The other day when I was at the store, I saw bags and bags of gorgeous fresh apricots. I was tempted to buy some but had no specific recipe in mind at the time, so I resisted. Poor decision. The next day I thought of making apricot compote, but when I went back to the store, they were all sold out! I shrugged it off and went to another store, but they were all out too! I ended up going to FIVE different places (and one of those I tried twice over the course of the week) before I finally found the elusive apricots. There were only 8 left. I bought 6 of them. So if you’re in my neck of the woods, sorry, but you may have to wait a few days for restocking before you can make this recipe.
2019 edit: It would be difficult to overstate how swoonworthy this apricot compote is. First, it’s extremely easy to make – practically fool-proof. Can you cut up fruit and stir the contents of a pot? You can make apricot compote! Second, apricot compote is what sunshine would taste like if it were edible: bright, tangy, and cheerful. If you like fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt, this compote is going to knock your socks off, because it is SO much fresher and more flavorful than anything you’ve ever had from the bottom of those little containers.
These apricot compote parfaits are like dessert for breakfast, but a healthy dessert (is that an oxymoron?)! I like to use Greek yogurt, since it has less sugar and more protein than regular yogurt—and thus keeps you full longer—but the decision is yours, of course. Greek yogurt is tangier than regular yogurt, so some people find it off-putting.
This is my dad’s recipe for granola, of which he’s made dozens and dozens of batches over the years, tinkering with various flavor combinations. It’s delicious in parfaits, with milk, over frozen yogurt or ice cream, or just as a snack by itself.
- yogurt (Greek or regular)
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 1/2 tablespoons water
- 1 pound apricots
- 4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats, divided
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/3 cup water
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- Wash apricots and cut into eighths, removing the pits (no need to remove skins).
- In a medium saucepan, simmer honey and water until honey dissolves. Add apricots and turn up heat to medium-high. Simmer, stirring frequently, for 12-15 minutes, until apricots are soft and liquid is syrupy.
- Remove apricot compote from heat and let cool.
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a food processor, pulse 1 cup oats until they form a roughly-ground flour. Combine ground oats, remaining 3 cups oats, almonds, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl.
- Stir together water, brown sugar, oil, and salt in a 2-cup microwave-safe glass container and microwave until boiling (about 1 1/2 minutes). Add vanilla and almond extracts and stir.
- Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir until oats are thoroughly coated. Spread out onto an ungreased, unlined baking sheet. Press down lightly with a spatula (to form clusters).
- Bake for 1 hour (see notes). Halfway through the baking time, rotate the pan in the oven. Once the granola is done baking, immediately loosen it from baking sheet with a metal spatula.
- Let cool completely. Store in a sealed container (you’ll most likely have extra granola, since the granola recipe makes about 4 1/2 cups).
- To assemble parfaits, divide compote among 6 glasses or bowls and top with yogurt and granola.
- Makes about 6 servings, plus extra granola (please note: the glass in the photo contains about 2 servings)
- You can make the apricot compote 1-2 days ahead.
- Be careful to check on the granola as it bakes, since different ovens may bake things at different speeds. When I made this at my previous apartment, it took a full hour. At my current apartment, it only takes 40 minutes.
- To make this recipe gluten-free, be sure to use oats that say they are gluten-free. Some oats are processed in facilities alongside wheat, which may result in cross-contamination.
[post updated with new photos 7/3/19]
I’m going to remember this recipe when apricots come around again at the farmer’s market – it looks amazing!
I love the addition of bob’s crunchy granola…a favorite in our house! Thanks for the idea!
Evan pointed me to your site after we had this granola at his and Kellie’s house, and I made some delicious granola a couple of weeks ago using this recipe! This week I decided on different flavors, so I added fresh rosemary (I just threw it in the food processor with the oats), substituted chopped pecans for slivered almonds, and used about 2/3 cup maple syrup instead of the brown sugar and water. The rosemary-pecan-maple combination worked out pretty well (I’ve got a lot less granola for breakfasts, since we ate so much right off the pan as it was cooling!)
Have you tried using dried fruit? I was thinking about bits of dried peach or apple, but I’m not sure how they’ll bake up, and I’d hate to just add them in later and not have them in the clusters.
Thanks for the recipe!
Since I was planning to mix the granola with apricot compote, I skipped the dried fruit. I’d be a bit wary of baking dried fruit along with the granola, though, since I think the fruit might end up too tough – unlike with raisins in banana bread for instance, the fruit with granola wouldn’t be surrounded by batter, which I think prevents the loss of additional moisture while baking.
Fresh rosemary in granola sounds really intriguing! Did you still use the cinnamon and nutmeg? Thanks for the suggestion – I’ll have to try it out!
This looks so gorgeous, Mara. I bet it tastes really amazing! Thanks for sharing at Fiesta Friday party!
Thanks, Jhuls! And thank you for hosting this week 🙂
So good Mara. Thanks for sharing at Fiesta Friday!
Happy 4th!
Pinning and Sharing.
Thanks so much for stopping by! Let me know what you think if you get a chance to try it 🙂
They look absolutely stunning!
Thanks, Kat! I don’t know if the photos do the parfaits justice, but I did my best!
What a beautiful and delicious treat! I think I’d like to have it for breakfast! Thank you for sharing at Fiesta Friday!
Days that begin with parfaits are definitely off to a good start! Thanks for hosting this week!
Mara how absolutely delicious! I love everything about it (I’ve never added water to granola though so that’s a new one on me)! Thanks for sharing at Fiesta Friday.
That’s funny – I guess I never really questioned the added water, since my dad developed the recipe and shared it with me, but now that I think about it, it *is* a bit surprising! Thanks for stopping by 🙂