This deliciously simple 4-ingredient Lemon Blueberry Parfait is my favorite little secret for entertaining—it is legitimately one of the easiest things to make! It takes just 5 measly minutes of prep, and with no cooking involved, this marvelously light, creamy, crunchy, juicy, spicy, tart, and sweet dessert is just in time for warm summer nights.
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Why You’ll Love This Blueberry Lemon Parfait Recipe
- Bursting With Flavor - Juicy, slightly floral blueberries are the perfect foil for rich, lemony whipped cream and crunchy, spicy ginger cookies. It boggles my mind how much yum you can coax out of just 4 ingredients!
- Super Speedy - This is the ultimate lazy dessert. Just bash up some cookies, whip some cream, fold in some curd, and layer it all up in a pretty cup. No fancy gimmicks, no cooking, no sweat—just bright, bold flavor!
- Pantry Powered - Ever since I figured out how easy it is to make this easy dessert, I keep a tub of ginger snaps and a jar of lemon curd on hand at all times. Swap in any type of fresh or frozen berry, or swap out the heavy cream for tangy yogurt to make these tasty parfaits any time of year.
Ingredients & Substitutions
As promised, just a handful of ingredients are all that stands between you and this yummy blueberry and lemon dessert:
- Ginger Snap Cookies - I love Trader Joe’s Triple Ginger Snaps because they’re extra spicy, but feel free to swap in any brand you want. You can also swap in crushed graham crackers or vanilla shortbread for a milder, sweeter alternative.
- Lemon Curd - This is a key ingredient, adding a bright burst of citrusy flavor to our parfaits. Most any grocery store should carry lemon curd these days (check near the jams, or in the international section near the English goods), though it's typically cheaper at Trader Joe's or at discount stores like TJMaxx.
- Heavy Whipping Cream - Freshly whipped cream adds a silky, decadent mouthfeel to this simple dessert. If you’d like a boost of extra sweetness and another layer of flavor, whip it with some powdered sugar (for better stability) or granulated sugar and a drizzle of vanilla or almond extract. That said, the lemon curd alone does wonders!
- Fresh Blueberries - When they’re in season, clamshells of blueberries are extra flavorful and super affordable. If you’re out of season, swap in frozen berries for better pricing and better flavor. For a sweeter, saucier version, swap in blueberry preserves or fresh blueberry compote.
How to Make Blueberry Parfaits With Lemon Whipped Cream
You’ll love how simple it is to make this fresh fruit dessert! Here’s how it’s done:
Step 1: Bash, blend, process, or break your gingersnaps into small, bite-sized pieces. I usually just put them in a clean kitchen towel and use my rolling pin to crack them—it’s a great way to get out any latent aggression. 😂
Step 2: Whip Cream in a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer until stiff peaks appear. You have the option to add a bit of powdered sugar for extra sweetness and a little stability, or a little vanilla or almond extract for some extra flavor, but you don’t need to.
Step 3: Gently Fold the lemon curd into the whipped cream using a silicone spatula. Be careful not to deflate the cream by mixing too vigorously.
Step 4: Layer your chosen parfait glass(es) with cookie crumbs, lemon whipped cream, then blueberries. Make sure to make your layers thick enough to see separate layers through the glass. Repeat at least once.
Step 5: Serve & Enjoy! Watch your friends’ looks of total ecstasy and relish in knowing it only took you 5 minutes of effort and 4 ingredients to get there.
Optional Variations & Dietary Adaptations
- Dairy-Free/Vegan - Swap in plant-based whipping cream, cold, full-fat canned coconut milk, or coconut cream to make dairy-free and vegan-friendly whipped cream. Note that most lemon curd is made with butter and egg, so you’ll need to either purchase or make vegan lemon curd and double check that your gingersnaps are vegan-friendly.
- Extra Tangy - Make whipped greek yogurt, lemon yogurt pie filling, (or regular creamy yogurt for a looser option) in place of the whipped cream for a fun, tangy twist that also adds some probiotics and protein to the mix! Alternatively, add a few tablespoons of sour cream to your whipped cream for added flavor.
- Different Berries - Lemon and ginger are a safe bet to pair with just about any berry you can think of, so have fun swapping in raspberries, strawberries, or blackberries as the seasons change. You can also mix things up! Try making a blueberry strawberry parfait for a patriotic color scheme—like a quicker version of my strawberry blueberry shortcakes.
- Different Curd - For a more tropical twist, use puckery-sweet lime curd in place of the lemon curd. For a less tart option, orange curd works too!
Expert Tips
- Use Quality Ingredients - When recipes are super simple and don’t have many ingredients, it’s important that all of the ingredients taste really good! Make sure you’re using ripe, in-season berries (or frozen berries if they’re not in season) and cookies that you like eating.
- Keep A Paper Towel Handy - You may want to clean up the glass as you layer all your goodies in to make sure your guests get the full visual effect of these lemony ginger blueberry trifles. A damp paper towel is perfect for the job!
- Optional Extra Step - Macerate the Berries. If you have an extra minute to spare, mash up about ¼ of the blueberries with a fork or potato masher and toss with a little sugar (powdered works, too) and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or a small drizzle of almond extract. Stir the rest of the berries in the mix to help them macerate (i.e. get juicy and delicious) a bit before layering the fresh blueberry sauce in your parfaits.
Storage Instructions
- Better Fresh. I personally think these blueberry parfaits are best after a minimum of 10 minutes of chill time (to let the cookies soften a bit) and no longer than about 4 hours (so the whipped cream is still whipped).
- Make-Ahead. That said, blueberry lemon parfaits can be assembled ahead of time and kept in an airtight container—just note that the cookies will become softer and the cream will become looser over time, causing the dessert to resemble a cake-y British trifle or berry fool.
- Semi-Make-Ahead Tips. Feel free to bash the cookies ahead of time and keep them in an airtight container or ziptop bag—they should be good for several days or longer. You can also pre-whip the whipped cream (without folding the curd in) a few hours ahead—you may need to re-whip it depending on how long you let it sit. Finally, if you want to take the optional step of macerating the berries, you can do that and refrigerate them for up to 2 days.
Serving Suggestions
- Perfect Pairings. This light and lovely treat is the perfect ending to any warm weather affair. Here are just a few ideas:
- Serve it for Easter dinner as a palate cleanser after the rich flavors of smoked leg of lamb or lamb shepherd’s pie.
- It would be great for a garden party or Mother’s Day brunch after eating my easy make-ahead ham & swiss strata.
- Make your midweek dinner extra special by serving up my easy chicken limone or lemony zucchini linguine, then conclude with this fantastically fresh parfait.
- If you want to serve a crowd, you can make one giant trifle-style blueberry parfait using a large bowl. It should be glass (so you can see all the beautiful layers!) and have straight sides. I like this one and this one.
- Prefer single serve options? I think these little mason jars are the perfect size, and the fact they have lids makes it easy to stack them in your fridge or haul them to a potluck. Highball glasses or stemless wine glasses will also do the trick.
FAQs
The term “parfait” means “perfect” in French, and can refer to one of two styles of desserts. This blueberry parfait is made in the American style—it’s a prettily layered dessert with fresh blueberries, creamy lemon chantilly and crunchy gingersnap cookie crumbles. American parfaits can also refer to layered breakfast-y treats, like my breakfast banana split parfait or my healthy breakfast parfait with yogurt and granola. French parfaits, on the other hand, are usually made with a frozen custard that is served in slices—like Italian semifreddo.
It honestly depends on the parfait! If you were to make it more in the style of a yogurt and granola parfait, it’d be a bit more virtuous than this blueberry dessert parfait.
While using fresh berries does add some wholesome goodness to the mix, we’re also adding quite a bit of sugar (in the form of cookies and lemon curd) and fat (from the heavy cream). That said, the ingredients are all very simple—no HFCS, no artificial colors, no preservatives. In short, this particular recipe isn’t something I’d consider healthy, but it’s also not the worst dessert you could eat!
Again, it will depend on the blueberry parfait recipe! Here we use just fresh or frozen blueberries, heavy whipping cream, lemon curd, and ginger snap cookies.
More Easy Dessert Recipes
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Easy Lemon Blueberry Parfait
Equipment
Ingredients
- ~30 Ginger Snap Cookies smashed into pieces
- 1 10.5 oz jar Lemon Curd
- 1 pint Heavy Whipping Cream whipped
- 1 pint Blueberries rinsed and dried
- 1-2 tablespoon Powdered Sugar (optional)
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla or Almond Extract (optional)
Instructions
- Bash/blend/process/break your gingersnaps into smaller (approximately bite-sized) pieces.~30 Ginger Snap Cookies
- Whip heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks appear. OPTIONAL: You can add a bit of powdered sugar for extra sweetness and a little stability, or a little vanilla or almond extract for some extra flavor, but you don’t need to.1 pint Heavy Whipping Cream, 1-2 tablespoon Powdered Sugar, 1 teaspoon Vanilla or Almond Extract
- Fold lemon curd into whipped cream with a silicone spatula, being careful not to deflate the whipped cream.1 10.5 oz jar Lemon Curd
- OPTIONAL: If you have an extra minute to spare, mash up about ¼ of the blueberries with a fork and toss with a little sugar and lemon juice. Stir the rest of the berries in this mix to help them macerate (i.e. get juicy and delicious) a bit before layering them in the jars. Otherwise, as long as they're clean, they're good to use!1 pint Blueberries
- Layer your chosen vessel(s) with cookie crumbs, lemon whipped cream, then blueberries. Make sure to make your layers thick enough to see separate layers through the glass. Repeat at least once. Serve straightaway, or wait for up to 4 hours.
Notes
- Dairy-Free/Vegan - Swap in plant-based whipping cream, cold, full-fat canned coconut milk, or coconut cream to make dairy-free and vegan-friendly whipped cream. Purchase or make vegan lemon curd and double check that your gingersnaps are vegan-friendly.
- Extra Tangy - Add a few tablespoons of sour cream to your whipped cream for added pizzazz.
- Different Berries - Have fun swapping in raspberries, strawberries, or blackberries as the seasons change. Try making a blueberry strawberry parfait for a patriotic color scheme—like a quicker version of my strawberry blueberry shortcakes.
- Different Curd - For a more tropical twist, use puckery-sweet lime curd in place of the lemon curd. For a less tart option, orange curd works too!
- Use Quality Ingredients - Make sure you’re using ripe, in-season berries (or frozen berries if they’re not in season), real cream, and good cookies.
- Keep A Paper Towel Handy - You may want to clean up the glass as you layer all your goodies in to make sure your guests get the full visual effect. A damp paper towel is perfect for the job!
- Optional Extra Step - Macerate the Berries. If you have an extra minute to spare, mash up about ¼ of the blueberries with a fork or potato masher and toss with a little sugar (powdered works, too) and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or a small drizzle of almond extract. Stir the rest of the berries in the mix to help them macerate and let them rest (at least 20 minutes, or up to 2 days in the fridge).
- Better Fresh. I personally think these blueberry parfaits are best after a minimum of 10 minutes of chill time (to let the cookies soften a bit) and no longer than about 4 hours (so the whipped cream is still whipped).
- Make-Ahead. That said, blueberry lemon parfaits can be assembled ahead of time and kept in an airtight container—just note that the cookies will become softer and the cream will become looser over time, causing the dessert to resemble a cake-y British trifle or berry fool.
Nutrition
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