The past few months, I’ve started getting up really early in the morning. Like, 5:00am early. And I don’t actually have to leave for work until 7:30 on a normal day.
So why am I punishing myself, you ask? I started getting up early so that I could steal an extra hour for myself in the mornings. Usually I read my book and leisurely drink my coffee in my favourite chair, and it helps me relax and really prepare myself for the day ahead.
The only problem with being awake so early is that if I eat a full breakfast at that time of morning, by the time 9:30 rolls around I am ready for lunch. The solution, for me, has been to eat something small at home – such as a piece of fruit, a small bowl of oatmeal, or a piece of toast with peanut butter or avocado – and have another something small but substantial when I get to work. A second breakfast, if you will.
These parfaits are my new favourite. They are crazy easy, and it almost feels weird to write out a recipe for spooning pantry ingredients into a jar, but I’ve been so obsessed with them lately that I felt I had to share.
To make these flavourful little pots, simply layer Greek yogurt, frozen berries, lemon curd (or the preserves of your choice) in mason jars, and top with lightly-sweetened granola and chopped nuts. Not only are they quick and easy to make, but they are infinitely better and much, much cheaper than store-bought parfaits.
I use frozen berries because it’s winter and the out-of-season berries at my supermarket look quite sickly. Besides, if you make these ahead, the berries will thaw before it’s time to eat them anyway. I love anything lemon, and was so excited to find jars of lemon curd among the other jams and and jellies at the store. It’s quite tart, like a less sweet lemon pie filling, and it pairs perfectly with the berries and yogurt.
Store-bought parfaits often come with nifty little plastic cups that hold the granola until you’re ready to tip it into your yogurt, preventing it from becoming soggy. My solution? A little bit of parchment, plastic wrap or wax paper to hold your crunchy toppings between your yogurt and the mason jar lid. It won’t keep the moisture out forever, but definitely for a couple of days. Enjoy!
- ½ cup Greek yogurt (I use plain or honey flavoured)
- ¼ cup frozen blueberries
- 2 tablespoons lemon curd (or other preserves)
- 2 tablespoons granola (low sugar if possible)
- 1 teaspoon sliced almonds
- In a small (250mL) mason jar (or other reusable container), spoon ¼ cup of the yogurt onto the bottom and smooth into an even layer. Sprinkle half of the blueberries evenly over the yogurt, then spoon the 2 tablespoons of lemon curd overtop. Top with the remaining ¼ cup yogurt, followed by the remaining 2 tablespoons of berries. Make sure you've left about an inch and a half of space between the last layer and the top of the jar.
- Cut a piece of parchment (or wax paper, or plastic wrap) about 6 inches square. Press the parchment into the jar, creating a "dish" to hold the granola, leaving the edges overhanging. Spoon the granola and almonds into the parchment.
- Top with the mason jar lid and refrigerate until ready to eat, at least overnight. Will keep for 1-2 days in the refrigerator.
