Bored of eating cereal for breakfast? Try a granola parfait instead!
I despise eating cereal for breakfast.
It has to be the most boring, bland thing that you can put in your mouth. Why do so many cereals taste like the cardboard boxes they come in?? I can honestly think of only two store-bought cereals that I will eat, and even then I only eat them because I’m rushing in the morning.
Ideally, I’d be eating freshly baked homemade muffins or scrambled eggs on toast, but that never happens. Eggs are for weekends, and those muffins are nothing but a distant dream. So when I’m fed up of eating soggy lumps of cardboard, I throw together a granola parfait.
I mentioned recently that I enjoy eating Balkan-style yogurt with nuts as a snack. This is really just a lighter version of a granola parfait. My theory is that I enjoy these because they reminds me of dessert, and if given the chance I will happily eat dessert for breakfast! Which is fine on occasion, but not so great for every day…
Making a parfait takes almost no effort at all, especially if you’ve already got granola on hand. I enjoy making homemade granola when I have time, and there’s a great recipe for granola in the Fresh from the Farm cookbook that I reviewed, but store-bought is fine too.
The best part about granola parfaits is that you can top them with so many things. I used fresh berries when I photographed this parfait, but we’re heading into the fresh produce dead zone called winter here in Canada, so right now I’m using pears or dried apricots.
I love adding maple syrup to my parfaits because it adds both flavour and sweetness. Sometimes berries and other fruits can be a bit sour, so the maple syrup helps to balance that out. If you don’t like maple syrup, you could try honey or agave syrup instead.
Play around with your favourite sweeteners, nuts, fruits and seeds see what flavour combinations you like the most. And hey, if a few shavings of dark chocolate end up in there I won’t judge you 😉
Maple Granola Parfait
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup yogurt
- 1/3 cup granola
- 2 tbsp almonds , chopped
- 1/2 cup berries
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
Instructions
- Spoon some of the yogurt into a small sturdy glass (or a bowl), and top with some of the granola.
- Add a sprinkling of nuts and berries, and add a drizzle of maple syrup.
- Continue layering the ingredients until you've used them all.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Fresh from the Farm by Susie Middleton
Mel @ The Refreshanista says
November 27, 2015 at 12:37 PMThis looks like such a tasty, healthy breakfast! I like that you used maple syrup, yum 🙂
Lily @Gastro Senses says
November 27, 2015 at 1:21 PMThis looks amazing! I am obsessed with all kinds of parfaits, but never tried Balkan-style yogurt. Where do I find it?
Teresa says
November 27, 2015 at 3:33 PMThis is a great alternative to store-bought cereals. Having fruit in the morning is always a good idea and a parfait is an elegant start to the day.