Mood: This is the second year that I’m celebrating the American Independence Day, since I moved to the beautiful city of Los Angeles last summer:) Despite the actions of a few (granted, powerful) unsavoury people in the political arena, the American people have welcomed me with warmth & kindness & every single person, that I have met, has made me feel right at home:) I’ve loved my time so far in this diverse & incredible country & I wanted to create something special to celebrate the much loved 4th of July Holiday:) I looked around for inspiration & I decided to honour the national colours, using beautiful, natural ingredients:) But what should I make for the actual recipe? Should I just put all my favourite things into a jar? No, that’s just crazy. Wait, but is it?;) Chia Seed Pudding? Love. Nice Cream? Mmmm. Jam? Yummy! Chocolate Nut Crumb? Yes, please!! Let’s put all these favourites into a jar & what do we have? A super delicious triple-awesome Vegan Breakfast Parfait:) All the colours, flavours & textures go together beautifully to create the perfect 4th of July recipe:) Each element plays an important role:) The gorgeous Blueberry & Butterfly Pea Flower Chia Seed Pudding adds a unique texture & the thrilling splash of ‘Blue’:) The ‘White’ Banana Nut Nice Cream adds sweetness & creaminess, which is perfectly complemented by the tangy ‘Red’ Strawberry Chia Jam:) And finally, the Dark Chocolate & Almond Crumb brings it all together with a delicious nutty cocoa hit:) I’m thrilled with the way this layered breakfast dessert turned out:) From the colours to the flavours, it was exactly as I had envisioned it:) It may look daunting to make (or not!), but the individual elements are extremely simple:) And the best part?! The vegan breakfast parfait is quite healthy as well:) Sweet. Tangy. Creamy. Crunchy. Vibrant. Wholesome. Delicious:) I hope you enjoy this Holiday recipe & for those of you who don’t celebrate the 4th of July..all time is Parfait time, am I right?;) Happy Independence Day to all my American friends:) Let’s celebrate it by honouring what this country stands for – Freedom, Diversity & Equality for All:)
Time: 25 Minutes Prep Time + 1+ Hour Chilling Time
Serving Size: 1 1/2 large jars (as pictured)
Category: Breakfast; Dessert
Author: Animagus Eats
Ingredients:
Blueberry & Butterfly Pea Flower Chia Seed Pudding
• 1 cup Coconut Milk*
• 1 1/2 tbsp Dried Butterfly Pea Flowers (Aparajita)*
• 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp Chia Seeds
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla Essence
• 1 tbsp Maple/Agave Syrup (to taste)
• 1/3 cup Fresh Blueberries
Strawberry Chia Jam
• 1 cup Fresh Strawberries (chopped)
• 1 tsp Unrefined Brown Sugar (to taste)*
• 1 tbsp Coconut Milk (optional)
• 1/2 tbsp Chia Seeds
• 1/8 tsp Lime Juice
Banana Nut Nice Cream
• 1 cup Frozen Bananas (chopped)*
• 1-2 tbsp Pecans/Walnuts (chopped)*
• 2-3 tbsp Coconut Milk
Dark Chocolate & Almond Crumb
• 3 tbsp All Purpose Flour
• 2 tbsp Unrefined Brown Sugar
• 1 tbsp Cocoa Powder
• 2 tbsp Coconut Oil/Plant Based Butter (solid/scoop-able)
• 1/4 cup Almonds (whole, with the skin)
Method:
Blueberry & Butterfly Pea Flower Chia Seed Pudding
(5 Mins Prep Time + 1+ Hour Chilling Time)
1. Add coconut milk, vanilla essence & maple/agave syrup to a blender. Next, crumble the dried Butterfly Pea Flowers with your fingers, until they have a coarse powder like texture. Add the powdered/crumbled pea flowers to the blender & blend all the ingredients together until the mixture has a beautiful blue colour:)
2. Pour the blue mixture into a bowl & add the chia seeds. Mix the ingredients well & place the bowl in the fridge for at least 1 hour (or more) in order for the pudding to set & chill:)
3. Once the pudding is set, mix in the fresh blueberries & set aside (in the fridge). And voila! Your Blueberry & Butterfly Pea Flower Chia Seed Pudding is ready:)
Strawberry Chia Jam
(5 Mins Prep Time + 5 Mins Cooling Time + 30 Mins Chilling Time)
4. While the Chia Seed Pudding is setting in the fridge, let’s make the Strawberry Chia Jam:) Chop the strawberries into large chunks. Make sure the chopped pieces aren’t too small, because we want a nice & chunky jam:)
5. Add the chopped strawberries & unrefined brown sugar to a small pan & cook the ingredients on low heat. The strawberries should start bubbling within the first 2 minutes:) Add a tiny splash of lemon juice & stir/cook the ingredients until you have a chunky strawberry jam:) The whole process should take a maximum of 5 minutes.
6. Take the jam off the heat & stir in the chia seeds. Let the jam cool down for 5 minutes & then mix in the Coconut Milk. If you mix the coconut milk when the jam is too hot, the milk might split & curdle. You can also skip the milk altogether:) Place the jam in the fridge for about 30+ minutes so that it can set & chill:) And there you go! Your Strawberry Chia Jam is ready:)
Dark Chocolate & Almond Crumb
(5 Mins Prep Time + 12-13 Mins Baking Time + 10+ Mins Cooling Time)
7. While the chia seed pudding & the jam are chilling in the fridge, it’s time to make the delicious Dark Chocolate & Almond Crumb:) This element is extremely important because it really brings the whole Parfait together:) Preheat the oven to 425F & line a baking tray with a lightly greased sheet of baking paper.
8. Add all the crumb ingredients to a bowl & mix them together with your hands. Make sure you break the butter/coconut oil (it should be solid/scoop-able but not frozen) down using your fingers, & combine all the ingredients to create a half crumbly, half buttery mixture:) Transfer the crumble mixture to the baking tray & bake the crumb for about 12-13 minutes.
9. Once the crumble mixture is cooked, take it out of the oven & let it cool down for 10+ minutes. When you take it out, it will be soft & bubbly, but it will harden into a crumb texture as it cools down. Once the crumb has cooled down, break the crumb pieces into smaller chunks, using your hands, to form a nice, crunchy & chunky crumble mixture:) Set the crumble aside in an airtight container. And voila! Your Dark Chocolate & Almond Crumb is ready:)
Banana Nut Nice Cream
(2-3 Mins)
10. You should make this element last, just before the serving the parfait, so that the nice cream is light & fluffy; exactly like ice cream should be:) Add the frozen bananas, coconut milk & pecans/walnuts to a blender/food processor & blend the ingredients together until you have a smooth & creamy mixture.
11. Place the nice cream in the freezer while you assemble the parfait, so that the nice cream doesn’t melt or lose it frosty texture:) And lo & behold! Your Banana Nut Nice Cream is ready too:)
Assembling the Parfait
12. Spoon the Blueberry & Butterfly Pea Flower Chia Seed Pudding into a large jar, forming the bottom layer of the parfait. Make sure the layer is not too thick, giving you enough space for the other layers too:) Add a layer of the Dark Chocolate & Almond Crumb on top of the Chia Seed Pudding:) This crumb layer will prevent the three layers from seeping into each other & will also add a nice nutty surprise hidden between the flavours:)
13. Next, add a layer of the Strawberry Chia Jam or the Banana Nut Nice Cream. I placed the Nice Cream as the second layer:) Once again, top that with a layer of the Dark Chocolate & Almond Crumb.
14. Finally, add the last layer (either the jam or the nice cream) & garnish it with a generous sprinkle of the Dark Chocolate & Almond Crumb:)
Serving Suggestion
15. I recommend assembling the parfait just before you serve it, so that the colours are vibrant & the various textures shine through:) However, you can also assemble the Chia Seed Pudding, Jam & Crumble layers ahead of time & chill the parfait jar in the fridge. You should make the Banana Nut Nice Cream just before you plan to serve the dish (it only takes 2 minutes!). Then, you can scoop up the nice cream as the top most layer & garnish it with the crumble:) And voila! Your 4th of July Tri-Colour Vegan Breakfast Parfait – Blueberry & Butterfly Pea Flower Chia Seed Pudding, Banana Nut Nice Cream & Strawberry Chia Jam with a Dark Chocolate & Almond Crumb – is ready to be served:) Happy Eating:)
Notes:
*I used Coconut Milk because of it’s creamy texture & pleasant taste:) Butterfly Pea Flower has a very neutral taste, so the coconut milk is what gives the chia seed pudding a nice flavour:) However, if you don’t like/have coconut milk, you can also use another creamy & pleasant/delicious plant based milk as well:)
*Are you new to the wonderful Butterfly Pea Flower, or Aparajita, as it is known in Hindi? Well, it’s time to discover the magic! This flower is rich in antioxidants, has a number of health benefits & has a vibrant blue/purple colour:) You can use it to make drinks like tea or lemonade, or simply add it to your recipe for a splash of colour:) It is available in herbal/tea stores & also online on Amazon:) Folks in India, you can score it here on Amazon India:)
*I have been restrained with my use of sugar/maple syrup throughout the parfait, because the bananas add a natural sweetness to the recipe. Please feel free too add/more less sugar/maple syrup to the different elements, depending on your preference:)
* Please make sure the bananas are fully frozen (for at least 12+ hours..I freeze mine for days/weeks!), otherwise the nice cream will be smoothie like, instead of having an ice cream like texture:) It’s important to have the right texture in order for the parfait to taste perfect:)
*I used pecans/walnuts in my Banana Nut Nice Cream:) Feel free to substitute it with other similar nuts of your choice, like hazelnuts, etc:)
Animagus Eats 
Looks too yum and tasty 🙂
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Thank you!😍 Much appreciated:)
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That looks delicious! It’s so pretty too.
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Thank you Leslie!😍 I’m glad you like it:)
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looks delicious! and beautiful!
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Thank you!😍 Much appreciated:)
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wow looking so delicious!
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Thank you Min!😍 Much appreciated:)
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