Snickers Peanut Butter & Chocolate Parfait
This post first appeared on Real Housemoms where I am a contributor.
Make a beautiful layered dessert with yummy peanut butter, chocolate, and candy bars in a Snickers Peanut Butter & Chocolate Parfait!
Making a beautiful dessert usually involves hours of baking and frosting and chilling and repeating those steps. But not this one! This chocolate parfait recipe is easy and quick. This is a great creamy dessert to make with leftover holiday candy bars.
I like to prep the pudding and mousse layers the night before, and then assemble the parfait the next day so there is no waiting time. This dessert is a close second to my favorite Chocolate Cream Pie for a quick chocolate dessert.
Why We Love Snickers Peanut Butter and Chocolate Parfait
We are going to take things to the next level with a chocolate pudding parfait! Just picture it – layers of chopped-up Snickers bars, chocolate pudding, and peanut butter mousse. It’s a crazy decadent dessert you’re going to adore!
Ingredients
Instant chocolate pudding mix – I like to keep things simple so I use instant pudding. If you have the cook & serve mix in your pantry, that’s okay. (Been there!) Make the pudding as directed and then cool completely before assembling the parfaits.
Milk – You want to use either 2% or whole milk for the pudding. Skim milk just doesn’t do it in this dessert.
Heavy cream (AKA heavy whipping cream) – We’re making homemade whipped cream as the base for the peanut butter mousse. Half-n-half or whole milk doesn’t have enough fat to whip up properly.
Peanut Butter – Creamy peanut butter is the way to go to keep your mousse nice a smooth. If you’re the crunchy PB type, you can get away with using that instead. The mousse texture might feel a little weird to anyone not expecting the peanut bits though.
Variations
I used two regular-sized Snickers for this recipe. If you have the fun-size on hand (like say, after Halloween) you’ll need about six of them.
If you prefer homemade chocolate pudding, you can absolutely whip your favorite recipe. Just be sure to let it cool completely first. I like instant because I’m impatient… and easy desserts are the best!
How to Make a Chocolate Parfait with Snickers
WHISK the chocolate pudding and milk together in a large bowl. Chill for 1 hour until the pudding set.
WHIP together the heavy cream, vanilla, and powdered sugar to make whipped cream. Beat in the peanut butter to make the mousse.
CHOP up the Snickers candy bars into bite-sized pieces. You can make them bigger or smaller. I cut the bar into slices and then cut each slice in half.
ASSEMBLE This is the fun part! Add a layer of chocolate pudding to the bottom of a dessert cup. Layer with peanut butter and chopped Snickers and repeat! I like to see the layers on top so I don’t go edge to edge with the mousse.
Tips & Tricks
- Once you make the pudding and peanut butter mousse, they can be covered and stored in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble and serve.
- Be sure the plastic wrap is touching the surface of the pudding and mousse to prevent a skin from forming on top.
- While this recipe makes two servings, I only get through half my chocolate peanut butter parfait most of the time. You could absolutely assemble one round of layers in shallow bowls and be happy with that. Or double the recipe to make maximum layered dessert happiness for the whole family.
- I like to make sure you can see the pudding under the top layer of mousse, but you can spread it to the edges if you prefer.
What is a parfait?
Parfaits are a dessert made with layers of custard, pudding, or yogurt and granola, fruit, or other fillings that are served in a tall glass. The point here is to have a clear glass serving dish to show off all those pretty layers!
Parfaits are a french dessert and parfait means “perfect” in French… because they kind of are the perfect dessert to share with friends!
What’s the difference between a parfait and a trifle?
Excellent question! We just covered what parfaits are. The big difference here is that trifles have cake in them.
They’re a layered dessert, like parfaits, but they use fruit, cake, and custard for the layers. Sometimes the cake pieces are even soaked in brandy or a flavored liqueur. YUM!
More delicious dessert recipes
- No-Bake Chocolate Lasagna
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Cornflake Cookies
- Peanut Butter Graham Cracker Pie
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
- Chocolate Pudding Cupcakes
It’s hard to pick a favorite layer of this dessert, but I would love to hear what your favorite is! Give this recipe a try and then leave me a comment so I can see what the most popular layer is.
Snickers Peanut Butter & Chocolate Parfait
Ingredients
Equipment
Instructions
- Add instant pudding mix and mix to a medium mixing bowl. Whisk together for 2 minutes until thickened and all lumps are gone.
- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour until the pudding is set. (If chilling longer than 1 hour, cover the pudding with plastic wrap so it's touching the surface. This will prevent a skin from forming.)
- In another mixing bowl, beat whipping cream, vanilla, and powdered sugar until medium peaks form. Mix in peanut butter until well combined and smooth.
- Chop the Snickers bars into small pieces. (I cut the bars into slices and then cut each slice in half.)
- Assembly: Layer parfait in dessert cups starting with pudding on the bottom topped with peanut butter mousse, and then some candy bar pieces. Repeat layers in each cup. Serve immediately.