Strawberry Shortcake Parfaits

This beautifully presented dessert is exceptionally easy to prepare. Layered with granola, yogurt, and fresh strawberries, is a homemade strawberry shortcake crumb mixture that is the star of this simply refreshing summertime dessert. It’s a healthy alternative with just the right amount of indulgence!

Back in February, I shared some strawberry shortcake-flavoured recipes with you which I thought were perfect for Valentine’s Day. However, in typical Byron fashion, I tested and prepared too many recipes to fit into my publishing schedule here at Lord Byron’s Kitchen. So, today’s recipe, these Strawberry Shortcake Parfaits, I prepared months ago, but I decided to wait until the beginning of strawberry season to share it with you, Dear Reader.

I can’t get enough of these homemade strawberry shortcake crumbs! Blame my cousin because she introduced them to me a couple of years ago. Whenever I make them, I tend to double the batch, because I can always find a way to use them up. The crumbs keep quite well and taste fresh even weeks after preparing them. I keep them in a resealable bag in the cupboard. I love to stir a couple of spoonfuls into some plain or vanilla yogurt. It’s such a quick and easy treat.

In this particular recipe, I’m using a store-bought granola that we absolutely love. If you’re at all interested, it’s the PC Organic Honey Almond. It has just the right amount of sweetness and lots of crunch. The really great thing about this parfait recipe is that you can use whatever granola you like. In fact, if you’re feeling adventurous, you can simply make your own.

Unfortunately, at this time, I do not have a homemade granola recipe posted yet, but I do have some blogger friends who have shared their granola recipes. Amanda has a maple pecan granola that is so good! And, I love this homemade granola recipe from Love and Lemons!

LAYERED DESSERTS ARE THE EASIEST AND THE BEST!

Layered desserts have been popular for many, many years. For those of us who were not blessed with the ability to decorate elaborate cakes or whip up a choux pastry or even master the art of a good meringue, there are layered desserts. Think about it! The popularity of desserts like no-bake cheesecakes, trifles, tiramisus, and Strawberry Shortcake Parfaits is proof.

I like to think that a layered dessert can certainly be just as elegant if prepared the right way. Make it simple. Overcomplicated desserts are no fun to prepare or eat. Choose two or three flavour combinations, because too many will just become muddled and the flavours will compete with each other. That’s what I think of trifles. I do like them, but I don’t care for them if they have cake, fruit, jello, pudding, whipped cream, etc. Too many ingredients and too many layers are certainly not the way to go.

If you are looking for more layered desserts, look no further! I’ve got you covered right here. Try these Stacked Vanilla Strawberry Shortcakes, for example. Or a breakfast version using waffles! Speaking of strawberry shortcakes, you have got to try these puff pastry flakies – they are probably my favourite dessert of all time. Of course, you can’t go wrong with the classic no-bake cheesecake either!

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE CRUMBS

Remember those pink and white ice cream bars with the strawberry-flavoured crumb coating? I do! In fact, they were my favourite ice cream bar when I was growing up. Now that I’m older, I don’t care much for ice cream, because it doesn’t seem to agree with me. I’m not lactose intolerant, but ice cream makes me feel bloated and blah, so I stay away from it as much as possible.

Now, in the instance that the ice cream in question is strawberry, I can’t pass it up. Because of the fact that I’m not a fan of ice cream, it is safe to assume that I am not an ice cream connoisseur. So, go easy on me when I tell you that my favourite ice cream is cheap ice cream, and the more artificial the strawberry flavour, the more I love it! I won’t name the brands that I like, but they package their ice cream in boxes. That’s all I’m going to say!

The number of Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars I ate when I was a kid are too high to count. I can’t tell you what the brand was, but the closest I can find are these by Good Humor. (I had to re-type ‘humor’ about five times before I could get my brain to let go of the O that should be in there – humour – it’s the Canadian in me!) Something tells me that in the 80s, the go-to brand was Nestle. Anyway, I digress!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR THIS RECIPE

You might have guessed by now that you need a batch of Strawberry Shortcake Crumbs. I shared that recipe on Monday, and you can find it here. Go ahead, and click on the link. It will open and new page so you won’t lose this one. Here is a list of the ingredients you will need to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

To Make the Crumbs:

• Vanilla Pudding – Just a plain box of powdered mix is all you need. There’s no need to mix it according to the instructions on the package.
• Strawberry Jello – Again, this is just the powder. You will use the powder as it is – no need to mix it and let it set.
• Flour – Regular all-purpose flour is good.
• Butter – I used salted butter to offset some of the sweetness. Unsalted butter is certainly okay too.
• Golden Oreos – Get the vanilla-flavoured Oreos. You’ll use one full package of Golden Oreos.

Assembly Ingredients:

• Greek Yogurt – Because granola is usually sweet and summer fresh strawberries are too, I opted for plain yogurt, but vanilla yogurt would also be a great choice.
• Strawberries – Use as many or as little as you like.
• Granola

HOW TO MAKE STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE PARFAITS

Layer the bottom of two parfait serving glasses with half of the chopped strawberries. Top those strawberries with a quarter cup of granola, followed by a quarter cup of yogurt. Top that with a quarter cup of strawberry shortcake crumbs.

Repeat the layers once more with the rest of the strawberries, followed by the rest of the granola, yogurt, and more shortcake crumbs. Top with one whole strawberry. Serve immediately or refrigerate for 4-6 hours.

STORING

These Strawberry Shortcake Parfaits can certainly be made ahead of time. Once assembled, cover them well with plastic wrap and keep them refrigerated. You can keep them for 2-3 days. Since these parfaits are very easy to assemble, a great way to serve them is by allowing everyone to make their own.

To make things look pretty and presentable, transfer the Greek yogurt from the containers to a serving bowl. Do the same with the granola and the strawberry shortcake crumbs – all in separate bowls, of course. Next, wash, hull, and chop the strawberries. Put those in a bowl as well.

Place a spoon into each bowl and set out a glass for everyone. As you can see, I’m using brandy glasses, but any cocktail or drinking glass will do just fine. A mason jar works very nicely too! Encourage everyone to build their own parfaits right at the table!