Been struggling to find your favourite brand of Greek yoghurt – or any full-fat plain yoghurt at all – at the supermarket recently?

The shortage is being blamed partly on a viral “Japanese yoghurt cheesecake” hack that’s taken social media by storm.

All you need to make this cheat’s version of a cheesecake is Greek yoghurt and Biscoff biscuits. The biscuits are placed lengthways in the tub of yoghurt, which then goes in the fridge for a couple of hours – and, voila, you have something that is said to approximate the tang and texture of a real cheesecake.

“Oh my lord, it’s so good,” said “The Frugal Foodie”, AKA former MasterChef contestant Steph de Sousa, in a social media video.

“Not healthy, by any stretch of the imagination, but absolutely delicious. It really is just a reinvention of the old chocolate ripple cake – a bit of a modern twist, a little bit easier. Just as delicious. ”

Fellow Australian food content creator Sam Simoni’s first post about the global trend has had nearly 22 million views and attracted 1500 comments.

“It’s giving lazy tiramisu,” she wrote under a video that inspired one follower to suggest adding a shot of espresso and powdered cocoa on top to add to the vibe.

Thousands of other social media users have also jumped on board the #japaneseyoghurtcheesecake trend, which is said to have first been popularised by content creators in Japan who shared on TikTok how they used French sablé (shortbread-like) biscuits and Greek yoghurt to make an easy cheesecake-type dessert.

Like the Dubai chocolate trend and other TikTok food hacks, it quickly went viral, with influencers elsewhere replacing the sablé biscuits with Biscoff biscuits to infuse a caramel favour.

Some fans opt for yoghurt with added protein to make it slightly healthier, and many share their own variations – from replacing the Biscoff with Oreos, Scotch Fingers and even Wheat-Bix, to trying different yoghurt flavours, mixing in lemon jelly crystals for a “zesty kick” and adding fruit toppings or a honey/golden syrup drizzle.

Not everyone, however, is convinced.

“Not cheesecake, just biscuits in yoghurt,” wrote one unimpressed social media user.

“No wonder I can’t seem to find any yoghurt on the shelf to buy,” lamented another. “Shoving biscuits into a yoghurt doesn’t make a cheesecake.”

And as TV host Larry Emdur proved with this Instagram post, it is possible to take innovation too far:

 

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A post shared by @larryemdur

Meanwhile, supermarkets in Australia blame the yoghurt shortage not solely on the Japanese cheesecake trend, but also consumers’ desire to increase the amount of protein in their diet. Protein-enriched yoghurt is in particularly high demand.

“High-protein food across multiple food categories has seen unprecedented levels of growth over the past 12 months driven by growing health consciousness and ongoing trending social media content showcasing everything from protein-packed snack hacks to creative recipe ideas,” a Coles spokesperson told nine.com.au.

“Despite our suppliers increasing production to keep pace, current demand continues to exceed supply.”

Woolworths has offered a similar explanation, saying it had noticed a sustained increase in demand for high-protein products.

For consumers sick of seeing empty yoghurt shelves, it’s suggested that shopping earlier in the day or visiting supermarkets outside inner-city areas might bring more luck.

And if you do manage to find some, perhaps instead of adding a dollop to your morning muesli you could be tempted try out the Japanese yoghurt cheesecake recipe.

Taste.com.au has shared a TikTok video showing how it tested five different yoghurts and four different biscuits, declaring two joint winners: Biscoff in a Farmers Union Greek-style yoghurt, and Anzac biscuits in Gippsland lemon curd yoghurt.