Easy Yogurt Parfait with Lemon Cookies and Blueberry Jam

This yogurt parfait has quickly become one of my favorite snacks. It reminds me of a lighter version of lemon cheesecake topped with blueberry jam. The parfait is not only lower in calories, but it’s also packed with more nutritious ingredients. Instead of using cream cheese and graham crackers, I swapped them for yogurt and gluten-free lemon cookies from Simple Mills. These cookies are made with a blend of nuts and seeds and are sweetened with coconut sugar, making them a much healthier option. The yogurt provides a rich base, while the cookies add a delightful crunch, lemon flavor and subtle sweetness.

To finish it off, I topped the parfait with a generous spoonful of blueberry jam from Smash. Unlike most store-bought jams, this one uses chia seeds as a natural thickener and dates for sweetness. The best part of this recipe is how quick and easy it is to prepare. You can have it ready in less than ten minutes and even prep it ahead of time for busy days. It’s a delicious, nutritious treat that will satisfy your sweet tooth and nourish your body with wholesome ingredients.

Why should you make these yogurt parfaits?

Easy – This is one of the easiest recipes on my blog because it doesn’t need cooking. You don’t need special equipment or cooking experience. Even a child can prepare these parfaits. It actually might be a good family bonding experience to involve the kids in the preparation process of these parfaits.
Fast – you can make them in 10 minutes or less. They are perfect for those mornings when you don’t have any time to cook but you want to start the day with a nutritious breakfast.
Good for you – Made with nutrient dense ingredients like yogurt, nuts, seeds, blueberries and sweetened with natural sugar.
Only Four Ingredients – I love recipes that are with minimal, healthy ingredients.
Great for meal prep – I love to make these yogurt parfaits ahead of time and snack on them throughout the week. They last for several days in an airtight container or a jar in the fridge.

Adding a yogurt layer in the jar with the parfait

Ingredients and Substitutions

yogurt -any plain yogurt will do. Just make sure that is unsweetened. Vegans can use a plant-based yogurt to make this recipe free of animal products.
maple syrup – you can use a sweetener of your choice. I’ve also tried this recipe with a zero calorie allulose syrup. It may also work great with honey or agave syrup.
lemon thins from Simple Mills – they are essential for this recipe because of their texture and lemon taste. I wouldn’t recommend any substitutions.
blueberry jam – I liked the ingredients of Smash and Crofter’s jams. Of course you can use any brand you like.

Please Note: Some of the links in this blog post are Amazon affiliate links. If you make a purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting The Food Kooky!

Adding crushed cookies in a jar with the parfait

Helpful tips about making the yogurt parfait

I used homemade whole yogurt for this recipe. You can use your favorite brand of plain or Greek yogurt. Just make sure that it is sugar free.

For this recipe you need to crush the lemon cookies to crumbs. I prefer adding them in a ziplock bag and hitting them with any heavy object. You can also use the food processor to crush the cookies, but then you will get a finer crumb. I prefer to have bigger chunks of cookies in my parfait.

I bought the Simple Mills lemon thins from my local Costco. You can also find them in Sprouts or Whole Foods. The best way to know where to find them is to go the the Simple Mills website and use your location to find a store near you that offers their products.

You can replace the blueberry jam with any jam that you like. I intentionally picked Smash, because I liked the ingredient list. The fact that they use chia seeds as a thickener and dates as a natural sweetener won me over. I bought that jam from Costco.

You can use any jars or storage containers you have. Just make sure that they have lids. Mine were 10 oz glass jars with a bamboo lid.

Storage and serving of the yogurt parfaits

Store the yogurt parfaits in an airtight container with a lid in the refrigerator. I stored my parfaits in a 10 oz jars.

I recommend serving the parfait cold with fresh mint on top (optional).

Print Recipe

Easy Yogurt Parfait with Lemon cookies and Blueberry Jam

Prep Time10

Total Time10

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Keyword: gluten free, graiin free, Vegetarian

Servings: 3

Ingredients

2 cups Plain or Greek yogurt mine was whole
¼ cup maple syrup or to taste
4 oz lemon sweet thins by Simple Mills or to taste
3 Tbsp blueberry jam I used Smash (with chia seeds and dates)
fresh mint leaves optional topping

Instructions

Add the maple syrup to 2 cups of yogurt and stir well. You can add more or less maple syrup depending on how sweet you like the parfaits.
Add the lemon thins in a ziplock bag and use a food mallet or a rolling pin to crush the cookies to the desired crumb size.
You can also use a food processor.
Start adding crushed cookies on the bottoms of three separate jars or glasses (mine were 10oz).
Then add several tablespoons of the yogurt and maple syrup mixture.
Alternate between crushed cookies and yogurt mixture as you fill in the jars (until you run out of yogurt and cookies). Finish with blueberry jam on top.
You can top the yogurt parfaits with fresh mint if you like. It is totally optional.
Store the parfaits with lids on in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Notes

Please Note: The links provided in this blog post are not affiliated with any brand. Simple Mills and Smash did not pay me to promote their products. There is no benefit for me if you purchase from the links I provided. I’m just sharing what I love to eat.