‘Parfait’ means ‘perfect’ in French and these delicious desserts are just that! We’ve pulled together the best of both the layered American-style parfaits and the frozen, mousse-like French versions. There’s everything from quick and easy yoghurt and raspberry layered parfaits to indulgent white chocolate and berry frozen treats. Just serve with a sprinkling of toasted oats or nuts for added texture and enjoy.
Chocolate, honey and red berry parfait
Choc-chip nougat frozen parfait with caramel sauce
Raspberry and lemon mascarpone parfaits
Chocolate nougat frozen parfait
Nougat parfait with ruby red grapefruit syrup
Frozen nectarine and turkish delight parfait
Passionfruit mango parfait
Dark chocolate and hazelnut frozen parfait
White chocolate and pistachio parfait
Chocolate parfait with orange salad
Blackberry parfait
Raspberry nougat frozen parfait
Frozen berry parfait
Mango and passionfruit parfait with chilli glass
Chai parfait with fig and whole spice syrup
Cherry parfait
Chocolate, honey and red berry parfait
Berry, coconut and yoghurt parfaits
What is a parfait in Australia?
In Australia, “parfait” can refer to either a French dessert or an American one.
A French parfait is a frozen dessert made from sugar syrup, egg, and cream. Similar in a way to ice-cream or semifreddo, it is whipped into a mousse-like consistency that requires little to no churning while freezing. This makes it possible to create in a home kitchen without a specialist ice-cream machine for example.
An American parfait is more commonly made by layering cream, ice cream or yoghurt and sometimes fruit. They’re generally served in a tall glass to show all the lovely layers, however can also be served in a shorter glass if you prefer.
What is a parfait made of?
Sugar syrup, eggs and cream are the most common ingredients in a traditional French parfait, while American versions typically use layers of cream or yoghurt and fruit. But some recipes use ricotta or mascarpone instead of cream or yoghurt, as well as different ingredients to add flavour and texture.
As well as fruit, this can include vanilla beans, chocolate, chopped nuts, nougat, coconut or even muesli. You can even dress up the dessert with a sweet syrup or garnish to suit the occasion.
Serving ideas
- For an American-style recipe, consider clear glasses or serving dishes that show the layers in your dessert.
- For a French, frozen dessert, you could present the whole parfait on a serving plate or dish, before serving individual slices.
- Alternatively, cut the parfait with a warm knife and put on individual plates before serving.
- Check individual recipes for other serving suggestions.
