5 Easy-to-Make Parfaits For Valentine’s Day Desserts

What is one of the best ways to show someone you care about them on Valentine’s Day? Valentine’s Day desserts, of course! No matter what you’re doing to celebrate the holiday, it can’t hurt to surprise the ones you love with a sweet treat, and a kid-friendly Valentine’s Day parfait, especially, is always a hit. 

Valentine’s Day gifts are great, of course, but something homemade and prepared with love can make all the difference. The best part is that parfaits are easy to make and almost anyone can appreciate one, from significant others to grandparents. Sometimes kids are little picky about what they’ll eat, but these delicious recipes will work no matter who you’re celebrating with. Parfaits are also a great dessert to make with your partner on Valentine’s Day date night, especially if you are celebrating at home with kids.

Here are five simple parfait dessert recipes to enjoy for Valentine’s Day. Just gather your ingredients of choice and stack the layers. Super easy! 

What is a Parfait? 

 The parfait originated in France around 1890, where it was conceived as a frozen custard made by boiling eggs, sugar and cream. In French, the word appropriately means “perfect.” Over the years, the parfait has been reimagined as a layered dessert served in a clear glass, often with berries added to the custard (sometimes ice cream or whipped cream). Here in the United States, parfaits are often made with yogurt (Greek or regular) instead of custard, with elements like nuts and granola added.  

 One of our favorite parfaits is this berries cheesecake biscoff parfait recipe, with layers of buttery Biscoff cookie crumbs, fresh macerated strawberries and a creamy cheesecake filling. Super easy to make with your kids.  

Bonding in the kitchen with your kids is a great way to make memories, and by teaching them how to cook and bake you’re also giving them useful skills for life. Kids get such a sense of pride when they create something others can enjoy, so start cooking with your kids this year and good things will happen. 

You can also make the parfait preparation process easier with just a few steps and simple ingredients that you may already have in your kitchen, like yogurt and granola.  

Level Up with a Yogurt Parfait 

A yogurt parfait, slightly more sophisticated with its tangy creaminess, is just layers of yogurt and fresh or frozen fruit that is often topped with a scoop of granola.   

Step-by-Step Directions: Yogurt Parfait Dessert 

Step 1: Set out your glasses. Special stemmed parfait glasses are available, but any glass is fine. Just make sure it is tall enough to accommodate several layers. 

Step 2: Add a scoop of yogurt. 

Step 3: Toss some fresh or frozen fruit of your choice on top of the yogurt. I like to use an assortment of berries. 

Step 4: Keep alternating layers of yogurt and berries until you’ve reached the top of the glass. 

Step 5: Top it all with some crunchy granola.

Step 6: Get out your best spoons (those fancy long ice cream spoons are fun), and dig in!

 Yogurt parfaits are not only tasty, they also provide great fuel for your body and brain. Nutrients such as protein, fiber, natural sugars and healthy fats give you energy to move throughout the day. Parfaits with yogurt are good for Valentine’s Day  because you and the kids will probably be getting a lot of sugar that day, and this is more nutritious to help balance things out.

Variations on the Parfait 

Make your yogurt parfait just the way you like it, with different fruits, yogurt, granola and toppings. The variations are endless. 

• Fruit: Choose your favorite fruit like strawberries and raspberries (both a Valentine’s Day color of red) blueberries, sliced apples, bananas, oranges, grapefruit, pineapple or even honeydew melon. 
• Yogurt: Generally, people use vanilla yogurt (Greek or regular) for parfaits, but you can try flavored yogurt such as strawberry or raspberry. You can even alternate layers of different yogurts. Low-fat or nonfat yogurt reduces calories.
• Chocolate: Indulge in a little chocolate. Mini chocolate chips, chocolate syrup or hot fudge makes the parfait a little sweeter and gives you that sugary kick. 
• Nuts: Add pecans, walnuts, pine nuts or peanuts for a nutty taste. 
• Toppings: Shredded coconut is always a tasty way to top it off, or you can add whipped cream.

Storing Parfaits 

Whipped cream and yogurt parfaits are a simple grab-and-go treat or snack, and they’re quick and easy to make on a busy day. Or, if you’re crunched for time, you can even prepare them (or at least prep the ingredients) the day before and chill them in the refrigerator.  

Wash, dry and cut the fresh berries that you’ll be using on your parfait and place them in an airtight container in the refrigerator ahead of time. Next, make sure you have the granola or other toppings you’ll be enjoying with your parfait.  

When ready to create your parfait, just simply add in the ingredients that you’ve already prepped. 

Can you make parfaits ahead of time?  

Yes! They are best eaten freshly made, but they’re still good when made ahead of time.  

Can you freeze parfaits? 

While it is possible to freeze parfaits, it’s not the best idea because it will change the consistency of the yogurt and the whipped cream (unless it’s a frozen whipped topping type filling). Since the parfaits can be made in less than five minutes, it’s best to make them fresh or store them in the fridge and then eat them.   

Whether you’re layering in whipped cream, yogurt, ice cream or rich custard, with your crunchy and fruity bits, there is something about parfaits that brings the kid out in everyone. Enjoy feeding your kids — and your inner child — this Valentine’s Day.