Transform Costco Bakery Pastries Into A Full Breakfast Treat With Just One Ingredient

We've detailed how to transform your Costco apple pie into a new treat, make bakery brioche into a sweeter version of pantry breadcrumbs, and uncovered some of the many hidden secrets of the Costco bakery. Now, there's another hack worth adding to the list: Trade the typical granola, nuts, or seeds in your yogurt parfait for crumbles of Costco pastries.

The yogurt's tangy flavor and creamy texture complement the pastries' sweetness, and you're even balancing every bite with a protein-rich food that may slow digestion and reduce the likelihood of a blood sugar crash compared to eating a pastry alone. Not to mention, it's an easy way to breathe new life into baked goods that are starting to go stale. I'm dreaming of the soft, cinnamon-stewed apple slices from Costco's apple pie swirled into creamy vanilla Greek yogurt, topped with chunks of that sweet, flaky crust. The same can be done with any of Costco's fruit-filled danishes. 

Layer crushed cookies from the variety packs with any flavor of Greek yogurt and fresh fruit. The oatmeal raisin flavor is basically chewy granola in cookie form and would taste fantastic layered with vanilla-cinnamon Greek yogurt and banana slices. Or, try the chocolate chunk cookies paired with honey Greek yogurt and fresh berries. The streusel-topped coffee cake muffins go well with the tanginess of plain Greek yogurt, giving cream cheese frosting vibes.

Aside from parfaits and bowls, there are plenty of other ways to pair pastries and yogurt. Turn any of Costco's rotating loaf flavors, like banana or lemon blueberry, into flavor-packed French toast. Then top the griddled slices with a generous dollop of Greek yogurt — this works best with slices that are slightly stale or toasted to really soak up the mixture of eggs and milk. 

For a handheld option, stuff butter croissants or La Boulangere chocolate croissants with Greek yogurt, fresh fruit, and chopped nuts for a sweet breakfast sandwich. For a more elegant breakfast treat, use Costco's madeleines as the base for macerated strawberries (or any juicy fruit) and pile vanilla Greek yogurt on top in place of whipped cream.

If you're serving a crowd for breakfast or brunch, chunks of Costco's muffins, loaf cakes, or danishes can replace traditional cake pieces in a trifle, while flavored or sweetened regular yogurt stands in for the usual custard layer. The next time you pick up some of Costco's enticing pastries, make sure to grab some yogurt from the dairy cooler, too!