Lemon Berry Parfaits

Light and creamy, these dairy-free lemon berry parfaits with crumble topping are an easy but elegant breakfast or treat.

I love a recipe that does double duty, one that’s equally good for breakfast as it is for lunch or easy enough to make on a weekday but fancy enough to serve for a special occasion, which is why I love a parfait.

Whether you’re eating one for breakfast, as an afternoon snack or for dessert; a parfait like these lemon berry parfaits always feels like a special treat.

Fruit and yogurt are of course an age old combination but add a layer of tart lemon cream and a crumbly shortbread topping to the mix and you have yourself an elegant ensemble that tastes as good as it looks.

What you need to make parfaits:

First: Lemons

Any good lemon cream starts with fresh lemon juice and zest.  This one is dairy-free, egg-free and comes together in a matter of minutes on the stovetop.  There’s coconut milk for silkiness and arrowroot to thicken it.  The resulting cream is similar to a lemon curd but looser and less sweet.

Second: Berries

If berries aren’t in season yet (or just hard to find at the moment) then frozen ones work just fine.  I’ve chosen strawberries and raspberries for their bright red color but you can really use any mix of berries you have on hand for the parfaits.  The berries are lightly sweetened then gently simmered until syrupy to make a quick fruit compote.

Third: Yogurt

Choose your favorite unsweetened yogurt (dairy-free for vegan and paleo).  You’ll want something thick and creamy and not too runny.

Fourth: Topping

Finally a crunchy topping gives the parfaits a bit of textural contrast.  I’ve gone for a knobbly, crumble-type topping like the kind you’d find scattered over a fruit crumble but you can use your favorite grain-free granola or crumbled up cookies as well if you’re pressed for time.

Light, creamy, crunchy, tart and sweet, each bite of these lemon berry yogurt parfaits has it all.

More parfait recipes to check out:

• Nectarine Parfaits with Walnut Crumble and Lemon Cashew Cream
• Strawberry Lemon Coconut Cream Parfaits

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Yield: 6 Servings

Lemon Berry Parfaits

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Light and creamy, with the tartness of fresh lemon and the sweetness of berries these vegan lemon berry yogurt parfaits are an easy but elegant treat.

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Ingredients

For the Lemon Cream:

• 1 cup/240ml coconut milk
• The zest of 1 lemon
• ¼ cup/60ml fresh lemon juice
• ¼ cup/60ml maple syrup
• 2 Tablespoons/12g tapioca flour 
• ⅛th teaspoon turmeric powder for color (optional)

For the Berry Compote:

• 1 cup/ 186g frozen raspberries
• 2 Tablespoons/30ml filtered water
• 1 cup/140g frozen strawberries
• ¼ cup/60ml maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon/5ml fresh lemon juice

For the Crumble Topping:

• ½ cup/42g tapioca flour
• ¾ cup/ 84g almond flour
• ½ tsp grain-free baking powder 
• ⅛th teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 Tablespoons/30ml maple syrup
• 2 Tablespoons/28 g palm shortening or coconut oil
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Parfaits:

• 2 cups/454 ml yogurt (unsweetened and dairy-free)

Instructions

Make the Lemon Cream:

1. Combine coconut milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, maple syrup, tapioca flour and turmeric in a small saucepan and whisk to combine.
2. Cook gently over low heat whisking continuously until mixture thickens (about 3-5 minutes). Remove from heat and transfer to a heatproof jar. Refrigerate until completely chilled (or overnight).

Make the Berry Compote:

1. Place frozen raspberries and filtered water in a small sauce pan and bring to a simmer over low heat. Strain mixture through a fine mesh sieve set over a bowl, pressing on solids. Discard seeds and return syrup to saucepan. Add frozen strawberries, maple syrup and lemon juice and return to a simmer. Simmer gently over low heat until strawberries soften and are syrupy (about 8-10 minutes). Remove from heat and transfer to heatproof jar. Refrigerate until completely chilled (or overnight).

Make the Crumble Topping:

1. Pre-heat oven to 325 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place the flours, baking powder and salt in a large bowl and whisk together. Add maple syrup, palm shortening or (coconut oil) and vanilla extract, stir together with a fork until it comes together in large clumps.
3. Scatter clumps over parchment and bake until lightly golden (about 10 minutes.) Remove baking sheet from oven and let cool completely on wire rack. (Can be prepared the night before.)

Assemble the Parfaits:

1. Layer glasses with lemon cream, yogurt and berry compote. Top with crumble and serve.

Notes

Lemon cream, berry compote and crumble can all be made ahead of time. Layer parfaits when ready to serve.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Hain Pure Foods Featherweight Baking Powder, 8 Ounce
• 
  Nutiva Organic Shortening, Original, 15 oz
• 
  Arrowhead Mills Flour Tapioca, 18 oz

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 364Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 311mgCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 4gSugar: 25gProtein: 7g

Nutritional information for recipes contained on this website, such as calories, fat, carbs, etc. are only estimates and are not guaranteed to be accurate.

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Sylvie

Sylvie Shirazi is the recipe developer and food photographer behind Gourmande in the Kitchen. For the last 10 years she's been making eating more healthfully easy and accessible with gluten-free, grain-free, paleo and vegan recipes that are free from processed ingredients.