Chef notes
This breakfast blend works for anyone, no matter what your taste preferences are. Don't like coconut? Don't use it! Allergic to nuts? Stick to seeds like pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds), sesame seeds, and protein-packed grains like amaranth. You can make your own parfait blend of nuts, seeds, and fruits using the recipe template below. Don't forget to watch your portions—I use a kitchen scale to measure—to keep within recommended calorie counts.
Note: I measure my ingredients on a kitchen scale for accuracy, but I have also included cup measurements where applicable.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup chopped mixed nuts or large seeds: pistachios, almonds, pecans, pepitas
- 1/4 cup dried fruit: cranberries, blueberries, cherries, raisins
- 1/2 cup shredded or flaked unsweetened coconut
- 1 tablespoon small grains or seeds: amaranth, millet, sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch salt
Preparation
Pour the nuts and dried fruit into a medium bowl and set aside.
Toast the coconut in a large skillet over low heat, stirring and shaking the pan frequently and watching carefully as the shreds darken from off-white to pale beige. Remove the pan from the heat as soon as you see spots where the coconut is turning mahogany brown. Add the coconut to the nuts and fruit.
Add the small grains or seeds to the skillet and toast, again stirring and shaking the pan to get equal heat distribution. Remove from the heat once the grains or seeds are golden brown in spots and add to the bowl with the other dry ingredients.
Place the skillet back over low heat and melt the coconut oil. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt and stir continuously until the sugar dissolves into a granular liquid, about 1 minute. Pour the dry ingredients back into the skillet and stir to coat evenly with the spiced sugar.
Pour the mixture back into the bowl and let cool completely.
Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of the parfait blend over 1/2 cup lowfat plain Greek yogurt.
Store the remaining parfait blend up to 1 week in an airtight container at room temperature.
