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This berry brownie yogurt parfait is layered with Greek yogurt, a thick and gooey triple berry compote, and chewy raw brownie crumbles.

Berry brownie yogurt parfait

My mom is the #1 fan of our raw brownies recipe. And we can’t blame her! They’re so deliciously fudge-y, it’s hard to remember they’re made only of natural ingredients: dates, cocoa powder, nuts. Quite magical, really. She generally keeps a pan in the freezer so she can easily whip up creative desserts for guests, dousing them in chocolate sauce and topping with fruit. When we visited this winter, she created a yogurt parfait with crumbled raw brownies and berries. We loved the idea so much that we decided to create a take of our own! Keep reading for our triple berry brownie yogurt parfait recipe.

Berry brownie yogurt parfait
Berry compote

Making this yogurt parfait

This yogurt parfait is a “healthy dessert” with no sacrifice on taste or satisfaction. It’s sweetened with maple syrup and dates, and it’s also gluten-free. It features a triple berry compote, which we’ve made out of frozen berries, a bit of fresh lemon juice and just a bit of maple syrup. It turned out so thick, gooey and delicious, absolutely perfect for layering in this yogurt parfait.

For the creamy layer of our yogurt parfait, we’ve used plain Greek yogurt, sweetened with a little maple syrup. (Of course if you’d rather have a decadent treat, use our Homemade Whipped Cream or Coconut Whipped Cream instead!) And then for the brownie crumbles: they’re a riff on our raw brownies recipe. They’re whipped up in a food processor using walnuts, Medjool dates, and cocoa powder to form into a chewy “brownie” that’s totally raw, with no refined sugar. It might sound a little odd, but you’ve got to try it to be a believer!

What are Medjool dates? These days, it’s likely you’ve had them even if you don’t know it! Medjool dates are large, chewy and sweet dates that are used to make natural sweets like Larabars (here are our favorite recipes with Medjool dates). It is important to find Medjool dates for this recipe, because they’re very important for the texture: no substitutions! We were able to find them sold in bulk at our local grocery; they are also available for sale online.

Healthy desserts

And that’s it: layer those three layers in a glass and you’ve got one very tasty yogurt parfait! We love occasional dessert splurges, but generally after a meal we spring for either dark chocolate or a healthy dessert option. There’s some kind of creative challenge that we enjoy about coming up with sweet finishes that are light and wholesome. What are your favorite healthy desserts? (And is there a better term for this concept, since “healthy” sounds more like desserts full of celery and carrots?)

Related: Maple Vegan Blondies

Berry brownie yogurt parfait
Berry compote

Looking for more fruit desserts?

Outside of this berry brownie yogurt parfait recipe, here are our favorite fruit desserts on A Couple Cooks:

This yogurt parfait recipe is…

Vegetarian and gluten free.

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Berry Brownie Yogurt Parfait

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This berry brownie yogurt parfait is layered with Greek yogurt, a thick and gooey triple berry compote, and chewy raw brownie crumbles. 

  • Author: a Couple Cooks
  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

For the brownie layer

  • 1 cup walnuts
  • ½ cup cocoa powder
  • ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 12 Medjool dates
  • ¼ cup slivered almonds

For the berry compote

  • 3 cups frozen mixed berries (1 pound)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon water

For the yogurt layer

  • 4 cups Greek yogurt
  • ¼ cup maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. For the brownie crumbles: In the bowl of a food processor, add walnuts and process on high until the nuts are finely ground. Add the cocoa powder and kosher salt. Pulse to combine.
  2. Remove the pits from the dates. Turn on the food processor and as it is running, add the dates one at a time. Stop processing once the mixture is crumbly but easily formable. Add the almonds and pulse several times to combine.
  3. In a small square dish, press the brownie mixture into a layer at least 1 inch thick (even if it does not fill the entire dish), or thicker if desired. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes.
  4. For the berry compote: place the frozen berries, fresh lemon juice, and maple syrup in a skillet over medium heat. Stir for several minutes until fruit is thawed. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water, then pour into skillet and heat until the sauce is thickened.
  5. For the yogurt layer: In a small bowl, mix the Greek yogurt, maple syrup, and vanilla extract.
  6. To assemble the parfait, layer yogurt, crumbles of raw brownies, and berry compote in a tall glass.

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About the authors

Alex & Sonja

Hi! We’re Alex & Sonja Overhiser, authors of the acclaimed cookbooks A Couple Cooks and Pretty Simple Cooking—and a real life couple who cooks together. We founded the A Couple Cooks website in 2010 to share seasonal recipes and the joy of home cooking. Now, we’ve got over 3,000 well-tested recipes, including Mediterranean diet, vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, smoothies, cocktails, and more!

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10 Comments

  1. Renee@AmsterdamFoodStories says:

    Whoa, this looks extremely good. So delicious! I absolutely love your site, photography and recipes.

  2. Mollie says:

    ‘Healthy dessert’ is usually yogurt that I spruce up with things I would feel guilty about having for breakfast. I often do chopped dark chocolate or a bit of peanut butter. I also like to roast some fruit with a light whole grain/oat crumble mixture on top!

  3. cheri says:

    This looks delicious! Love this combination!

  4. Brittany says:

    I agree – very clever! Thanks for sharing a fun idea for a realistic, healthy and yummy dessert!

  5. Joanne says:

    I would definitely be licking this parfait cup clean!

  6. Megan @ The Cooking Canvas says:

    I always keep a bag of frozen berries in the freezer. It’s a pantry essential! This is a deliciously simple dessert to use them with.

  7. Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says:

    I love the raw brownies on this! So yummy!

  8. Sophie says:

    LOVE this idea! So yum! I like saying “nutritious” or “nourishing” instead of healthy. Sounds so much happier and less like diet food.

  9. Kathryn says:

    What a clever idea to make something so impressive and yet so wholesome at the same time.

  10. Tieghan Gerard says:

    These look amazing!! Love the raw brownies!