If you love labneh, or yogurt spread, as much as I do then you’ll really appreciate this recipe because it takes the simplified version up several very wonderful and delicious notches beyond what you might see or taste.
I made this recipe to go on my Autumn Harvest Table (also can be incorporated into your Thanksgiving table menu, too) spread because the aesthetic is pretty and goes well with all the other dishes on the table. See the full menu here.
It’s easy to make but does require a little bit of planning ahead since the spread is made by draining the yogurt of it’s liquids and needs to be done about 6-8 hours (preferably overnight) in advance.
I use a thick yogurt (i.e. Mountain High Yoghurt which is Halal) to make the spread, and I typically prepare this the night before I want to serve it. I like to use the Plain, Whole Milk version to do this. It’s a halal-certified product and doesn’t have any added ingredients other than what’s supposed to be there, which is a huge relief for people like myself who want to know what’s really in their food.
Start out by getting a cheesecloth or very thin cotton towel, a strainer (colander), and a large bowl that will fit underneath your strainer.
Simply place the towel or cheesecloth over the strainer (be sure to choose a large piece so that there is enough cloth to hold the weight of the yogurt but also to be able to tie it up with all four corners. Put the larger bowl underneath the strainer to catch the liquids from the yogurt. These liquids are called whey proteins and can be reserved to add into things like smoothies.
Add a generous amount of yogurt (I used about two heaping cups) and place into the strainer. Tie up the corners of the towel and use a rubber band to hang the cloth over your kitchen faucet where the strainer and bowl underneath are just below it. Keep it there for about one hour then remove the cloth, place it in the colander with the bowl underneath and keep it in the fridge for the remainder of time, or until it becomes thick and spreadable.
Once it’s ready, plate it onto a serving dish and spread it out evenly with a butterknife. Add chopped pistachio and hazelnuts (or any nuts you prefer), and pomegranates. Then drizzle olive oil on top. Chill until ready to serve.
Serve with pita bread, plain bruschetta or toasts for dipping, if desired.
What I love about this recipe is that not only is it super delicious, but it’s also beautiful to look at and makes a very healthy statement on your dinner table, too.
Part 2
This post was sponsored by Mountain High Yoghurt. All opinions, recipes and photos are generated by the author.
Yogurt Spread with Pomegranates, Pistachios and Olive Oil
Serves 4
This spread or dip is a beautiful and Autumn-themed addition to any party table or gathering where you want your guests to be inspired to eat healthy and try something a little different than usual.
Start out by getting a cheesecloth or very thin cotton towel, a strainer (colander), and a large bowl that will fit underneath your strainer.
Simply place the towel or cheesecloth over the strainer (be sure to choose a large piece so that there is enough cloth to hold the weight of the yogurt but also to be able to tie it up with all four corners.
Put the larger bowl underneath the strainer to catch the liquids from the yogurt. These liquids are called whey proteins and can be reserved to add into things like smoothies.
Add a generous amount of yogurt (I used about two heaping cups) and place into the strainer. Tie up the corners of the towel and use a rubber band to hang the cloth over your kitchen faucet where the strainer and bowl underneath are just below it. Keep it there for about one hour then remove the cloth, place it in the colander with the bowl underneath and keep it in the fridge for the remainder of time, or until it becomes thick and spreadable.
Once it’s ready, plate it onto a serving dish and spread it out evenly with a butterknife. Add chopped pistachio and hazelnuts (or any nuts you prefer), and pomegranates. Then drizzle olive oil on top. Chill until ready to serve.
Serve with pita bread, plain bruschetta or toasts for dipping, if desired.
*Note: You will also need a piece of cheesecloth or a thin cotton towel, a strainer/colander and a bowl that is larger than the strainer.
Recipe Copyright | My Halal Kitchen by Yvonne Maffei. 2025
I have loved dates for a very long time. I do think they’re one of the world’s best food, and completely more versatile than they’re often understood to be. They’re not just for desserts, as in the recipe I’m about to show you, but they’re wonderful in salads, great to cook with when dried (I love when they’re part of a savory rice dish), or even made into a paste for more than just baking dishes.
But you probably want a dessert recipe right about now, don’t you?
I had a complete craving for dates mixed with almonds, coconut and pistachios. Kind of convenient when you think about what a delicious combination that can be- and I have a seriously easy recipe for you: Date Nut Balls (or Logs, which I’ll show you), which are then rolled in either coconut or ground pistachio.
To grind the pistachio simply take the meat out of the shell (or purchase pistachio meat only) and run it through a food processor. If you have a small amount, you could use a coffee/spice grinder to do this. Just be sure to do it right before making this recipe because if it’s not fresh, you can taste it.
Next for the ground coconut. This is basically coconut flakes ground even further. I find this in my international grocery markets with the nuts and dried fruits.
I put coconut flakes in the ingredients list, but I don’t actually use it here. I just wanted to show that you might find flakes this big (although typically smaller) and these can be put through the food processor or coffee/spice grinder, too, to make ground coconut. You could also use a a decoration once the dessert is finished- but that might look a little messy. Whatever floats your boat.
Next up- this recipe is really good with raw toasted almonds because they have a deeper flavor, but if all you have is regular, by all means use those instead.
Now for the star of this dessert show: Medjool dates. Ahhh….my most favorite of all the dates I’ve ever tried, and I’ve tried a lot. I think it’s because they’re meaty and stuffable. But I think I’ve already told you that somewhere else on this blog. It’s repeat-worthy, I think…
I should also tell you that you can get very good organic Medjool dates that are California-grown (Bard Valley), from Natural Delights, which are halal-certified, too. They sent me a few boxes so I could make all sorts of good things with them to show you. I also like the fact that to us here in the Midwest, they’re actually our most ‘local’ date product.
So to make the dessert, you have to pit the dates. That means take the pit out. I sometimes don’t get why they say ‘pit’ the olive, or ‘pit’ the date when you’re actually removing it. Being a former English teacher, I should know that answer. If my former students are reading this, I’m sure you can and will ‘Google’ the answer…
Back to the dates.
Remove the pit by gently pulling the date apart horizontally.
Take the pit out. It almost looks like a small nut.
Obviously it’s not crunchy, so you wouldn’t miss it if you bit into it. But it might ruin your food processor or blender if you left it in, so atencion!
What I love about these dates is that they’re flexible. Repairable is probably a better word. Back to semantics again…
What I mean is that for people like me who are kind of messy when cooking, baking and preparing things, it means that if you needed to present these dates beautifully, no one would know that you worked that date a little bit because it goes back together so perfectly. Masha’Allah.
See what I mean?
Now it’s time to roll. Well, we’ll mix first then we’ll roll.
Get ready to hold on tight. It’s really going to move the food processor around a bit, especially once the mixture thickens.
I process on high for about 15-30 seconds then stop it to see where it’s at. If the almonds are all still quite big, I just keep going but pulsing it so I have control over the mixture, then blend at 5 second increments. This is how you want it to look, and it will be sticky.
Spread out the coconut on a plate. This is where you’ll roll the balls once they’re formed.
Do the same with the ground pistachio.
Now we’re ready to roll. Quite literally. Between your hands, just like you do meatballs. If you make those.
Now simply roll the ball over the ground pistachio.
And keep rolling, until you get as much of the topping on it as you like. It’ll stick.
And do the same with the coconut. In no time, you can have them all done.
Don’t they look like munchkin donuts?
Now I”ll throw you a loop- you can also make date logs if you like those, instead. They’re done exactly the same way, but just shaped differently and made according to the size you prefer.
Roll the same as you do the balls.
Now slice them into pieces so everyone can have a taste. You don’t have to do this, but I find that a whole log is just too much for most people. But maybe you know people who aren’t most people and who prefer the whole log. Again, whatever floats your boat.
And of course it’s the same withe the pistachio.
Cut them into bit size pieces and serve, or preserve until you’re ready to serve. These stay good in the fridge for about a week, covered. I just like to bring them to room temperature before serving.
And I have to admit that I like the ball shape better. Actually, I like the fact that they’re less work- no cutting involved, and you can make them small, medium or large.
Sweet, isn’t it?
Would you take these to a Ramadan Iftar party or serve them to guests at your own?
