Yogurt Parfaits: Healthy Recipes with Fruit & Granola
Yogurt Parfaits are a great option for a quick healthy breakfast! They’re packed with protein, taste delicious and you can customize them however you want!
I’ve been preparing these yummy breakfast recipes for a while now, and I now have lots of options for those busy mornings when I still want to enjoy a healthy breakfast.
How to make a Yogurt Parfait?
Yogurt Parfaits are a delicious breakfast dish that’s incredibly easy to prepare! It’s literally yogurt served in a glass with layers of add-ins, different ingredients and toppings, like fruit, granola, nuts, seeds, honey, maple syrup, and more.
To make a Yogurt Parfait, simply take some yogurt (any kind of yogurt will work well) and add a scoop into a glass. Next, put a layer of fruit on top of it, followed by another scoop of yogurt, and repeat this process until your glass is full. Then, add your final toppings!
Note: If you’re meal prepping several days worth, wait to add any dry toppings until the morning you eat it. This way, you’ll avoid soggy toppings!
Base Recipe for Yogurt Parfait
Main Ingredients!
Yogurt: You can use any kind of yogurt for these recipes. I recommend Greek yogurt for the texture, the health benefits, and the added protein. But there are tons of other options: the traditional regular yogurt, greek yogurt, dairy-free yogurt, soy yogurt, almond yogurt, coconut yogurt, etc
Fruits: You’ll need fruit for the layers in your parfait. The most common recipes use berries, but you can use any fruit you like, fresh or frozen.
Notes: Frozen fruit will thaw and the juice will mix with the yogurt, adding sweetness to the parfait. Fresh fruit will create a cleaner look, and add to the health benefits of the parfait. Whenever possible, I always recommend using fresh!
When preparing a yogurt parfait, the right measurements will depend on how tall or small your glass jar or container is. In my opinion, a taller glass will allow you to add more layers of ingredients, which translates to extra protein and a really tasty yogurt parfait.
Small glasses work great as well! I use small glasses when I’m preparing a quick yogurt parfait as a snack. Just adjust the measurements a bit and you’ll be good to go!
Other Add-in ingredients and toppings
I always love to mix some seeds throughout my parfaits and top them off with some more fruits, nuts, granola, or honey!
The final result: A filling, nutritious, and mouth-watering grab and go breakfast or snack!
Seeds: Seeds are great to mix-in with your scoops of plain yogurt. They are packed with fiber, protein, and antioxidants. If you are using dairy-free or vegan yogurt in your parfait, seeds will add consistency and thicken your yogurt, making your recipe more filling! You can mix any kind of seeds in with your yogurt, or even use them as toppings. I’ll usually mix Flax and Chia with plain yogurt, and will use Sunflower or Pumpkin as toppings.
Honey: Whenever I decide to add some sweetener to my parfait, I always use raw honey. I love the many health benefits of the honey, and its taste! Some other sweeteners that work great with yogurt parfaits are: maple syrup, agave, and fresh vanilla. You can use them as mix-ins or toppings.
Toppings: Any kind of fresh fruits and nuts will be great for your yogurt parfait, but you don’t have to stop there. There are so many other toppings you can add: shredded coconut, mint leaves, cinnamon, dried fruits, almond or peanut butter, dark chocolate, granola, etc. They’ll add delicious flavors, healthy properties, and will make your parfaits more filling with a creamier consistency.
Instructions
After experimenting with different proportions, I found that this ratio works best for me. This will get you around a cup of yogurt parfait:
Main Recipe Base : 1/2 cup of plain Greek Yogurt + 1/4 cup of mixed Fruit, layered in your container. You can use any container, but I like to use glass mason jars! You can find them all over Amazon.
Then, add the honey, granola, seeds, cinnamon, mint or shredded coconut on top!
These are the ratios I normally use:
¼ Tbsp of Honey, Vanilla Extract, Cinnamon, Agave or Maple Syrup.
1 Tbsp of Chia, Flax, Pumpkin Seeds or Shredded Coconut.
¼ Cup of Granola or Nuts.
5 Fruit and Yogurt Parfait Recipes
1. Mango Yogurt Parfait
Mango, pineapple, mint and shredded coconut.
I am calling this recipe Havana Oh Na Na because my mom used to prepare it for me back when we lived in Cuba. This is my all-time favorite mango yogurt parfait recipe! It’s great to eat for breakfast or as a snack in the spring or summer ! The smell of fresh, mango, pineapple, mint and coconut reminds me of the summer days of Cuba. For this recipe my mom would make her own homemade yogurt, and I would add mango, pineapple and sometimes even guava and a teaspoon of honey. In the morning, we’d top it with even more fresh fruit, mint and shredded coconut. To make this recipe fully vegan, switch the honey for agave and the homemade yogurt for coconut yogurt!
2. Strawberry Yogurt Parfait with Granola
If you love sweet flavors and want to have dessert for breakfast while still having a healthy meal, this is the perfect yogurt parfait recipe for you !
This strawberry yogurt parfait with granola recipe is made with strawberry yogurt mixed with chia seeds and layered with more fresh strawberries and granola. As toppings, I’ll use strawberries, granola, pumpkin seeds, dark chocolate, or cocoa nibs.
Alternatively, you can blend the strawberries with some lemon, cinnamon, and chia seeds until you have a purée. Layer that with the yogurt and top it with fresh strawberries, pumpkin seeds, granola and chocolate.
Delicious!
3. Apple Cinnamon Parfait
This is my go-to yogurt parfait recipe in the fall and winter. All you’ll need is yogurt, apples, bananas, honey, and some cinnamon. You can use banana yogurt instead of plain for extra flavor, and you could also heat up the apples you’ll use as toppings. And, if you’re like me and think the more toppings the better, add some crunchy nuts on top as well. You’ll love this apple cinnamon yogurt parfait!
4. Almond Butter Yogurt Parfait
I actually created this recipe based on my Almond Butter Cups Overnight Oats Recipe (you can find that one here!) because it tastes amazing and is a great snack pre and post workout. Simply take the yogurt and layer it with almond butter instead of fruits, and top it with some crunchy almonds at the end (or almond butter cups if you’ll like a sweeter taste!)
It’s just a great combination of nutritious, healthy and delicious and you’ll end up with a great almond butter yogurt parfait!
5. Berries Parfait
If you like creamy textures and need some extra protein, this is the ideal morning recipe for you!
Take some vanilla yogurt (or plain yogurt) and add ¾ tsp of vanilla extract, layer with blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and in the morning add granola, toasted nuts, and honey on top for some extra flavor and crunch!
For my vegan friends, simply use coconut yogurt and switch the honey for agave. Add some pea protein powder to the yogurt to get that extra protein. The perfect berries parfait!
Additional tips on yogurt parfaits Preparation
Yogurt Parfaits are a great breakfast and snack option for meal prep. In just a few minutes you can prepare a whole batch for the week. It’s always easy to meal prep on Sunday evenings!
All you have to do is get your mason jars and add the yogurt and the layers of fruits and seeds. I usually do the bottom yogurt layer in all jars, then the first fruit layer in all, and so on. This makes the process go faster and more efficiently. For the toppings, add them only when you are ready to eat your yogurt parfait in the morning. This way, they taste fresher and don't lose their texture, flavor or color!
If you are going to meal prep your yogurt parfait, please be aware that if you add granola in the middle layers it will get soggy, especially if you prep for a few days. I recommend adding granola as a topping just before eating for a crunchier taste or using parfait container with insert to storage.
To store your yogurt parfaits in the fridge, you can use any airtight container or glass sealed jar. Any other 8oz jars always work perfectly!
Yogurt Parfaits: Bonus Tips and Health Benefits!
Although not all yogurt parfaits are healthy, it all depends on how you prepare them. The recipes I’m sharing with you today all have great health benefits and try to maintain a good balance of taste and nutritional value.
All the ingredients we used were low in added sugars and packed with protein, antioxidants, calcium, and vitamins. Moreover, yogurt itself is an incredible source of Vitamin B6 and B12, potassium, magnesium, and probiotics, all of which will help boost your immune system and maintain good digestive health!
Did you like our fruit and yogurt parfaits? Let us know in the comments, and share your own delicious yogurt parfait recipes!
To find more healthy breakfast ideas, click here. We have amazing grab and go recipes for overnight oats, as well as lots of other healthy foods! For more recipes, healthy food and Wellness tips, head to our Health and Wellness sections.
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Besitos from the kitchen,
Laura
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