Chocolate cranberry breakfast parfait

Chocolate cranberry breakfast parfait – a healthy breakfast full of protein and antioxidants, that tastes like a decadent dessert. Great recipe for the holidays.

Talk about dessert for breakfast!  This little breakfast bowl feels like a decadent dessert, yet it has the ingredients for a good substantial breakfast – protein from the Greek yogurt, and a load of antioxidants from the cranberries and cacao powder.  Not only this chocolate cranberry parfait looks elegant, it tastes delicious and is the ideal festive holiday breakfast to serve around Christmas.

The fluffed Greek yogurt mixed with a good amount of cacao powder and a bit of coconut sugar tastes amazing on its own but mixed with a light cranberry jelly on top, it definitely feels more sophisticated.  Chocolate + cranberries – one of the classic pairing flavor combinations, is a must-try.   The fresh tartness of the cranberries can be too harsh when they’re eaten alone, but when combined with chocolate, they mellow out and perfectly complement its bitter earthy flavor.

Apart from taste, texture also plays a big role here.  I whip the plain non-fat Greek yogurt with a bit of whipping cream, and non-sweeten cacao powder until it becomes velvety smooth, light and fluffy.  I got the idea from an article I read by Food52’s creative director Kristen Miglore, who describes how to make a Genius Greek yogurt whipped cream.  Instead of adding yogurt to cream, though, I added a bit of cream to the Greek yogurt as I just aimed for a fluffy texture.  And let me tell you – when I added the cacao powder, it tasted so good, I had to hide the bowl from myself until I prepare the cranberry jelly.

Cranberry jelly on top of the silky smooth yogurt!  We’re going all the way to perfection here!
I use fresh cranberries, which are still available in stores in December.  I like to buy more than I need and freeze them for later use.  I combine them with real apple juice, vanilla, and a bit of liquid Stevia to sweeten them, and then add gelatin to create a light jelly.  I leave the fruit whole for extra bite.  You can make this the night before to let the gelatin set in the fridge, or you can put the jelly in the freezer to speed up the process.  If you decide to use the freezer, keep an eye on it and check if it’s set after 15 minutes.

The bright red looks of the cranberries are so festive and cheerful, you surely need to make this for your Christmas morning breakfast!  Make it even more decadent by grating some dark chocolate on top.  ‘Tis the season to get spoiled!

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Chocolate cranberry breakfast parfait

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

1 hr

Total Time

1 hr 10 mins

 

Chocolate cranberry breakfast parfait - a healthy breakfast full of protein and antioxidants, that tastes like a decadent dessert. Great recipe for the holidays.

Course: Breakfast

Servings: 4

Calories: 237 kcal

Author: Viktoria

Ingredients

For the cranberry jelly:

• 2 cups fresh cranberries
• 1 cup apple juice
• 2 tbs coconut sugar, or 10 drops vanilla stevia
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 tsp gelatin

For the parfaits:

• 2 cups plain Greek yogurt
• 6 tbs cacao powder
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• 1/4 cup whipping cream
• 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

Make the cranberry jelly:

1. Place cranberries and 1/2 cup of apple juice, 2 tbs sugar (or 10 drops of liquid Stevia) and vanilla in a pot, and bring to a simmer; cook for 4-5 minutes until the cranberries begin to pop open.
2. Sprinkle the gelatin powder in the other 1/2 cup of apple juice and leave it undisturbed for 5 minutes until the gelatin gets absorbed by the liquid. Mix well to remove any lumps, and add to the hot cranberry mixture. Stir well over the heat for 2 minutes.
3. Let the cranberries cool, then put them in the fridge until the gelatin begins to set (30 minutes or more).

Make the chocolate parfaits:

1. Combine the yogurt with cacao powder, sugar and vanilla, and mix well.  Add the whipping cream and using a hand mixer, continue to whip until fluffy.  Distribute among 4 glasses and leave in the fridge.

2. Pour a few tablespoons of cranberry jelly over the chocolate parfaits, and leave in the fridge so the gelatin sets completely (1-2 hours or overnight). Alternatively, put the cooled off cranberry gelatin mixture in the freezer for 15-30 minutes to speed up the setting of the gelatin, then pour over the yogurts.

3. Serve with shaved dark chocolate on top.

Recipe Notes

You will have some cranberry jelly left over. It keeps for over a week in the fridge. Serve it with pancakes, or popovers, or other breakfast creations.
Each serving has 1/2 cup of yogurt which may be too little for some, to make 4 portions.