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CPA: Certified Pastry Aficionado

Chocolate Strawberry Parfaits

dessert· Valentine's Day
February 7, 2022

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Chocolate Strawberry Parfaits – Homemade chocolate pudding is layered with freshly whipped cream and chopped strawberries

chocolate strawberry parfaits on platter dusted with cocoa powder

For Valentine’s Day, there’s no duo more iconic than strawberries and chocolate. If you’re looking for a fancy way to enjoy those flavors, these Chocolate Strawberry Parfaits are the way to do. I love these parfaits because the rich chocolate is slightly tamed by the whipped cream and juicy strawberries. Plus, they’re so freaking cute!

For these parfaits, the pudding is made entirely from scratch. There is nothing like homemade pudding. It’s thick and full of flavor that you just don’t get from the instant stuff. It’s also so incredibly easy to make so it always boggles my mind why we don’t make it from scratch more often.

Without further ado, let’s look at these parfaits a little closer, shall we??

overhead shot of chocolate strawberry parfaits on a serving platter
close up of chocolate strawberry parfaits to show the diced strawberries on top
spoonful of pudding and whipped cream sitting on top of parfait glass

Making the pudding

Homemade pudding is made by cooking eggs yolks with sugar, milk, and cornstarch. That’s it! Chocolate, salt, and vanilla extract are added to get the perfect chocolate flavor. Butter and cream are added at the end to produce a velvety texture and sheen.

You can’t just cook egg yolks or they will scramble. That’s why we slowly cook them over low heat so that they thicken perfectly into a creamy chocolate pudding. But before we even start cooking them, they’re whipped into the sugar to create a light and fluffy base before they get thickened up.

After the yolks are whipped, the cocoa, cornstarch, and salt are added. Hot milk is then slowly mixed in to temper the eggs. This means that the eggs slowly get warmed up so they don’t scramble by the shock of the heat. Once all the milk is added, the mixture is placed in a saucepan and heated over medium-low heat until it thickens up.

The pudding is cooled to room temperature and then refrigerated until chilled.

Layering the parfaits

Once the pudding is chilled, it’s time to make the whipped cream. All you need to do is whip heavy cream with sugar until stiff peaks form. Place the whipped cream in a piping bag to help layer it into the parfait glass neatly.

Decide how you want to layer the parfaits. I did just one layer of each but you can do two, if you’d like. Place the pudding in a piping bag, as well, and layer into the parfait dish. Spoon in the chopped strawberries.

half-eaten chocolate strawberry parfait with spoon resting on top

Tips and Tricks

  1. Patience! The pudding takes time to thicken. Do not remove from heat until it’s thicken up perfectly.
  2. Low heat. The heat must be set to medium-low to prevent the pudding from curdling.
  3. Damage control. If you happen to curdle the pudding, you may be able to save it. First, whip vigorously with a whisk to remove lumps. If lumps still remain, push through a mesh sieve.
  4. Timing is everything. Do not make these parfaits too far ahead of time. The liquid in the strawberries will leak into the parfait and make it watery. You can make the layers ahead, however. Simply assemble a couple hours before serving.
  5. Chill before layering. Do not layer the parfaits until the pudding has chilled. Otherwise, the whipped cream will melt.
Print Recipe

Chocolate Strawberry Parfaits

Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time15 mins
Chilling time:4 hrs
Servings: 4 parfaits

Ingredients

For the chocolate pudding:
  • 2 cups milk
  • 7 large egg yolks
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup cornstarch
  • 3 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ounce chopped semi-sweet chocolate
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
For the parfaits:
  • 1 dry quart fresh strawberries diced
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar

Instructions

  • Place milk in a large saucepan over medium low heat. While the milk is warming, place egg yolks and sugar in bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium-high with paddle attachment until mixture turns from yellow to very pale yellow. This will take about 2-3 minutes. In the meantime, keep an eye on the milk. Turn off heat once milk begins to steam and before it boils.
  • Add cornstarch, cocoa, and salt to pale yellow egg yolks. Mix on low until combined. While the mixer is on low, very slowly add all of the hot milk. Place mixture back in saucepan and place over medium-low heat to thicken it. Make sure to constantly stir the mixture to ensure the mixture doesn't burn on the bottom.
  • Once thick like pudding, removed from heat. Add butter, chopped chocolate, and vanilla extract. Whisk together until melted together. Finally, add heavy cream and whisk together. Let cool to room temp and then place in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic touches the pudding. Chill until cold, about 4 hours.
  • Once the pudding is cold, prepare the whipped cream. Whip the heavy cream with ¼ cup granulated sugar until stiff peaks form. Layer pudding, whipped cream, and chopped strawberries in parfait glasses. Use piping bags to help layer them neatly. You can do one layer of each or two layers. Serve immediately or place in refrigerator and serve within a couple hours.

Notes

Chocolate pudding recipe from Ina Garten

Pin for later:

More recipes you’ll love:

Lemon Raspberry Parfaits
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Chocolate Raspberry Mousse
Chocolate Raspberry Mousse on a spoon with a raspberry
Chocolate Covered Strawberry Sundaes
a Chocolate Covered Strawberry Sundae with ice cream dripping down the side on top of a striped towel, shot from a side angle

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20 Comments

« Chilled Strawberry Bisque
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Comments

  1. Colleen says

    February 14, 2022 at 1:05 pm

    These parfait are so yummy! Can’t wait to serve them for our date night tonight! Thank you.

    Reply
  2. Moop Brown says

    February 14, 2022 at 4:47 am

    These parfaits look very tasty and like a dessert everyone will enjoy. Great for valentines day as well!

    Reply
  3. Sandhya Ramakrishnan says

    February 13, 2022 at 7:44 pm

    These are just so perfect to make for my family tomorrow. My husband and kids are big time chocolate lovers and this will make them so happy. I am going to make it early in the day and give enough time to chill.

    Reply
  4. Ramona says

    February 13, 2022 at 5:56 pm

    This strawberry parfait looks super delicious and I love how perfect it is layered! Thank you for sharing this recipe, I cant wait to make this for dessert!

    Reply
  5. Tammy says

    February 13, 2022 at 4:46 pm

    How easy are these but also, how delightful! These look so delicious and pretty…a perfect dessert for V day or any occasion!

    Reply
  6. Chenée says

    February 13, 2022 at 3:24 pm

    This is a perfect no bake Valentine’s Day treats! Everyone loved them!

    Reply
  7. Aya says

    February 13, 2022 at 2:05 pm

    This chocolate strawberry parfait was so easy to make and it was delicious! The combination of chocolate and strawberry is wonderful!

    Reply
  8. Amy Liu Dong says

    February 13, 2022 at 6:47 am

    I love the looks of this smoothie, the added strawberry on top makes this an enticing and tempting one. What makes this great is from preparation up to the step-by-step guide is so easy to follow.

    Reply
  9. Tristin says

    February 12, 2022 at 3:55 pm

    Your tips were so great that I ended up with the creamiest pudding. The strawberry and chocolate combo were divine!!

    Reply
  10. Mikayla says

    February 11, 2022 at 5:06 pm

    These were so simple to put together and are adorable along with being delicious. I used jelly jars and screwed the lid ring on to add character.

    Reply
  11. ashley says

    February 8, 2022 at 10:34 pm

    This is the perfect dessert! Yum!

    Reply
  12. Mirlene says

    February 8, 2022 at 2:57 pm

    You had me at chocolate as I’m a chocolate lover. Strawberries and chocolate are a great combo and will make this for dessert this valentine’s day!

    Reply
  13. Vicky says

    February 8, 2022 at 2:54 pm

    This looks like such a decadent treat! I think it would be perfect for valentine’s day. Chocolate and strawberries are always a winning combination.

    Reply
  14. Casey says

    February 8, 2022 at 2:40 pm

    Kids LOVED this! We’re going to make it again for Valentine’s Day!!!!!

    Reply
  15. Tavo says

    February 8, 2022 at 2:25 pm

    Can’t wait to make these parfaits! thank you for this fantastic recipe!

    Reply
  16. Kristen says

    February 8, 2022 at 1:41 pm

    These were super delicious! Can’t wait to make again. Thank you. 🙂

    Reply
  17. Nadalie Bardo says

    February 8, 2022 at 10:02 am

    I love strawberries!! I’d love to layer this a little higher though! I’m a sweet tooth and this is just perfect!

    Reply
  18. Jen @ JENRON DESIGNS says

    February 8, 2022 at 9:36 am

    Yum these look amazing I love the combo of chocolate and strawberries for a a dessert parfait.

    Reply
  19. Kasia says

    February 8, 2022 at 8:52 am

    I’ve never actually made my own parfait so this is great. I also didn’t know how to make pudding so thanks for the recipe. I need to try this.

    Reply
  20. Rosemary says

    February 8, 2022 at 5:27 am

    Oh yes!!! You’ve just given me my Valentine’s Day dessert…thank you! We love parfait and in particular chocolate. Plus, I’m a huge strawberry fan. Simple, delicious and I know it will be a hit. Thanks for this recipe!!

    Reply

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