The Best Granola To Use For Meal-Prepped Yogurt Parfaits

Parfait is French for perfect, and in the case of yogurt parfaits, the name fits perfectly. Whether you prefer whipping up dairy-free parfaits with the creamiest vegan yogurt or stopping at McDonald's for a Fruit 'n Yogurt Parfait (sadly, one of the fast food menu items that disappeared during the pandemic and never returned), it's hard to beat the classic and endlessly customizable combination of creamy yogurt, crunchy granola, and fresh fruit. What's more, yogurt parfaits are incredibly easy to make in advance and super portable (especially if you prep them in a mason jar, which you're probably storing wrong), making them an ideal protein-packed meal prep breakfast or snack.

However, if there's one thing that can all too easily ruin a great meal-prepped yogurt parfait, it's soggy granola. Luckily, there's a beautifully simple solution for this tragic lack of crunch: clumpy granola. Use the clumpiest, most cluster-packed granola possible when making yogurt parfaits in advance. You might normally avoid super chunky granola when preparing parfaits for fear of breaking a tooth, but in the case of meal prep, it works perfectly. The yogurt and fruit will slightly soften the granola, leaving you with still-crunchy (but not rock-hard) granola clusters.

When it comes to acquiring extra-chunky granola for the crunchiest meal-prepped yogurt parfaits, you have two options: Buy prepackaged granola at the store, or make your own at home. If you make your own granola, you'll find that the large clusters versus small clusters granola debate is generally dominated by large clusters (as it should be). As such, there's a plethora of recipes promising gargantuan granola clusters. If you buy prepackaged granola at the grocery store, simply look for the biggest chunks possible, and bonus points if it contains sog-resistant ingredients like seeds and coconut (some wonderfully crunchy, cluster-packed granolas are among our must-try Trader Joe's breakfast items).

A few other important sog-prevention tips: Whether you make your own granola or buy it prepackaged, remember to use this air fryer technique for extra-crunchy granola. When your granola is ready, assemble your yogurt parfaits by starting with fruit on the bottom, then add the yogurt, and top it off with a generous layer of granola (try to keep the fruit away from the granola because the juice will seep into the granola and make it soggy quicker). Finally, add the granola as close to the time of eating as possible. With these simple tips in mind, you're ready to meal prep perfectly crunchy yogurt parfaits every time.