Forget Granola — Upgrade Yogurt Parfaits With A Crunchy Breakfast Favorite
Parfaits are a beautiful, easy, and versatile dessert. You can make fresh fruits the star of the show or fill your parfait to the brim with brownies, ice cream, chocolate sauce, chocolate pudding, bananas, and cream. (That second option is a description of my favorite parfait from Denny's in Japan.)
If you're in the mood for something a little less decadent, there are yogurt parfaits. These treats replace all the heavy creams and ice creams with yogurt (or dairy-free yogurt) and are usually layered with fruits, compotes, and granola. If you want a little more crunch in your parfait, however, there is an alternative to granola: cereal. In that description of my favorite Denny's parfait, I actually left off one of the best ingredients: crunchy cocoa corn. The ice cream and cereal are a perfect match, providing a much-needed change of texture, and this trick works just as well with a yogurt parfait. And for those among us who feel milk doesn't belong anywhere near cereal, a yogurt parfait is a great alternative.
To see what all the fuss is about, all you need to do is layer your favorite cereal into your parfait, and you'll understand immediately. Switching the granola for cereal is a small change, but it really makes it feel more like a dessert when you use something like Cocoa Puffs, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, or Frosted Flakes. Cereals such as Honey Bunches of Oats, Raisin Bran, Chex, Mini-Wheats, or any of your favorite healthy cereals lend a heartier element.
Tricks for assembling the perfect yogurt and cereal parfait
Because the best thing about using cereal in a parfait is the crunch, it's important to take a few precautions to avoid sogginess. The first tip has to do with timing. While a granola yogurt parfait can be made in advance, a parfait with cereal is better assembled right before eating. The second trick is to take care with layering. If possible, you should try to separate yogurt and cereal with a layer of something else, such as fresh whole berries, dried fruit, chia seeds, nuts, or any other low-moisture ingredient. The third trick is to pick larger, heartier cereals. The bigger the individual pieces, the longer it will take for them to get soggy. Cereals with a layer of sugar on the outside will also stay protected from moisture for a little longer, too.
Lastly, if your parfait recipe suits it and you're willing to up the decadence a little, you can use chocolate to help prevent sogginess. By melting some chocolate of your choice, mixing in your favorite cereal, and spreading it out in a thin layer to set, you'll essentially cover the pieces in a layer of tasty armor that will protect them from moisture. This allows you to layer up your parfait however you want and even chill it in the fridge without losing that all-important crunch. Imagine a banoffee parfait with toffee-flavored yogurt, chocolate-coated cornflakes, and chunks of banana. Doesn't that sound amazing?