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Last Updated on March 25, 2026 by becky
A peanut butter and jelly parfait recipe made with homemade strawberry compote, fresh berries, crushed cookies, and peanut butter mousse. The sweetest PB&J dessert!
Why Make This Peanut Butter and Jelly Parfait Recipe?
I love turning familiar foods into new creations, like gingerbread hot chocolate, Creamsicle truffles, cherry cola granita, or lavender latte cookies. Same flavor profile, totally different format!
This peanut butter and jelly parfait captures all of the flavors of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but in a slightly more sophisticated dessert. Featuring layers of creamy peanut butter mousse, homemade strawberry compote, crushed cookies, and diced fresh strawberries, it’s a fun spoonable twist on the childhood lunchbox staple.
PB&J Parfait Ingredients
To make this peanut butter and jelly parfait recipe, you’ll need the following:
- Cream Cheese – Unlike some recipes which require full-fat cream cheese, this recipe will work with softened full-fat cream cheese or spreadable cream cheese/UK-style “soft cheese.”
- Peanut Butter – Opt for creamy peanut butter. Avoid “natural” peanut butters, which will make the mousse too oily.
- Confectioner’s Sugar – Confectioner’s sugar (icing sugar, powdered sugar) sweetens the mousse.
- Whipping Cream – Whipping cream (or heavy cream, in the US) forms the base for the light, airy peanut butter mousse.
- Vanilla Extract – You can use vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste, or the scrapings of a vanilla pod. Nielsen-Massey is my go-to brand for all things vanilla.
- Fresh Strawberries – You’ll need 130 grams (4 1/2 ounces, or about US 1 cup) of hulled and diced fresh strawberries. Do not use frozen strawberries for this recipe.
- Strawberry Compote – I tested this recipe with my homemade strawberry compote recipe. See my notes below.
- Biscuits or Cookies – For crumbling and layering. Some suggestions include: shortbread fingers, custard creams, Nilla Wafers, graham crackers, Nutter Butters, or Lotus Biscoff.
- Garnishes – You can garnish your parfaits with crushed roasted peanuts, freeze dried strawberry pieces, additional fresh berries, whole or crushed cookies, strawberry sprinkles, peanut butter crumbs topping, or anything else you’d like.
Notes on Strawberry Compote
My homemade strawberry compote recipe requires just a few basic ingredients (fresh or frozen strawberries; granulated sugar; a navel orange) and about 20 minutes of active prep. I think it’s well worth taking the time to make your own compote to layer into these parfaits. (Might I also suggest making some extra and drizzling it over homemade vanilla ice cream? Sooo good!) But if you don’t have time to prepare your own strawberry compote from scratch, you can purchase a jarred compote, use strawberry pie filling, or substitute strawberry jam or strawberry preserves instead.
Notes on Peanut Butter Mousse
The amount of mousse required for assembly will depend on the size of the jars or glasses you’ve chosen, and how generously you want to top your parfaits. I used stemless wine glasses, each finished with a decorative squirt of mousse on top.
If using larger jars, or if you prefer parfaits piled high with mousse, I’d suggest doubling the mousse recipe. If you have some left over, you can use it as a tart shell filling, a hot chocolate garnish, or a cake topping, or enjoy it a dessert in its own right.
Peanut Butter Parfait Recipe Tips and Tricks
For parfait assembly, I prefer to use a disposable piping bag fitted with a star or other decorative piping tip. If you don’t have a piping bag, scoop the peanut butter mousse into a plastic food storage bag and clip the corner with scissors to create a DIY piping bag, or simply spoon the mousse into the glasses instead.
For stress-free assembly, have all parfait components (peanut butter mousse, crushed cookies, strawberry compote, fresh berries) ready to go before you begin to put the parfaits together.
To crush the biscuits or cookies, place them in a large plastic food storage bag and use a wooden rolling pin, a kitchen mallet, or the back of a ladle to crush. You’re looking for chunks and pieces, not the fine, sandy texture you’d use for making a ginger snap or Oreo pie crust. See the example photo below.
You can assemble these parfaits in any type of glasses you’d like. Try stemless wine glasses, verrines, square dessert cups, or small jars. (Once you own the glasses, you’ll be ready to make my other parfait recipes, like my key lime parfaits or cranberry orange parfaits, too!) Note that the number of parfaits this recipe makes will depend on the size of the vessels you’ve chosen. But no matter which glasses you use, definitely opt for clear glass or plastic containers so everyone can see the pretty layers.
Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions
You can prepare the homemade strawberry compote up to 5 days in advance, and refrigerate until ready to use. It can also be made and frozen for up to 3 months.
Wait until you’re ready to serve to prepare the peanut butter mousse and assemble the ingredients in glasses. The berries will make the mousse watery and the cookies will turn soggy if the parfaits sit for more than few hours before serving. (For a better “make ahead” strawberry dessert, I’d suggest my strawberry ice cream or Oreo strawberry pie instead.)
Other custard, parfait, and pudding recipes you might enjoy:
Orange and Cranberry Parfait
Eton Mess with Cinnamon and Pears
Key Lime Pie Parfait
Butternut Squash Pudding
Strawberry Fool
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!
Print
Peanut Butter and Jelly Parfait
- Total Time30 minutes
- Yield4 parfaits 1x
A peanut butter and jelly parfait recipe made with homemade strawberry compote, fresh berrries, crushed cookies, and peanut butter mousse.
Ingredients
Peanut Butter Mousse:*
60 grams cream cheese, softened (2 ounces; 1/4 cup)
70 grams creamy peanut butter (2 1/2 ounces; 1/4 cup)
30 grams confectioner’s sugar (3 tablespoons)
120 milliliters whipping cream (1/2 cup), divided
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Assembly:
130 grams fresh strawberries, hulled and diced (4 1/2 ounces; 1 cup diced berries)
150 grams homemade strawberry compote, or store-bought strawberry jam (about 1/2 cup)
120 grams crushed biscuits or cookies, such as shortbread fingers, graham crackers, Nilla wafers, or Nutter Butters (about 1 1/2 cups)
To Garnish:
Crushed roasted peanuts
Crushed freeze dried strawberry pieces
Instructions
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, mix cream cheese, peanut butter, confectioner’s sugar, 2 teaspoons of whipping cream, and vanilla extract on high speed until smooth and creamy.
In a separate bowl, whip remaining cream on high speed until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes.
With a flexible rubber spatula, gradually fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture, 1 scoop at a time, until you’ve added all of the cream.
Scoop peanut butter mousse into a piping bag fitted with a star or other decorative piping tip.
Layer components into 4 stemless wine glasses, small jars or dessert cups in the following order: Strawberry compote, crushed cookies, peanut butter mousse, crushed cookies, diced fresh strawberries, peanut butter mousse.
Garnish with crushed salted peanuts and crushed freeze dried strawberry pieces.
Serve immediately.
Notes
*The amount of mousse required will depend on the size of the jars you’ve chosen, and how much mousse you want to use to top your parfaits. If using larger jars or if you prefer parfaits piled with mousse (rather than a decorative squirt on top) I’d suggest doubling the mousse recipe. If you have some left over, you can also enjoy it a dessert in its own right!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Custards and Puddings
- Method: No Bake
