Pumpkin Cheesecake Parfaits
My cousin Diane recently texted me that her mom had brought her over some baked pumpkin pie custard and that she had scooped it into a bowl with some different delectable things and it was delicious. She challenged me to create a recipe based on it and the first thing I thought of was parfaits.
I love the idea of serving these at a quaint Thanksgiving get together or even to friends coming for dinner in the fall – and aren’t they beautiful?
I wanted to skip the baked custard part so I thought -why not make a mock-cheesecake mixture to use so I mixed up one (15 oz) can of pure pumpkin puree with an 8-ounce block of cream cheese and a cup of powdered sugar for my pumpkin layer. Oops! Almost forgot to add one teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice!
I then whipped up some whipped cream (see tutorial here), using a 16 ounce carton of heavy whipping cream.
Also spoon this into a gallon bag and snip off the corner.
Now assemble (1/2 cup each) of some other yummy ingredients.
Heath toffee bits. Crack in a candy bag. Put 1/2 cup in a bowl.
Toss about 12 store-bought gingersnaps into a food processor (or you can put them in a Ziploc bag and crush them with a rolling pin). They should like like sand when you’re finished. You’ll need about 1/2 cup in a bowl as a reminder.
Also put 1/2 cup of chopped pecans in a bowl.
This is not necessary, but it’s awful pretty to decorate the top of the parfaits with – some caramel. I am using my homemade salted caramel (recipe here) but you could use plain ol’ store bought regular caramel, like the kind you top ice cream with.
I spooned some into a squeeze bottle, but again, not necessary as you can just heat it up to become thinner and drizzle it with a spoon over top.
I’m just saying – get some of these squeeze bottles though – they are SO useful for so many things and they are usually at any grocery store now for a couple of bucks or less.
So now you should have assembled – pumpkin cheesecake mixture in a baggie with corner snipped off, whipped cream in a baggie with the corner snipped off, 3 bowls each filled with a half cup each of -chopped pecans, crushed gingersnaps and toffee bits and some warmed caramel.
Let’s assemble some parfaits!
You can use a variety of things as cups – champagne glasses, wine glasses, even low ball glasses or martini glasses. I happen to have some cute parfait glasses Mr. Wonderful got me so I’m using them!
You can layer these however you want but here is how I did it…
A spoonful of gingersnap crumbs in the bottom.
Squeeze in a layer of pumpkin cheesecake mixture.
Squeeze in some whipped cream.
Take a spoon and tamp down these two.
Or you can gently rap them on your hand to level them out and fill the air pockets like the Wonderful guy did.
Now add in a heaping spoonful of toffee bits.
Shake to level them out.
Then add another layer of pumpkin and whipped cream.
If you’re at the top of your glass, make a pretty dollop.
Then sprinkle on some of the pecans.
Also you could sprinkle more of the toffee bits and cookie crumbs.
Then drizzle some caramel over top.
Last thing! Cut or break in half three of the gingersnap cookies to stick on top of each parfait for a cute garnish!
The Wonderful snuck one of these the night I made them and gave them two thumbs up.
They are really scrumptious. I may have snuck one myself around midnight after he went to sleep.
I couldn’t help it- my cousin Diane was right…the combination was delicious!!
- 1(15 oz) can pure pumpkin puree
- 1 (8 oz) cream cheese
- 1½ c. powdered sugar (divided)
- 1 t. pumpkin pie spice
- 1 t. pure vanilla extract
- 15 ginger snap cookies (1/2 c. crushed plus 3 whole for garnish)
- ½ c. Heath toffee bits
- ½ c. chopped pecans
- ½ c. salted caramel (or regular caramel)
- 1 (16 oz) heavy whipping cream
- Let cream cheese come to room temperature
- Beat pumpkin puree, cream cheese and 1 cup of the powdered sugar together until smooth and creamy
- Wash mixing bowl and then pour in heavy cream, ½ c. powdered sugar, 1 t. vanilla and whip until soft peaks form.
- Put ginger snap cookies in food processor and process until they resemble sand or put in baggie and roll with rolling pin.
- Line up all ingredients with parfait cups
- Spoon about a tablespoon of crushed gingersnaps into bottom of parfait cups
- Place a gallon baggie inside a large glass and fold down the top over the glass - for the pumpkin cheesecake mixture
- Do the same with another baggie - for the whipped cream
- Spoon the pumpkin mixture into the first baggie
- Spoon the whipped cream into the 2nd baggie
- Zip both baggies removing as much air as possible and snip a corner off each baggie
- Pipe the pumpkin in on top of the gingersnaps to make a thin layer
- Pipe the whipped cream on top of the pumpkin
- sprinkle toffee bits over top of whipped cream
- Add another layer each of pumpkin then whipped cream
- Continue layering to the top of your parfait cups and make the last layer a pretty dollop of whipped cream
- Sprinkle with nuts, more toffee bits and gingersnap sprinkles then drizzle with caramel.
- It helps to heat the caramel a bit in the microwave to make it thinner to drizzle
- Break or cut 3 gingersnaps in half and stick on top for garnish
