of cinnamon.
- Eat!
Notes
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Dr Martin Huang
Amazingly delicious. I got to try it yesterday and the taste was fantastic. You have a real good recipe.
Makos
Thank you, I am so happy you liked it! 🙂
Valya @ Valya's Taste of Home
Absolutely gorgeous cheesecake! I have to give it a try since I'm a big cheesecake fan 😀 A few questions: 1. Is regular honey ok? 2. Is milk cream a heavy cream? Thanks much!
Makos
Hi Valya!
Yes regular honey is OK, and yes, milk cream is heavy cream (just make sure the heavy cream has at least 35% fat)
Sorry for the late reply!!! 🙂
Akhila@Pepper Delight
This looks heavenly and beautifully styled...There is something about the combination of greek yogurt and honey, that they are just perfect together. 🙂 Cant wait to try!!
Belated Birthday wishes to your Mom 🙂
Makos
Thanks dear! Yes, Greek yogurt and honey (esp thyme) is a match made in heaven!
Cilla
Omg! It’s so good!!
Makos
I'm happy you liked it, thanks!
Macarona D
Do you need to wait till white chocolate and yogurt cools off? I am always scared that after adding double cream it will separate! Thanks
Makos
Yes, but when you add the gelatin and the rest of the yogurt to the chocolate it should be about room temperature. If it's not wait for it to cool 🙂