Whether you are reading this post during scorching hot and humid summer or chilly wintertime, you’re in for a Japanese treat! We enjoy these tall and fancy Fruit Parfait (フルーツパフェ) all year round, and I’ll show you how to make them with simple ingredients!
What is Japanese Fruit Parfait?
If you walk around Japan and pass by coffee shops (kissaten 喫茶店) and family restaurants, you will often see these huge parfaits (plastic food that looks realistic) in the windows. Japanese parfaits are made mainly of ice cream, fruits, and whipped cream along with some other sweet ingredients. If you ask folks who live in the US, they would be considered these sundaes rather than parfaits. Usually, US parfaits are made with yogurt. For the Japanese, Strawberry, chocolate, and matcha (green tea) are popular year-round parfait menu items but you might see some seasonal parfaits such as peach and melon. They are almost always served in a tall decorative glass, which fascinates everyone from kids to adults. It is a classic menu item for coffee shops and family restaurants.
How to Make a Fruit Parfait
It’s really easy to make your ordinary dessert into a fancy Japanese parfait with just a few ingredients. Here are the easy steps.
Step 1 – Get A Tall Glass
What makes it a Japanese parfait? A tall glass! I looked everywhere to find a Japanese parfait glass but the closest one I could find is Tulip Sundae Glass Bowls (set of 8) by Libbey. Do we really need them? Not really, but you’ll need a wide-opening glass or glass bowl.
Step 2 – Get 3 Fillers
Sponge cakes: Parfaits usually include some kind of sponge cakes to fill up the tall glass as well as your tummy. Use your favorite sponge cake, brownies, or Castella cake as fillings. It’s a great way to use leftover brownies! Fresh Fruits: Most parfaits include fresh fruits. Fruits are quite expensive in Japan, so large chunks of fruits on parfaits definitely catch our hearts! We particularly enjoy seasonal fruits such as melon and peaches on this delicious dessert. Fresh Whipped Cream: Besides ice cream, whipped cream fill up the voids in the tall glass. Japanese whipped cream is not overly sweet, and I use the 8% of sugar to heavy whipping cream ratio (same in my Strawberry Shortcake recipe).
Step 3 – Get Your Favorite Ice Cream
One to two scoops of ice cream is a must in Japanese parfaits. Vanilla is a good choice for most parfaits, but be adventurous and get creative with it!
Step 4 – Make Several Layers
Alternate the ingredients to make layers and fill the space with whipped cream. It’s important to create a good mixture of all the ingredients, not just whipped cream for example.
Step 5 – Give it Crunch
Sponge cakes, ice cream, and whipped cream are all soft in texture, so give it some crunch! Most parfaits include cornflakes (cereal), granolas, and/or sliced almonds between layers so that they will provide a nice contrast to the rest of the ingredients.
Step 6 – Garnish
Finally, make sure to insert one or two Pocky’s or cigarette cookies in your parfait! They add more texture and dynamics to the parfait. 🙂
What’s Your Favorite Japanese Parfait?
Make your own parfait this summer and let me know what you like to include in your parfait! Today I made Strawberry Parfait for my daughter and Chocolate Parfait for my son as per their request. I think I’ll be back with my favorite Matcha Parfait in the future. 🙂 Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.
