Call me crazy, but I actually really like the transitional season between summer and fall. It’s still warm enough to be outside (plus maybe wear a cute jacket in the evening), and there’s still good produce at the market. But with the change of seasons also comes a busier schedule, with my husband returning to classes for his Master’s degree program. With both of us working full time in addition to him taking classes several nights a week (plus busy weekends with college football and a number of other fun activities), there’s not a lot of time left for us to fuss with complicated recipes.

But after all of that studying, I think that Jeff deserves a (simple) treat, and I’ll be making him this Honey Frozen Yogurt Pie this fall. To make this easy dessert, you just need to whip up a quick honey-sweetened graham cracker crust and then fill it with a honey-sweetened (seeing a theme here?) mixture of Greek yogurt, cream and vanilla bean paste and freeze until firm.

So yes, honey is absolutely the theme of this pie. As somebody who has two jars of honey in my kitchen (one in the “savory” ingredient cabinet, and one in the baking ingredient cabinet), I know that honey has many versatile culinary benefits. Not only does it add a unique flavor (not just sweetness) to savory and sweet foods, it also acts as a humectant. The definition of this word was actually on one of my culinary school pastry class exams: it just means a substance (in this case, it’s honey) that retains or preserves moisture (so that your baked goods will have a longer shelf life!).

This pie is perfect served on it’s own drizzled with just a bit more honey, or you can garnish with fruit(s) of your choosing. I went ahead and arranged everything all pretty-like this time because I was nostalgic for the fruit decorating I did in pastry class, but feel free to choose just one or two fruits and simply pile them on instead of carefully arranging. Trust me, it’ll taste just as good. But don’t forget the extra honey drizzle!

For more information about honey’s natural benefits as well as more recipes made with honey, be sure to connect with the National Honey Board on honey.com, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

Yield: 8 servings

Honey Frozen Yogurt Pie

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Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 14 minutes

Ingredients

For the Crust:

• 1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup honey

For the Filling:

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup full fat Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

For Garnish:

• Fresh fruit (optional)
• Honey for drizzling

Instructions

1. Make the Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In medium bowl, stir together graham cracker crumbs, butter and honey until well combined. Firmly press the mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan. Transfer to oven and bake 14 to 16 minutes or until dark golden brown. Transfer to cooling rack to cool completely before filling.
2. Make the Filling: Place cream in mixing bowl and mix on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Add yogurt, honey and vanilla bean paste and beat until well combined. Evenly spread mixture in prepared pie crust. Cover and transfer to freezer for at least 4 hours or up to 3 days.
3. To serve, let pie stand at room temperature for 20 minutes to soften slightly. While pie is softening, garnish with fruit, if desired. Cut pie and serve drizzled with honey.

Disclosure: This was a sponsored post written by me on behalf of the National Honey Board. Sponsored posts help me pay for the costs associated with this blog (groceries…lots of groceries), and help support me as I pursue a career in recipe development and food photography. All opinions are 100% my own.