Winter Parfaits are a filling and tasty way to celebrate the new year! Perfect for an easy breakfast, or festive brunch, these Greek yogurt parfaits are quick to whip up, easy to prep ahead, and protein packed!
The week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve is my absolute favorite. Life is (finally) just a little slower, but still festive, with the prospect of a new year ahead. For me, it’s both a new calendar year, and my birthday (on January 2nd).
In years past, to celebrate both the new year, and my birthday, we’ve gone out for a New Year’s Day brunch with friends; and while I love brunching in Tampa Bay, it can be a pain to try and make a reservation for 10-12 people on one of the busiest days to enjoy brekkie with friends. To be honest, it stresses me out – making sure everyone is available at the same time, and then ensuring everyone actually arrives around the time of the reservation. Plus, do you think if we eat out for brunch on New Year’s Day, I make stellar choices? The answer is generally, “no.”
So a few years back, we decided to host a very casual brunch set-up at Casa de Crews instead. It’s a great way to celebrate the New Year, see your people, and enjoy it all stress-free. Everyone brings a dish, and is welcome to come in their fave jammies, or athleisure (holla).
To keep things simple, and clean, I like to whip up Winter Fruit Parfaits; Greek yogurt sweetened naturally using only honey (sometimes I use the honeycomb), fresh winter fruits, and a little granola and pecans for crunch. These Winter Fruit Parfaits are super festive, too.
If you use the honeycomb: The honeycomb is edible and adds beautiful aroma and texture. I like to remove the honeycomb from the jar, chopping a hunk of comb honey, and mix it right in to my Greek yogurt base.
other ways to use honeycomb
You can use it on toast – toast a piece of your favorite bread or an English muffin. While it’s still warm, spread it lightly with butter. With a knife, cut a chunk of comb honey and spread it over the doesn’t melt, but becomes soft and aromatic, sweet, and delicate. It’s a really nice treat, without any guilt. It’s also SO good on hot biscuits, French toast, or pancakes.
These Winter Parfaits are very easy to customize. You can use any fruit you like, with any textures you desire; Persimmons, Blood Oranges, Shredded Coconut, almond slivers…any of these toppings would make for a tasty brunch to kick off the new year! In today’s parfaits, I opted for pomegranate arils, and diced apples (both Fuji and Granny Smith) – seriously SO good.
Since we’re serving these parfaits on New Year’s Day, I thought it would be festive to layer in fun drinkware, but you can absolutely use mason jars, or bowls as well! You could even set up a DIY parfait bar with a Greek yogurt base, and set out toppings for guests to garnish as they choose.
winter fruit parfaits
Ingredients
- 2 cups plain Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup honey, and comb honey chopped
- 1 cup granola
- 1 cup pecans, chopped
- 2 cups fresh winter fruit - suggested: red apples, green apples, pomegranate arils
- 4 tablespoons cacao nibs, for garnish - optional
Instructions
- To layer each parfait Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of yogurt into each glass and smooth surface. Add 1 tablespoon of honey.
- Spoon 1 tablespoon of granola and 1 tbsp of pecans overtop and smooth surface. Spoon 2 tablespoons of fruit overtop and smooth surface.
- Repeat the process, adding honey here and there, to taste for natural sweetness.
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Anything with fruit is always a winner! Yum!
These are so pretty. I would love to enjoy one for breakfast!