Take a trip back to your childhood with this grownup Chocolate Caramel Pudding Parfait full of rich dark chocolate pudding, whipped cream, caramel and crumb topping.
Can we take a second and get some whoop whoops because it’s finally Fall? Goodbye long, hot miserable summer. Hello glorious Fall! The temperatures have finally dropped to a manageable level and for the first time in months our windows are open to let the cool air in.
I love Fall, it’s always been my favorite time of year. From the perfect temperatures outside to the gorgeous colors on the trees and to the crisp clean smell in the air. Sure I’ll miss my summer food terribly but they will be back before I know.
For now, I’ll enjoy my Fall foods and excuse to break out some heavier fare that I’ve held off indulging on for the last few months. It’s time to put the oven back to use with slow braises and chock full of chocolate desserts.
Oh and I know full well that chocolate is an any time of year treat but I’m all about the fruit and lighter desserts in the summer. Now that the sweaters are being pulled out, I want something comforting and what’s more comforting that a big bowl of pudding?
I was thinking the other day, does pudding have a season? I don’t really think so – it’s a great dessert all year round in my book. Plus this simple dessert gets elevated to a whole new level once it gets put into parfait mode with homemade whipped cream and crumb topping. Of course nothing goes better with chocolate than a little bit of caramel.
The thing is, I don’t always want to make a batch of caramel sauce for a dessert that’s suppose to be easy. It’s a good thing I recently discovered premium, high-quality Crema di Caramel syrup from Amoretti. I love that it’s all natural, contains no artificial flavors, colors or high fructose corn syrup. When you need just a little touch of caramel to finish your dessert, this is the perfect option! You might be familiar with Amoretti from spotting them at your favorite coffee shop but it’s just as perfect at home too. Since the caramel is packed so full of flavor you also only need just a touch to make it shine (which means more excuses to use it up elsewhere)!
Are you still thinking that pudding is just a kids dessert? I promise this is not the dessert you used to get in your lunch box.
I never thought I liked pudding until I tried this, it’s basically a step away from ice cream, that’s how rich it is. Full of cocoa powder and dark chocolate it packs a chocolatey punch. You can even go so far to add a splash of bourbon or rum to it to make sure it’s definitely for grown ups only or a dash of espresso powder to enhance the chocolate taste. Whatever additions you make, this is a dessert to impress or just a simple special treat for yourself!
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Ingredients
- 3 large egg yolks
- 2 1/4 cups milks
- 1/2 cup cane sugar
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 3 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate (about 60% cacao)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extra
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon confectioners sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/14 cup unbleached all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Amoretti Crema di Caramel Syrup
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat mix together the milk, sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder and salt and bring to a simmer.
- In a small bowl whisk the egg yolks and when the milk comes to a simmer, whisk in a small amount to temper the yolks.
- Slowly drizzle the eggs back into the milk mixture on the stove, constantly whisking to make sure they don't curdle.
- Bring the temperature back up to a simmer, stirring until the mix starts to thicken. Once it does immediately take it off the heat.
- Place the chocolate in a large bowl with a strainer on top and pour the hot liquid over the chocolate. Let sit for 30 seconds before stirring until the chocolate is completely melted, stir in the vanilla at this point. At this point, place plastic wrap on top of the pudding, so it presses down completely on the pudding (you don't want a skin to form) and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 4-6 hours. The pudding can be made in advance.
- To build the parfaits:
- Bake the crumb topping by heating your oven to 350 degrees and lining a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper
- In a medium mixing bowl, combined the flour, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon and melted butter until it starts to clump together. Pour it out on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes or until the crumb topping is golden brown. It will continue to harden slightly as it cools. When it is cool, break it up into small pieces.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment add the heavy cream, confectioners sugar and vanilla extract. Beat until stiff peaks have formed.
- To build your parfaits, use a parfait glass or canning jars and add one pump of the Amoretti Crema di Caramel to the bottom of the glass or jar, then a layer of pudding, a layer of whipped cream, a layer of crumb topping and repeat with pudding, whipped cream and crumb topping until you reach the top. Finish with another pump of Crema di Caramel.
- Serve immediately or chill until ready to serve.
- Makes about 4 8 ounce parfaits.
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This post is sponsored on behalf of Amoretti. As always all opinions are my own and thanks for supporting brands that I work with. This post contains affiliate links.
Damn, girl, these parfaits are bangin’! Now, if you’ll just go ahead and pass me the entire lot.
Drooling over here. And you know how I feel about any sort of crumb topping. Pinned!
Wow, these look incredible! Almost too pretty to eat!!
Man if I had this pudding growing up instead of those silly snack packs, I would have had the best childhood ever! Love how decadent this looks.
Nothing much beats homemade pudding! And I love how you dressed it up!
I am typing this as my toddler eats a store-bought pudding cup next to me on the couch. Must try!
These look incredible! I’ve got to get my hands on that caramel syrup!
You made the most PERFECT parfaits I have ever seen! I need to get my hands on that caramel syrup! YUM!
Seriously!! This is amazing, I love what you did with it 🙂
Noooo….I’d prefer it to stay summer for forever, thankyouverymuch. These parfaits might make it up to me though. I have a weakness for pudding and I really want to try that caramel syrup!
Whoop whoop from me! I loooove some rich, caramely fall desserts. Let’s just not talk about winter, okay?
Hmmm, I’m with you. I don’t think pudding has a season, although I’m much more likely to want to eat it in the fall and winter. I’ve actually never made homemade pudding (although I’ve made pastry cream, and isn’t that really just fancy pudding?), but I would love to start with this recipe. That Amoretti syrup is the perfect addition to this parfait!
What are the ingredients in the caramel syrup please? Im trying, without much success, to find out what they put in their syrups 🙁 Thanks 🙂
Here you go Sandra – Milk, Sucrose, Dextrose, Fructose, Water, Natural Flavor and Caramel Color. Hope that helps!