Raspberry & Cream Parfaits
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Piled high with fresh raspberries and boozy whipped cream, these raspberry parfaits make a light and elegant dessert.
Raspberry parfaits piled high with fresh fruit and liqueur-infused whipped cream make a light and elegant summer dessert, and they take just 15 minutes to throw together. It’s the jazzed-up whipped cream that makes the parfaits special – cream cheese adds extra body and stabilizes the whipped cream so the dessert holds up longer, and a splash of liqueur elevates the flavor. This is a great make-ahead dessert for a party – and you can make your life easier by assembling the parfaits in disposable plastic wine glasses. Feel free to swap the raspberries for other berries or experiment with different liqueurs. Thanks to my friend Tracy Santoro for sharing the recipe, which is modestly adapted from Fresh Fruit Desserts: Classic and Contemporary by Sheryl and Mel London (Prentice Hall, 1990).
What you’ll need to make raspberry parfaits
How to make raspberry parfaits
Combine the cream cheese, liqueur, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or hand-held electric mixer.
Beat on medium-high speed until creamy and lump-free, about 2 minutes.
Add the heavy cream.
Start beating on low speed (so it doesn’t splash), then increase the speed to high and beat until the mixture is thickened to a pudding-like consistency, about 2 minutes.
Distribute half of the raspberries among the bottom of the glasses or dessert cups, then distribute two-thirds of the cream mixture so that it covers the berries in each portion.
Distribute the remaining berries evenly among the glasses or dessert cups, gently placing them on the layer of cream. Spoon equal amounts of the remaining cream on top of each portion.
Refrigerate for at least one hour or up to 4 hours. Garnish each serving with a mint sprig and serve.
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Raspberry & Cream Parfaits
Piled high with fresh raspberries and boozy whipped cream, these raspberry parfaits make a light and elegant dessert.
Ingredients
- 4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons orange- or almond-flavored liqueur, such as Grand Marnier or Amaretto (see note)
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 3 cups fresh raspberries
- 4 small sprigs mint, for garnish
Instructions
- Have 4 wineglasses or glass dessert cups at hand.
- Combine the cream cheese, liqueur, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or hand-held electric mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until creamy and lump-free, about 2 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the heavy cream and start beating on low speed (so it doesn't splash), then increase the speed to high and beat until the mixture is thickened to a pudding-like consistency, about 2 minutes.
- Distribute half of the raspberries among the bottom of the glasses or dessert cups, then distribute two-thirds of the cream mixture so that it covers the berries in each portion. Distribute the remaining berries evenly among the glasses or dessert cups, gently placing them on the layer of cream. Spoon equal amounts of the remaining cream on top of each portion. Refrigerate for at least one hour or up to 4 hours. Garnish each serving with a mint sprig and serve.
- Make Ahead: The cream mixture can be made and refrigerated a day in advance. Assemble the parfaits up to 4 hours before serving.
- Note: It's okay to leave out the liqueur if you are avoiding alcohol.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 375
- Fat: 21 g
- Saturated fat: 12 g
- Carbohydrates: 42 g
- Sugar: 34 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Sodium: 117 mg
- Cholesterol: 72 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Comments
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Hi – This looks lovely. Can you make in a trifle dish and then scoop it out into bows at the table? Thanks!
Yep that should work 🙂
So delicious. Light and cool. Perfect for summer
What a delicious dessert. Made the cream the day before and put them together 1 hour before serving. We have a lot of raspberries bushes in our yard so I’ll be making this dessert often.
Love, love, love. Everyone liked the plate and asked for more.
Once again Jenn, a fantastic recipe. Few ingredients, so easy to make and a great hit. My family and friends loved it.
Many thanks!!
Sooo good, a perfect end to our Valentine’s Day dinner
Nice Recipe from Sheryl and Mel London’s cookbook.
Don’t you have your own recipes? Why take from others?
Hi Hilary, Thanks for inquiring. I often will modestly adapt recipes I find in my travels to put my spin on them (and consider it a high compliment to the original recipe developer). I also have many of my own recipes.
🙁
I love this…so easy yet elegant enough for a dinner party. I made this 3x, once with raspberries- they were a little tart. I tried it with blackberries and vanilla extract. The best and third time with blackberries cut in half with 1 tsp almond extract- my favorite! Strawberries are next.Thank you so much for this recipe.
Hi Jenn, can I make this 24 hours ahead of serving?
Thanks! Ally in New Jersey
Hi Ally, The cream mixture can be made and refrigerated a day in advance. Just assemble the parfaits up to 4 hours before serving. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jen. Can I assemble this in a graham cracker crust?
Hi Maria, You can, but I don’t think it will slice very cleanly when you go to serve it. I’d love to hear how it comes out if you try it!
I did make a batch using Swerve. I used only 1/4 cup and the ladies I made this for just raved. I also made a batch using sugar for my friends (and me) not on diets and they also loved it. The only other substitution I made was using Triple Sec since that’s what I had. What an easy and fun treat for my mahjongg group!
So glad it turned out well (both times)!
Hi Jen..would lower fat cream cheese work in this recipe?
Technically it should work; they just won’t be quite as creamy. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
I have a couple of friends who do not eat sugar. Can I use monk fruit or another sugar substitute for them?
Hi Tammy, I wish I could help but I’ve never worked with sugar substitutes so I can’t say how it would impact the recipe. I’d love to hear how it turns out if you try it with one!
OUTSTANDING!!!
Jenn I love this recipe (I know, I repeat myself a lot w/regards to your recipes 😉).
I love it of course because it’s so good & satisfying, but also it allows for creativity.
I’m out of Grand Marnier (Amaretto isn’t a favorite). But I did have lemons, so I added 1 1/2 Tbls of fresh squeezed lemon juice in place of the liquor.
To garnish, I topped it w/ fresh raspberries, and a sprinkle of chopped toasted walnuts.
My boyfriend and his family have decided I’m indispensable! LOL
Thank you again !
Happy Valentines Day 💕
I made these several times almost a year ago and I’m making them again, as friends have been begging for them. These were easy and got rave reviews. What more can I ask for? The one change I made was to reduce the sugar to a quarter of what the recipe calls for — yes, one eighth of a cup for this exact recipe, one quarter when I quadrupled it. (We had bigger gatherings in prepandemic times.) This amount of sugar made it just sweet enough and a little healthier. The berries bring their own sweetness, of course. I used almond extract since that’s what I had. Delicious. I’ve only made this with raspberries but this week I’ll try blueberries. Thanks, Jenn, for another fantastic recipe!!
As usual, the word I always use for your recipes is outstanding!! I didn’t add the alcohol to the cream but I did add a dash of almond extract and shaved some dark chocolate on top. This recipe needs to be quadrupled or fifthdrupled 🙂 It was literally gone in seconds and if we could have licked the glasses we would have.
🙂
Quick. Easy. Delicious!
Found 3 very ripe containers of raspberries for $2. Needed to use them up so found this recipe. Well, I never got to taste one! My husband and company went wild over them. They really were gorgeous. I did taste a tad of the cream and I think I would lessen the sugar by just a bit next time. Oh, I used Amaretto for the liquor. I made them hours ahead of time and they held up well in the frig.
This is awesome! I also like the combination of Amaretto and fresh cherries mentioned by a reviewer.
Another hit Jenn! I warned my guest that it’s a rich dessert and if they couldn’t finish it it wouldn’t hurt my feelings. LOL, they would have licked the glass clean if they could!
YUMMY, these were WONDERFUL! I used raspberry liqueur which turned the cream a lovely soft pink. I also doubled the cream mixture because it is phenomenal! Perfect dessert for spring and summertime.
Tried it yesterday. Was so easy to whip up and was loved by my guests. Thanks for the recipe.
This dessert is amazing. I like to make it according to the recipe, and then sprinkle on some of the graham cracker-pecan crumble from the Once Upon a Chef cookbook. The added crunchiness of the crumble takes the parfait over the top! Thanks for another fantastic recipe.
Love that idea, Lauren!
Have made3 times this summer with raspberries and/or blueberries- We love them! Very easy to make and keep well in the frig. perfect for those hot 90 degree days you want something with those yummy berries but don’t want to bake!
Hi jenn
I’ve made these twice using strawberries (that I cut to raspberry size) and my guests raved about them. So easy to make and very delicious. Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipes.
Made this for a family party…followed the recipe exactly as written. So delicious, light and refreshing! Received many compliments and told everyone about your site. Thank you for a delicious recipe!
If leaving out the liqueur, should I add something in its place? Vanilla? Thanks!
Hi Jamie, It’s perfectly fine to leave out the liqueur – no need to replace it with anything else. Hope you enjoy!
This is a wonderful, easy dessert. I used Chambord and my guests raved. The cream is so versatile, I plan to use it as a substitute for plain whipped cream on pumpkin pie using maple liqueur, or vanilla or cinnamon schnapps.
Question: How long will the cream keep in the refrigerator – assuming any is left!
I love the cookbook and have bought a copy for a friend.
So glad you enjoyed this Mary! The cream will keep in the fridge for about a day. And thanks for your support with the cookbook! 🙂
If you’re using the Amaretto liqueur to flavour the cream, you can take this delicious dessert to the next level by substituting fresh cherries for the raspberries. I wanted to make this for a dinner party, but the berries in my market didn’t look great. But there were some fabulous cherries available, so I bought those instead. I love any opportunity to use my adorable bright red cherry pitter! I didn’t chop the cherries, just removed the pits and layered them whole with the Amaretto-spiked cream mixture. The combination of cherries and Amaretto was to-die-for! I think if I’d turned my back, my dinner guests would have licked their dishes.
Love this idea, Davinia!
I forgot to add that I put some sliced almonds in – a few in the first layer, and a little more on top, just for a little crunch, and appeal as I didn’t have mint.
They seemed to go really well with the strawberries and creamy flavor.
These were wonderful. I made them with strawberries for a special Memorial Day weekend dessert. I used Amaro Nonino – an Italian after dinner liqueur.
Simple, elegant, and delicious.
Thank you for adding just the right touch to our evening.
So easy and so yummy! We substituted almond extract for liquor.
Made this tonight for dinner guests. Used amaretto, as recommended, but added blueberries to the raspberries. Followed the directions otherwise and turned out perfectly. I got rave reviews. So easy to make, pretty, and delicious! Definitely a keeper for a light treat after a heavy meal on a late spring evening.
This was a quick and easy dessert. I used strawberries cut to raspberry size as suggested in a comment. Turned out great!
Made this for dessert – following your fish Tacos . Wonderful. Very easy but very refreshing and impressive . Another winner
I was thinking of putting a cake base on a parfait like this (in a big glass serving dish)…would that work? Or would the whipped cream give out too much liquid and make the base soggy?
That’d be fine, Malakins. I’d love to know how it turns out!
These look wonderful. Thing of substituing fresh strawberries. Our farmers market has them now in Loudoun county.
Yes, Strawberries would work here, but I’d suggest dicing them into medium-sized pieces (so they’re similar in size to raspberries). I’d love to hear how they turn out with strawberries!