Build Your Own Yogurt Parfait Bar

A build your own yogurt parfait bar is the perfect dessert for any holiday celebration or special event you might be hosting. Yogurt is layered between sweet indulgences and healthy treats and the best part is every guest can make their own! 

I’m not a baker— and my scale and body can’t thank me enough for it! While everyone is making cookies and cakes and pies this time of year, I’m keeping the butter and sugar off my kitchen counter and swapping the baked goods for a yogurt parfait bar. Clearly it’s not because I have anything against butter OR sugar. I think both are just fine in moderation. It’s because I do not have patience for baking or “quality control” as my 9^th grade design teacher told me [even then I couldn’t color in between the lines]. So when it comes to holiday parties, birthday parties, or any celebration that requires some type of dessert, you’ll find me presenting my guests with something like this yogurt parfait bar.

As the registered dietitian foodie Mom in my family and group of friends, I try to find balance between the sugar and sweets that everyone craves during the holidays or at any group party. So instead of baking a batch of Christmas cookies or fudge, I opt for presenting holiday guests with things like this yogurt parfait bar. There’s familiarity in the set-up: chocolate chips, gummies, broken candy pieces, you name it. But there are also the healthier toppings: fresh fruit, low-fat yogurt, and nuts. Instead of serving foods that are low in nutrients and high in added sugar, I like offering healthier choices, such as fruit — a naturally sweet carbohydrate-containing snack that also provides fiber and vitamins that kids need.

How to Setup Your Yogurt Parfait Bar:

• Keep dishware and utensils at one end of the table and food sections at the other end so the flow of the yogurt bar remains cohesive.
• When it comes to choosing yogurt, give guests two options: a classic, plain Greek yogurt and a traditional fruit-flavored Greek yogurt. While the fruit-flavored yogurt has more added-sugar than the plain variety, it’s not as tart and I consider it more kid-friendly. Choose what works best for you and your guests!
• Have guests build parfaits in clear glasses so the colors and textures of each parfait shine through!
• Oh and don’t worry about having too little or too many mix-in options! A little goes a long way… [hence why I only have 4 options shown].

And the best part about a yogurt parfait bar is you can customize the mix-in’s to the holiday or event you are celebrating—- a brunch bridal shower, an 8^th grade sleepover breakfast bar, or heck, a baby’s first birthday party [which is exactly what I plan on doing for Anthony’s first birthday party]. Just because I’m opting for a yogurt parfait bar doesn’t mean I’m not enjoying the cakes and cookies and pies either. But rest assured you should be thankful I’m not showcasing cookies without eggs or cupcakes without oil on my blog! You bakers sure have too many steps to follow for a recipe…