Favorite Kid-Friendly Yogurt Toppings
Medically reviewed and cowritten by Jamie Johnson, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), and Lauren Braaten, Pediatric Occupational Therapist (OT).
Looking for a fun way to up your yogurt game? These kid-friendly yogurt toppings can turn a bowl of regular yogurt into a fun after-school snack, an exciting new breakfast, or a sweet and savory dessert. Great for 9+ months.
Easy Yogurt Toppings
These kid-friendly yogurt toppings are your lifesaver when you feel like you’ve been serving the same breakfast for the past 3 weeks. Or think of them as your secret sauce when you’re trying to encourage a healthy after-school snack. (Because yogurt = an excellent source of calcium, protein and probiotics!)
These ideas for colorful, healthy yogurt toppings can even be a sneaky way to convince your kids that serving them yogurt parfaits is actually a dessert! With endless combinations, your kids will love helping decide which toppings to try and can even assemble their own yogurt bowls or parfaits.
Reasons to Love these Yogurt Toppings
- Colorful and flavorful ways to top traditional yogurt
- Added fruit is a good source of fiber and antioxidants
- Perfect for yogurt parfaits
- Nutritious breakfast or snack
- Gets kids involved in the kitchen
- A fun way for picky eaters to try new foods
- Endless yogurt topping combinations!
If you are looking for more easy and healthy yogurt recipes for your little one, then be sure to check out my Blueberry Yogurt, Strawberry Yogurt, Apple Yogurt, Fruit-Filled Yogurt Parfait, DIY Yogurt Drinks, or these delicious Yogurt Pancakes or Muffins. You can also find more recipes and information in my best-selling cookbook Little Foodies: Recipes for Babies and Toddlers with Taste.
Featured Yogurt Video
Ingredients
- Yogurt: plain whole milk yogurt is best, either regular or Greek style. For a dairy-free version, you can do any plain plant-based yogurt you prefer – almond, cashew, oat, etc.
- Fruit: fresh or frozen (and thawed), sliced into smaller bite-sized pieces
- Sweetener: maple syrup, honey (over 1 year of age), or agave nectar are common ones, but this is totally optional
- Nuts, Seeds, and Grains: adding some of these gives a nice “crunch” to otherwise softer yogurt toppings. Chopped walnuts or almonds, chia seeds, granola, or cereal are common additions.
Recipe Tip: Sub a plain plant-based yogurt like coconut, almond or oat as needed.
Fruit Ideas
Fresh or frozen and thawed fruits make for healthy and colorful yogurt toppings and additions to yogurt parfaits. You can start with just one fruit or put together 2 or 3 for delicious combinations. Plus, older kids can help cut soft fruits with a kid-safe knife.
- strawberries
- blueberries
- kiwi
- pineapple
- mango
- blackberries
- raspberries
- cherries
- sliced bananas
- clementines
- peaches
- pomegranate seeds (for 18+ months or until your child is used to chewing them)
- stewed apples
- figs
Sweetener Ideas
Sweeteners are optional as a yogurt topping. Although it is considered safe to add sweeteners to your baby’s food after 12 months, many experts believe it’s beneficial to wait until your little one is closer to their 2nd birthday to introduce sweetened foods, even natural ones like honey, maple syrup, agave nectar or date syrup. Remember to avoid honey for babies under 12 months due to the risk of infant botulism, a rare but potentially fatal illness.
- honey
- agave nectar
- maple syrup
- date syrup
Nut & Seed Ideas
Nuts, seeds, and grains will give your bowl of yogurt a satisfying crunch that pairs so well with creamy yogurt and sweet fruit. Although granola is the main go-to topping in a yogurt parfait, other nuts and seeds are amazing to add in as well. Remember to chop the nuts and seeds to age-appropriate sizes for toddlers and younger kids.
- almonds
- pistachios
- walnuts
- pecans
- hazelnuts
- cashews
- sesame seeds
- hemp seeds
- chia seeds
- ground flax seeds
More Fun Ideas
- granola
- sprinkles
- drizzle of nut butter
- drizzle of melted chocolate
- mini chocolate chips
- crushed graham crackers
- coconut flakes
- cereal o’s or other cereal
- mini marshmallows
- mini pretzels
Benefits of Yogurt
Yogurt has many health benefits for babies, toddlers, adults, and everyone in between. It provides many of the nutrients our bodies need for different functions in every stage of life.
- An excellent source of calcium, needed for bone growth and development, one cup has almost half of the recommended daily value for adults.
- Yogurt, especially Greek yogurt, is high in protein, which is necessary for metabolism and growth and development.
- If yogurt contains live active cultures, these are probiotics, which are helpful for a healthy gut and digestion.
- Whole milk yogurt, recommended for kids 2 and under, has fats necessary for brain development.
How to Build a Yogurt Bowl for Kids
- Add yogurt to a bowl.
- Add in a sweetener of choice and stir.
- Add on toppings of choice.
- Serve and enjoy!
Tip: this recipe is great if you are trying to get your kids to eat a wider variety of food! Give them a selection of different toppings and leave it up to them to add whatever they want (within reason) to the top of their yogurt bowls.
What Yogurt is Best
The best yogurt for your baby, toddlers, and kids is whole milk (full fat), plain or unsweetened, and those with live active cultures. Adequate fat from whole milk yogurt is essential for brain development in babies and toddlers.
Storage
Yogurt bowls with toppings are best eaten soon after you make them, especially if you use certain crunchy toppings, like granola or cereal, as they will become soggy. However, you can store these yogurt bowls made with fruit and other less crunchy, carbohydrate toppings in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can just add the crunchy toppings right before serving.
Recipes Tips
- Remember not to offer honey drizzled into yogurt for babies under 1 year of age.
- Watch sugar content in flavored yogurts – plain, whole milk (full fat) Greek-style yogurt usually has the least amount of sugar compared to lower fat versions.
- Got a kiddo who isn’t sure about mixing toppings into their bowl of yogurt just yet? Set aside a few toppings that are bigger in size, such as sliced strawberries or bananas, or granola pieces, and let your kiddo use the yogurt as a dipping sauce.
- Set up a mini yogurt bar with several different bowls of kid-friendly toppings for a fun afternoon snack activity or dessert idea after dinner.
Get the recipe: Favorite Kid-Friendly Yogurt Toppings
Ingredients
- 1 cup yogurt
- 1 tbsp sweetener
- 1/2 cup toppings of choice
Fruit Ideas
- starwberries
- blueberries
- kiwi
- pinapple
- mango
- blackberries
- raspberries
- cherries
- sliced bananas
- clementines
- peaches
- pomegranate seeds
- stewed apples
- figs
Nut and Seed Ideas
- almonds, chopped
- ppistachios chopped
- walnuts chopped
- pecans chopped
- hazelnuts chopped
- cashews chopped
- sesame seeds
- hemp seeds
- chia seeds
- ground flax seeds
More Fun Ideas
- granola
- sprinkles
- drizzle of nut buttter
- mini chocolate chips
- crushed graham crackers
- coconut flakes
- cereal – o's or other cereal
- mini marshmellows
Sweetner Ideas
- honey
- agave nectar
- maple syrup
Instructions
- Add yogurt to a bowl.
- Add in sweetener of choice and stir.
- Add on toppings of choice.
Notes
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