Chia Oats Fruit Parfaits

Course: Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine: North American

Keyword: chia seeds, fruit, oats

Prep Time: 10

hydrating time: 20

Total Time: 30

Servings: generous (1-liter) portions, or 8 pint-sized servings

Calories: 513kcal

Make these fruit parfaits with your favorite fresh fruits and fruit preserves. Swap ingredients to customize them to your preference.

6 cups (3 dry pints) fresh berries (diced strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, etc)
1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups (375 grams) fruit preserves (or jam), stirred until smooth

Add the seeds and the old-fashioned rolled oats to a 3-quart mixing bowl. Use a spoon to stir the two together, so everything is evenly mixed.
Next, stir in the kefir as well as the vanilla extract.
Mix everything together in the bowl and put the bowl in the fridge. You can leave it uncovered if you plan to make it right away. If not, cover it.
Allow the chia seeds and oats to hydrate in the kefir for at least 20 minutes.

Add 1/4-cup of fruit to the bottom of 4 1-liter (or 8 pint-sized) jars.
Top the base layer of fruit with 3-4 tablespoons of chia oats pudding.
Spoon 1 1/2 tablespoons of fruit preserves over the pudding layer.
Top the preserves with another 1/4-cup of fruit.
Top this second layer of fruit with 3-4 more tablespoons of chia oats pudding.
Pick up the jars and tap the bottoms against your hand. This helps settle the contents and eliminates air pockets that might take too much space in the jar.
Top the final layer of chia oats pudding with a final layer of fruit.
Press the lid of the jar on and clamp or twist it shut.
Keep the parfaits in the fridge and enjoy them within 4 days of assembly.
Just pop off the lid and eat it straight from the jar on your own or split one jar between two people.
To serve: use a spoon to give them a stir and mix the preserves in with the pudding and the fresh fruits.

Add a unique taste to these fruit parfaits by adding ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, or cardamom to the chia and oats in this recipe.
You can substitute yogurt for the kefir in this recipe. Just thin the yogurt with a 1/2-cup more water or milk to ensure proper hydration of the chia and oats.
You can also replace the kefir in this recipe with prepared lassi, ayran, or other probiotic drink, or with your favorite dairy or non-dairy milk.
Replace the vanilla extract with almond extract or omit it altogether.
To make these fruit parfaits with frozen fruit, thaw the fruit completely and strain off excess liquids.
To use dried fruits like cranberries, cherries, or apricots, add an additional 1/2-cup of kefir to the pudding or hydrate the dried fruits in hot water, strain off the soaking water before adding it to the jars.
Replace the fruit preserves with jam, compote, or marmalade. Use jelly as a last resort.
You can omit the fruit preserves layer altogether and/or add sweetness with agave syrup, honey, or maple syrup.

Tropical: make the pudding with mango, coconut, or vanilla kefir. Layer diced mango, pineapple, and/or kiwi fruit in the jars with pineapple or mango preserves (or curd).
Fall/Winter: make the pudding with pumpkin spice or vanilla kefir. Layer diced apples, pears, and/or quince with cranberry sauce or apple butter.
Stone Fruit Parfaits: make the pudding with coconut, vanilla, or mango kefir. Layer diced peaches, nectarines, cherries, and/or mangoes. Use mango or cherry preserves.
Banana-Chocolate: make the pudding with vanilla or banana kefir. Layer with chopped bananas, chocolate chips, and/or peanut butter.
You can also add a layer of your favorite toasted nuts or a layer of shredded coconut or chocolate chips (or chunks) to the mix.

If you want to add a bit of nutty flavor to the oats, toast them on a sheetpan in a 350°F (180°C) oven for 10 minutes.
You can make the chia oats pudding a day before you plan to assemble the parfaits and store it covered in the fridge. Don't make it much farther ahead than one day, especially if you plan to make the fruit parfaits ahead.
You can also use quart-size mason jars, which are wider and shorter, allowing you to fit even more layers in them.
You can microwave the fruit parfaits for 1 minute and serve them hot.
I don't recommend freezing these fruit parfaits.
If you're serving these to kids, you can add your choice of liquid sweetener like agave syrup, maple syrup, or honey.
You can make these in smaller jars to get more out of your recipe. Layer the fruit parfaits in 8 or 9 pint-sized jars. Remember they still need to be consumed within 4 days.