Bite sized refrigerated yogurt products

Abstract

Refrigerated yogurt products of small size suitable for eating with the fingers are prepared by providing a frozen yogurt composition in individual serving portions and coating the frozen yogurt portions with a fat based coating that is a solid at 45° F., thereby completely enveloping the frozen yogurt portions. The coated frozen yogurt portion is allowed to thaw to form a refrigerated yogurt product and is stored at a temperature of from about 32° F. to about 45° F. The yogurt composition has a final viscosity of from about 35,000 to about 150,000 cP at 4° C., and has a total solids content of at least about 22% and/or exhibits a viscosity reduction at 45° F. of less than 10% after two freeze/thaw cycles. Methods and products are described.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A refrigerated yogurt product of small size suitable for eating with the fingers, comprising:
 a yogurt composition in an individual serving portion coated with a fat based coating that is a solid at 45° F., thereby completely enveloping the yogurt portion;   the yogurt composition product having either:   i) a total solids content of at least about 22% and a viscosity of from about 35,000 to about 150,000 cP at 4° C.; or   ii) a viscosity of from about 35,000 to about 150,000 cP at 4° C. and exhibiting a viscosity reduction at 45° F. of less than 10% after two freeze/thaw cycles.   
     
     
         2 . The product of  claim 1 , wherein the viscosity of the refrigerated yogurt product is from about 60,000 to about 120,000 cP at 4° C. 
     
     
         3 . The product of  claim 1 , further comprising a second fat based coating. 
     
     
         4 . The product of  claim 3 , wherein the second fat based coating comprises particulate inclusions. 
     
     
         5 . The product of  claim 4 , wherein the particulate inclusions are selected from the group consisting of pieces of granola, nuts, cookies, grain based particulates, chocolate, hard candy, seeds, toffee, caramel, fruit and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The product of  claim 1 , wherein the fat based coating is from about 1.0 to about 1.5 mm thick. 
     
     
         7 . The product of  claim 1 , wherein the yogurt composition has a total solids content of from about 24% to about 35%. 
     
     
         8 . The product of  claim 1 , wherein the yogurt composition comprises at least about 38% milk solids based on total solids content. 
     
     
         9 . The product of  claim 1 , wherein the yogurt composition of the refrigerated yogurt product comprises from about 50% to about 80% milk solids based on total solids content. 
     
     
         10 . The product of  claim 1 , wherein the fat based coating comprises 20-80% of fat that is liquid at 72° F. and 20-80% of fat that is solid at 72° F. 
     
     
         11 . The product of  claim 1 , wherein the fat based coating has crystalline melt characteristics of being completely liquid at 30° C. to 35° C., as measured by DSC. 
     
     
         12 . The product of  claim 1 , wherein the fat based coating has a hardness of from about 9.5 to about 14 kg peak force at 4° C. 
     
     
         13 . The product of  claim 1 , wherein the refrigerated yogurt product has a shape selected from a generally spherical shape, a generally cylindrical shape, a generally half-spherical shape, and a generally half-cylindrical shape. 
     
     
         14 . The product of  claim 1 , wherein the individual serving portion is from about 2 to about 12 grams.