These Tropical Parfaits combine plain Greek yogurt, sweet pineapple, and crunchy coconut granola. It’s super easy to make and makes a great breakfast or snack. Every time I pass the jar of granola in the kitchen, I find myself stealing a piece to snack on. It’s just so good! Jared really loves granola so every time I make some, I know I will have a tough critic. But Jared said this granola was my best yet. He even said I couldn’t give any away because he liked it so much! So this recipe definitely has the Jared seal of approval.
If your pineapple isn’t that sweet, you can cook it over medium-high heat with about 1 tbsp of coconut oil. The natural sugars in the pineapple will caramelize and soften and sweeten your pineapple. Otherwise, you can totally leave your pineapple as is. It’s already delicious and no need to add in any extra steps! You can also swap out pineapple for mango or banana or do a combination of different tropical fruits – both are delicious paired with coconut (and easier to slice)! I really like a combination of mango and pineapple in these tropical parfaits!
Making the Coconut Granola
Making the coconut granola is super easy and it comes together quickly. Plus – no need to constant stirring, which is a HUGE plus in my book. I love something easy and delicious!
First, you will combine your oats, shredded coconut, coconut flakes, almonds, cinnamon and salt. I like to use the extra thick oats (Bob Red’s Mill makes them!) because they add such a great texture to the granola. If you can’t find that, or don’t have it on hand, old fashioned oats are the next best thing! Also feel free to swap in different things. Don’t have slivered almonds? No problem! Use chopped raw almonds or cashews!
Once you have your dry ingredients together, combine your maple syrup, melted coconut oil and vanilla extract together in a small bowl. Pour that over the oat mixture and continue to stir until everything is evenly coated. Then spread the granola mixture out evenly on a large baking sheet covered in parchment paper.
Bake for 15 minutes and then remove from the oven to gently toss the granola. Before putting the granola back in the oven to bake for 15 minutes more, spread the granola out evenly on the baking sheet. The granola is ready when it’s golden brown all over and the coconut flakes are crisp. Remove from the oven and let it cool completely. Don’t touch it until it’s cool, it’s really important to let it be so that it can crisp up into chunks. It will get crunchy as it cools. Once the granola is cool, use your hands or a rubber spatula to gently break the granola into smaller bite size pieces.
To assemble the parfaits, layer the pineapple (or banana or mango) and yogurt in a bowl. Top with some honey and shredded coconut flakes, if desired, and then put lots of granola on top!
For more breakfast inspiration, check out my recipes for Vanilla Matcha Morning Rolls, Blueberry Breakfast Streusel, and Traditional Granola!
Tropical Parfaits
Ingredients
For the coconut granola:
- 3 cups old fashioned or extra thick oats
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1 cup slivered almonds
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
- 3/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the parfaits:
- 1 large pineapple cut into bite size chunks
- Additional tropical fruits such as mango or banana (optional) cut into bite size pieces
- Plain Greek yogurt
- Honey for topping (optional)
- Unsweetened shredded coconut for topping (optional)
Instructions
For the coconut granola:
- Preheat the oven to 300F and prepare a large baking sheet by covering with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the oats, shredded coconut, coconut flakes, almonds, salt and cinnamon. Stir to combine.
- In a small bowl, combine the melted coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Stir until fully combined.
- Pour the coconut oil mixture over the oats and stir to combine. Continue to mix until everything is evenly coated.
- Spread the granola mixture out onto the prepared baking sheet and use a spatula to make sure the granola is spread out evenly to the edges of the baking sheet.
- Bake for 15 minutes and then use a large spatula to gently toss the granola, spreading it out evenly again before you put it back in the oven.
- Return to the oven and bake 15 minutes longer, until the granola is golden brown all over.
- Remove from the oven and let it cool completely before you touch it. Cooling the granola in this shape will help you get big chunks of granola.
- Once the granola is cooled, use your spatula or your hands to break the granola into bite size pieces.
To assemble:
- Layer the pineapple chunks (a note on what to do if your pineapple isnt that sweet in the notes section below) and any additional tropical fruits you want to use and then top with the greek yogurt. Sprinkle with some honey and shredded coconut. Then top with the coconut granola. Enjoy!
