Yogurt Parfait Bar – Charcuterie Style!
Upgrade your next brunch with a yogurt parfait board! Your guests will love assembling their own custom parfaits, and you’ll love how easy it is to put it all together!
We have ideas for pancake bars, make-your-own-egg-sandwich brunches, and even a mimosa bar, but if you want a brunch bar idea that’s practically effortless, then this yogurt parfait board will be your jam.
Of all of our bar ideas, this one is by far the easiest because there’s nothing to cook! Just buy the yogurt and toppings, make it look pretty, and you’re good to go. It’s perfect for bridal showers, baby showers, and holiday brunches!
Brunch—but make it easy
While we love an over-the-top pancake recipe as much as anybody (ahem: Bacon Chocolate Chip Pancakes, Churro Pancakes, Red Velvet Pancakes), a brunch with family and friends isn’t the time or the place. You’re entertaining, after all, and it’s hard to be a good host when you’re busy in the kitchen flipping pancakes!
Plus, who wants to have to wake up early to cook an elaborate brunch? No thanks!
A yogurt parfait board works as an easy accompaniment to something like Apple French Toast Casserole or Eggs Benedict with Blender Hollandaise, or if you’re hosting a shower, it can serve as a sweet snack in addition to your standard crudité platter and cake.
But the best part is that it doesn’t look low-effort. You can make it look downright high-end with a few simple touches and careful arranging.
What you need
When it comes to your yogurt parfait board menu, the keyword here is customizable. These are simply ideas—you can change things up however you like!
- Yogurt: We used vanilla, plain Greek yogurt, and strawberry.
- Fruit: We selected strawberries, kiwi, and blueberries. Use what’s in season or what complements your yogurt flavors. Try to include a variety of colors for visual appeal.
- Toppings: We chose Golden Grahams cereal, granola, lemon curd, honey, and chia seeds, but the possibilities here are endless! Strawberry sauce, blueberry sauce, chocolate chips, toasted nuts, or almond butter are all fun choices too.
Parfait ideas
Some people need a little bit of gentle guidance when it comes to assembling their parfaits. You can create a card to set by your board with these suggestions:
Plain Greek yogurt with blueberries, lemon curd and golden grahams, and a drizzle of honey
Because Greek yogurt is thick, this combination gives you a nice layering effect!
Strawberry yogurt with sliced kiwi, and Golden Grahams
Graham crackers will get soggy in yogurt, which is why we use Golden Grahams instead.
Vanilla yogurt with granola, sliced strawberries, and chia seeds
This parfait is perfect for a lighter option!
How to assemble
Prep the yogurt. Fill three bowls with the three different flavors of yogurt.
Prep the fruit. Wash and dry the fruit, then cut it into bite-sized pieces.
Prep the toppings. Pour the granola, Golden Grahams cereal, chia seeds, and honey into small bowls.
Arrange everything. Place the bowls of yogurt on the board; how you do this depends on the size and shape of your board, but we placed two in the corners and one on the opposite side, in the middle for visual balance. Arrange the other bowls on the board, then fill in the empty spaces with the fruit.
Serve. Place serving spoons in the bowls, and set spoons and parfait dishes or bowls next to the board so everyone can assemble their own parfaits. (We used these metal scoops for the toppings and this serving tray.)
FAQs
A yogurt parfait layers yogurt in a bowl or parfait cup with toppings like jams, syrups, honey, granola, crushed cookies, and fruit. Anything goes with a yogurt parfait!
Yogurt parfaits are as healthy as the toppings you add to them! You can make a yogurt parfait that’s practically a dessert, or you can make a more virtuous treat by sticking with fresh fruit and a drizzle of honey. The nice thing about a yogurt parfait board is that each of your guests can choose whether they want their parfait to be decadent or healthy!
How to make it look pretty
If you’re using different fruit, choose a variety of colors for visual appeal. Below are some fruit ideas from each color group!
- Red: Strawberries, raspberries, plums, cherries, apples, grapes
- Green: Kiwi, grapes, apples, honeydew melon
- Blue: Blueberries, blackberries, elderberries
- Orange and yellow: Bananas, cantaloupe, pineapple, mango
How to make a kiwi flower
To make a kiwi flower like we did, cut a 45-degree slant in the middle of a kiwi. Do this every 1/2 an inch until you have gone all the way around. Flip the kiwi and repeat in the opposite direction where the ends of the slants meet.
Once you have gone all the way around again, the kiwi will pull apart easily and leave you with the flower center. Cut the ends off the bottom to help it stay upright on the board.
How to make it your own
Here are some more yogurt parfait board ideas to give you some inspiration!
- Change up your yogurts. We recommend a variety of yogurt flavors, including a plain one for those who do not like a lot of sweetness and then two flavored yogurts. If you have vegan guests, consider adding a plant-based option, or include skyr for something different.
- Go decadent. A yogurt parfait bar doesn’t have to be healthy. Include candy, homemade caramel sauce, crushed Oreos, gingersnaps, chocolate syrup, and other sweet treats.
- Go healthy. Or you can go in the opposite direction and make your bar super healthy! In addition to fruit, add date syrup, hemp seeds, chopped almonds, and toasted coconut.
Make-ahead tips
If you want to get a head start on your yogurt parfait board, you can place the non-refrigerated toppings in bowls and cover them with plastic wrap. Then, prep the fruit and yogurt serving bowls, cover those with plastic wrap too, and pop them in the refrigerator up to a day in advance.
More easy brunch ideas
Get the Recipe: Yogurt Parfait Bar
Ingredients
Yogurt:
- vanilla
- plain Greek
- strawberry
Fruit:
- 1 pound strawberries
- 3 kiwi
- 1 pint blueberries
Toppings:
- 1 cup Golden Grahams cereal
- 1 cup granola
- 1/2 cup lemon curd
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
Instructions
- Fill 3 bowls with desired flavor of yogurt. Pick 3 different kinds to provide variety.
- Wash and prepare fruit, cutting them into bite size pieces.
- Fill small bowls with granola, golden graham cereal, chia seeds, and honey.
- Place the bowls of yogurt on your board. Place two in the corners and one on the opposite side in the middle. Then, place your granola in a corner and the cereal slightly off center opposite of the yogurt. The honey goes in the last remaining corner and then the chia seeds, blueberries and lemon curd fill in, one on each side of the board and one in the middle.
- Fill the remaining space on the board with fruit.
- Place serving spoons in bowls and serve.
Notes
- Nutritional information is an estimate as it will vary greatly depending on how you create your parfait and what ingredients you use.
- We recommend a variety of yogurt flavors, a plain one for those who do not like a lot of sweetness and then two flavors to give more options for those who do.
- For fruit, pick a variety of colors for visual appeal. Try to choose one from each color category!
- Red: Strawberries, raspberries, plums, cherries, apples, grapes
- Green: Kiwi, grapes, apples, honey dew
- Blue: Blueberries, blackberries, elderberries
- Other colors/ideas: Bananas, cantaloupe, pineapple, mango
- To make a kiwi flower: cut a 45 degree slant in the middle of the kiwi. Do this every 1/2 an inch till you have gone all the way around. Then flip the kiwi and do it again in the opposite direction where the ends of the slants meet. Once you have gone all the way around again, the kiwi will pull apart easily and leave you with the flower center. If desired, trim the ends to create a flat surface, to help it sit evenly on the board.