Make-Ahead Fruit & Yogurt Breakfast Parfaits

I’ve been really into making fun breakfasts lately.

After a near month-long string of cereal + sliced banana + almond milk in the morning, I figured it was time to put a little more effort into the most important meal of the day. Especially after finding out that one of my girlfriends, who has two kids under the age of 5, manages to get them, herself, and her husband out the door with freshly made smoothies in hand every morning. THE SHAME!

Anyway, the aforementioned smoothies have become a popular option. Ben and I both enjoy sucking down the blended-to-hell combo of 1 cup (ish) frozen berries, a frozen banana, 1/4 cup old fashioned oats, 1 tsp chia seeds, 2-3 cups (ish) baby spinach, and a huge glug of almond milk in the mornings.

He drinks his on the way to work then texts me, I’M SO FULL, as he pulls into the parking lot. NO SERIOUSLY, I’M SO FULL, comes an email 30 minutes later. Bahahaha. If my meat and potatoes man can get full off of a smoothie, ANY man can!

DIY Frozen Breakfast Burritos are always a popular option, but when I’m craving something really, really fresh yet filling – and FAST – in the mornings,  Make-Ahead Fruit & Yogurt Breakfast Parfaits have become my go to.

Creamy Greek yogurt is mixed with heart-healthy old fashioned oats, chia seeds, and a splash of milk, then layered with frozen fruit and berries in a jar for a make-ahead, grab-and-go breakfast. Make one, two, or 10 at a time – they keep for several days in the refrigerator!

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Make-Ahead Fruit & Yogurt Breakfast Parfaits are basically layered overnight oats, which I used to make allll the time several years ago.  The combination of yogurt and oats mixed together then left to sit overnight in the refrigerator is so dreamy. The oats become nice and chewy, then the frozen berries melt to create a sweet berry sauce that permeates every bite. They are fantastic!

And easy to make, too. Layer up a bunch of these on Sunday night then sleep well knowing you’ll have breakfast taken care of during the week. It’ll save you at least, what, 10 minutes every morning which you can use to sleep in a bit, hunt for your blessed missing shoe, or, gasp, get to work early! ;)

Start each parfait with 6oz Greek yogurt. You could purchase the big tubs of yogurt to make several breakfast parfaits at once, which is usually more economical, but these babies were 10/$10 at the grocery store this weekend, causing me to freak out and pile, well, 10 containers high into my arms, as Ben was in the card aisle with the cart. I’m sure you can guess what happened next.

Sneaker caught. Flying Greek yogurt. Loud plops. Girl frantically scurrying around dairy aisle on hands and knees. Husband turns corner. I KNEW that was you. D’OH!

Anyway, spoon the yogurt into a bowl then add 1/3 cup certified gluten-free old fashioned oats. Heart-healthy and full of fiber, old fashioned oats provide a nice, chewy texture to these breakfast parfaits.

Next add 1 teaspoon chia seeds (available at all grocery stores, usually in the “health food” section or bulk bins) and 2 Tablespoons milk then stir everything together

Spoon half the yogurt mixture into the bottom of a wide-mouth mason jar or tall container.

Then add 1/2 of 1 cup frozen fruit +  berries. Frozen fruit works great in these parfaits because they melt in the fridge and create a yummy berry sauce that gets mixed in throughout the entire parfait. YUM.

I used a few Tablespoons each frozen pineapple and frozen blueberries.

Plus frozen raspberries. This combo was absolutely delicious, but again, use what you like.

Top with the remaining yogurt mixture and berries then stick in the fridge. These parfaits stay good for up to 3 days post assembly, so grab and go throughout the week for a convenient, healthy, and filling breakfast. Enjoy!