Combine the pitted and halved cherries, orange zest, orange juice, vanilla extract, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally and mashing the cherries with the back of a spoon as they soften. This breaks down the fruit and releases its juices, creating a rich, jammy compote that will hold its structure in the parfait.

Transfer the cherry mixture to a bowl or plate and let it cool to room temperature, about 10-15 minutes. Once cooled, taste the compote and add a sweetener like honey or sugar if desired—I prefer tasting it first since the natural sweetness of the cherries and orange juice often provides enough flavor without additional sugar. Set aside until ready to assemble.

Divide the Greek yogurt between two glasses or bowls, using half the yogurt for the bottom layer of each. Spoon half of the cooled cherry compote over the yogurt, then divide the granola between the two glasses, sprinkling half over the cherry layer. Top each with the remaining yogurt, then finish with the remaining cherry compote and a final sprinkle of granola. I like to do the yogurt-cherry-granola layering in that specific order because it creates visual appeal and ensures each spoonful has all three textures together.