Greek Yoghurt Parfait: Guilt-Free Dessert For Every Mood

Having spoons full of dessert, that too without any lingering guilt, feels like a dream, doesn’t it? Well, the good news for people with a sweet tooth is that the layered dessert, parfait, is traditionally made with Greek yoghurt, naturally sweet fruits, chia seeds, and other healthy, yet lip-smacking ingredients. So, if you always look for something sweet after a meal, you can always make yourself a guilt-free parfait.

When it comes to desserts, most options like gulab jamun, cheesecake, malpua, brownies, jalebi, and so on, come with the weight of guilt after binging a serving. While you might be playing around with the batter of your favourite cakes, switching from all-purpose flour to millet, or swapping processed sugar with honey or maple syrup, your cravings might not be satiated.

But the good news is that you can still have a dessert that is far from making you feel guilty about having something sweet. Thanks to the protein-rich yoghurt, chia seeds, and nuts filled with healthy fats, this dessert is actually healthy. Parfait, known for its layered structure, ticks all the boxes to qualify as a nutritious snack and guilt-free dessert. 

And the best part is, you won’t have to run to the grocery store to get the ingredients. Just the basic pantry staples like yoghurt, seasonal fruits, granola or muesli, honey, etc, are all that’s required. Read on for an easy parfait recipe, variations you can make for every mood, and some handy tips to make the perfect batch.

Ingredients

For the Base

• 1½ cups Greek yoghurt (plain or vanilla, low-fat preferred)
• 1–2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup

For The Layers

• ½ cup granola
• 1 banana
• ½ cup strawberries or seasonal berries
• ¼ cup pomegranate arils
• 1 tablespoon chopped dry fruits and nuts
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds

Instructions

1. Start by sweetening the yoghurt. Pour the Greek yoghurt into a bowl and mix in honey or maple syrup as per your taste. Set it aside.
2. Take the fruits like banana, strawberries, blueberries, cherries, or seasonal specialities like mangoes, pears, kiwis, etc, and chop them up.
3. Take a glass jar and start layering the parfait with sweetened yoghurt at the base.
4. Once the yoghurt base is ready, top it off with a thick layer of granola. Add the chopped fruits on top of the granola layer.
5. Repeat the layers in the order: yoghurt, granola, and fruits.
6. Once the glass jar is filled, add a dollop of yoghurt on top.
7. Garnish the parfait with chopped dry fruits and nuts like almonds, raisins, and walnuts.
8. Refrigerate the parfait for about half an hour, and then serve.

Parfait Variations For Every Mood

Apart from being healthy, another great quality of parfait is that it is highly customisable. Depending on your taste and liking, you can experiment with different fruits, nuts, and even the quantity of honey and yoghurt. Fitting to every mood, here are some variations of parfait you must try.

Mango Parfait For The Hot Days

There’s no denying the fact that everyone wants to add mangoes to their favourite recipes. Making the most of the naturally sweet fruit, you can add it to your parfait and make a quick fix for the hot summer days. You can swap the berries with freshly chopped mango pieces, layer the parfait, and refrigerate it. To make the dessert even better, you can use frozen mango bites as garnish and have the best summer treat.

Fruit And Nut Chocolate Parfait To Fix A Low Mood

From a hectic day at work to PMS, to cheat days, there’s nothing a chocolatey dessert can’t fix. For the days when you want to pamper yourself with a chocolate-based dessert, you can make a fruit and nut chocolate parfait. All you need to do is take some cocoa powder or melted dark chocolate and mix it with Greek yoghurt. As for the fruit toppings, banana slices, chopped dates, and cherries pair perfectly with a chocolate base. Garnish with fruits and nuts like raisins, almonds, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, and enjoy.

Coconut Parfait For A Beachy Vibe

If you think a trip to Goa is too far-fetched, you can bring the beachy vibes to your home. Just add a spoonful of coconut cream to the yoghurt and your base will be ready to be layered. For the fruits, chop some pineapple and add it to the usual berries. Once the parfait is ready, add toasted coconut flakes to add some tropical flavour and crunch to the dessert. Play some summer tunes and relish the tropical parfait to relax.

Peanut Butter Parfait For Healthy Snacking

If you are looking for a snack that can satiate your cravings, is easy to prepare, and yet not unhealthy, a parfait is the right way to go. With the right balance of protein, healthy fats, fibre, and natural sugar. So, for a quick and healthy snack, you can mix some peanut butter with the Greek yoghurt before layering. Since nothing beats the combination of banana and peanut butter, you can quickly slice the fruit and add it to the glass jar. Refrigerate and dig in to fix your hunger or as a post-workout snack.

Dry Fruit Parfait For A Warm Hug

For the days when you need a comforting hug, you can make a parfait filled with the goodness of dry fruits. Taking inspiration from the many Indian sweets, you can start by soaking some dates, raisins, and figs till soft. Then, finely chop them and swap this rich mixture with the usual layer of fruits. Add some cardamom powder to the Greek yoghurt, add granola, and then the dry fruit mixture. Repeat the layers, chill, and serve cold.

Tips To Whip Up The Perfect Parfait

1. Always pick up a good-quality Greek yoghurt. Its consistency should be thick and creamy.
2. To keep the parfait guilt-free, use plain yoghurt and avoid the flavoured or the packs with added sugars.
3. Use fresh fruits. As per the season, experiment with options like mangoes, apples, pineapple, berries, etc.
4. While you can get granola from the market, the healthier option is to make it at home.
5. Granola gets soggy fast. Make sure to layer it just before serving.
6. For a vegan option, you can replace Greek yoghurt with plant-based yoghurt or almond milk.
7. Experiment with garnishes to serve the parfaits at a get-together.