Breakfast parfaits are a fantastic way to send breakfast on the go.  They are highly customizable, and can thus be made to suit individual tastes.  Everything from which ingredients to include to the type of yogurt (flavored, plain, Greek, etc.), type of fruit, type of granola, type of nut, and type of honey can be changed.  Ratios are also inexact, which helps to make these a pleasure to assemble.  During the summer months, I make these with fresh fruit, but in the colder months, frozen fruit makes an economical and delicious substitute.  I use almonds in the master recipe because they are among the healthier nuts, but I also love to use crushed walnuts or pecans.  Mason jars make for a very attractive presentation, and the glass helps to keep the contents cold while the parfait is eaten.  Glass jars have the less-desirable qualities of being heavy and breakable, however, so I generally use high-quality plastic Tupperware with a screw cap.  Specifically, I find these are a wonderful way to reuse Talenti gelato containers, which means that this recipe gives eating fancy gelato both economical and healthy after-effects.  You’re welcome.

See Also

Super Slowcooker Strata

Super Quick Strawberry Ice Cream Pie

Raspberry Cream Cheese Brownies

Ingredients

• 2  cups plain or vanilla yogurt (I use fat free Greek yogurt)
• 1 cup granola
• 5 tablespoons sliced almonds
• 6 tablespoons honey
• 2 cups berries (blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries)
• flakes or small chunks of dark chocolate, optional

• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 0 minutes

• Total Time: 5 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings

Preparation

In each of 4 lidded containers (such as mason jars or screwtop Tupperware), layer ½ cup yogurt, ¼ cup granola, 1 ½ tablespoons honey, ¼ cup almonds, 1/2 cup berries.

Refrigerate overnight before serving to allow the granola to absorb moisture and soften.  Stir just before eating.

Over the summer, there are lots of other great options for fruit including sliced stone fruits, pitted cherries, and blackberries, to name a few.

  Canned and frozen fruits also make good options, especially frozen blueberries or strawberries and canned pineapple chunks.  Bananas don’t hold up very well once sliced, so only use them if the parfait is going to be eaten soon after it is assembled.

For chocolate lovers, flakes or small chunks of dark chocolate take this over the top.  I recommend adding dark chocolate to granola, but it's a delicious addition anywhere in the parfait.