How To Make A Dairy-Free Breakfast Parfait Without Sacrificing Creaminess

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If you're a former yogurt lover who's lactose-intolerant or just went vegan, you might've noticed something odd about dairy-free yogurts. Mainly, they tend to be a bit more watery than their milk-based counterparts. However, being dairy-free doesn't mean you have to miss out on creamy parfaits. Chowhound spoke with Nisha Vora, a vegan recipe developer for Rainbow Plant Life and author of "Big Vegan Flavor," to see what you need to know to choose the best dairy-free yogurts for a delicious breakfast.

"The creamiest dairy-free yogurts are typically made from coconut," Vora explained, "but there are also good yogurt options made from cashew and almond." If you choose a coconut-based yogurt, you may need to add some sweeteners of your own: Vora said that coconut yogurts, while creamy, don't have that sort of underlying sweetness you might expect from other varieties. While that makes them a great contender for dressing or pizza dough, breakfast parfaits tend to be sweet. Honey is the typical go-to, but if you're vegan, maple syrup can make for a great replacement.

The next steps for assembling a parfait are fairly simple. Put the yogurt in a bowl, jar, or cup. You can mix it with the sweetener at this point if you dislike tanginess. Then, layer your favorite fruit on top. Continue in this order until the container is full. Once it is, add granola — homemade is fun and tasty, but if you don't have the time, there are plenty of ways to elevate store-bought granola, such as with coffee grounds. If you like a bit of tartness, skip the maple syrup or drizzle a little on top.

Yogurt parfaits undoubtedly make for a solid breakfast, dairy-free or otherwise — there's a reason why they're Padma Lakshmi's favorite breakfast. Still, it's hard to know which dairy-free yogurt brand will deliver on the creaminess you crave and which will end up a watery mess. Luckily, Nisha Vora has some tips on that, too.

For a rich and creamy yogurt, she suggests looking for "higher-fat options with minimal ingredients." Typically, water, coconut, and cultures will be the main ingredients in these yogurts. Culina and CocoJune are two of Vora's favorite brands, though they're not the only ones she recommends. "If you want a creamy texture but something lighter, try Siggi's plant-based coconut blend or Kite Hill almond yogurt." If you're not a fan of coconut or almond, she mentioned that cashew yogurts can also be creamy. As far as those go, we recommend Forager Project. In a parfait, lightness doesn't matter as much; the granola and other toppings thicken it up anyways for a rich, filling breakfast.