Greek Yogurt Healthy Banoffee Parfait

Greek yogurt, a versatile product with so many uses and much more nutritional benefits, if it’s not already part of your diet it’s a great oportunity to give it a try with this recipe.

I consume a lot of Greek yogurt daily mixing it with herbs and using it as dip for finger food, as a substitute to creme fraiche or sour cream reducing all the unwanted fats, an excellent choice to thicken your curry sauce instead of coconut cream or making a great variety of healthy lunches.

Healthy Banofee Parfait is one of those magic recipes that will make you change your opinion about desserts once and for all! Desserts can be super tasty, healthy and unbelivably rewarding at the same time.

In essence it is a recipe inspired by the favorite dessert of many, banoffee, but in a healthy version. The biscuit base is replaced by a very easy and crunchy granola, and the caramel is a much healthier, made by dates rather than sugar.

For this amazing Banoffee Parfait here is what you will need :

Ingredients (4 Servings)

2 bananas cut into slices
2 cups Greek strained yogurt
1-2 tablespoons grated dark chocolate
1 pinch of cinnamon (to garnish)

Date caramel

½ cup pitted, chopped dates
½ cup of fresh milk,
a few drops of vanilla extract
1 pinch of salt

Crunchy granola

1/3 cup chopped almonds (or other nuts)
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
¾ cup rolled oats
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pinch of salt (optional)
1 tablespoon honey

Instructions

Prepare date caramel by adding to food processor all ingredients and puree until smooth.
Transfer the mixture into a saucepan, over medium-low heat, and stir for about 10 minutes, until it thickens, becomes golden brown and reduced by half in volume. – Leave it aside to cool.
Prepare the granola: In a nonstick skillet, over medium heat, roast almonds, oats and sesame seeds, for about 5 minutes, until golden brown and flavorful. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon.
Add olive oil and salt and mix well.
Finally add honey and turn off the fire. Mix thoroughly to coat all ingredients with honey. – Leave it aside to cool.
Prepare the yogurt parfait layering in every glass in this order: about 2 tablespoons of granola, a few banana slices, about 1 teaspoon of date caramel and 1 tablespoon yogurt. Repeat.
At the end sprinkle yogurt with a bit of granola, some grated chocolate, 1-2 banana slices and a hint of cinnamon and serve.

Tips

*You can prepare the granola and the date caramel and store them for future use. Store granola in a container for up to a week and your date caramel in a glass jar in your fridge.

*To reduce fats use low fat Greek yogurt and milk.

*You can prepare your parfaits and store them in a jar in your fridge from the previous night (although granola will not be as crispy after 12 hours).

*You can skip making the granola and the date caramel by using good quality store bought granola and organic apple sauce to make a perfect Greek yogurt apple-pie parfait.

*To keep bananas from turning brown, coat them with some fresh lemon juice.

Facts

*Every 300gr/ 10ounces serving contains about 500 calories and is an excellent choice for office lunch or a kick start breakfast

And remember….Greek yogurt is easy to digest, it’s packed with probiotics and an excellent source of high quality proteins. Why not treat yourself with a luscious banoffee and enjoy all these benefits at the same time?

Source (recipe & images):The Healthy Cook