I’ve got a little easy mid-week treat for you guys today, and it’s perfect for summer. This is the kind of shortcut no-bake dessert that I love for the warm days when you don’t want to turn your oven on. It’s layers of a fluffy ricotta cream, strawberries, and broken up graham crackers, and it’s insanely yummy!
They come together quickly, and they are perfect after a little while in the fridge, or even straight away. This recipe makes just 4 parfaits, but you can easily double it if you’ve got friends come over- we can do that again right? Let’s get to it!
How to Make Strawberry Ricotta Parfaits
If you’ve got some extra ricotta hanging around, this is the perfect use. OR, even if you don’t, it’s a wonderful summer dessert. We’re starting with the strawberries though- giving them a quick wash and cutting them into quarters, or bite-sized chunks. Toss together the strawberries with the sugar and lemon juice, and pop the bowl in the fridge while you continue.
Then it’s time for the ricotta cream. Start by whipping together the ricotta, sour cream, and sugar until combined and fluffy. Then add in the heavy cream and beat it together until everything is well combined and becomes fluffy and thick. Add in the lemon zest, vanilla extract, and salt until combined.
Pull out 4 glass containers- I’m just using 4 small glasses, but you can use small jars, wine glasses, or cocktail glasses. Whatever you have will work, you just want something with a wide opening, and something not too tall.
Now for the layering! Pull your berries out of the fridge- they should have become juicy and syrupy. Layer in a few crumbled graham crackers at the bottom, then some of your ricotta cream, and then a spoonful of the berries with their juices. Repeat the process until you’ve filled all the glasses.
You can eat these straight away, or you can cover them with a little plastic wrap and chill for up to 4 days before enjoying!
Tips & Tricks for Strawberry Ricotta Parfaits
This recipe is super simple and requires no baking, but I’ll still let you know that I live at about 5,000 ft above sea level. Here are a few tips and tricks:
- Use any citrus you like or have. I love the combo of lemon and strawberries, but limes or oranges are a great choice as well!
- Don’t skip whipping the ricotta and sour cream as this helps it better combine with the heavy cream as the cream thickens.
- It doesn’t have to be ricotta, though I love ricotta in this one. You can also use softened cream cheese, or room temp mascarpone cheese if you prefer and you’ll see very similar results here.
Enjoy!
Strawberry Ricotta Parfaits
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups chopped fresh strawberries
- 1/4 cup + 1 tbs. sugar, separated
- 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup ricotta
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp. salt
- 5-6 full graham crackers, crumbled
Instructions
-
In a small bowl, add in the strawberries and 1 tbs. sugar. Zest your lemon into a small bowl and set aside. Then add 1 tbs. of fresh lemon juice to the strawberries, and stir to combine. Place the strawberries in the fridge while you continue with the recipe.
-
In a medium bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat together the ricotta, sour cream, and sugar until well combined and fluffy. Add in the heavy cream, and beat the mixture for several minutes, or until it becomes very fluffy and thick. Stir in the lemon zest, vanilla extract, and salt.
-
To layer the dessert, you need 4 small glass containers with wide openings. Think a small glass, a jar, a wine glass, or a cocktail glass. Layer in a couple of crumbled graham cracker pieces, and then a dollop of the ricotta mixture to fully cover the bottom of the glass. Then a spoonful of the strawberries. Repeat the layering until all 4 glasses are full and you've used all the cream and strawberries. Enjoy right away, or cover and chill for up to 4 days.
Hello and welcome! My name is Nicole, and Dough-eyed is a food blog for people who want to bake for their family and friends in high-altitude areas. Think of me as a friendly voice there with you in the kitchen, here to give you confidence when you’re baking, and to help you with the struggles of baking at high-altitude. Come back every week for new recipes, tips, and advice on high-altitude baking!
Leave a Reply