Fresh Fruit Parfaits with a Twist

I love fresh fruit and I love whipped topping (I mean, really, who doesn’t) but I’ve always felt that a simple fruit parfait just needed something else.

I tried adding jam, but too sweet. Then I tried a cheesecake filling, but too much work. I finally found the answer, graham cracker crumbs. They provide just the right texture to take the parfait game to the next level.

These parfaits are super simple and can be made with just about any fresh fruit that is in season. Here I’ve made them with a combination of blueberries and strawberries for a red, white and blue dessert for the 4th of July.

The container is also very changeable depending on your needs. I’ve made them in mason jars, wine glasses, and even teacups. For this set I’m making them in plastic cups since they will be used at an outdoor picnic. I even ended up using 2 different styles of cup since that was what I had on hand.

Making the parfaits couldn’t be simpler.

Prep Work

Chop your fruit into bite size pieces.

If you’re making your whipped topping, whip it up now too. Put whatever whipped topping your using in a pastry bag for easy dispensing.

Make crumbs out of your graham crackers. Put several graham crackers in a zip-lock bag and roll over them with a rolling pin. The more you roll, the finer your crumbs will be. For these fruit parfaits I prefer for my graham cracker topping to be a little chunky.

Layer Your Parfait

Start by piping a layer of whipped cream in the bottom of your container.

Add a layer of graham cracker topping. The more you add in each layer, the more of that extra crunch your parfait will have.

Put in a layer of fruit. As seems to be the theme with these parfaits, you have options here. You can mix all the fruits you are using into one layer, or you can keep each fruit separate for its own layer. For these red, white, and blue ones, I actually used both methods. In the taller cups I kept them separate but, in the champagne style cups I mixed them since I really only had one layer of fruit.

Continue making layers in the same order until your container is full. I try to end my parfaits with the fruit on top so I can add a decorative whipped cream finale. But, I don’t add that till serving time.

Place the fruit parfaits in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve them.

Serve Your Fruit Parfaits to the Masses

Serving is simple. Add a decorative dollop of whipped cream and a single fruit piece to the top of each parfait and serve. If you’re taking them to a potluck or picnic place them on a tray for easy transportation.

Don’t you think the graham cracker added the perfect twist. What other additives can you think of to try. Let me know in the comments.

This makes a great dessert to pair with our Caprese Chicken  and my friend Niky’s Caprese Pasta Salad for a great summer meal.

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