Recipe: Yogurt Breakfast Popsicles
Makes6 popsicles
Your eyes do not deceive you. This is breakfast that you can eat one-handed while walking to the bus stop, and it’s got just as much going for it a bowl of yogurt with granola and fruit. In fact, it is a bowl of yogurt — just in frozen, easily-grabbable Popsicle form. Time to dig out those Popsicle molds!
The Yogurt
I use Greek yogurt for the base of these breakfast pops because I love its tangy flavor and it’s what I usually have in the fridge. Since Greek yogurt is so thick, you need to thin it out with a bit of milk to make it easy to layer into the molds. While you’re at it, whisk in a little honey to keep things sweet. If you’re not into Greek yogurt, you could definitely use regular non-Greek yogurt here instead — no need to thin it out, though.
The Berries
Now, let’s talk about the jammy berry layer. Fresh berries are so amazing when they’re in season, but even the freshest, ripest berries tend to freeze into tasteless rocks if left to their own devices. This is why I take things one extra step with these pop and make a quick jam with the fresh fruit. Cooking them and adding a bit of sugar gives the berries a deeper flavor that carries over into frozen form, plus the sugar keeps the fruit a soft enough to nibble even when frozen.
If you’re short on time or short on berries, you can also substitute a fruit jam or preserves. You’ll need about a cup of preserves for these pops.
The Granola
Use any granola you like here. These pops are especially handy for using up a handful of leftover granola that’s gone a bit stale. Once layered into the molds and frozen, the granola softens to the consistency of soft oatmeal cookies —and yes, that’s just as delicious as you’re hoping it will be.
My molds (these from Tovolo) each hold about 1/2 cup of yogurt parfait goodness. For me, this is the perfect amount to start my day or — let’s be honest here — finish it. Either way, my freezer is going to be stocked with a steady supply of these yogurt popsicles from now until the end of summer.
Yogurt Parfait Breakfast Popsicles
Makes 6 popsicles
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 3 cups
chopped strawberries (from about 1 1/2 pints)
- 1/4 cup
granulated sugar or honey
- 1 cup
plain Greek yogurt
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup
milk
- 2 to 3 tablespoons
honey
- 3/4 cup
granola
Instructions
Combine the strawberries and sugar or honey in a small saucepan and stir gently to combine. Let the berries macerate on the counter for at least 10 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved and syrupy.
Place the pan over medium-high heat and bring to a rapid simmer. Cook stirring often, until the strawberries are thick and jammy, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. You should have about 1 cup of jammy fruit. (At this point, the strawberries can be refrigerated for up to a week.)
When ready to assemble the popsicles, whisk together the yogurt, 1/4 cup of the milk, and 2 tablespoons of honey in a medium bowl. The yogurt should be thick, but pourable (roughly the consistency of regular yogurt). If needed, whisk in a little more milk. Taste and add more honey if desired.
Scoop out 1/4 cup of the yogurt mixture and stir it into the granola. This will help the granola freeze into the popsicles.
Arrange 6 popsicle molds (1/2 cup capacity) on your work surface. Pour a generous spoonful of yogurt into the bottom of each mold. Add a scoop of granola and then a spoonful or two of strawberries. Continue layering yogurt, granola, and strawberries until the molds are filled. Tap the molds lightly agains the counter or use a popsicle stick to work out any air bubbles between the layers.
Insert popsicle sticks into each mold freeze until solid, at least 6 hours.
To unmold, run the popsicle molds under hot running water for a few seconds and gently easy the popsicles out of the molds.
Recipe Notes
Using regular yogurt: You can substitute 1 1/4 cups of regular yogurt for the Greek yogurt. As long as it's pourable, there's no need to thin the yogurt any further.
Fruit: The strawberries can be replaced with an equal amount of any other fruit.
Using jam: You can also substitute 1 cup any flavor of jam or fruit preserves for the berries. Skip the jam-making step and proceed with assembling the popsicles.
Storage: Popsicles will keep in the freezer for several weeks.