Berry Yogurt Granola Parfait Recipe

A berry yogurt granola parfait is three ingredients layered in a jar: creamy yogurt, fresh or frozen berries and crunchy granola. Built in a wide-mouth pint jar with a lid, it becomes a portable breakfast or snack that can be made ahead and carried to work or school. This recipe makes two jars in about 10 minutes.

The one thing that goes wrong with a parfait is soggy granola. Granola starts to soften within an hour of touching yogurt or berry juice, so for a parfait eaten right away it goes on top, and for a make-ahead parfait it stays out of the jar entirely and is added just before eating. Without granola, the jars keep for 2 to 3 days.

Thick yogurt, such as Greek-style, holds clean layers best, and berries that have been dried well after rinsing will not water it down. Any granola works; gluten-free maple almond granola is a good homemade choice. For another make-ahead breakfast in a jar, see the overnight oats.

Berry Yogurt Granola Parfait

Yogurt and mixed berries layered in pint jars and finished with a crisp layer of granola, with a make-ahead method that keeps the granola crunchy.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 10 minutes mins

Servings: 2 parfaits

Course: Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 1/2 cups plain or vanilla yogurt regular or Greek-style
• 2 to 4 teaspoons honey or maple syrup optional, for plain yogurt
• 1 1/2 cups mixed berries blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, sliced strawberries, fresh or frozen
• 1/2 cup granola

Method

 

1. Rinse fresh berries and pat them completely dry with a clean towel; hull and slice any strawberries. Frozen berries can be used straight from the freezer.
2. If sweetening plain yogurt, stir the honey or maple syrup into it.
3. Set out two clean wide-mouth pint jars. Spoon about 6 tablespoons yogurt into the bottom of each jar, then add about 6 tablespoons berries.
4. Repeat with the remaining yogurt and berries, so each jar has two layers of yogurt (3/4 cup in total) and two layers of berries (3/4 cup in total).
5. To eat right away, top each jar with 1/4 cup granola and serve with a long spoon.
6. To make ahead, screw on the lids without adding the granola and refrigerate. Pack the granola separately in a small container or bag, 1/4 cup per parfait, and add it just before eating.

Notes

Storage: parfaits layered without granola keep in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Keep them cold; when carrying one away from home, use an insulated bag with an ice pack if it will be out of the refrigerator for more than 2 hours.

Frozen berries thaw in the jar within a few hours in the refrigerator and release juice that streaks into the yogurt, which suits a make-ahead parfait. For the neatest layers, use fresh, well-dried berries.

A pint jar leaves just enough headspace for the granola and a lid. For a smaller snack, halve the amounts per jar and use half-pint jars.

Variations: use a single kind of berry, swap in diced peaches or mango, or stir 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract into plain yogurt. Non-dairy yogurt can be used the same way.