We’ve been in a breakfast rut lately interchanging whole-grain waffles with oatmeal, always paired with green smoothies.
It’s morning. Simple routines needed.
When I do break out of the waffle/oatmeal breakfast rotation, the girls are stoked!
Most stoked when it’s pancakes… but, also pretty happy to see a beautiful vegan yogurt breakfast parfait like this…
These vegan yogurt parfaits are an especially easy and fast breakfast treat.
They look so elegant but really quite simple to make!
You can prepare the vegan yogurt the day before, and then layer your favorite fruits into parfaits the next morning.
Put them in special cups or parfait glasses and the kiddos think it’s very fancy.
My wee girl said “this is the best day ever“! 😊
The parfaits start with Vanilla Cashew Yogurt. When I wrote LTEV I used storebought vegan yogurts in several of the recipes – the Creamed Cheese Brownies, the Gluten-Free Chocolate Yogurt Cake, and the Banana Butter Pie (I have GOT to get that recipe and photos up for you)!
I went a little overboard offering allergy-friendly and storebought substitutions with LTEV, so I decided to include a homemade vegan yogurt recipe.
This Vanilla Yogurt is not exactly like storebought brands. It’s not cultured with probiotics.
What it does offer is the characteristic tang and texture of a plain or vanilla non-dairy yogurt.
While it doesn’t include the probiotics, you can easily add your own probiotics when eating. (I add probiotics to store-bought vegan yogurts all the time!). Just open a capsule of whatever probiotic you are using, and stir it into the yogurt.
Enjoy this vegan yogurt straight up or as a topping for granola, baked goods, or to layer in breakfast parfaits. Here, they are layered with fresh kiwi, nectarines, and blueberries.
Many other fruits could be used, and in the fall an apple/pear/orange combination would be tremendous! You could also layer in for an even heartier breakfast (or snack).
The recipe follows. If you’ve already tried it, please share you how you’ve enjoyed it.
x Dreena
Vanilla Cashew Vegan Yogurt
Ingredients
- 1 cup presoaked raw cashews
- 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce preferably organic
- 1 1/2 - 2 tbsp lemon juice see note
- 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1/3 cup non-dairy milk or more to thin if desired; but keep to 1/3 cup for use in recipes
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract OR 1/4 - 1 /2 tsp vanilla bean powder
- pinch salt
Instructions
- In a high-powered blender, puree all ingredients until very smooth. If using a standard blender, this may take a few minutes, and scraping down the sides a few times throughout. Serve, or store in an airtight container. Makes about 1 1/4 cups.
Notes
- I created this vegan yogurt primarily as a substitute for premade yogurts in my recipes (ex: BF Blueberry Muffins, Fresh Orange Cake). As such, it isn’t overly sweet. Feel free to make it a little more fun for your little ones, by stirring in extra maple syrup, or try a few spoonfuls of a berry, peach, or other fruit jam. Also note that this vegan yogurt is nutritious for little ones that might not otherwise eat nuts or nut butters because of textural issues - nuts being too hard, and nut butters too sticky. This recipe brings cashews into a pudding-like form that can you can customize with extra flavor and sweetness!
- Use 1 1/2 tbsp of lemon juice for use in recipes, and if you’d like it tangier for eating straight, add the extra lemon juice to taste.
- Probiotics Note: Feel free to add probiotics (by breaking open a capsule), and stir into this yogurt.
Rebecca Cody says
OK, the comments are all so positive I couldn’t wait until the next time I have cashews. So I substituted 2/3 cup of Bob’s Red Mill almond flour for the nuts. I knew it would be grainy, and it is, but it is quite yummy. No blender needed, either! I’ll still try it with cashews, and I’ll also try fermenting it, but as a quick snack my version works, though of course it isn’t creamy like yogurt.
Dreena says
Thanks for sharing, Rebecca! I’ve never tried it with almond flour, and did you use a food processor or just mix?
Ashlee says
I had to sub the applesauce, as it’s quite unaffordable for organic here in Tampa. I have tons of coconut cream so I added that instead and threw in a banana for some sweetness. My blender is medium-powered so in order to get it smooth I’ve got to run mine at least 5 minutes. But SO SO SO good for a soy-free option!!! Thank you for the share and motivation
Katie says
I have to say I am not a big yogurt fan but I made this for scuffins and I absolutely love it. It tastes amazing!
Dreena says
Excellent! Thanks Katie.
Elizabeth Cook says
I just tried this and it is so delicious! I can’t wait for my three teenage daughters to try it.
Chessie says
Dreena, a question: There’s a recipe I want to try that calls for Greek-style yogurt. Do you know how I would adjust your recipe in order to get Greek-style vegan yogurt? The stores I shop at don’t carry such a thing. Thank you!
Colette says
I recently read that, to make Greek yogurt, simply strain your regular yogurt through cheese cloth. Greek yogurt is simply regular yogurt with less liquid.
Dreena says
Indeed! I’ve done it myself with commercial vegan yogurts. It works really well, just takes some time. Thanks for sharing.
Jessica says
This recipe looks so yummy! I’m excited to try it. I do have a couple of questions about the recipe before I get started.
1) How long do I soak the cashews for?
2) Do you know about how long this will last up to in the fridge? (Probably hard to say since it’s yummy and goes fast 😉
Thank you!
Dreena says
Hi Jessica, soak the cashews for a couple of hours until they are plump and softened. If you use hot/boiled water, it will hasten cooking time. It will keep for 4 days for sure. Enjoy!
Amit Sarogi says
Wow, this looks so simple, tasty and also highly nutritious… Can I use honey instead of maple syrup??
Dreena says
Hi Amit, in terms of texture it should be fine. I don’t use it as it’s not a vegan ingredient. I also used to find the flavor could be overpowering, so keep that in mind if you use it. Hope that helps!