Looking for a cool make ahead, summer dessert? Look no further… Pina Colada Parfait !
Nothing beats a fresh pineapple. Pineapples have exceptional juiciness and a vibrant tropical flavor that balances the tastes of sweet and tart. Any tropical recipe seems to scream pineapple. Pineapple can go from Savory to sweet with ease. Plus they are super healthy.
Pick a pineapple that is heavy for it’s size, with no soft spots or bruises. If the “eyes” are too dark it may be over ripe. Pineapples stop ripening once they are picked, so pick one that has a sweet smell at the stem end. You can keep pineapple on the counter for a few days…it won’t get any sweeter, but it will get softer and juicier.
I crushed my pineapple in the food processor for this recipe. Mine was really juicy and sweet…..yum.
Blending the crushed pineapple with a coconut instant pudding added to the tropical flavor. Make sure to blend the pudding well so you don’t have any dry powder in a bite. A little whipped topping and you have a tropical parfait filling.
Now for the crunchy stuff…… I adore coconut macaroon cookies. Sweet, chewy, moist….my mouth is watering just talking about them.
So, I figured they would be and added bonus to the parfaits. Instead of making cookies, I spread the mixture on a parchment lined cookie sheet and baked until still chewy, but with lots of crunch bits.
Parfaits should be kinda fancy, but I made these for a cook out and glass and outdoors do not mix. The Dollar Store to the rescue. They have lots of plastic fancy pants glasses. I chose champagne flutes…..more layers. You could also make this recipe into a trifle if you wanted……good idea for next time!!
Place the parfait mixture into a large ziplock bag and snip off the tip. This lets you squeeze the mixture into the glasses with out getting to much on the sides…..gives you nice neat layers.
Alternate layers of the pineapple mixture and the macaroons until the glass it full. Top with whipped topping and garnish with a wedge of pineapple, and a maraschino cherry. Add a little of the macaroon if you desired.
These beauties can be made ahead and stored in the frig until you are ready for dessert.
For a tropical dessert that is sure to get rave reviews try Pina Colada Parfait.
Pina Colada Parfait
- Yield: 6 1x
Ingredients
- 1 fresh pineapple, peeled, cored, and chunked
- 1 package (3.4 oz.) Coconut Flavor Instant Pudding
- 1 cup thawed Whipped Topping
- ⅓ cup flour
- 3 cups shredded sweetened coconut
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ can (7 oz) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- Pineapple wedge, whipped topping, and maraschino cherry for garnish.
Instructions
- In a food processor pluse chunks of pineapple to crush.
- Mix crushed pineapple and dry pudding mix until well blended. Fold in whipped topping and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl & stir well until fully combined
- Spread macaroon mixture over parchment paper into an even layer
- Bake 8 minutes,stir mixture and return to oven for an additional 8 minutes
- or until starting to turn brown
- Cool on baking sheet.
- To assemble parfaits use decorative glass or plastic glasses that have some depth. I used champagne glasses I purchased at the Dollar store.
- Place pineapple mixture in a large plastic ziplock bag and snip off a corner. This makes filling the glasses easier and neater. Squeeze a dollop of the pineapple mixture in the bottom of a glass. Top with macaroon mixture.
- Repeat layer until the glass is full. Top with whipped topping, a decorative slice of pineapple, some of the macaroon mixture and a cherry. Refrigerate until ready to eat.
