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Need something special to serve to company? Want a quick and easy snack or dessert? Yogurt parfaits fit the bill perfectly! They’re customizable so you can feed them to anyone or use them with any THM fuel type with a few tweaks. In this post, I’m going to give you all the tools you need to make an awesome parfait.
The Yogurt:
To start, you’ll need Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt is packed with protein – but it contains far fewer carbs than regular yogurt. Unfortunately Greek yogurt can be thick and tangy if you don’t have a good brand. Lucky for me, our local discount grocery store has been stocking Fage Greek yogurt for $2/flat (a flat contains 12 single-serve cups or 6 500g containers)! Fage is really good quality, but it can be a little pricy if you’re buying it from a regular grocery store. Thankfully there are some ways to make Greek yogurt more palatable if you’re used to regular sweetened, flavored yogurt; I like to thin it down a little with half and half or almond milk and add some sweetener to take some of the tang out. Works like a charm! Making your own Greek yogurt is actually really easy, and that’s usually what we do if we can’t find it at a discount grocery store. Click here for my video tutorial on how to make your own Greek yogurt. Homemade Greek yogurt is typically milder in flavor than the store-bought kind, which is a plus.
In the second printable recipe below, I’ve given measurements for making a 500g container of sweetened vanilla yogurt, so check it out!
Need to be dairy free? Try Gwen’s Coconut Yogurt recipe!
The Berry Topping:
Yogurt parfaits aren’t yogurt parfaits without some sort of berry or fruit topping! In the first printable recipe below, I’ve provided a recipe for my favorite blueberry topping. This topping can be used in any THM fuel setting. Since they’re a Fuel Pull ingredient, berries can be used in any fuel setting, but keep fruit to an E setting. Some great fruit options for yogurt parfaits are kiwifruit, pineapple, and oranges.
I actually thickened this berry topping primarily with gelatin instead of a large amount of glucomannan or xanthan gum, so if you usually have problems with the texture of glucomannan, be sure to check out the recipe below! (See the Notes section of the recipe for more info about why I used gelatin.)
The Crunch:
I like to use granola to add a crunch element to my yogurt parfaits. My Easy Granola recipe is perfect for an E setting, and this Peanut Butter Granola recipe that I posted yesterday works great in a THM:S (low-carb) setting.
Check out the second printable recipe below to see parfait ideas for each THM fuel type! Yogurt parfaits make a great finale to a THM:E meal. I don’t know about you, but I have a harder time coming up with E dessert options than S dessert options. A simple yogurt parfait satisfies my cravings for something sweet, plus it fills me up with extra protein from the yogurt. (I know some people have a hard time feeling full after an E meal. After being on plan for so long, I don’t have that problem, but I used to!)
All of the elements for these parfaits can be made in advance and kept on hand in the fridge and pantry. I don’t recommend making the parfaits themselves too long before eating or the granola will lose its crunch.
Yogurt parfaits are a great thing to feed guests. You can make everything ahead of time, everyone can customize his own parfait according to what he likes – and really, aren’t they so cute and gourmet?? Plus they’re fun to make. On a choir tour I was part of last summer, we were served yogurt parfaits as part of a brunch…which turned into a competition to see who could make the prettiest parfait…. 😛 Parfaits are a great thing to take to a potluck, too. On our last church camping trip, we had yogurt parfaits one morning for part of our breakfast. I thought that was such a good idea!
As always, check out the Notes section of the recipe for extra info. Check out the links in and below the recipe to see the products I use and recommend. Some of the links included in the recipe and blog post are affiliate links, which means that if you make purchases through these links, I make a small commission to help defray the costs of running this blog (at no extra charge to you). Thanks for your help!
You may also enjoy:
- Starting THM
- my recipe index
- my recipes grouped by fuel type, allergy info, and theme
- Seven Simple Single-Serve Greek Yogurt Variations
Have you seen the Peanut Butter Granola recipe I posted yesterday? It puts these yogurt parfaits over the top! (For a THM:S/low carb setting)
- 2 c. blueberries
- 2 c. water
- 2 tsp. lemon juice
- 1 tsp. Knox gelatin*
- ¼ tsp. glucomannan
- 5/32 tsp. (5 doonks) THM Pure Stevia Extract Powder
- 3/32 tsp. salt
- Whisk the ingredients together in a saucepan and bring to a boil. (Add the glucomannan while whisking so it doesn't clump.) Take the blueberry topping off the stove, let it cool, then refrigerate it overnight to thicken. Stir before serving to make it more of a sauce consistency.
I decided to use mostly gelatin instead of a larger amount of glucomannan to thicken this sauce because I know some people don't like the texture of glucomannan. I personally prefer the taste and texture of toppings like this thickened mostly with gelatin, but if you prefer glucomannan, feel free to use it exclusively and omit the gelatin. I'd start with ½ tsp. of glucomannan (add it while whisking so it doesn't clump), then add additional glucomannan in ⅛ tsp. increments if necessary until the desired thickness is reached. Remember that the sauce will continue to thicken up as it cools.
Because this sauce is thickened mostly with gelatin, it is meant for use with cold items. If it gets warm, it will lose its gelled properties.
Â
- 1 500g container of Greek yogurt (about 2 c.)
- ⅓ c. half and half or unsweetened almond milk
- ½ tsp. vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp. THM Pure Stevia Extract Powder
- -
- Peanut Butter Granola
- Easy Granola
- Blueberry Topping (see recipe above)
- Fresh berries and/or fruit
- For a THM:S (low-carb) parfait: Vanilla Yogurt (see note below for a suggested variation), Peanut Butter Granola (or another low-carb granola), Blueberry Topping, fresh berries
- For a THM:E (low-fat) parfait: Vanilla Yogurt (use low-fat yogurt), Easy Granola, Blueberry Topping, berries and/or fruit
- For a THM:FP (low-carb, low-fat) parfait: Vanilla Yogurt (use low-fat yogurt), Blueberry Topping, fresh berries
Using half and half to thin down the yogurt adds 2.3g fat per ½ cup serving, so keep that in mind as part of your 5g fat limit in an E or FP setting.
Dairy free? Try this Coconut Yogurt recipe from Gwen's Nest.
Suggested products:
I have a hard time getting use to stevia. I just don’t like the taste of things with stevia. Any suggestions? Eva
1) Use a good brand. THM’s is the best tasting and most “forgiving” I’ve tried. 2) Less is more when it comes to stevia. Try using less of it in recipes. 3) Don’t use it with chocolate stuff. Bitter and bitter don’t play well together. 4) Use a combination of sweeteners for a more balanced sweetness. 5) Use a less concentrated sweetener like THM Gentle Sweet for a more sugary taste.
These were a huge hit! I took a risk and made them for company, and we were all delighted. The one issue I had was that the blueberry topping did not thicken at all. I used frozen berries — perhaps that made it too liquid-y? To serve I strained the bonus liquid and everyone still liked it, but I was sad to waste those ingredients.
The peanut butter granola is FANTASTIC. My favorite THM granola yet, and I’ve tried a bunch.
Hi Michelle! I don’t think using frozen berries should’ve made a difference in the thickness. Did you use both Knox gelatin and glucomannan as called for in the recipe, then refrigerate overnight to thicken? I’m sorry it didn’t work for you!