Autumn Apple And Yogurt Parfaits

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To create this nutritious Autumn Apple And Yogurt Parfait, marry some chopped Gala apples, grapes and mandarins, and autumns ‘celebrity fruit,’ the cranberry with a low-fat vanilla yogurt dressing. The resulting fruit ensemble is a healthy breakfast recipe served over granola, or “a free of guilt” dairy breakfast or dessert that the entire family will absolutely LOVE!

These Autumn Apple And Yogurt Parfaits are the perfect dairy breakfast, snack, or healthy dessert. And they’re easy!

Fall is apple season, and this recipe is a great way to use some of those gorgeous fruits without having to bake or sauté a thing! Fruit and yogurt – what’s not to love?

During fall, I am always looking for new and creative ways to use up my extra apples. Who has extra apples you ask? People who know people who love to go apple picking is who! This season alone, I was on the (grateful!) receiving end of not one, not two, but THREE separate apple picking excursion bounties. Friends go and inevitably pick way too much and I reap the benefits of their overage. I never mind it because there is not a doubt in my mind that my tribe will eat them. It’s more the ‘what to make with apples‘ query that always has me searching for new ideas. Hence, Autumn Apple And Yogurt Parfaits.

Between Halloween candy and Thanksgiving second helpings, use this easy throw-together parfait as a whole body (and mind!) re-set.

About a decade ago, I experimented with apple coffee. NOT WEIRD! It is different than what you are thinking. Let me explain. I am not a fan of the pumped liquids that go into flavoring coffee. Like, NOT A FAN AT ALL. If it cannot be done by roasting the flavor, whatever it is, with the bean and grinding them together, I’m out. Pecan coffee is a fantastic example. Both the pecans and the shells are roasted until sweet and fragrant. They are then tossed with whole bean coffee and ground together. Once brewed, not only can you smell the beautiful coffee, but also the sweet pecans. Yeah, it’s a bit of extra time, but suppose you were itching for a caramel apple coffee or better yet, a caramel apple latte? Easy. Dried apples and hard caramel or butterscotch candies. Werther’s work perfectly. Mix with whole been coffee, grind, steam the milk on the stovetop and combine the brewed coffee with the steamed milk and bam: a caramel apple latte recipe. Yeah. I’ve done it. In fact, I do it all of the time.

This has become a favorite fall no-bake dessert, mainly because it is easy and affordable to put together. It’s nice to have a visually stunning dessert that does not require my oven…

In previous posts, I have explored desserts with apples as well as main dish meals with apples. Today, I am not turning on the oven. No stewed apples or sautéed apples, just raw chopped apples mingling with a GORGEOUS and tangy yogurt dressing. Tossed with complimentary fruits and bold fall flavors like cinnamon and brown sugar and crunchy pecans, this autumnal parfait is a body ‘re-set.’ This makes for a fantastic Brunch centerpiece, offering eaters a chance to serve themselves and enjoy this as it’s prepared, or topping it with granola, muesli, or even mini chocolate chips. Recipes such as this one belong in every home cook’s repertoire.

So, back to apples! I like Galas for this recipe but feel free to use any apple. Galas are beautiful for starters. I peel two out of the four specified in the recipe card because I think the skin on a Gala is just pretty in a fruit salad. Well drained mandarins add the right acidity for this compote. I also slice seedless red grapes because they are my “sugar” in this collaboration of fruits. Dried cranberries tend to take over a flavor profile sometimes. Don’t get me wrong, I love them and they have their place.

Get your spoons ready y’all, because everyone’s is going to want a ‘lil taste of Autumn Apple And Yogurt Parfaits.

I specify dried cranberries for this recipe, however I also specify soaking and rehydrating them in boiling water for about an hour. Their pungency is lessened and they absolutely SCREAM FALL following this method. They are soft and sweet and not at all chewy as they’d be if thrown in as they come out of the box. Best part, each of these fruits by themselves are awesome, but together, are masterful. Cinnamon and brown sugar further heighten the tasting experience.

I tried this recipe on ten friends and family members last fall. All but one asked for the recipe. All about cringed when they learned that this dressing calls for 3 tablespoons of lite mayonnaise. In my opinion, the dressing would be nothing without the mayo. So, read through the method and carefully consider the ingredients. Lite mayonnaise adds that wee bit of tanginess that is required to balance the acidity in the fruits. And it absolutely balances the ratio of sweet, adding the necessary savory. You will not be able to discern it’s even in there, TRUST ME.

Celebrate Autumn in great taste. Stir up Autumn Apple And Yogurt Parfaits and pop into the fridge for a snack on the go.

Pecans, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, or millet is up to you. I rough-chopped whole pecans and added them in. I LOVE A CRUNCH FACTOR. These little gems were not only that crunch factor for this recipe, but also lent the tiniest bit of sweetness. Leave them out if you are not a fan of nuts or seeds.

So, I mentioned that I fed this salad to ten people. This worked well two ways on that day. First, piled high into smallish parfait cups so I could control the portions. The other way was for the Brunch groaning board as a punch bowl sized centerpiece, flanked with add-ons for the kids. Yes, I gave them super un-healthified options such as mini marshmallows and mini chocolate chips.

I also added a couple of muesli and granola selections, pumpkin seeds, toasted coconut shavings, and several types of chopped toasted nuts. The consensus? Visually, which is what people use to taste before they actually taste, the presentation was stunning. The colors in this fruit salad are a welcome rainbow of flavor. The taste? I watched as three kids under age ten went back for seconds, and no, it wasn’t about the marshmallows I set out…

All images and text ©Jenny DeRemer for Not Entirely Average, LLC

Love apple desserts? Peek at my methods for

Apple Slab Pie

Buttermilk Apple Quick Bread

Walnut-Bottom Peach & Apple Pie

and Peach and Apple Hand Pies

Best Cider Doughnuts

Need some main dish apple inspiration?

Shaker Chicken Pudding