Make Plain Yogurt 10X Better With One Caramelized Fruit

We've all heard of (and made) the classic yogurt, fruit, and granola bowl. It's a go-to breakfast or snack for a reason, and everyone has their favorite combination of yogurt flavor, preferred fruit, and usual brand of cereal. Maybe you like to throw on some sliced berries and call it a day, but you'd be missing out on a simple way to elevate your basic bowl to gourmet status. Caramelized fruit adds the perfect depth of flavor and (potentially) a warm cooked element to a bowl of creamy and cool yogurt. The perfect pairing for plain yogurt? Caramelized figs.

While you might not have thought to put this fruit on top of your yogurt, figs make a good choice because of their unique flavor and soft texture. Like a mix between a berry and a date with notes of florals and honey, figs give interest and deeper flavor to a bowl of yogurt. Caramelizing them brings out their natural sweetness even more and softens them into a jammy consistency so they can be easily broken apart with a spoon while still having just enough bite to contrast the creamy yogurt. And all you have to do is sautee them cut-side down in butter or coconut oil with an optional pinch of brown sugar until they are browned — about 3 minutes, then flip them over for a couple more minutes. This easy process will caramelize the fruit's sugars into sticky, sweet perfection.

The combo of plain yogurt and caramelized figs is complete on its own, but you can go crazy with additions if you're feeling extra. Add toasted walnuts or pistachios and a bit of honey for more flavor and crunch, mix in cinnamon for some earthy spice, or sprinkle flaky salt over everything for utter salty-sweet perfection. You can even swap the plain yogurt for vanilla yogurt in favor of the added sweetness. The choice between Greek or regular yogurt is up to you. If you go with the former, try Walmart's bettergoods brand; it's the absolute best Greek yogurt.

To take this from breakfast to dessert only takes a few extra steps. You can easily make homemade frozen yogurt with a few ingredients that you'd already be using in your breakfast bowl. Mix yogurt and honey together and freeze it in an even layer for 3-4 hours, and you'll end up with a frozen treat that you can scoop as you would ice cream. And the dessert spin on the caramelized fruit is to brûlée figs with a kitchen torch. It's easier than it sounds; just cut them in half, sprinkle some sugar over the tops, and lightly torch them until the sugar caramelizes and hardens.