Caramelised Mango Parfaits
These easy and healthy, high protein Mango Parfaits are the perfect start or end to your day. Layered with fresh and juicy caramelised mango, creamy Greek yogurt blended with chia seeds and coconut milk, tangy passion fruit, and crunchy granola.
Healthy Mango Yogurt Parfaits
I’ve been on a bit of a breakfast spree lately with my Tropical Granola and Harissa Baked Beans. But if you’re looking for an eggless breakfast recipe or low sugar, no-bake dessert recipe, I’ve got you covered. While this is a parfait recipe, it’s technically a layered chia pudding parfait with fruit and granola. But that doesn’t make it any less delicious, if anything it makes it better!
These tropical style Mango and Greek yogurt Parfaits are super simple and quick to make. But they are bursting with delicious summer flavours! Think sweet and juicy mango, with passion fruit and coconut. However, this Mango Parfaits recipe is different. The fresh mango is pan-fried, causing the sugars to caramelise. This creates a burnt sweet flavour. Combined with a creamy coconut milk and Greek yogurt chia pudding and crunchy granola. It feels and tastes indulgent but is surprisingly healthy.
This is also a great, easy parfait recipe for those who don’t like the strong flavour of Greek yogurt. My mother can’t stand the tang of Greek yogurt, but she absolutely devoured these Mango Parfaits. I don’t even really like mango, but I loved these parfaits.
Why this is the BEST Parfaits recipe
There are so many things I love about these Mango Parfaits, such as:
- It’s sweet without needing excessive amounts of added sugar!
- It’s very versatile – as you could eat this for breakfast, dessert or even as a snack!
- Uses less than 10 ingredients!
- Are quick and easy to make – no difficult cooking techniques!
- Is budget friendly, at roughly ~$AUD11 (~USD$6.84) for the whole recipe, since mangos are in season.
- Uses everyday ingredients you can easily find at the supermarket.
Nutrition
Are parfaits healthy?
Parfaits can be a healthy option, but it comes down to the ingredients used. Some parfait recipes contain added sugar and high fat ingredients such as cream or ice cream, particularly in more traditional French style parfaits. These nutrients when consumed in excess, are less beneficial to our health.
These Mango Parfaits on the other hand, come with a tonne of benefits such as:
- They contain more protein that traditional parfaits. Protein is important for maintaining muscle mass as we age. Our bodies also use protein to make bone, enzymes and some hormones.
- Are loaded with dietary fibre, which supports our digest health through the microbiome! Research shows that dietary fibre may affect our immune system, mental health and overall health.
- All the sugar in these parfaits are naturally present from the mango and passion fruit. So I would consider them as low sugar.
- Surprisingly, it is also much lower in sodium than some other parfait recipes. Which is more beneficial for our heart and vascular health.
- Are loaded with healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats from the chia seeds and almonds in the granola. Unsaturated fats, when eaten in place of saturated fats may help lower cholesterol levels.
- Contains probiotics from the Greek yoghurt, as it contains live bacteria. Probiotics can help promote digestive health by increasing numbers of beneficial micro-organisms.
Recipe suitability
This may surprise you, but each Mango Parfait contains 9.6g of dietary fibre. So this is a high fibre recipe, and a fabulous choice for supporting your gut health. They are also high protein, at 15.8g each. They are low in cholesterol and sodium. While it is not low in fat (or saturated fat), I would still classify these parfaits as heart friendly, as it is mostly from healthy fats. They are vegetarian, are gluten free and can be made vegan with a simple swap.
Mango Parfaits ingredients
- Greek yogurt – Forms the creamy base of the parfait. I used 2 160g tubs of Chobani Light, as they are very low in fat and are low sugar.
- Coconut milk – Cause is it tropical without coconut? Coconut milk can be very high in fat, and using full cream coconut milk will increase the amount of fat in the recipe. I recommend using light coconut milk, as you good coconut flavour without the extra fat. I used the Coles Light Coconut milk as it was the lowest in fat. Otherwise choose a coconut milk with the lowest fat and saturated fat per 100g.
- Chia seeds – Gives the mango parfaits a health boost with healthy fats and extra dietary fibre. I used white chia seeds for this recipe to keep the Greek yogurt light, but you can use black chia seeds. Don’t worry, nutritionally there is no difference between white and black chia seeds.
- Mango – The star of the show. I used Calypso mangoes, as they are sweeter. Pan frying helps to mellow out the tangy flavours while making the mango soft, but still juicy. Searing the flesh caramelises the natural sugars in the mango. This can help intensify the sweetness and adds more depth of flavour.
- Passion fruit – Adds to the tropical flavour of the parfaits. You can use either fresh or canned passion fruit pulp. I recommend using canned passion fruit while they are not in season. Canned passion fruit pulp may come in a syrup with added sugar. So I recommend pouring the pulp into a strainer over the sink to remove the juice.
- Granola – Adds a crunch element to the parfaits. I used my whole grain Tropical Granola for this recipe, as the tropical spices compliment this recipe.
Everything mangos
How to choose the best mangos
A ripe mango will be slightly soft when given a gentle squeeze. They tend to be orange and pink and have a sweet, fruity smell around the stems. If the mangos are very firm, have a green colour and have no scent, they are underripe. In contrast, if the mango is very squishy, has a sour / fermented scent, and is dark orange or brown in colour, then it is overripe.
The best time to buy mangoes are when they’re in season. This way you get good quality fruit at a reasonable price. Mangoes are a summer fruit, so their season is quote short compared to other fruit. So, mango season may be different depending on where you are:
- Aus – Peak supply is generally between October and December.
- US – May through to September.
- UK – May to July.
Which type of mangos?
This may come as a surprise, but there are literally over 1000 different variants of mangoes. Crazy right? So here are my top choices of mango:
- Kensington pride – Also known as Bowen mangos. They have a balanced sweetness and moderate tangy flavour, with a strong mango scent. If you want classic mango flavours, this is your best choice.
- Calypso – Have a sweet, juicy flavour that issweeter than Kensington pride / Bowen mangos.Have no stringy bits and the seeds are also thinner than other mango varieties. So you get more bang for your buck!
- Honey gold – Are the sweetest of the 3 mangos. They are extremely sweet with a honey like flavour and mild tang. So, if you don’t want sharp tangy notes, use these mangos.
However, you can use any type of mango that you like for this recipe.
How to prepare the mangos
- Hold the mango on its side. Using a sharp knife, cut the check away from the seed. Then turn the mango 180 degrees and cut the other check away from the seed. You want the cut to be as straight as possible to maximise contact with the surface of the frying pan. Uneven cut mango will not caramelise evenly.
- Place the mango cheeks skin side down on a chopping board. Carefully cut slices into the mango flesh, roughly 1 cm apart without, piercing through the skin.
- Turn the mango, and add more slices, 1cm apart, to create a criss cross effect.
How to make Mango Parfaits
Making the Yogurt & Coconut Chia Pudding
- In a bowl, add the Greek yogurt, coconut milk and chia seeds. Stir until the Greek yogurt and coconut milk are combined. Place the bowl in the fridge for at least 20 minutes or until the yogurt mixture thickens. The longer you leave the chia seeds in the coconut milk and Greek yogurt mix, the thicker it becomes!
Caramelising the Mangos
- Heat a large frying pan over medium high heat. Place the mango cheeks flesh side down in the frying pan and cook for 5 minutes, or until the flesh has caramelized. You want the flesh to have dark brown colouring, not black! Remove the mango cheeks from the pan, place them skin side down and allow to cool.
- Once cool, push a metal spoon under the flesh to scoop it away from the skin.
Assembling the Mango Parfaits
- Add half of the yogurt chia pudding to the bottom of the glasses. Gently tap the base of the glasses on the bench to spread the yogurt chia pudding. Or spread it with a spoon to create an even surface.
- Spread a spoonful of the passion fruit pulp over the top of the yogurt chia pudding.
- Sprinkle in 3/4 of the granola to cover the yogurt chia pudding.
- Add in a layer of the caramelized mango to completely cover the granola. I used 3/4 of the mango to make one thick layer. Use any small pieces of mango to fill in any gaps. Otherwise your yogurt chia pudding mix may fall through and ruin your layering.
- Add another layer using the rest of the yogurt chia pudding mix and passion fruit.
- Top with the remaining granola and a few left over pieces of the caramelised mango.
- Serve the parfaits immediately or store in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap until ready to serve.
Storage
These Mango Parfaits will last in the glass covered with plastic wrap for up to 3 days. Otherwise, keep them in an airtight container in the fridge.
While you can freeze these mango parfaits for up to 2 months, I do not recommend it. Freezing may cause changes in the texture of the Greek yogurt and coconut milk mixture. I think they are at their best when fresh.
Frequently asked questions
Substitutes & variations
- ·Granola – You can use store-bought granola if you don’t want to make it yourself. Choose one that has a decent amount of protein and fibre, but also contains no added sugar, or is low sugar. My next choices after my Tropical Granola would be the Carman’s 5 grain and seed granola, or something similar.
- Fruit – Other fruit could be rockmelon / cantaloupe, peaches, nectarines or pineapple.
- Coconut milk – If you don’t want to use coconut milk, replace with another milk of your choice. You can use coconut essence to give the flavour instead of coconut milk.
- Sweeteners – You can use maple syrup, honey or rice malt syrup to sweeten the yogurt chia pudding.
- Vanilla bean – If it’s within your budget. I would use roughly 1/8 of a teaspoon.
- Nuts – Macadamias or even walnuts would go well with this recipe.
- Alcohol – I recommend a cheeky splash of a tropical spiced rum, like Kraken. However, adding alcohol will increase the calories.
Other dietary
- Nut free – Use a nut free granola, or you could make my Tropical Granola without the almonds.
- Vegan / dairy free – Use a plant-based yogurt.
Tips
If you plan to store them for more than 4 hours, keep the layers separate until ready to serve.
Be sure to check up on your scored mango cheeks while they’re cooking. They can go from dark brown to black very quickly!
Watch how to make it
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Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups Greek yogurt, I used 2x 160g tubs of Chobani light
- 1/2 cup coconut milk, preferably light / low fat
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- 2 large mangos
- 4-5 passion fruit
- 1 cup tropical granola, or other granola of choice (Note 3)
Instructions
Making the Yogurt & Coconut Chia Pudding
- In medium a bowl, add the Greek yogurt, coconut milk and chia seeds. Stir until the Greek yogurt and coconut milk are combined. Place the bowl in the fridge for at least 20 minutes or until the mixture thickens.
Caramelising the Mangos
- Heat a large frying pan over medium high heat.
- Place the mango cheeks flesh side down in the frying pan and cook for 5 minutes, or until the flesh has caramelised. Remove the mango cheeks from the pan, place them skin side down and allow to cool.
Assembling the Parfaits
- Add half of the yogurt chia pudding to the bottom of the glasses. Gently tap the base of the glasses on the bench to spread the yogurt chia pudding. Or spread it with a spoon to create an even surface.
- Spread a spoonful of the passion fruit pulp over the top of the yogurt chia pudding.
- Sprinkle in 3/4 of the granola to cover the yogurt chia pudding.
- Add in a layer of the caramelized mango to completely cover the granola.
- Add another layer using the rest of the yogurt chia pudding mix and passion fruit.
- Top with the remaining granola and a few left over pieces of the caramelised mango.
- Serve the parfaits immediately or store in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap until ready to serve.
Notes
- Health benefits – Scroll up to read about the benefits of beans and other ingredients.
- Instructions with photos – Detailed in the post above.
- Granola – You can use store-bought granola if you don’t want to make it yourself. My next choices after my Tropical Granola would be the Carman’s 5 grain and seed granola, or something similar.
- Sweeteners – You can use maple syrup, honey or rice malt syrup to sweeten the yogurt chia pudding.
- Nut free – Use a nut free granola, or you could make my Tropical Granola without the almonds.
- Vegan / dairy free – Use a plant-based yogurt.
- Storage – These mango parfaits will last in the glass covered with plastic wrap for up to 3 days. Otherwise, keep them in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Nutrition – Calculated per serve, assuming 4 serves.
