Black Forest cake is a classic. But in this recipe we’re switching the cake for a chocolatey cookie crumble and serving the luscious cherry compote on top of a big scoop of yogurt. You could make this healthier dessert for breakfast and no one would know the difference (don’t worry, we won’t tell anyone if you do).
This recipe embraces the natural sugars found in the fruit and enhances them with complimentary flavors like the star anise, chocolate, and orange zest. With this, you can have a sweet treat when you want it, without the sugar rush and sour stomach. From a nutritional perspective this dessert also supports balanced hormones and good gut health. You’re fueling your body with probiotics from the yogurt, antioxidants from the chocolate, spices and cherries, and healthy fats from the nuts, butter and yogurt too. Your body won’t be weighed down by a super sugary dessert and your taste buds will not be bored!
Ingredients
3 cup (16 oz) frozen cherries
2 star anise pods
2 tablespoons water
1 cup almond flour
¼ cup hazelnuts, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon coconut sugar
½ teaspoon sea salt
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut in ½ inch cubes
4 cups plain unsweetened yogurt (Use your favorite dairy or dairy free yogurt. Ex. Siggis, Forager, Coyo, etc.)
1 tablespoon orange zest (optional)
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a prepared baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- To a medium saucepan, add the frozen cherries, water and star anise over medium low heat.Cook the cherries, stirring occasionally until the cherries softens, releases some juices and produces a syrupy compote, about 10-15 minutes. If you’d like you can continue to cook for another 10 minutes to allow the liquid to reduce and create a thicker syrup. Once the mixture is at your desired consistency, remove from heat and set aside.
- While the cherries are cooking, in a medium bowl combine almond flour, cocoa powder,
- coconut sugar and salt. Add the cold butter to the almond flour mixture and using a fork or your fingers cut the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse sand. The butter should be pea sized bits evenly mixed into the flour.
- Evenly spread the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet making sure it spreads out too much to allow the mixture to create some chunks once baked. This means you may only use ½ or ⅓ of the pans surface. Bake on the middle rack for 9-11 minutes until dry and hazelnuts are toasted. Remove from the oven and let cool.
- If you are very averse to plain yogurt, mix in orange zest to give some flavor and slightly cut down on the inherent sourness. The cherry compote will add sweetness as well so this step is optional, but adds a wonderful complexity with little effort.
- Get 4 cups or bowls to assemble your parfaits. First, scoop half a cup of yogurt into each bowl or cup. Add approximately 3 tablespoons of the cherry compote on top of the yogurt followed by approximately 2 tablespoons of the chocolate crumble mixture. Repeat the steps layering another half a cup of yogurt, followed by another 3 tablespoons of cherry compote and 2 tablespoons of chocolate crumble.
- Enjoy immediately! Each component can be stored in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Assemble when you’d like to serve.
