Vanilla Bean Yogurt Dip and Patriotic Fruit Skewers
Posted: 06/23/2014
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These red, white, and blue patriotic fruit skewers are perfect with this flavorful and light vanilla bean yogurt dip. Perfect for a 4th of July picnic!
Can you believe that Independence Day is next week? I know I’m a broken record and every time a holiday comes around, I start in with the “can you believe ______ is around the corner!?!?”
But really….can you believe it?!?
As usual, I’m working at the hospital on the actual holiday. I swear, I do it every year. Speaking of things I can’t believe, I’ve been working as a physical therapist for five years now. Time flies when you’re having fun!
So although I’ll be at work on the 4th, I’m sure I’ll be whipping up batches of this vanilla bean yogurt dip all summer long and dipping anything I can find into it. You all know my long standing obsession with vanilla beans — those little black dots of love make everything they touch so much better. I love this 3 ingredient no churn vanilla bean ice cream and these vanilla bean cookie bars!
Vanilla beans also lend great flavor to this simply delicious dip which is perfect for dipping fruit and cake into (or a spoon!).
I go fairly light on the sugar in this dip because I like to preserve the tanginess of the yogurt, providing a good contrast to the sweet fruit and angel food cake. If you taste it and it seems too tart for you, feel free to add a little more sugar.
While we’re talking about sugar, I use brown sugar in this yogurt dip because it adds a hint of caramel flavor but if you want a bright white dip, feel free to use granulated sugar or powdered sugar in place of the brown sugar.
Craving more delightfully sweet dips? Try:
- Raspberry cheesecake yogurt dip
- Pumpkin pie dip (great any time of the year!)
- Peanut butter cream cheese dip
- Tiramisu dip
- Cheesecake dip (hot chocolate flavor)
- Cherry cheesecake dip with lime
- Cookie dough dip from How Sweet It Is (this dip is one of my faves!)
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
1/2 cups of dip
These red, white and blue patriotic fruit skewers are perfect with this flavorful and light vanilla bean yogurt dip. Perfect for a 4th of July picnic!
Ingredients
For the dip:
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened (I used reduced-fat)
- 1 cup plain greek yogurt (I used nonfat)
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- scrapings/seeds of one vanilla bean
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the skewers:
- fresh blueberries
- fresh strawberries
- angel food cake, cut into bite sized cubes
Instructions
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese on medium speed until smooth. Add yogurt, brown sugar, vanilla bean scrapings, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed until combined and smooth, scraping down sides as needed.
- For the skewers, skewer your strawberries, blueberries and white angel food, alternating colors.
- Serve immediately. If desired, prepare yogurt dip ahead and store covered in the fridge, but the rest should be prepared immediately prior to serving.
Notes
- I like my dip slightly tangy, but feel free to add more sugar to taste. Or use granulated or powder sugar for a whiter dip.
- Pound cake would work in place of angel food cake.
- Feel free to substitute any blue and red fruit you like — raspberries, blackberries and watermelon are great options.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 2tablespoons dip, Calories: 61kcal, Carbohydrates: 5g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 10mg, Sodium: 46mg, Sugar: 4g
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
Husband’s take: Ben, E and N all love this vanilla yogurt dip…and kids love to dip things so it is really a great way to get them to eat fruit.
Changes I would make: None are necessary.
Difficulty: Easy.
Disclosure: I am thrilled to be in an ongoing partnership with United Dairy Industry of Michigan. I have been compensated by UDIM for my time to develop this recipe. All opinions are as always, my own. Find out more about why Milk Means More on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest
DessertForTwo says
These are so pretty! And congrats on your 5-year work anniversary :)
Ami@NaiveCookCooks says
These look so refreshing and a perfect party dip!
Liz @ The Lemon Bowl says
Seriously – how is it already the 4th of July next week!?! These look so good…I have a vanilla bean from my BlogHer swag that I’ve been meaning to use up!!
kristy @ the wicked noodle says
These are super cute, Rachel!! LOVE!! And how easy for a fun and healthy snack.
Cate @ Chez CateyLou says
I just wrote the exact same sentence about “Can you believe…” in a blog post for tomorrow, but it is just so true! Where does the time go?! I love love love these skewers! What a fun and festive recipe that is still light! Perfect for bikini season! Congrats on 5 years – that’s so great!
Rachel Gurk says
Time just flies by, doesn’t it?
Katie says
This dip sounds divine.
steph@stephsbitebybite says
how fun are these!!! I need to start getting my Fourth menu ready!! And since I’ve got a kid that is all over the place these seem like the perfect, easy, yummy thing to make!
Phi @ The Sweetphi Blog says
GIRL! This dip looks absolutely delicious-definitely pinned it for the 4th! LOVE the website update too! I just came back to your site and was like, wait, something’s different, I love it! And a biiiig congrats on 5 years :)
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says
I can’t believe it’s the 4th already either. It was just January, wasn’t it? I love the dip and those strawberry skewers would put me in the holiday mood. Sorry you have to work!
Serena | Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch says
Love the little specks of vanilla bean in the dip! Delicious!