Breakfast Tiramisu Parfait

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Fun fact #1: I love mocha.

Fun fact #2: I can’t have coffee.

What a way to start a story, huh?

Once in a blue moon, I’ll drink mocha. That rich, sweet, milky, strong taste is a balm to my soul (no black coffee or espresso shots here!) and it’s also a literal headache–yes, apparently my migraines hate the caffeine.

Sometimes, when I go for long periods without coffee in my life, I’ll strategically position myself at the coffeehouse so that I’m surrounded by people drinking coffee and that wonderful smoky aroma. (So if you ever meet me in a coffeehouse, I am probably that person creepily sniffing your cup while you get up to use the bathroom. You have been warned!)

Luckily, there is hope for people like me that appears in the form of mocha-flavored everything-you-can-think-of: mocha almond fudge ice cream, mocha-flavored chocolate, and my all-time personal favorite: this tiramisu. Now I don’t know about you, but one of the best parts about drinking coffee seems to be waking up every AM to that amazing aroma and taste, knowing that hundreds of millions of people around the world are doing the same thing. It’s like a whole imagined community of coffee lovers–how great is that?

I wanted in. I ran through a list of all the things mocha-related that I know and love–but after deciding that consuming a slice of tiramisu for breakfast every morning probably wouldn’t be sustainable for my wardrobe–and okay, that it probably wasn’t a great idea to ingest alcoholic anything before 8 AM on the regular–it was back to the drawing board…

And then I stopped and thought to myself: well, why shouldn’t I have tiramisu for breakfast?

I mean, alcohol aside.

And sugar.

That flavor though.

And that, folks, is how this breakfast tiramisu parfait was born.

My first task was to figure out how to replicate the layers in my beloved dessert while still maintaining a semblance of breakfast-like propriety. The cream layer was easy–vanilla yogurt–and I’d almost certainly sprinkle some cocoa powder (or dark chocolate shavings, if I was feeling daring) on top. But what to do for the ladyfingers and coffee-flavored liqueur soak?

Of course, I’m a pretty fast learner. What could ever substitute coffee-flavored alcohol?

Well, duh.

Helloooo, coffee! (Yes, this is how the mind of a non-coffee drinker works.)

After thinking through my options, I decided to skip out on the coffeehouse: if there’s one reason I’m glad I”m not a regular coffee drinker, it’s that I get to skip those nasty lines while I’m still trying to wake up to a new day. Instead, I took a little trip over to Walmart to buy a half gallon of a coffee that I’d seen my friends drinking before, International Delight Iced Coffee. There it was, sitting in all its fridge-friendly, ready-to-drink glory on the shelves of the refrigerated tea and juice section. And of course, I had to grab the mocha bottle…

After sneaking a few sips, I set to work. I toyed around with dunking various edibles in mocha, but none of the flavors seemed right–until I got to the vanilla sandwich creme cookies. The moment I dunked one in and took a bite, I knew I’d found the solution. I hastily piled the soaked cookie, yogurt, and cocoa on top of one another and dug my spoon right in.

Breakfast tiramisu parfait. Best excuse for a dessert-turned-breakfast–sure, it doesn’t taste that much like tiramisu, but for a healthy breakfast sub with a subtle mocha taste, it does the trick! If you’re a coffee lover–or, say, you’re trying to cut down on your coffee intake but still can’t give up that coffee flavor–or if you’re just a good human being with taste buds–you guys have got to try this!

What’s your relationship with coffee like?

(Meanwhile, excuse me while I sneak another sip of this mocha!)

Tiramisu Breakfast Parfait

Coffee lovers, rejoice--now you can have your tiramisu for breakfast and eat it, too! Although this parfait doesn't taste just like the original, it's a healthy and delicious take on the Italian dessert that will leave you satisfied the whole day long.

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Ingredients

• 4 vanilla creme sandwiches
• 1/3 cup International Delight mocha iced coffee
• 1/3 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
• Cocoa powder, for sprinkling

Instructions

1. Dunk vanilla creme sandwiches in mocha iced coffee. Allow to soak for 2-3 minutes, then remove and crumble two in the bottom of a mini jar.
2. Layer half of the yogurt on top, then sprinkle with cocoa powder.
3. Repeat layers, then dig right in and enjoy!