S'mores Parfaits
These decadent S'mores Parfaits taste downright sinful, but are made with dairy free chocolate pudding and refined sugar swaps like coconut sugar and honey.
Ingredients
For the chocolate pudding layer:
- 1 14 ounce can full-fat coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot starch or cornstarch
- 1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup packed coconut sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Pinch sea salt
For the marshmallow fluff layer:
- 1/3 cup water
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup honey or corn syrup
- 3 large egg whites room temperature
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the graham cracker layer:
- 1 cup crumbs graham crackers from about 4-5 graham crackers
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar or regular sugar
- 3 tablespoons coconut butter or coconut oil, melted and slightly cooled
Instructions
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Make the chocolate pudding layer first so that the other layers can be prepared as the pudding chills. Add all except about 1/2 cup of coconut milk to a small saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder, coconut sugar, vanilla and salt, whisking to combine.
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Meanwhile, mix the remaining 1/2 cup coconut milk with the arrowroot starch in a small bowl until well combined. As the mixture on the stove begins to simmer, continue to whisk often to prevent clumping on the bottom. Once it starts to bubble, whisk in the arrowroot and coconut mixture and cook, whisking often, until thickened. Remove from heat immediately after mixture thickens. Mixture will continue to thicken as it chills.
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Let cool until room temperature, then refrigerate in an airtight container.
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Make the marshmallow fluff by placing water, sugar and honey in a medium saucepan. Stir to combine. Insert a candy thermometer into the pot and heat over medium-high.
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Place egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer. When the sugar syrup reaches about 225°, begin whipping the egg whites until soft peaks form, about 3-4 minutes. When the sugar syrup reaches 240°F, remove from heat. Turn mixer to medium and very slowly and carefully pour the sugar syrup into the whites in a thin, steady stream.
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Set mixer to medium-high and continue whipping until thick, fluffy and glossy, about 6-7 minutes. Add in vanilla and whip gently until incorporated. Spoon about 1/3 of mixture into a piping bag fitted with a star tip and set aside.
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Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor until fine. Transfer to a bowl and add coconut butter and sugar. Mix to combine.
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To assemble parfaits, divide graham cracker crumbs evenly among 4 clear jars or cups. Top with chocolate pudding. Pipe the marshmallow fluff on top of the pudding layer. Toast marshmallow fluff lightly with a blow torch just before serving.
Recipe Notes
Special equipment: blow torch
Tips for making homemade marshmallow fluff:
Before starting, make sure all fo your equipment is grease free. Even a speck of grease or egg yolk can mess up the whole meringue. I like to play it safe and wipe everything down with lemon juice before adding the egg white.
To ensure your eggs are whipped to perfection I include a small amount of cream of tartar in this marshmallow fluff recipe. The cream of tartar acts as a stabilizer as it keeps the air locked in the egg whites.
Once you've made your sugar syrup, you’ll want to pour it carefully, and very slowly into your partly whipped egg whites. Try to get the stream right between the whisk and the sides of the bowl, so that the hot syrup doesn’t get splashed around by the whisk.
Homemade marshmallow fluff can be rewhipped by hand if it becomes flat. Leftover fluff can be frozen in an airtight container to use later. Why not make a batch of Rice Krispie treats?
To get the marshmallow fluff topping nice and toasty, you’ll need a blow torch. I do not recommend toasting the assembled parfaits in the oven as the pudding layer might get too hot.