‘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 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.
The French parfait is a frozen dessert made from sugar syrup, egg, and cream. Similar ina way to ice-cream a parfait is whipped into a mousse-like consistency that due to its structure and make-up it requires little to no churning while freezing, making it possible to create in a home kitchen without a specialist ice-cream machine for example.
The American parfait is more commonly made by layering parfait 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.
Looking for more French recipes, summer desserts?
01
Chocolate, honey and red berry parfait
Chocolate, honey and red berry parfait
The ideal summer treat.
02
Choc-chip nougat frozen parfait with caramel sauce
Choc-chip nougat frozen parfait with caramel sauce
We all know that everybody likes parfait but with chunks of chocolate, nougat and a caramel sauce this is one parfait you’ll be sure to love.
03
Chocolate nougat frozen parfait
This chocolate nougat frozen parfait is incredibly simple to make, but is bound to impress. A great way to end a special dinner party.
06
Frozen nectarine and turkish delight parfait
Frozen nectarine and turkish delight parfait
Sweet and tart, fruity and creamy, this dessert is a taste sensation that will impress any guest.
07
Passionfruit mango parfait
These old-style passionfruit mango parfaits will be a hit with young and old when you serve them up for dessert.
08
Dark chocolate and hazelnut frozen parfait
Dark chocolate and hazelnut frozen parfait
This creamy frozen dessert is rich in flavour, and most definitely a crowd pleasing dish.
09
White chocolate and pistachio parfait
White chocolate and pistachio parfait
This exciting and gorgeous dessert perfectly balances its flavours; a hint of tart mixed with smooth creaminess.
10
Chocolate parfait with orange salad
Chocolate parfait with orange salad
Creamy parfait and the zesty salad come together to showcase an iconic flavour pairing of the culinary world – chocolate and orange.
11
Blackberry parfait
The quality of store bought meringue is excellent, and once smothered fresh blackberries, yoghurt and cream your guests won’t know the difference. For a grown up version, splash a little blackberry liqueur such as crème de mûre for a boozy twist.
13
Frozen berry parfait
The beauty of a frozen dessert is that it can be made well in advance and brought to the table with the minimum of stress. This colourful raspberry parfait brings a wonderful, refreshing restaurant-quality dish to your dinner party or family celebration.
15
Chai parfait with fig and whole spice syrup
Chai parfait with fig and whole spice syrup
Lusciously spiced and visually stunning, this dessert deserves a very special occasion on which to shine.
16
Cherry parfait
Topped with crunchy toasted oats, these layered yoghurt and cherry parfaits are a quick, delicious and healthy dessert. You can add a handful of slivered almonds to the toasted oats for extra crunch if you like.
17
Chocolate, honey and red berry parfait
Parfait means ‘perfect’ in French and there’s a lot about this chocolate, honey and red berry version that is perfect. For starters, it’s easy to make and doesn’t melt too quickly which means it’s great for entertaining. It also looks amazing.
