Yogurt Parfait: A Beautiful and healthy treat
A parfait cup can make anything feel like a special treat. We have a set of simple parfait glasses, but you can find beautiful and intricate glasses almost anywhere. One of our favorite treats to make is a yogurt parfait with fruits and natural sweeteners. You can change the recipe for anything you have on hand, but this particular recipe is a family favorite. Use this for breakfast, a snack, a dessert, or even a side dish!
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What is a parfait?
Technically, a parfait should be custard or ice cream. That’s what makes a parfait cup seem luxurious- the cup itself brings to mind images of a beautiful layered dessert. Eating from a parfait cup feels like a special, decadent treat. Merriam Webster defines a parfait as:
par·fait pär-ˈfā 1. : a flavored custard containing whipped cream and syrup frozen without stirring. 2. : a cold dessert made of layers of fruit, syrup, ice cream, and whipped cream.
But just because the dictionary says something, doesn’t mean you have to follow it. There are no parfait cup police. You can use the excitement of a parfait cup to your advantage to get your kids to eat all kinds of things. The parfait cup will help them be excited about anything you serve up. In my experience, my kids are excited to eat almost anything if I dish it up in a parfait cup!
Fruit and yogurt parfait
At the risk and stating the obvious, ice cream and custard aren’t always the healthiest option. Don’t get me wrong, a homemade custard from raw milk and pastured eggs can be packed with nutrients. But we don’t always have those ingredients or time to make custard. An easy substitute is yogurt! We like to use plain greek yogurt, but you could use any kind of yogurt you like-especially homemade.
Pick a flavor for your healthy yogurt parfait
Once you’ve decided on your favorite yogurt, you need to decide what to flavor it with. Going along the lines of a traditional parfait, you can layer in fruit and whipped cream. We enjoy blueberries, strawberries, bananas- fresh, frozen or dried. The sky is the limit- you could do lime juice, a tropical feel with pineapple or mango, or even a combination of berries. Whatever you have on hand, or whatever is in season.
Use a natural sweetener
Even with fruit layered on your yogurt parfait, it may be lacking some sweetness if you used plain yogurt. Instead of dumping sugar into it or using a sugar-laden flavor from the store, you can add a natural sweetener that has other nutritious benefits. We like to use maple syrup because is has some minerals and it tastes great. It’s not just sweet, but it also adds some flavor. Another great option is raw honey drizzled over the top.
Benefits of Real Maple Syrup
Real maple syrup is an amazing choice for a natural sweetener. Every spoonful of syrup is filled with minerals that help fuel your body. Maple syrup is proven to be full of antioxidants that help you body fight off toxins. It also has zinc, riboflavin, magnesium, calcium and potassium. These nutrients are all helpful for vital functions and some serve as electrolytes to stay hydrated.
Health Boost from Raw Honey
Raw honey that hasn’t been treated with heat has wonderful benefits to your health. It is full of antioxidants and packed with phytonutrients. Raw honey is known to be a powerful anti fungal and anti bacterial. It can also help with digestion, brain function, and even soothe a sore throat or cough!
How to build your Yogurt parfait
First things first, simply spoon a serving of yogurt into your parfait jar. I like to stir it around to smooth it out and make it look pretty on top. Next, I add any dried fruit and gently push it into the yogurt. This will give it an opportunity to slightly rehydrate with the yogurt and improves the textures. Next, slice any fresh fruit into a pretty shape. Of course the pretty shape is unnecessary, but it goes a long way in presentation if you take a few extra seconds to fan a strawberry out or line up you banana slices.
Next, you want to add your sweetener. Honey and maple syrup can both be drizzle over the top to create a beautiful layer over the parfait. I let my kids stir everything together themselves, so I’m more worried about making a gorgeous treat that will make them fell excited to eat it! Stevia sprinkle over the top can give a tiny little crunch and texture as well, while adding a bit of sweetness to the parfait.
Our Favorite parfait
Plain Greek Yogurt
Dried blueberries
Fresh strawberries
Maple syrup
That’s all it takes to get my kids excited. I could serve this same recipe in a regular bowl, in a mason jar or on a plate, and they would still eat it, but with less excitement. As I build the excitement around the parfait jars, I also have in the back of my mind that I’m training their little brains to enjoy the treat from a parfait jar. This has allowed me to serve other less palatable items in a parfait jar and hav great success getting the kids to eat something they normally would hesitate at.
Other add-ins for yogurt parfaits
We keep a lot of different ingredients on hand for making yogurt parfaits. The kids sometimes make their own so they can mix and match ingredients or toppings that they prefer. Some great options to keep around for yogurt parfaits include:
Granola- flavored, homemade, chunks, bars, etc
Baking chips- chocolate, white chocolate, caramel, butterscotch, etc
Nuts- pecans, almonds, cashews, walnuts are good
Coconut shreds
Whipped cream
Fresh, frozen or dried fruit
Jelly or jam
Homemade sauces- caramel, chocolate, etc
Citrus- lemon, lime, orange: use the zest, the juice of the actual fruit
