Craving some cozy, pumkin-y flavors? You’ll love this easy Greek yogurt pumpkin parfait! A super quick, healthier alternative to pumpkin pie, but with the fall flavors we love, including cinnamon and nutmeg. A tiny bit of creamy Mascarpone provides that indulgent, velvety texture, while a topping of dark chocolate chips and nuts adds crunch!
Best part? You can put this pumpkin parfait together in 5 minutes or so. And if you like, prepare it ahead for dessert or as part of brunch. Grab my prepare-ahead tips below.
Yogurt seems to have been a consistent part of my childhood. Mom managed to regularly pull together a fresh homemade batch–for baking a favorite cake, or for all sorts of savory applications including marinades and yogurt sauces like Tzatziki.)
We also enjoyed an occasional yogurt parfait in the form of a simple cup of yogurt, topped with a drizzle of honey or date syrup and whatever fruit we had on hand. Nothing fancy, but I loved yogurt parfaits.
Now as an adult, I’ve found more ways to do yogurt parfait. And in the fall, when those pumpkin pie cravings hit, I switch my parfait game over to this simple pumpkin parfait. And trust me, it satisfies the cravings and then some!
Easy Pumpkin Parfait
As amazing as pumpkin pie can be, there are ways to enjoy the same flavors without having to bake one. Personally, I think this Greek yogurt pumpkin parfait is a healthier option, and a great way to incorporate nutrition-rich pumpkin puree. Plus, it’s a quick solution to individual-sized desserts!
This pumpkin parfait is pretty easy to make. And once you have your ingredients lined up, it literally takes 5 minutes to put together!
The star ingredients here are Greek yogurt and organic pumpkin puree (I use store-bought pumpkin puree, unless you want to make your own.)
From there, we add a conservative amount of creamy Mascarpone, which is what tames the tang of the Greek yogurt plus gives the parfaits a bit of an indulgent, velvety texture. After all, we still want to enjoy a bit of a treat!
To pull in those warm and cozy autumn flavors, we add a good bit of cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg with molasses (or date syrup) and a bit of brown sugar to sweeten. Dark chocolate chips and hazelnuts (or walnuts) provide the crunchy topping.
Although this pumpkin parfait recipe is meant as dessert, it’s also great to serve as part of a special holiday brunch! And you can make it a bit in advance (more on this later.)
Let’s get to the quick step-by-step for this parfait recipe.
Step-by-step for this Yogurt Pumpkin Parfait Recipe
1. Put the pumpkin puree, Greek yogurt, Mascarpone, vanilla extract, molasses and brown sugar in one large mixing bowl.
And, using an electric hand mixer on low speed (or whisk, if that’s what you have), mix together until you reach a smooth, well-incorporated mixture.
3. Divide the pumpkin parfait among small serving goblets or mason jars. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or overnight.
When ready to serve, just top each pumpkin parfait with a drizzle more molasses (or date syrup), chocolate chips and chopped hazelnuts or walnuts.
Can You Make this Pumpkin Parfait ahead of time?
You can make this pumpkin parfait one night in advance. Hold the chocolate chips and nuts until you are ready to serve. Store the pumpkin parfait in the fridge in one container with a tight lid or, for easy serving, divide it into portions in small mason jars.
When ready to serve, stir the parfait and top with a drizzle of molasses (or date syrup), chocolate chips and hazelnuts or walnut hearts. Enjoy!
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5-Minute Pumpkin Greek Yogurt Parfait
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 5 mins
- Yield: serves 6 1x
Description
You’ll love this easy Greek yogurt pumpkin parfait. A quick, healthier alternative to pumpkin pie, but with all the cozy fall flavors! A tiny bit of Mascarpone provides that indulgent, velvety texture, while a topping of dark chocolate chips and nuts adds crunch!
Ingredients
- 1 15-oz can pumpkin puree (or scant 2 cups homemade pumpkin puree)
- 1 1/4 cup low-fat Greek yogurt
- 3–4 Tbsp mascarpone cheese
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp molasses, more for garnish
- 2 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 1/2–2 tsp ground cinnamon
- Pinch of nutmeg
- Chocolate chips for garnish
- Chopped hazelnuts or walnuts for garnish
Instructions
- Place the pumpkin puree, Greek yogurt and the remaining ingredients, except the chocolate chips and nuts, in a large mixing bowl. Using a hand electric mixer or a whisk, mix together until you reach a smooth consistency.
- Give it a taste and adjust flavor to your liking (add a bit of molasses or brown sugar to sweeten some more, for example. Or adjust the spices if you want more cinnamon or nutmeg.) Mix again to combine.
- Transfer the pumpkin-yogurt mixture to small (3-oz) serving goblets or small mason jars. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or overnight.
- When ready to serve, top each with a drizzle of molasses, chocolate chips and chopped hazelnuts or walnuts. Enjoy!
Notes
- Prepare-Ahead Tip: You can prepare this pumpkin parfait one night in advance. Simply refrigerate in a tightly closed container or individual mason jars (hold the chocolate chips and nuts for later). When ready to serve, stir the yogurt mixture and transfer it into the serving goblets or mini jars and follow step 3.
- To serve a larger crowd: Simply double the recipe to feed 12 or more (small 3-oz goblets or mason jars.)
- Visit The Mediterranean Dish shop to browse our products including all-natural and organic spices, olive oils and more.
- Category: dessert
- Method: Mixing
Keywords: Yogurt Parfait, Pumpkin Parfait, Greek Yogurt Parfait
*This post first appeared on The Mediterranean Dish in November 2015 and has been recently updated with new information for readers’ benefit.
It is truly delicious. My dinner guest could not get enough of it. My husband is diabetic so I replace the sugar with stevia and my husband can eat it guilt free. He is loving it
Thank you.
★★★★★
I am so glad everyone enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing.
Instead of the sugar, I used Pomegranate Molasses and also offered it as something to pour over the top. One could also use pomegranate seeds on top for crunch and color, in lieu of chocolate bits or nuts. The molasses offers a sweet-tart kick…
We have an old Donvier ice cream maker (you put the tub in the freezer ahead of time), and this parfait recipe makes fine soft serve ice cream, as well.
★★★★★
Wonderful, Beth! Thanks so much for sharing. I’ll have to try the ice cream idea!
Very thin consistency..but great flavor.
★★★
Hmmm…I’m not sure what might have caused that, in my experience, Greek yogurt, coupled with pumpkin puree produce a creamy thick consistency. Would love to hear more.