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Chocolate yogurt is a popular dairy product made from milk and flavored with chocolate. It can be made at home or purchased commercially, and is often marketed as a healthier alternative to chocolate desserts. Chocolate frozen yogurt is also popular, but is less healthy due to its high sugar content and lack of live cultures. Chocolate yogurt can be used in baking and as a dip, and is available in low-fat and fat-free varieties.
Chocolate yogurt is a creamy dairy product made from cultured milk that has been flavored with chocolate flavor. Some yogurt makers commercially market chocolate yogurt products, many of which are aimed at health-conscious children or adults. Home cooks can easily make their own chocolate yogurt by adding cocoa powder or flavored syrup to plain, vanilla, or even fruit-based yogurt. In many markets, chocolate frozen yogurt is also very popular, usually as a healthier alternative to ice cream.
Yogurt comes in many styles, flavors and textures. Its basis is milk, but almost any type of milk can be used – even soy milk, in some cases. Enzymes that are inherent in or added to milk form a creamy custard-like substance when heated that has a distinctive, tangy flavor. Many of the more complex chocolate yogurts involve adding concentrated cocoa powder or chocolate essences to the culture stage. Usually, however, flavor is added to yogurt products once they have formed and firmed.
Chocolate yogurt is often promoted as a healthy way to enjoy the taste of chocolate. Most cakes and other confections made with cocoa are high in calories and have little or no nutritional benefits. Yogurts usually contain some sugar but are also high in calcium, active cultures that aid in digestion, and a host of essential vitamins. Adding cocoa powder or flavoring imparts the taste of chocolate without actually adding many calories. Chocolate yogurts in low-fat or fat-free varieties are especially popular with the health conscious.
A number of yogurt dips and baked goods can also be enhanced with the addition of chocolate yogurt. Using a dollop of flavored yogurt instead of milk or oil in a cake can improve both texture and taste. The same is usually true with muffins, scones, and just about any snack or yogurt confection that could be enhanced with a little moisture and a dash of chocolate. Baking with yogurt is generally very easy, as the basic creaminess tends to blend with almost any type of batter.
Chocolate yogurt of the non-boiling variety is often found in the freezer. Frozen yogurt is a much-loved yogurt dessert in many parts of the world. It is similar to ice cream, but has a certain flavor and creaminess that sets it apart. Chocolate frozen yogurt is often available both in cartons from dairies and grocery stores, and in soft-serve format from specialty stores.
Frozen yogurt is often a better choice than ice cream in terms of fat content, but it rarely beats standard yogurt when it comes to health properties. Most frozen versions are very high in sugar, and many of the live, active cultures that make standard yogurt so beneficial don’t survive freezing temperatures. Frozen chocolate yogurt is generally considered an indulgence, while regular chocolate yogurt is often a handy and even healthy snack.
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