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Diamonds may be forever (as I so subtly mentioned to the The.Boy. yesterday…by which I mean I screamed it loudly on a subway car full of people…but whatever).

But pomegranates are a girl’s best friend.

All cute and shiny and vibrantly red…,if I could string them on a necklace and wear them as an edible Christmas accessory…I would. I so would.

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But since I’m not quite sure how I exactly I would get the pomegranate juice to stay inside the aril after I poked a piece of thread through it (and since walking around with red liquid dripping down your chest is not exactly in vogue at the moment…or ever)…I have no alternative but to carry around a bowl with me wherever I go and snack on them nonstop.

Classy.

(Unless you’re the type of pom eater who sucks the juice out of each aril and spits out the seeds. Then maybe you should keep you dinner party pomegranate consumption to a minimum. Just a thought.)

That is, until I try to pry the seeds from the fruit and end up looking like someone being tried in criminal court. I adore pomegranate juice, but man, does that stuff STAIN. (And yes, I do use the submerge it in water and let the seeds float while the pulp rises trick…but I still end up ruining a shirt. Every time.)

Thankfully (for my wardrobe), POM Wonderful has started selling packages of ready-to-eat pomegranate arils, called POM POMS (no but seriously…how adorable is that), which are absolutely perfect for entertaining (in lieu of a candy bowl!), cooking, or healthy snacking.  I can’t seem to stop picking up a package every time I go to the store, and POMWonderful and I would like to give you guys the opportunity to as well!

GIVEAWAY!!! TEN of you have the chance to receive a coupon for these cuties.  All you have to do enter is to leave a comment on this post telling me how you eat your #POMPOMS?  For extra entries, tweet me @joanneeatswell and @pomwonderful, with the hashtag #POMPOMS letting us know what your favorite recipe using pomegranates is and leave a comment here telling me that you did so.  The giveaway will run until next Friday, December 14th!

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For example, if I were eligible to enter I would tweet something like…my favorite way to eat #POMPOMS is on top of a no-bake greek yogurt cheesecake that is so creamy lusciously awesome (and yet shockingly not all that bad for you, all things considered) you’ll want to eat it for breakfast. Dude, it has greek yogurt and pomegranate seeds in it…which makes it pretty much a superfood. do.it.

Plus methinks with all of the red and white going on here…it is really the ultimate centerpiece for your Christmas table. Edible ornaments. Can’t go wrong there.

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Before we go on to the recipe, I just want to tell you a little revelatory experience I had at Whole Foods this past week.  Remember a few weeks ago when I told you about how the NYC Bowery location was partnering with Brooklyn Flea and Smorgasburg to showcase various local food vendors?  (Here’s a YouTube video that they produced to better describe what they’re doing).

Well, from November 26th through December 23rd, they’ll be hosting Milk Truck Grilled Cheese.  I had a chance to hang out with one of the awesomely fabulous Whole Foods PR reps this week and give it a try.  I got the three cheese grilled cheese which was stuffed with aged gruyere, aged NY State cheddar and Wisconsin blue…and caramelized apples. (swoon)  Jessica got the classic, which is filled with aged Wisconsin gruyere. And, to add insult to injury….we split the most delicious parmesan-crusted tater tots I’ve ever had.

These sandwiches were absolutely forces to be reckoned with and if you’re in the NYC area, I HIGHLY recommend that you head on over to the Bowery Whole Foods on a lunch break, for dinner, or on the weekends to get some Milk Truck into your life.  I know I’ll be back before their run is up at the end of the month!

Also, the winner of my Shutterfly GIVEAWAY is commenter number 12 – Jessica who blogs over at Pickles’ Mom! Jessica, send me an email at [email protected] and I’ll get you your PROMO code immediately!!

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Greek Yogurt Cheesecake with Pomegranate Syrup
Serves 8-10, adapted from Bon Appetit November 2012

Ingredients
For the crust

  • nonstick vegetable oil spray
  • 1 1/2 cups fine graham cracker crumbs
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted better, melted and cooled slightly
  • 1/4 cup sugar

For the filling

  • 2 tsp powdered gelatin (I used vegetarian gelatin!)
  • 1 1/2 lb reduced fat cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups 2% Greek yogurt
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt

For the pomegranate syrup

  • 2 cups flash-pasteurized pomegranate juice (like POM!)
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 tbsp light corn syrup
  • pomegranate seeds

Instructions

  1. Coat the bottom and the sides of a 9″-springform pan with nonstick spray. Using your fingertips, mix the remaining crust ingredients in a medium bowl until mixture holds together when pinched tightly. Pack onto the bottom of the pan in an even layer . Chill until firm, at least 1 hour or up to 1 day.
  2. If using animal gelatin, place the gelatin and 1 1/2 tbsp cold water in a heatproof bowl. Let stand until softened, 5-10 minutes. If using vegetarian gelatin, do not do anything to it until you have mixed everything else for the filling as it sets up much more quickly than animal gelatin.
  3. Pulse the cream cheese, yogurt, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt in a food processor, scraping down the sides as needed until completely smooth.
  4. If using animal gelatin, microwave the gelatin until it dissolves. If using vegetarian gelatin, mix it with 1 1/2 tbsp cold water. Microwave until it boil. Pour whichever gelatin you are using into the food processor while it is running and mix until well blended. Pour into the prepared crust. Tap pan firmly on the counter to remove any big air bubbles. Smooth the top. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill for at least 6 hours. Keep chilled until ready to serve.
  5. For the pomegranate syrup, bring the pomegranate juice, sugar and corn syrup to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat.  Simmer, whisking occasionally, until the syrup is thickened, shiny and measures a generous 1/2 cup, 35-40 minutes. Let cool. (Alternatively, you can just use pomegranate molasses.)
  6. Serve cheesecake drizzled with pomegrante syrup and pomegranate arils.

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You are reading this post on Eats Well With Others at https://joanne-eatswellwithothers.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author and or owner of Eats Well With Others. All rights reserved by Joanne Bruno.
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104 Responses to Greek Yogurt Cheesecake with Pomegranate Syrup {GIVEAWAY}

  1. Oh my gawsh…this looks so ridiculously creamy. Love?

    …and YES, I love those little POM aril containers. SO handy. Especially because, if I can take the easy way out of getting those little jewels (read: clean. er.), I’m taking it!

  2. Greg White says:

    You made them l;ook really yummy!

  3. Nizz says:

    This looks great! I’m so making this for Christmas!!
    Greetings
    Inês

  4. Looks delicious Joanne. I completely agree – I love pomegranate arils! Roasted butternut squash + kale + pomegranate was a true hit last year at Christmas. 🙂

  5. This whole post is making me drool! That is all.

  6. Elizabeth R. says:

    I eat pom arils on everything! salads, breakfast, etc. My current favorite way to eat them is in a massaged kale salad, with almonds, squash and parm cheese!

  7. This cheesecake is just so pretty! And I am SO unbelievably jealous of that whole foods tasting… once I have a life again we need to go on a fun food field trip:-)

  8. I saw this cake and I really want to make it. Let’s see… does putting the pompoms in a glass of Champagne count as eating them? 🙂 I also throw them in salads or add them to roasted vegetables.

  9. Amy says:

    Ha. I think I might steal your tweet. You sly one. My parents had a pomegranate tree when I was growing up (it has since blown over and been dug up *sadness*)…and we used to pick the ripe ones, site together at the table, put all the seeds in one giant bowl, and then eat them with spoons. Have I already told this story? Like 10 times? Probably. Fond memories… The only thing missing, apparently, was cheesecake. I feel robbed.

  10. Lynn says:

    My grandparents use to have a pomegranate in their back yard. Now I wonder if it is still there – the house is long sold.

    I’ve really only had a pomegranate martini. 🙂 I would love the pompoms in that, for sure! 🙂

    That’s a beautiful cheesecake – I’d like to try making that (with pompoms, of course.)

  11. Lynn says:

    Pomegranate tree – forgot to add the word tree. 🙂

  12. marie says:

    I am actually not the biggest cheesecake fan but yours looks absolutely mouthwatering! While at my sis in laws for Thanksgiving we ate tons of pomegranates because she has a tree full of them. At the grocery store they are 2 bucks each, yikes.

  13. Gloria says:

    oh my mym my !! look absolutely amazing and beautiful, I love pomegranates I think are georgeous but I vant in this time (summer ) but the same pie woukd be amazing with raspberries or others!! delicious Joanne!

  14. Oh Joanne this looks fabulous! I love pomegranates and on cheesecake, it’s so perfect!!

  15. Anonymous says:

    I love to put POMPOMS on my arugula salad with goat cheese and balsamic vinegar!
    bjn1957{at}gmail{dot}com

  16. The pomegranate seeds look so great on the cheesecake! In the past, my favorite way to use POMPOMS was to put them on top of a salad or fish or with grapefruit sliced, but now I think it’s going to be with cheesecake.

  17. The cheesecake looks great. But perhaps it’s time to start wearing an apron more in the kitchen…? But I’m sure the POMPOMS will be very helpful too.

  18. This cheesecake sounds fantastic! I’ve been wanting to try a cheesecake with Greek yogurt!

  19. Shannon says:

    oh yes. i was just looking at the recipe the other day! great minds 🙂

  20. Anne says:

    LOVE pomegranates! I eat the arils like popcorn as a snack but they’re also so good in salads (and I’ve been wanting to try it on top of some Greek yogurt, too!).

  21. Pompoms??? Interesting name. Those grilled cheese sandwiches do look amazing – lucky you

  22. Katie K says:

    I can never use them in a recipe because I always eat them all beforehand! =)

  23. ahahaha I can just imagine a pomegranate necklace now…dangerous! I enjoy my #pompoms on salads usually or alone! Cool giveaway 🙂

  24. Yum! Love that you added greek yogurt.

    My favorite way to eat #POMPOMS is just plain. I could snack on them all day!

  25. I have never had them in a recipe, just peel and eat!

  26. I tweeted @joanneeatswell and @pomwonderful, with the hashtag #POMPOMS

  27. I’ve seen those POMPOMs but haven’t tried them yet! I’ll probably just eat them straight from the cup. Or make pomegranate martinis. Oh who am I kidding of course I’m making pom cocktails!

  28. Erica says:

    I love pomegranate seeds in my steel cuts oats for breakfast.

  29. I eat my Poms just as-is and have fun watching my daughter make a mess trying to get them out of the shell 🙂

    And that first bite shot of the cheesecake is what dreams are made of! I get Bon Appetit and how did I miss that recipe?! Your pics are clearly way better than theirs and I could never miss your version!

  30. This is absolutely beatiful! Greek yogurt in a cheesecake is such a fantastic idea! The grilled cheese is also making my mouth water…I will be in NYC next week and have added that on my list of “must-eats!”

  31. Kristen says:

    I love to just eat them straight up and play with popping each one in my mouth! Love these things!

  32. sandra says:

    Joanne you have changed my mind about what I will bring to Christmas dinner this year – I was going to make a pumpkin pie but come on, how can that compare to this beauty. And is POM really offering the arils in a bag?? How great is that?? Give me some!

  33. Christina says:

    We eat them by the spoonful, but if we can make ourselves wait an extra second we put them on top of homemade whipped cream.

  34. Chris Coyle says:

    Strangely, now that I think about it, pretty much everyone in my family just eats them straight up as a snack. We do use them in salads, etc. on occasion, but mostly for snacking … and yes, I have to admit that I usually pop a bunch in my mouth and chipmunk the seeds off to the side to spit out when I’m done.

  35. Pam says:

    I just finished eating my Greek yogurt with pom seeds… my favorite breakfast. The cheesecake looks lovely & delicious. Great giveaway too!

  36. Danielle says:

    My kids ate their first pomegranite this week – I held out until now because of the stain issue. They loved it of course.

  37. Eileen says:

    I love the idea of using Greek yogurt and pomegranate arils for an extra-tart cheesecake! OM NOM etc. I’m going to bow out of the contest–we have neighbors with a pomegranate tree, if you can believe it–but good luck to the lucky 10!

  38. Karin says:

    Honestly, just eat the pomegranates straight out of the fridge with a spoon…they don’t last long in my apartment.

  39. I love the idea of the Pom Pom’s – I need to buy them!!! I never buy Pomegranates for exactly the reasons you brought up.

  40. Jenna says:

    My Favorite way to eat these cutie little #POMPOMS is poured into my mouth directly from the container, before I can even reach the grocery store check-out line. Whoops!
    Let’s just say that I’ve paid for a lot of empty or near empty POMPOMS packages…

  41. Okay, a few things….first those grilled cheese sanwitches sound amazing! I may just hop on a red eye and fly to NYC for some cheesy tots and sandwiches. Second, I need a slice of your cheesecake! Yum

  42. Foodycat says:

    Gosh that is a good looking cheesecake!

  43. This cheese cake is incredible! I actually don’t have a favorite way to use them because I’ve never used more than the juice before.

  44. Kalyn Denny says:

    Sounds like a great recipe!

  45. Guru Uru says:

    That is one of the tastiest recipes for cheesecake my friend 🙂

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

  46. grace says:

    what a creamy, creamy cheesecake! i’ve never tasted pomegranate arils, so i’m not sure how i’d use them… 🙂

  47. Sara says:

    The pompoms sound like a great idea! I would use them on a salad. 🙂

  48. philby b. says:

    I love to add pomegranate arils into fruit salad!

  49. I love these little jewels too. 🙂 They’re so beautiful and sparkly and cheery and wonderful. 🙂 I love that you added them to cheesecake. It looks so festive. 🙂 If I had pom poms I would sprinkle them on a tart or shredded beef or just add them to my morning yogurt. 🙂

  50. This recipe looks outstanding! If I won the pom poms, think I’d use them as part of a decadent holiday bark, perhaps with cinnamon almonds or pistachios.

  51. Hannah says:

    Pomegranates rock! My favorite pomegranate ritual involves slicing a huge one in half and then slowly picking out the seeds while watching a movie. It usually ends up lasting me the entire film. 🙂

  52. Debbie says:

    The last picture just convinced me that I need this kind of cheesecake in my life….Wow that looks so good!

  53. OohLookBel says:

    What a great idea to top ypur cheesecake with pomegranate seeds. It looks so festive, too!

  54. That cheesecake looks awesome. You crack me up with your pomegranate jewelry!! Oh and screaming about diamonds too…lol!

  55. Dee says:

    I like my PomPoms straight up. Great to munch on.

  56. ilene says:

    I eat them on top of Greek yogurt.

  57. G’day! I LOVE this combination of flavors, TRUE!
    I have emailed the company to see if PomPoms are available where I live too!
    Re the stains and mess of the pomegranate seeds….why not get a pomegranate de seeder? Available in the US, but they ship internationally too! No mess…inexpensive …small gadget that works too!

  58. Jenn Kendall says:

    i love pompoms soooooo much. so much. they are so useful, i just love eating the arils right from the container!

  59. Christine says:

    I love eating arils by themselves!! And on my ice cream ^_^

    And I tweeted 🙂

  60. As much as I love pomegranates and cheesecake, I can’t get the thought of that sandwich out of my brain! Worth it’s weight in diamonds 🙂

  61. I have never had a pomegranate, so it would be wonderful to win this!

  62. Astra Libris says:

    I am SO excited about this recipe – I queued it up in my list of recipes to try as soon as the November BA issue came out, and your post makes me want to try it even more – with pompoms, of course! 🙂

  63. Jeanette says:

    I love using Greek yogurt as a way to lighten up recipes and anything with Pomegranate is perfect for the holiday season! Wondering what the vegetarian gelatin is made with – I’ve never seen this product, would love to know where to get it. I’ve used agar agar as a substitute for gelatin, but haven’t seen anything else.

  64. I want this for breakfast! (and lunch) I liberally sprinkled pomegranate arils on my lunch salad today. I’d love to find some of the POMPOMS- my kitchen counter always gets the worst of the juice and it looks as if I’ve been slaughtering something there.

  65. Tandy says:

    I keep containers of pomegranate arils in the freezer for salads and alcoholic drinks!

  66. That Girl says:

    I have always said pomegranates look like jewels!

  67. Kari says:

    This cheesecake looks incredible! I don’t think I have eaten enough pomegranates in my life.

  68. Could that cheesecake be any creamier? Swoon! I’ve actually never used pomegranate arils in a recipe b/c my hubby would never allow it–it’s his fave fruit and he eats as many as he can every winter. None are spared for recipe experiments. I saw those PomPoms at the store and loved the idea!

  69. Your cheesecake looks so creamy and soft and gorgeous. Oh Ok the Pom Poms do too. !

  70. What a creamy and lovely looking cheesecake! It looks really delicious and smooth. The pomegranates look great, too – they add such a lovely touch to dishes, especially this time of year. They make everything look festive (plus they are tasty!).

  71. Okay, that cheesecake looks amazing…and I’m not even cheesecake’s #1 fan. And those pomegranates and such a lovely pop of color :)! I’d eat PomPoms on their own, or as a lovely add-in for stir-fry!!

  72. Cathleen says:

    This looks fantastic!! I have just recently discovered Greek Yogurt cheesecake, and I have developed a new love affair.

  73. Caitlin says:

    Oh man. On their own…or as a topping to a spinach or kale salad with apples, walnuts, cranberry, and cherry tomatoes. 🙂

  74. just was eating some frozen pomegranate seeds straight out of the freezer in anticipation of making the roasted brussels sprouts with pomegranates that you posted! Love them fresh!

  75. I haven’t seen the Pom Poms in our market yet…I do hope they will start to carry them. Your cheesecake sounds terrific and looks so pretty.

  76. I love how stunning this cheesecake is! Pomegranate just has that power to make everything look gorgeous.

  77. LOVE the idea of using greek yogurt into an otherwise decadent dessert—beautiful, girl!

  78. Mo' Betta says:

    I can’t wait for POM POMs to arrive in my (ONE) local grocery store! The only reason I haven’t bought any pomegranates so far this year is that they are so difficult to eat! (No, I’m not that lazy. I just don’t have time to spend 20 mins getting into a piece of fruit…my kids can do some damage in 20 unsupervised minutes!) But, arils are very good in yogurt and oatmeal!

  79. Reeni Pisano says:

    The cheesecake looks so silky and lush! Love the gorgeous pom seeds on top! So pretty. I eat the seeds out of a bowl. In their natural state. With a spoon. I’m weird.

  80. Johanna GGG says:

    those little ruby seeds do look like jewells and look gorgeous on your cheesecake – perfect for christmas – esp in australia where it is not cold

  81. looks beautiful with the pomegranate. And so creamy. I’d love a slice of cheesecake with the tang of Greek yogurt!

  82. Esi says:

    I am a sucker for a cheesecake topped with pomegranate.

  83. Jessie says:

    Hmm … I should try your subtle mention technique … I could do with some more cookie sheets …

    I just bought a pomegranate yesterday for the first time in a while. I’ve never successfully removed the seeds without giving myself the red badge of courage (for trying to seed my own pomegranate). Looks like I should have gotten some POM POMS instead! Great job on this cheesecake! I think Poms go great on everything from salad to chocolate cake – YUM.

  84. emily says:

    i would sprinkle my POMPOMS on top of greek yogurt and granola! my favorite post-workout snack!

  85. You know how much I adore cheesecake. And here you are… torturing me with this decadent treat. And those pomegranate seeds… I’m officially obsessed. Besides this wonderful dessert, I like to eat my POM POMS on top of quinoa or couscous. It adds such a wonderful, bright flavor.

  86. Donna says:

    I eat my POMPOMS on top of guacamole. No, really. And what’s wrong with POM jewelry? So festive.

  87. kellypea says:

    I still haven’t treated myself to a pomegranate yet, but they’ve been looking so plump and juicy. I like ‘me plain — plucked right out of their skins, but his yogurty pie looks mighty good. And I’m thinking an aril solitaire would look quite stunning.

  88. Melissa says:

    I would want to eat them straight up-butt that wouldn’t stop me from putting them on everything – like peanutbutter toast, greek yogurt, icecream, salads, etc…

  89. i love pompoms straight up or on yogurt!

  90. Nina says:

    This is sinful….looks delicious. I usually make greek yogurt cheesecake with sliced kiwi or orange.But pomegranate is something I wouldnt have thought about till I saw ur post. This is a great recipe….bookmarking it Joanne:)

  91. Christian says:

    I have been dying to try pomegranate, but my mother scared me off do to the “ruin your shirt/stain your hands” aspect. Pick me, pick me!

  92. Shannon says:

    I honestly usually eat my pom poms straight out of the package but love them on salad too — with a little goat cheese and a simple vinaigrette!

  93. Oh this looks so delicious!! I love them anyway. I sometimes slice bananas and add the seeds in with it and it makes a quick and very easy dessert.

  94. Anonymous says:

    i have never had them so no favorite way to use them – though this looks like a great way. or perhaps in some oatmeal cookies???

    fruitcrmble AT comcast.net

  95. Roz P. says:

    You’re right, those arils in a bag by POM are fantastic! Love the greek yogurt in the cheesecake; so much creamier! But those grilled cheese sammies? Oh my! Too bad I don’t live in NY! I’ll tweet your giveaway too and let everyone know that my favorite way to eat pomegranate is to generously sprinkle the arils in a healthy fruit salad. And yes, we serve it for Christmas to try to reduce all of the traditional fattening and more unhealthy dishes! They’re wonderful!

  96. Roz P. says:

    Here’s my tweet for you Joanne: from Roz ?@miabellavita

    Delicious Pomegranate giveaway at EATS WELL WITH OTHERS. I love pomegranate in a fresh fruit salad! @joanneeatswell @pomwonderful

  97. Christina V says:

    #POMPOMS on pavlova! With some matcha powder and crumbled pistachios it’s the perfect festive dessert

  98. I’ve tried making pie with greek yogurt (made into yogurt cheese) before, but this is great, I can skip the making yogurt cheese part!

  99. Can you believe I’ve never had a pomegranate before? You’re totally inspiring me to try it. And this cheesecake of course. Those pomegranate seeds is such an awesome garnish.

  100. Kailly says:

    Salad salad and more salad! Spinach, avacado and a little parm… And about 1 million #pompoms, cause lets face it… That really all your eating it for anyway

  101. Lora says:

    I absolutely love the idea of making cheesecake with greek yogurt and yes, I am also under the spell of those little pomegranate jewels. They add a touch of exotic and festive at the same time.

  102. This looks absolutely gorgeous! I adore cheesecake, Greek yogurt AND pomegranate so I can only imagine how delicious they must all be together. No matter that the holiday season is over…I’m making this ASAP! So glad to have found your lovely blog and best wishes for the new year.

  103. Vedag says:

    Funny how the sell pomegranate… I have never seen this before. But also I have never seen such a beautiful cheesecake before, the looks amazing!

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