Orange and Cranberry Parfait Recipe

Combining layers of cranberry compote, pieces of fresh orange, and dollops of cranberry mousse, this orange and cranberry parfait recipe topped with crushed ginger snap cookies and candied ginger makes an easy winter dessert. This recipe serves 2-3 people, but can easily be doubled or tripled for larger gatherings!

Why Make This Parfait Recipe?

Although I love to bake complicated cakes and pastries, I also enjoy a good, old-fashioned, no bake dessert. Parfaits (and their close cousin, the Eton Mess) rank near the very top of my no-bake list.

While berries, yogurt, and cream are some of my favorite summertime parfait ingredients, this cranberry and orange parfait recipe brings together some of the best flavors of winter. Featuring cranberry mousse, crushed ginger snap (ginger biscuit) cookies, pieces of fresh orange, cranberry compote, and bits of candied stem ginger, this parfait makes an easy no-bake dessert for your Friday night dinner.

As a bonus, many of the ingredients lend themselves to advance preparation, so this seasonal parfait also offers a stress-free option for winter entertaining. (The only thing you’ll need to do is assemble everything just prior to serving, but that only takes a couple of minutes!) The ingredients are easily doubled, tripled, or quadrupled if you’re serving a crowd.

Ingredients for Making This Orange and Cranberry Parfait Recipe

To make this cranberry and orange parfait recipe, start by gathering the following ingredients:

• Cranberry Juice – You’ll use cranberry juice to create a soft-set cranberry jelly, then blend it with freshly whipped cream to make the cranberry mousse.
• Cranberry Sauce – Or cranberry compote. I recommend my homemade cranberry compote recipe, but a store-bought cranberry sauce, cranberry chutney, or cranberry curd will also work.
  
• Granulated Sugar – For sweetening the mousse. Depending on the amount of sugar in the cranberry juice you’ve chosen, you may wish to adjust the amount of granulated sugar to taste.
• Gelatin – For setting the cranberry jelly before blending it into the cream. I developed this recipe with platinum leaf gelatin. Please visit this post to learn how to convert gelatin sheets to powder.
  
• Fresh Ginger – You’ll need about 10 grams, or one tablespoon of peeled and grated fresh ginger. You can omit the fresh ginger if using my cranberry compote recipe, which is already pretty ginger-forward!
• Whipping Cream – Or heavy cream, in the US. To make the pretty pink mousse, you’ll whip the cream with a hand mixer or stand mixer, then fold in the soft-set cranberry jelly.

• Navel Oranges – I used two navel oranges, peeled, sectioned, and cut into small pieces. Sections of fresh mandarin orange, or drained canned mandarin oranges, will also work. If desired, slice a third orange and add to the rim of each glass for a pretty garnish.
  
• Honey – For tossing with the orange pieces. You may wish to omit the honey if using sweetened canned oranges.
  
• Ginger Snaps – Crushed ginger snaps (ginger biscuits) add a layer of crunch. You can use store-bought cookies or make your own. Save a few extras to crush and sprinkle over the top of each parfait.
• Candied Ginger – Small pieces of store-bought or homemade candied ginger add a pretty finishing touch.

Cranberry Parfait Recipe Tips and Tricks

• Place the ginger snaps in a large ziploc bag and use a rolling pin or kitchen mallet to crush. (You’re aiming for large chunks and pieces, not the sandy crumbs you’d use for a ginger snap pie crust.
• Do not assemble the parfaits more than an hour or two in advance. If you do this, the moisture from the cream and fruit will turn the ginger snap cookies into mush.
• For a shortcut, substitute store-bought cranberry sauce and store-bought ginger snap cookies.
• To keep the process smooth, have all components—mousse, oranges, crushed cookies, and compote—ready to go before you begin to assemble the parfaits.
• Use a disposable piping bag for even layers, especially for the cranberry mousse.
•  Don’t overfill the glasses. Smaller portions work best for this one! This recipe yields 2-3 servings, or perhaps a few more if you opt to assemble in small jars or verrines.
• Add the crushed cookies and candied ginger pieces just before serving. You can also garnish with a slice of fresh orange, or a sprinkling of crushed pistachios.

The Best Glasses for Assembling a Winter Parfait

To asssemble your parfaits, you will need individual containers. Wine glasses, small glass jars, mini mason jars, verrines, or drinking glasses will all work. You don’t need anything fancy—simple glassware you already have on hand is perfect. I used 4-inch tall stemless wine glasses to assemble my parfaits.

Be sure to choose clear containers to showcase the pretty layers of pale pink mousse and bright orange fruit, so your parfaits look as good as they taste. Other than the “no bake” factor, the best part of parfaits is their visual appeal!

Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions

You can prepare the cranberry mousse up to 24 hours in advance, and refrigerate it in the piping bag until ready to use.

If using homemade cranberry compote, you can prepare it up to three days in advance and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Or, make the compote up to one month in advance and freeze it until ready to use, then thaw in the refrigerator the night before you plan to serve the parfaits. For a shortcut, you can also use a store-bought cranberry compote or cranberry sauce.

Do not assemble the parfaits until just prior to serving, or the ginger snap cookies will become soggy.

Other parfait recipes you might enjoy:

Key Lime Parfait
Eton Mess Recipe with Mixed Berries
Parfait with Chocolate and Cherries

And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!

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