These summer berry parfaits are a light and refreshing dessert, filled with fresh blueberries swirled in strawberry jam, a creamy Greek yogurt-melted marshmallow filling, and a homemade crumble topping. When it’s hot outside, a chilled, fruity dessert is the perfect way to cool off. I especially love this dessert because it encompasses so many different textures, all in one cup. The tender burst of flavor from the blueberries, the thick creaminess of the sweet-tart filling, and the sweet crunch of the topping all combine to make a very pleasant treat.
You can mix the type of berries you want to use, depending on what you have and what is in season. The blueberries are delicious, but I can imagine it would be great with strawberries, raspberries, or even sweet cherries. Either way, the filling is one of my favorite parts. Combining the melted marshmallows and a touch of lemonade with thick Greek yogurt makes it rich and luscious. The crumble tastes a lot like extra-tasty graham cracker crumbs, so if you are in a hurry, you can always substitute those, though the crumble is very easy to make from scratch.
Another thing I like about this dessert is that you can make it all ahead of time, put it in the refrigerator, and then pull it out when you need it. Or if you are going on a picnic, layer the parfaits in mason jars, put on the lids, and take them in a cooler. With the contrasting layers, these parfaits are very pretty, so they are great if you want to impress some guests without going to a lot of work!
Outside my kitchen window, the sun is shining and the leaves and flowers are blowing gently in the fragrant summer breeze. I can hear our neighbor out in her yard, playing with her dog. Our dog is sleeping, because the hot weather makes him drowsy. Could it be that the cicadas are already singing? I hear them outside as well. That makes me think of August, which I suppose it will be soon. Our gardens are a bit parched from all the heat, but for the first time, we are growing watermelons, and they are looking promising.
There are a hundred things I need to be doing right now, but for this moment, it is so nice to be home taking photos of parfaits, feeling the warm summer sun and breeze, and listening to the songs of the birds and cicadas. There are not many pockets of peace like this in the day, so it feels good to be still and honor it. “Summer has filled her veins with light and her heart is washed with noon.” ~C. Day Lewis
I hope you all have a great weekend! I am sharing this recipe over at Angie’s Fiesta Friday, co-hosted this week by Liz @ spades, spatulas, & spoons and Jenny @ Jenny Is Baking.
Refreshing Summer Berry Parfaits
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of all purpose flour
- 3 and a half tablespoons of butter, cold, and cut into small pieces
- 1/4 cup of packed brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- 1 cup of mini marshmallows
- 1 and 1/2 cups of plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons of lemonade or lemon juice
- 2 cups of fresh blueberries
- 2 tablespoons of strawberry jam
Directions:
for the crumble:
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and the salt. Add the butter, and with a fork or your hands, mix together until the texture is like wet sand or bread crumbs. Add the brown sugar and mix again until combined. Transfer the mixture to your baking sheet and spread it out with your hands, bringing some of the mixture together to make small clumps. (This will make it more crunchy). Bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until it’s golden. Remove from the oven and allow the crumble to cool on the tray.
for the filling:
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt the mini marshmallows and lemonade over low heat, stirring often, until the mixture is a somewhat thick liquid. Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool.
Wash your berries and put them in a bowl with the strawberry jam. Gently stir until the berries are shiny and coated with jam.
When your melted marshmallows have cooled, pour the mixture into a large bowl. Add the Greek yogurt and stir well to combine.
Set out four cups, bowls, or jelly jars. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the yogurt-marshmallow mixture into each. Add a layer of the fruit, then a layer of the crumble. Repeat the layers until you reach the top. Garnish with berries. Cover the containers with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Serve cold. Enjoy!
Beautiful summer sentiments and a perfect dessert to match. It evokes a little s’mores action inside a seasonal parfait. Unique. Summer is so busy trying to make the most of this brief burst of beauty. You do have to remind yourself to stop and enjoy. Have a great weekend!
Thank you, Amanda! Yes, I think I did have s’mores on my mind this week…Some chocolate sauce would be good with this too! 🙂
I can imagine these would be a big hit at a picnic. I like the idea of layering them in canning jars for transport.
Thank you, Liz, I agree about taking them to a picnic. ?Thanks for co-hosting Fiesta Friday this week!
What a beautiful and simple dessert – and I love the unique combo of marshmallow and yogurt! I know what you mean about having a ton of things to do, but just wanting to be in the moment and enjoy summer. The hot weather has been making both my dog AND me drowsy, so we’ve had a few afternoon naps together…and why not? It’s summer!
Thanks, Mara! The melted marshmallows add a thickness and sweetness to the yogurt so it’s more desser-y than a straight yogurt parfait. There’s a line from a Greg Brown song that goes something like “the summer wind blew my list of things to do away….” That’s how I feel sometimes! Glad you and your dog can enjoy that feeling in this heat too.?
Two thumbs up, Jenny! It’s the perfect summer dessert, yum!
Thanks, Angie!?
Yum, love parfaits!
Thank you, Antonia! Me too–I just made them again today!
Beautiful post – I could almost imagine I was there for a minute…that filling sounds so good and is so different from any parfait I’ve ever seen or recipe I’ve read. Really gorgeous. I love that quote, by the way! Right now it’s evening and I’m hearing the frogs from our little foresty swamp area behind us and the crickets (another sign of fall) and the ducks on the lake…
Thank you so much, Mollie! The filling is really good and a bit decadent with the melted marshmallows. It sounds like you live in a beautiful area too, where you get to hear lots of different sounds from nature! This time of year is so bittersweet, because it’s still so warm, yet we know summer is winding down. Such good fruits and vegetables too! It’s one of my favorite months.