These honey-sweetened homemade yogurt parfaits with fruits and granola are just as delicious whether you have them for breakfast or as a healthy dessert.
If you’ve never tried yogurt parfaits with fruits before, you’re certainly in for a treat! The best thing with this recipe is that it not only tastes delicious, but it’s also refined sugar-free because it’s sweetened only with honey. Moreover, these are probably the easiest, homemade, healthy desserts you’re going to make, since they require no cooking and no mixer or anything else too elaborate. And because they’re actually made of dairy, fruits, honey and granola, you can also have them for breakfast without any guilt.
The perfect homemade summer dessert
In my mind, these yogurt parfaits scream summer. I don’t know if it’s the fruit, the refreshing scent of the lime zest, or the light texture of the honey-sweetened yogurt cream, but they’re definitely best served during the summer, when all of us crave light and refreshing desserts. Of course, this doesn’t mean you can’t have them during the winter, although to tell you the truth, these poached mini apples with granola and yogurt cream have more of a winter feeling (it’s probably due to the apples).
What kind of yogurt to use?
A plain, Greek strained yogurt is best for the creamiest texture. I use a light Greek yogurt (2% fat content) but you can also use a full-fat one, though this will increase the calories. Vanilla flavored yogurts usually have sugar and other ingredients which I try to stay away from. If you like the vanilla flavor better, it’s best to just add a couple of teaspoons of vanilla extract when you mix the yogurt cream.
For this recipe I really like a Greek thyme honey. After all, Greek yogurt with thyme honey and some cinnamon is the simplest traditional Greek dessert. But if you can’t find thyme honey, feel free to use the one you like best.
The granola I used is the same recipe with these crunchy granola bars. To make the granola bars you have to compact the mixture to a small pan, so the oats stick together when baked. For the granola, I just scatter it onto a large pan and bake it until golden brown and fragrant.
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- 3/4 cup (200 grams) light cream cheese (about 11% fat, at room temperature
- 4-5 tablespoons thyme honey
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- zest from 1 lime
- 1 cup (250 grams) strained low fat Greek yogurt (2% fat)
- 1 cup sugar-free granola (make sure it's gluten-free if you don't eat gluten)
- 1 1/2 cups fresh fruit mixed
- 1-2 tablespoons thyme honey
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Make the yogurt cream: Transfer the cream cheese, the honey, the cinnamon, and the lime zest to a bowl and whisk until smooth. Add the yogurt and mix until well combined. Taste and adjust sweetness.
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Assemble the parfaits: Add 2 tablespoons of fruit at the bottom of 4 glasses. Top with some yogurt cream and add a drizzle of honey. Continue by adding 2 tablespoons of fruit and 3 tablespoons of granola. Add the remaining yogurt cream and top with a tablespoon of granola and some fruit.
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Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until ready to serve. Eat.
Recipe Video
- These yogurt parfaits are best served the first day when the granola is crunchy. After the second day the granola will absorb moisture and will get soft. You can make the yogurt cream 1-2 days in advance and loosen it up with a spoon before filling the glasses.
- Substitute the cinnamon and the lime zest with 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract for a different flavor profile.
- What fruit to use: raspberries, cherries, chopped mango, pineapple, grapes, peaches, blueberries, or whatever else you like!
- Video on how to make healthy and refined sugar-free granola.
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I love plain Greek yogurt! I eat one ‘tub’ every day. I should now add your granola and fruit to my yogurt to provide some variation! Yum!